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10-23-2011, 05:54 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 295
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Battery Maintainers
I have a 2003 HR w/a Ford V10 gasser.
Do any of you use 12 volt battery maintainers on your chassis battery when you put it up for a few months in the winter?
I looked at some on an automotive site and they suggest that is good for boats,etc., but they do not mention an auto. I don't think that matters though.
I have seen them in the 1v vs 2v models and wonder which would be applicable.
I don't want to take it out for the winter and I want it to stay up to snuff.
I plug in my m/h for a few winter months, but it does not maintain the charge on the chassis battery. I guess that I would to hardwire the charger into a 110 outlet and then put the alligator clips on the battery.In turn when I am under way I would disconnect the battery connectors.
Any comments?
__________________
Joe from Ct.
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10-23-2011, 06:33 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
iRV2 No Limits Club
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,324
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Unless you are using an AGM battery, absolutely you should. Take a look at Battery Tender.
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10-23-2011, 08:19 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: E WA or S TX
Posts: 4,057
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I have had good luck with the $5 ones from harbor Freight. I have 10 plus batteries in storage over the winter and they are all charged come spring. On the coach which goes south I plug a maintainer into the outlet on the outside and run the cable under the compartment door to the batteries. Working good for the last few years. K.I.S.S principle.
__________________
04 Horizon QD, 12 Ford Flex, Excalibar, Brakemaster, Winter Texan, RVin! since 1974
Norm, Donna & Tinker Kat(RIP) 01 Z3
Life is a Timed Event, you only get One Go Around!
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10-23-2011, 08:30 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Bluff Dale, TX
Posts: 624
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Are the chassis batteries next to the coach battery? If they are just clip the positive of the chassis to the positive on the coach. Makes it all one big, happy battery.
__________________
Most RV batteries live a long and useful life, some are murdered.
2000 National Sea Breeze F53
1998 CRV Toad
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10-23-2011, 08:35 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Tiffin Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Warner Robins, GA
Posts: 2,613
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shadowcatche
Unless you are using an AGM battery, absolutely you should. Take a look at Battery Tender.
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I have an AGM battery and I am using a Battery Tender. Why do you say not to?
The instructions on the Battery Tender says it is ok. It does say not to use it on dry cell batteries.
Jon
__________________
Jon & Sue Francis (Retired U.S.A.F.)
Lil Girl-Rescued, Abby Rescued, Peaches Rescued
06 Allegro 35TSA Workhorse Chassis
2013 Chevy Spark Dinghy
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10-24-2011, 03:03 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
iRV2 No Limits Club
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,324
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An AGM battery has a very slow rate of self discharge and really does not need a battery tender unless there are phantom loads i.e. radio or TV (even when off) that will draw it down. What I am saying is there is no need for it not that there is a problem using one. This is one of the reasons I went with an AGM battery.
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10-24-2011, 08:11 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 295
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Battery tender plus
Thanks for all the input. I guess i'll go with the "Plus" which is $48.95 on Amazon. I see that I can also run an extension cord from the 110 outlet in the RV to power the Tender if the wires aren't long enough.
Just another example of the kind of help that is on this site.
__________________
Joe from Ct.
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10-24-2011, 08:30 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Mcdonough, Ga.
Posts: 5,931
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I use a battery minder. The battery minder uses a pulse charge to break up sulfate on the plates. A customer gave me a $250.00 battery that was sulfated so bad it would not work. It took about six months, but the battery minder finally cleaned it up enough to use. I have been using it now for four years with no problems. I keep the batteries in the motorhome with a battery minder hooked up, all winter.
__________________
1998 Pace Arrow 35 ft. F53 Ford V10 2014 Honda CRV toad
32 years mechanic at Delta Air Lines 15 year motorhome service manager. 3 popups....2 travel trailers....5 motorhomes....loved them all.
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10-24-2011, 08:36 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Fleetwood Owners Club Solo Rvers Club
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Quartz Hill, California
Posts: 445
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Quote:
Originally Posted by garym114
Are the chassis batteries next to the coach battery? If they are just clip the positive of the chassis to the positive on the coach. Makes it all one big, happy battery.
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I'm plugged in to shore power all the time. This is what I did.
Posi clipped to posi on 1 6v batt, neg clipped to neg on other 6v batt. That way its 12v to the 12v chassis batt.
Now on-board charger keeps everything up, without harm to any.
__________________
'94 Bounder 32h. Chevy V-8 44k miles and like new. Tow 4 down 2007 Saturn Vue w/Honda V6
Retired Memorial Day wknd, 2015, but who's counting
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10-24-2011, 01:07 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Tiffin Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Warner Robins, GA
Posts: 2,613
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shadowcatche
An AGM battery has a very slow rate of self discharge and really does not need a battery tender unless there are phantom loads i.e. radio or TV (even when off) that will draw it down. What I am saying is there is no need for it not that there is a problem using one. This is one of the reasons I went with an AGM battery.
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Thanks for the clarification.
The AGM battery I had installed this summer must have not been fully charged because it went dead while the coach was in storage. I had only driven the coach from the battery shop to the house (5 Miles). Since I had the Battery Tender I just hooked it up and left it to make sure it didn't get drained again.
Jon
__________________
Jon & Sue Francis (Retired U.S.A.F.)
Lil Girl-Rescued, Abby Rescued, Peaches Rescued
06 Allegro 35TSA Workhorse Chassis
2013 Chevy Spark Dinghy
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10-24-2011, 01:54 PM
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#11
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Moderator Emeritus
Winnebago Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner Coastal Campers Carolina Campers
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Conway, SC
Posts: 23,641
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Quote:
Originally Posted by johnsonjm209
I guess that I would to hardwire the charger into a 110 outlet and then put the alligator clips on the battery.In turn when I am under way I would disconnect the battery connectors.
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You may want to read the 2 Blog entries I wrote. There maybe something there that will help you .....
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Assured Automotive Power - BatteryMINDer Model 12248
BatteryMINDer Installation - Finishing Touches
__________________
03 Adventurer 38G, Workhorse W22
F&R Track Bars, Safety+ , Ultrapower, Taylor Extremes, SGII
TST 507, Blue Ox, SMI, Koni FSD, CrossFire
RV/MH Hall of Fame - Lifetime Member
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10-24-2011, 03:05 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,529
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You won't have to deal with any cords, settings, etc. with Trickle-Start. I have absolutely no problems since installing this two years ago.
Ultra TRIK-L-START Starting Battery Charger/Maintainer
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10-24-2011, 03:39 PM
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#13
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Moderator Emeritus
Winnebago Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner Coastal Campers Carolina Campers
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Conway, SC
Posts: 23,641
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Quote:
Originally Posted by puttin
You won't have to deal with any cords, settings, etc. with Trickle-Start. I have absolutely no problems since installing this two years ago.
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puttin, I do see that there are cords that attach the device to the battery. Which cords are you specifically talking about that are absent?
In regard to setting the Battery-Minder it can offer the operator flexibility and you can customize charging voltages and battery types.
The previous Battery Minder product that I used plugged directly into an outlet and it has two leads that attach to the battery. This was a 1.33 Amp charger maintainer de-sulphator that is also very good for use over extended periods of time.
The new bigger unit I am currently using is just more flexible.
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I purchased both of these devices from www.rvupgrades.com.
__________________
03 Adventurer 38G, Workhorse W22
F&R Track Bars, Safety+ , Ultrapower, Taylor Extremes, SGII
TST 507, Blue Ox, SMI, Koni FSD, CrossFire
RV/MH Hall of Fame - Lifetime Member
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10-24-2011, 03:58 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,529
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DriVer,
The cords are just the battery leads- they are permanently connected so there's no need to mess with anything each time you replenish the chassis batt. This has been a great system for me and I never have to plug anything in!
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