Batteries

[KC1BUD]

I need to replace the House batteries in the Coach. It is an 07 that I bought new. Should the batteries have lasted longer than 5 years? Really more like 4 years as I bought it very late in the season of 06.

I took the batteries out every fall, maintained the water level and put them on a battery maintainer for the winter. Should they have lasted longer than 5 years For new batteries should I go with 12 volts paralleled and get longer run time or stick with 6 volts in series?

In the 30 plus years of RVing I never had as much trouble with the 12 volt batteries as I have had with these 6 volt ones.

[RJay]

My thought is the batteries suffered from sulfation. It's good to put them on a maintainer during the winter months but after sitting so long without mixing the electrolyte the electrolyte separates and sulfates on the plates. I would recommend going with the 6 volt batteries and do what you usually do but during the winter months about every 3 months put an equalizing charge on the batteries. This will keep the electrolyte mixed and prevent sulfation.

[KC1BUD]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RJay My thought is the batteries suffered from sulfation. It's good to put them on a maintainer during the winter months but after sitting so long without mixing the electrolyte the electrolyte separates and sulfates on the plates. I would recommend going with the 6 volt batteries and do what you usually do but during the winter months about every 3 months put an equalizing charge on the batteries. This will keep the electrolyte mixed and prevent sulfation.

Supposedly these maintainers do cycle through a desulfinization cycle. Maintainer

As per the owners manual. "Desulfation Mode
If the battery is left discharged for an extended period of time, it could become
sulfated and not accept a normal charge. If the charger detects a sulfated battery,
the charger will switch to a special mode of operation designed for such batteries."

I said after I started to have trouble with them and learned about the Charge wizard a couple of years after I bought the coach new. "Why didn't The coach builder go a head and put in the Charge Wizard it only costs $25.00 more. It would have stopped the overcharging that happened in the first two years."

I never had this problem with 12 volt batteries, ever. 99% of the time they were install and forget. At least until they or the charger (Alternator) went bad.

[melving]

We ordered our motorhome December 2006 and haven't had any issues with our batteries. But, I exercise our unit once a month if we aren't out on the road. That includes running the generator and putting a load on it. I turn on the the house batteries during that process so, they get at least a hour to 2 hour charge once a month in storage. The coach battery, I have a float charger attached to it that monitors it all the time.

[wa8yxm]

Well, a lot depends on the batteries, the converter and the owner.

I have heard of them failing in as little as 1-2 years with a poor quality charger and/or poor quality batteries or poor maintenance.

From your description of your maintenance regiem we cn forget that last item.

I've also heard of quality batteries, with a good 3-stage converter, going more than 10 years.

My own are six and though they show some signs of age, Not yet ready for the recycler.

[Gary - K7GLD]

The original Trojan deep cycle batteries in our '88 KIT 5er lasted well over 10 years - replaced them simply due to age, gave them to my dad for his 5er, and he got another couple of years out of them before selling the 5er. The replacement batteries in our 5er are now about 10 years old, and still going strong.

No special or unusual maintenance other than keeping them fully charged and full of electrolyte...

Just lucky I guess...

[macadnphyl]

It is all about depth of discharge and number of discharge cycles. 5 years is
not unusual for battery life, just depends on the number of cycles.

[RJay]

Dan,
Before you put the batteries in the motorhome in the spring did you take a hydrometer reading(specific gravity) on the batteries?

[ccook129]

My Trojan T-105's lasted until last year from 2002,and still had a little power left in them.

[RJay]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KC1BUD Supposedly these maintainers do cycle through a desulfinization cycle. Maintainer As per the owners manual. "Desulfation Mode If the battery is left discharged for an extended period of time, it could become sulfated and not accept a normal charge. If the charger detects a sulfated battery, the charger will switch to a special mode of operation designed for such batteries." I said after I started to have trouble with them and learned about the Charge wizard a couple of years after I bought the coach new. "Why didn't The coach builder go a head and put in the Charge Wizard it only costs $25.00 more. It would have stopped the overcharging that happened in the first two years." I never had this problem with 12 volt batteries, ever. 99% of the time they were install and forget. At least until they or the charger (Alternator) went bad.

I don't think your maintainer is properly equalizing your batteries. Do you know what voltage the maintainer applies to the batteries, and for how long, when it goes into the desulfation mode?

[KC1BUD]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RJay Dan, Before you put the batteries in the motorhome in the spring did you take a hydrometer reading(specific gravity) on the batteries?

Don't have a hydrometer, will have to get one. I do know when I put them in that they were weak, I did a load test on them with a cheap tester and it went down quickly but recovered.

[KC1BUD]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RJay I don't think your maintainer is properly equalizing your batteries. Do you know what voltage the maintainer applies to the batteries, and for how long, when it goes into the desulfation mode?

Questions I could not find answers to.

[KC1BUD]

I find the batteries work much better if everyone would keep their cotton-picking hands off the battery disconnect switch. I include myself in that.

[JMonroe]

I've never done anything more than keep the water levels topped off. I've always left my rig plugged in, even in storage (LONG winters here) and let the on-board converter/charger take care of the batteries. I've never had to replace an RV battery in 30 years, although the longest we've owned one so far has been about 7 years.