I Should Heed My Own Sage Advice

[Bordercollie]

Our rig has sat parked mostly undriven in our driveway for the last 3 years. Hope to get back to camping and touring after both knee replacement surgeries. Left knee will be replaced on the 31st, right one in about 6 months. Anyway I noticed that the overhead cabin fan would not turn on a week ago. Today, I thought I'd check the electrolyte levels in the two series-connected 6 volt batteries.

Yikes! it was way below the plates in both batteries so I added distilled water with my leaky bulb filler. Voltage read 8.5 and it looked as though the converter/charger was not charging. I checked the house battery disconnect switch and got no relay snapping sound when cycling the rocker switch. I started the engine and checked house battery voltage, it read 14.1 volts. I tried the auxiliary battery switch and now there was a loud snap. I shut the engine off and now I read 13.1 volts at the house battery with rig on shore power,'twas now getting charged by the converter charger. While I was at it, I cleaned the corroded negative battery ring terminal connections, I noticed that the negative ring terminal nut was loose and tightened it. I went underneath and cleaned and tightened the negative cable connection to the frame.

I learned that if the house battery is dead, the auxiliary battery switch cannot operate the latching solenoid switch. I was reminded not forget and leave the house battery disconnect switch in storage position indefinitely as the house battery will self-discharge. The overhead fan now runs normally.

I hope I didn't damage the newish house batteries too badly by letting them get low on electrolyte and self- discharging to 8.5 volts. I'll let the batteries charge and test whether they will start the RV generator reliably in a few days.

[Harvey51]

Thanks for the heads up! I must take my batteries out and check water levels. I never plug in to shore power but should check once a year anyway, and I have left the solar collector on quite a bit just because it is so awesome too see it performing.

Before installing the solar panel, I disconnected a battery cable when leaving the RV unused for weeks or months. A month or two will pull the voltage down to 12.4 volts and require a bit of charging.

[j-d]

Thanks for the update. Proud of you!

[pianotuna]

I'm glad it is going so well.

[Bordercollie]

I am home from having left knee replacement surgery in Anaheim Memorial hospital ( 3-day stay) and another 30 days in Coventry Court Health Center for recovery and physical and occupational therapy. It's my second day home and was able to cook breakfast using my walker. I am able to get around and take showers, etc. without assistance. I will be having visits from home therapy people for a few weeks and should be ready to repeat process for my right knee by mid-November. Knee replacement has some considerable initial pain which has quickly diminished as the flexibility and swelling has subsided. You must try hard to achieve flexibility goals to regain mobility I could not have recovered without professional help from the therapists.

I hope to be doing fun things again like motorhoming by next spring after some 20 years of bone-on-bone knee pain and walking like Tim Conway character on old Carol Burnett show. If you are going to have knee replacement surgery, have grab bars installed in your shower or tub enclosure and install a tall oval-type toilet. These are good to have as you get into your elder years.

[Bordercollie]

I replaced the 10 year old batteries and old converter charger in late 2014. I kept a check on electrolyte levels for a while and noticed that there wasn't much lowering of electrolyte levels. Became complacent, forgot to check. I don't know how the disconnect switch got set to off, maybe dead batteries let the solenoid switch "unlatch"

My main point to share is that the house battery switch won't operate the latching solenoid switch if house battery voltage is too low. The other point is that the house battery electrolyte levels must be checked regularly even with a modern converter charger especially when connected to shore power.

Will check with surgeon on the type of knee joint metal at pre-op visit this coming Tuesday. Getting back to basic mobility after 20+ years of bone-on-bone knee joints will be miraculous. I finally got a second opinion. Knee replacement surgery has become less stressful for people with heart/ circulatory problems nowadays. Thanks for the well wishes!!

[DutchmenSport]

Lwiddis wrote:
After 3 years your batteries are not newish. Sorry but plan on getting new batteries. I'd suggest new tires too.

Reminds me of my mother, who is now 93 years old.

She needed a small paint touch up job done at her house, so I jumped in and tried to help. She insisted I use her "new" can of paint. I thought, well, OK! So I shook it up a little before popping the lid, then opened it. OH MY! It was awful! Gunk! I asked her how old that can of paint was, when did she buy it? Thinking she'd just purchased it recently and it had to be a really bad can of paint. She said, (in short .... 10 years ago!) I told her it was no longer new and not good any more. She debated the argument with me, stating there was nothing wrong with the paint as it was still brand new because it had never been opened. I ended up buying a "New" can of paint!

[Sam_Spade]

Bordercollie wrote:
I was reminded not forget and leave the house battery disconnect switch in storage position indefinitely as the house battery will self-discharge.

IF.....you are connected to shore power.....AND you have a good 3 or 4 stage converter/charger, there likely is no reason to EVER operate the battery disconnect switch. That is for use when there is no shore power OR it is known that a cheap charger will be worse than no charging at all.

[PghBob]

Good luck with the knee replacements. Several members of our owners' group have had their knees done, all with good outcomes. Their advice: Keep up with the physical therapy.

Best wishes for a quick return to the "road".

[j-d]

OWWWW!!! I am SO Sorry! Yeah, "Revision"... In the Coast Guard we use the word "Mishap" to label anything from a jammed knuckle to loss of aircraft and crew.

Thanks for the Heads UP. Hopefully it'll help some of us.

[Desert_Captain]

Before you get your knees replaced find out what they are planning to put in. Most folks have no issues but if you are one of the unlucky folks who ends up being allergic to the new knee you will be seriously screwed.

In my case a Cobalt Chromium knee {standard issue at the VA}, did not work so well since I am deathly allergic to Cobalt. My body was rejecting that knee before I was off of the operating table. Took 6 months of hell to convince them something was seriously wrong and two more months to schedule the "Revision" {Doctor speak for we screwed up the first one}.

Good luck.

:C

[j-d]

You've posted here so frequently I didn't realize you'd been down that long! Hopefully you'll be able to get out for some good enjoyment, for a good long while.

I'd post about the batteries in Tech Issues and see if we get some good advice from a battery guru.

[azrving]

It's never good for the batteries but I have seen some deeply discharged and still live. It may work best with a better performing converter or charger if you are only gettig 13.5 or 13/6 to your battery. You never know, just try it.

A friend had both his knees replaced at the same time which I cant imagine it. Good luck to you with your knees and getting back on the road.

[pianotuna]

Hi,

I hope you will be down the road soon!

Thanks for sharing what you found out.

[Lwiddis]

After 3 years your batteries are not newish. Sorry but plan on getting new batteries. I'd suggest new tires too.