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Old 09-09-2018, 01:35 AM   #1
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House Batteries Boondocking

i usually boondock ... this is an on going issue,
batteries are 3 years old my batteries drain real fast run gen for aprox 2 hours panel shows good play movie for hour plus with only one light on and batteries are at fair had batteries checked and serviced 2 months ago said they were good to go, still have to run gen 2 hours in am and 2 hours in pm to get through day/nite . is there anything i should look at inverter, cables , gounds , or is this just something that happens tia
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Old 09-09-2018, 02:09 AM   #2
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Your generator run time sounds about right / normal. Variables of course are usage, RR, number of batteries, battery capacity, etc.
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Old 09-09-2018, 04:00 AM   #3
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The generator run time sounds about right. Only question is, are they fully charged after driving to your spot ?

If you store the MH without shore power and if your isolation/charging system isn't working properly, you are starting your dry camping with low batteries.

2 hour generator charging times is only going to get you to about 80% charge each time but not if your starting with low batteries.
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Old 09-09-2018, 04:55 AM   #4
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You don't say what rig and how many batteries you have. Big difference between a small RV with 2 house batteries and a DP that has 8. In my DP with 8 fresh batteries, I can go through the night with a residential refrigerator, Aquahot heater, and 2 DVR's running all night, plus a few lights and two TV's each operating for 4-5 hours at night. To do this I will need to run the generator about 2 hours in the AM and 2 hours in the evening. (That's why the coach came with a generator.) Of course if I use less TV, heat, etc then I need less generator time.
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Old 09-09-2018, 05:22 AM   #5
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I hate to beat the 'get a good quality battery monitor' drum again but this seems like a good time. Details matter in this type of scenario. Without checking battery SOC with a hydrometer or using a quality battery monitor, you really don't know what your system is doing. Having one allows you to treat your batteries appropriately and extend their life.
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Old 09-09-2018, 06:11 AM   #6
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Actually, if you are referring to your little 4 LED lights on the panel, top LED show charging...not necessarily "charged." You could have a problem with your converter and as long as it put out 13.2 or so, it would light all 4 LEDs. Check the voltage. When charging it should be at least 13.6 or even 14.

X2 on the battery SOC monitor.
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Old 09-09-2018, 06:52 AM   #7
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It could be that your batteries are not fully charged before you leave. I charge mine at 14.2v overnight before going out boondocking . I can easily get 3 days out of them without running the generator. When I return home , I recharge them overnight again at 14.2v. I have 3 - 12v 100ah 10yr old AGM batteries .
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Old 09-09-2018, 11:47 PM   #8
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battery monitor

thank you for that i will check into that,
i have a DP with 6, 6v deep cycle house batteries. i usually plug into shore power for 24 + hours before i go camping and its usually stored about 2-3 months , i also before putting back into storage i charge for 24 hours
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Old 09-10-2018, 05:38 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by drive805 View Post
thank you for that i will check into that,
i have a DP with 6, 6v deep cycle house batteries. i usually plug into shore power for 24 + hours before i go camping and its usually stored about 2-3 months , i also before putting back into storage i charge for 24 hours
The suggestion to get a decent battery monitoring system is spot on. The LED's are junk. You need to know the actual voltage and current draw. Being able to monitor the current draw will tell you how much is being taken out of the batteries as you operate equipment. You probably have about 650 amp hours with the 6 six volt batteries and the rule says it is best not to draw them down below half that. That means about 325 usable amp hours. Make sure you know what is on such as computers, etc. and turn off any unnecessary items. You don't mention if you have changed out the frig to a residential. We have a 2006 Diplomat with 6 six volt house batteries and a residential frig. We don't unplug things like the Direct receiver or the television or the computer and dry camping for us usually means 1.5 hours of generator in the morning and 1 hour in the evening.

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Old 09-10-2018, 06:25 AM   #10
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While is specifically depends on your converter, its wiring and its degree of "smartness" you may find that 24 hours isn't enough. You can drive a bank to 80% or so pretty quickly, but getting to 90 or 95 percent can take a lot of time. The curves below are from Progressive Dynamics and show how long it can take from any SOC to 95%. Most boost cycles only run for 4 hours so the normal curve is more typical. It takes almost 2 days to get from 75% to 95%!!!!
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Old 09-10-2018, 07:53 AM   #11
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You also want to confirm that the engine charging system is charging the house batteries, while on the road.
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Old 09-13-2018, 08:26 PM   #12
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quality battery monitor

ok so looks like consensus is. battery monitor,
could anyone steer me in a good direction on one ?
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Old 09-13-2018, 08:28 PM   #13
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also to reply the charging system is working great putting out a comfortable 14.8 volts at alternator house batteries are at a rate of 6.35-6.76
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Old 09-13-2018, 08:40 PM   #14
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Do you only have two 6 volt batteries. It would be a good idea to use a 6 volt charger and
have both batteries charged the same.
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