Battery Life ??

[pointrow]

Fleetwood is about to install my 3rd set of batteries but can't tell me what is killing them. Original were replaced right before I bought the coach new in Nov and now the second set won't hold charge so are being replaced tomorrow all under warranty.
Current batteries are Delko Pro something or other but none the less I should get at least a year or two.
thanks
pointrow

Edit: Generator kicks off at 14.5v and charge shows 13.8v when it shuts off. With only a 7 amp draw they drop to 12v in about 10 min starting the gen again.

[Tha_Rooster]

Still on my first set and going strong knock on work. I say something hooked up wrong or something is on killing them.

[superk]

yeah 10 min is either super bad draw... like, something big loading them down (including shorts), or the batteries are defective.

I wonder if all these batteries are from the same batch? Its possible they were made on a Monday...

EDIT

Out of curiosity... does your engine battery drain as well?

[dennis45]

Originally Posted by pointrow

Fleetwood is about to install my 3rd set of batteries but can't tell me what is killing them. Original were replaced right before I bought the coach new in Nov and now the second set won't hold charge so are being replaced tomorrow all under warranty.
Current batteries are Delko Pro something or other but none the less I should get at least a year or two.
thanks
pointrow

Edit: Generator kicks off at 14.5v and charge shows 13.8v when it shuts off. With only a 7 amp draw they drop to 12v in about 10 min starting the gen again.

Overcharging is the big battery killer. When plugged in to shore power, you should see a Maximum of 13.6 - 13.7 volts. If the charge voltage is higher, you will notice you have to add water more often than normal. Normal time frame to have to top up water should be no less than every 3-4 months. Less than that, you are overcharging.
Of course, clean terminals is a must also.

[pointrow]

Originally Posted by dennis45

Overcharging is the big battery killer. When plugged in to shore power, you should see a Maximum of 13.6 - 13.7 volts. If the charge voltage is higher, you will notice you have to add water more often than normal. Normal time frame to have to top up water should be no less than every 3-4 months. Less than that, you are overcharging.
Of course, clean terminals is a must also.

Good point. I did top off the battery's a couple weeks ago as part of normal maintenance and they were down some but not a lot. Also checked the connections and tightened.

thanks
pointrow

[pointrow]

Update: Fleetwood service center checked all 6 and they were toast. They think the dealer probably put in 6 used batteries since the charging system checks out fine. Time will tell.
thanks
pointrow

[dennis45]

Originally Posted by pointrow

Update: Fleetwood service center checked all 6 and they were toast. They think the dealer probably put in 6 used batteries since the charging system checks out fine. Time will tell.

thanks

pointrow

Glad to hear you are On The Road Again. Suggest keeping an eye on the battery voltage with a good multimeter for a few days while plugged in to shore power just to confirm its functioning properly. Maximum 13.6 - 13.7 VDC