how long does your battery last?

[clg82]

Well I hope everyone had an enjoyable Labor Day weekend camping! I have a couple questions after camping this weekend in Mammoth with no hookups. Our 18ft TT only has one battery and I had it charging for three days prior to us leaving. While camping I noticed after our first day there when we were going to bed that the lights were very dim and the water pump was hardly working. Didn't think anything of it but the next morning the "Check" light was eluminated on the fridge. Checked the propane and that was still good so after reading the manual the fridge needs at least 9 volts to stay on....apparently the battery dropped below that.....after running our generator the next day all day I checked the batter with an ohm meter and it was only regestering 11 volts.....same thing happened our second night dim lights....heater wouldn't work when I tried to turn it on to warm up the trailer for a few minutes....and the fridge "check" light came on again......is there something wrong with the battery or is something draining the battery so quickly that the generator can't keep up?? or am i expecting too much out of just one battery?

[westend]

clg82 wrote:

westend wrote:
What new converter did you get? There should be a diagram with the new converter listing the wire schedule. Basically, you want power and ground to the battery and power to the 12V distribution panel. It sounds like you have that. Conventionally, any green wire would be to frame ground.

that is how i have it wired...was just confused as to why someone above said that I needed to combine two wires...

It all depends on how the converter outputs power and the wiring schedule to the battery and 12V distribution panel. Not all converters or distribution panels are the same. For instance, my ancient PD808 has four outputs, one to the battery and three fused outputs for 12V distribution.

[clg82]

westend wrote:
What new converter did you get? There should be a diagram with the new converter listing the wire schedule. Basically, you want power and ground to the battery and power to the 12V distribution panel. It sounds like you have that. Conventionally, any green wire would be to frame ground.

that is how i have it wired...was just confused as to why someone above said that I needed to combine two wires...

[westend]

What new converter did you get? There should be a diagram with the new converter listing the wire schedule. Basically, you want power and ground to the battery and power to the 12V distribution panel. It sounds like you have that. Conventionally, any green wire would be to frame ground.

[clg82]

LOL wrenchbender....yes I've already come to the conclusion that my battery was bad....bought two more new ones and a new converter and was asking a specific question about needing to tie two wires together that I didn't have on my new converter any help would be appreciated.

[wrenchbender]

Sounds as if you have a bad battery.I have a grp 31 and it will last 6 days.I also have the power from my TV which gives me redundantcy.I have gone as long as 8 days without needing to fire up the generator.

[clg82]

smkettner wrote:
Here is a pic to help demonstrate:



I think it is the Blue and Red that tie together onto the new converter positive terminal.

Don't mean to bring this thread back from the dead but........I remember the blue white and red wires being attached to my old converter.....and using the red green and black wires on the new converter to connect to the new fuse panel...did i miss something?

[westend]

clg82 wrote:
Right now I'm showing 12.68 and 12.62 on both new batteries that I bought when I returned from camping a couple of days ago....are both of these bad as well!?!?!?

Both of those voltage measurements are typical of a new battery, you're OK there.

If you really want to measure what's happening with your batteries, you can get a hydrometer and measure the specific gravity of the electrolyte. Since a lead acid battery is storing electricity using a chemical reaction, measuring the acidity of the electrolyte is a more precise measurement. Your voltage measurements will do for now to monitor the system.

The next step in assuring your 12V system will function to it's best ability and to keep battery purchases to a minimum is to make sure you have an adequate charger. As has been mentioned and you seem to accept, the Magnetek you have is probably inadequate. Your choice on how to replace it is personal but a call to Randy at Bestconverter.com may bring some insight to how you want to handle that.

As was mentioned, solar charging, when correctly implemented, is a seamless, hands-off, battery maintenance system. I have had a single 235W module keeping two banks of batteries, one bank of 2-6VGC2's and another of 3-12V AGM batteries fully charged and ready to go for over a year. I have done nothing except monitor the state of health of the batteries in that time. I have not used a charger, a converter, or a generator in that time.
The solar controller I use has a battery temperature sensor and compensates for battery temperature. This means that in Winter, the charge is higher and in Summer, the charge is lower. The controller has programmable set points for charge voltage and that function allows for better charge profiles than even the best 120V smart charger. As was posted, solar charging can be the best for battery health.

[FrankShore]

I'd invest in some solar (a solar panel at least 160 watt) if you plan on off grid camping - Also, you might want to switch to what's called an AGM battery (maintenance free and they hold their charge longer according to documentation)

[time2roll]

clg82 wrote:
What does the charge wizard do?

Charge wizard is part of the Progressive Dynamics brand converters. IOTA has a similar IQ Controller.

Originally the wizard was an add-on controller for the 9100 series. The wizard converted the fixed voltage 9100 converter to a three stage smart converter. It has an LED to indicate what mode it is in and a button to change modes.

The 9200 and 4600 series have the wizard controller built in. The 9200 has a pendent available that has an LED to indicate what mode the converter is in and a button to switch modes. The 4600 posted above has the pendent function on the replacement circuit board.

http://progressivedyn.com/pd4600_converter_replacement.html

http://progressivedyn.com/charge_wizard.html

[avoidcrowds]

Add a solar panel. I put one 100w panel on, and can go over a week (that's as long as we have boondocked, so far) and not worry about power. Fridge, heater at night, all lights LED and no conservation of power enforced.

Between trips, I have a hole in my TT cover, to allow the solar to keep my battery charged (one Group 27, 105 Ah). Solar is the best addition I have done, as I don't have to worry about power, even when winter camping. I have it mounted flat on my roof, and it recharges completely during the day, in November. Heater cycles all night.

Again, solar. Rest easy.

[clg82]

mrw8i wrote:

AH64ID wrote:

clg82 wrote:


you keep your trailer plugged in all the time? and did you buy the extra controller with it called the "progressive dynamics pendant"?

I don't, only a day or two before most trips. It will sometimes sit on shore power for 4-5 days between trips but that's the most.

The PD46xx comes with the "charge wizard" button on the DC distro panel, so you don't have to add the pendant. You can add the pendant if you want to thou. It's nice to be able to force boost mode when recharging with the generator.

x2

I bring the trailer (our 5th TH) home from storage (the batteries are disconnected in storage). Plug in when I get home. Open the panel and push the "charge wizard" button.

Solar panels will be added later. (have 200W with a Morningstar PMW controller, our 17' TT).

What does the charge wizard do?

[mrw8i]

AH64ID wrote:

clg82 wrote:


you keep your trailer plugged in all the time? and did you buy the extra controller with it called the "progressive dynamics pendant"?

I don't, only a day or two before most trips. It will sometimes sit on shore power for 4-5 days between trips but that's the most.

The PD46xx comes with the "charge wizard" button on the DC distro panel, so you don't have to add the pendant. You can add the pendant if you want to thou. It's nice to be able to force boost mode when recharging with the generator.

x2

I bring the trailer (our 5th TH) home from storage (the batteries are disconnected in storage). Plug in when I get home. Open the panel and push the "charge wizard" button.

Solar panels will be added later. (have 200W with a Morningstar PMW controller, our 17' TT).

[AH64ID]

clg82 wrote:


well not I am totally confused....how often do you go camping....from what i've been gathering from suggestions in this thread is that you never want to let your battery get low.....so you must camp a lot?

11 trips this season between 1 and 9 nights.

We have a battery disconnect for between trips. You don't want battery's to get low, it's very hard on them.

[clg82]

AH64ID wrote:

clg82 wrote:


you keep your trailer plugged in all the time? and did you buy the extra controller with it called the "progressive dynamics pendant"?

I don't, only a day or two before most trips. It will sometimes sit on shore power for 4-5 days between trips but that's the most.

The PD46xx comes with the "charge wizard" button on the DC distro panel, so you don't have to add the pendant. You can add the pendant if you want to thou. It's nice to be able to force boost mode when recharging with the generator.

well not I am totally confused....how often do you go camping....from what i've been gathering from suggestions in this thread is that you never want to let your battery get low.....so you must camp a lot?