best practices for long battery life

[mrad]

I cannot get more than 3 years out of my battery on my TT. Original battery was an interstate. It was replaced under warranty going into its third year. The replacement lasted two years. I then tried the walmart brand. This was it's third year. When putting it away for winter storage this year, it would not raise the tongue jack when not hooked up to shore power. When I checked the battery indicator in the TT, it showed it had no power 15 minutes after being disconnected from shore power.

I leave the TT plugged in all year once we start using it. Usually May- October. After that it goes in my basement and gets a charge every 2-4 week until ice fishing season. Then I take it to the fish house every weekend (Mid December through the end of February). I use it with a 750 watt inverter to run the tv and lights/ ceiling fan when I tune the generator off. I can usually get 6-7 hours on the battery before it needs to be charged. I then start the generator and charge it with my vector smart charger until it is full.

Should I be turning the disconnect switch off in the summer when it is plugged in at home, or is 2-3 years the average life span for a deep cycle battery?

[Cydog15]

mrad wrote:

time2roll wrote:
http://www.bestconverter.com/Replacement-Lower-Converter-Assembly-for-WFCO

I would just go with the 45 amp.

Are you telling me the one I have is not a good one? I have no problem buyinga new one if that is the case, however, after reading the responses, it sounds like my biggest issue may be how I treat the battery in the winter

That is exactly what he is telling you. The sooner you upgrade, the sooner the bleeding will stop. We all went through this 10 years ago and the guys at bestconverter led it for us. I would also consider the PD 4655 Wildkat. That and the Boondocker are the only ones I would consider.

[BFL13]

Great post above. I was posting something like that but the bus and fire hydrant monster got me. 😞

Anyway, if you just get a pair of 6s, the equipment you have will work quite closely to match their needs, where it won't come close with marine/rv or AGMs, and you will be much better off with no need for new equipment.

[profdant139]

So without getting into any more technical stuff, a word of advice for the OP -- many of the folks giving advice on this thread are true experts, who are essentially professionals when it comes to caring for batteries. I would follow their advice to the letter, if my life depended on it.

But it doesn't.

Most of us on this forum (and in the real world) are recreational battery consumers. Don't let the best be the enemy of the good, as the saying goes. If you try to adhere to all of the best practices described above, you will make yourself crazy (and you will spend money on a new converter).

Instead, just do a half-baked job, like most of us do (including me). Keep the battery charged up as much as possible. Make sure you have big enough batteries to do the job -- group 24s are pretty small. Get a multimeter (ten dollars?) and learn how to use it (easy -- go to youtube). Check on the state of charge pretty often -- try to keep it above 12.1 volts.

If you want to move up a notch in terms of battery care, get a cheap hydrometer -- it is a big eye dropper that tests the specific gravity of the battery water. It can give you a heads up when one of the cells is going bad -- that cell will have a lower reading than the others, and it is time for a new battery.

I boondock 90 days a year -- lots of heavy battery use -- and I get five years out of my Napa Marine Deep Cycle batteries. That is good enough for me.

No, I don't equalize. No, I did not replace my WFCO converter with the hottest version. My off-season battery charger is run of the mill, rather than a real smart charger.

Yes, I check my battery water. Yes, I use a hydrometer. Yes, I check the voltage. Yes, I do not let my battery get below 50 percent. (That was an expensive lesson, too slowly learned.)

I fully understand that my semi-sloppy behavior is not optimal and that it is upsetting to a true expert to see how I maintain my batteries. But camping is just a hobby -- I am not maintaining batteries for a submarine, where one false move is fatal. So I refuse to be a slave to my batteries. Adequate performance and battery life are, well, adequate. This does not have to be rocket science.

[beemerphile1]

mrad wrote:


World Friendship CO. LTD . Model WF-8965

Not a great converter but adequate for continual use. Many complain about the WFCO converters because they are an inefficient charger using with a generator. To maintain the battery while continually plugged in the WFCO is fine.

[mrad]

pianotuna wrote:
What we are trying to get through to you is that in the past the batteries were never fully charged.

I am understanding that part, but is it because of my vector smart charger in the winter not giving a full charge before I use it, or the charger on my TT? MY TT always runs on hooked up to a 30 amp service except when being towed.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

This battery has 25% more capacity than a deep cycle group 27

https://batteryguys.com/products/lifeline-gpl-31xt





http://www.megawattpowersupplies.com/

The two items would do the trick provided you do not accidentally or or purpose drain even more power overnight.

• Setup on the Megawatt is easy I'll help you via private message. You will need a digital meter and a tiny flat screwdriver. Adjust Megawatt once for all time
• How easy it to use?
• Plug it in when you get home then disconnect it anytime the next day. Proper care is a snap
• Not need to maintain it in the off-season. Charge it and leave it disconnected. No need to remove battery, just disconnect the negative cable to the trailer. The Megawatt stays disconnected during the off season
• This ad says it ships direct to your door step
• But the main thing thing is this is a way better setup and the 100.00% full recharge is goofproof and no screwing around with dials and gauges. Plug it in for the night.

[pianotuna]

What we are trying to get through to you is that in the past the batteries were never fully charged.

[time2roll]

mrad wrote:
Are you telling me the one I have is not a good one? I have no problem buyinga new one if that is the case, however, after reading the responses, it sounds like my biggest issue may be how I treat the battery in the winter

Yes the WFCO does advertise that it s a multistage converter however in practice it is much closer to a fixed 13.6 volt trickle charger.

The PowerMax otoh actually works as described charging to 14.6 volts and dropping to normal mode and eventually dropping to storage mode. In addition gives a short boost charge about daily to reduce stratification. WFCO claims same but does not actually perform for most people.

IOTA and Progressive Dynamics are also excellent.

Otherwise keep the battery topped up with distilled water and do not let it run the charge level down too far. Mostly plugged in you should get 5 to 8+ years out of that battery.

[mrad]

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
2018 Deep cycle car car batteries are nothing more or less than 1960's engine starting batteries. A 2018 Trojan group 27 is equal to a 1968 Ford Autolite group 27 heavy-duty car battery -- plate wise, plate thickness and overall battery weight. Ain't Life Grand? The 60's 8-D was a hell of a good 23 plate per cell battery.

Try this on for perspective for a battery bank on ground usage. A huge bank of engine starting batteries limited to 80% depth of remaining charge would make a fine bank. Too much cable to contend with but what the heck.

Everyone states they hate to use a hydrometer

OK Use a substitute

Your wallet

Mex,

I am spending about $100 every two years for a battery. I would not have a problem spending 2X more if I can get 4-5 years out of the battery.

Would an AGM be the way to go, or are my battery usage/charging practices teh biggest issue?

[mrad]

time2roll wrote:
http://www.bestconverter.com/Replacement-Lower-Converter-Assembly-for-WFCO

I would just go with the 45 amp.

Are you telling me the one I have is not a good one? I have no problem buyinga new one if that is the case, however, after reading the responses, it sounds like my biggest issue may be how I treat the battery in the winter

[time2roll]

http://www.bestconverter.com/Replacement-Lower-Converter-Assembly-for-WFCO

I would just go with the 45 amp.

[mrad]

time2roll wrote:

mrad wrote:
Not sure. Where would I look for this?

Open the breaker/fuse panel and post the model number.
Probably a WFCO again chronically undercharging the battery.

World Friendship CO. LTD . Model WF-8965

[MEXICOWANDERER]

2018 Deep cycle car car batteries are nothing more or less than 1960's engine starting batteries. A 2018 Trojan group 27 is equal to a 1968 Ford Autolite group 27 heavy-duty car battery -- plate wise, plate thickness and overall battery weight. Ain't Life Grand? The 60's 8-D was a hell of a good 23 plate per cell battery.

Try this on for perspective for a battery bank on ground usage. A huge bank of engine starting batteries limited to 80% depth of remaining charge would make a fine bank. Too much cable to contend with but what the heck.

Everyone states they hate to use a hydrometer

OK Use a substitute

Your wallet

[mrad]

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
OK I need more info. You are stating the Vector has no float or was configured to default to never go less than 2.2 amperes charge rate. The Vector is capable of continuous 2.2 amperes output?

Not sure about the float. Te charger say 12/6/2 amp charger. The digital readout shows how many amps the charger is putting in. If I set it at 12, it will show 12.3 for quite a while and then slowly drops. It will show as low as 0.1 on the display.

It will kick on and off when I have it hooked up in the basement, starting at 2.2 an quickly dropping to .9 and goes lower until full

[Gdetrailer]

mrad wrote:

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
You were doing multiple things wrong. Incomplete charging will kill a battery faster than overdischarge and complete recharging.

Mex,

To teh best of my knowledge, I almost always put a full charge back into it according to my vector smart charger. if it wasnt full, the charger was at least in trickle (2.2 amp charge) mode.

The batteries were always labeled deep cycle. The interstate ones also had a pic of a boat and RV on them next to the deep cycle label.

NOPE.

Not gonna happen with that little Vector" pea shooter.

Those STUPID "smart" chargers SHUT OFF when they see the battery voltage rise to a preset level, they do not "trickle" charge and even if they did, 2.2A is peanuts for anyhting larger than a motorcycle battery, would take MONTHS to top of a completely discharged battery to full at the rate.

Do yourself one huge favor, STOP doing what you are doing, YOU are destroying your batteries.

Try using your RV CONVERTER and allow it to charge your battery AND MAINTAIN it. The builtin converter will have three stage charging, one stage for storage/maintenance, one stage for bulk charge and one stage for DESULFINATION.

Newby mistake overthinking things..

I installed a PD9160 with external Charge Wizard, connected to one pair of GC2 batteries.. Just recently replaced the first set which lasted 10 yrs.. I use those batteries hard when camping, powers my home fridge conversion..

Additionally, since you are constantly over discharging your battery via a ceiling fan, it is TIME to consider bumping up in battery capacity.. Those combo Marine/RV batteries unlike the advertisements say you can, should not be discharged below 80% for LONGEST LIFE. That means you only get 20% capacity use of that battery..

Better deepcycle batteries can easily handle 50% discharges and get a long life.