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Peddler · 06-09-2011, 04:59 PM

I just installed a 30 amp circuit on the back of my shop so I can keep the MH plugged in all the time. Nice to have fans, lights, AC, etc all the time if I am working on something.
My question is- the house batteries are band new and fully charged, I don't want to leave them on charge all the time and run the chance of them cooking dry. Is there anything wrong with running off shore power (12 volts from converter) and leaving the batteries switched off? I don't like the way OEM converters handle the batteries with one or two stages of control and will just keep an eye on their voltage and charge with a good independent charger when necessary due to internal discharge.

denochs · 06-09-2011, 05:25 PM

Bill,

Your 05 Adventurer may have a multi stage charging system as our coach does. If so, it should not hurt to leave the batteries on as the charging system is superior to most battery chargers off the shelf. Of course, you may have a better one than most.

I simply check the battery fluid and add distilled water every three months. That way I don't have to keep track of charging them. Not good for them to discharge to a very low level repeatedly.

Dave

Gary RVRoamer · 06-09-2011, 05:39 PM

If you are sure your built-in converter/charger is no good, why not replace it with one that does 3 stage charging, e.g. Progressive Dynamics 92xx or Iota DLS xx. Save yo a lot of heart aches.

But I think you are being overly protective. Your 05 probably has a decent charger and you merely need to keep an eye on the water level in the cells.

To answer your question, yes you can run with converter on and battery disconnect in Off position. That may or may not prohibit charging - check with a voltmeter to see.

BryanL · 06-09-2011, 06:01 PM

Gary has a good suggestion as not only do the converters he mentions provide good multiple stage charging, they also have a battery maintenance mode with a sulfation inhibiting technique.

By keeping your batteries under the care of a good maintenance storage charger, you will make sure they will have a top charge when you need them and you will also be optimizing battery life.

With a good converter, you should not need to add water as that is an indication of overcharging.

Peddler · 06-09-2011, 06:17 PM

The converter is a Parallax 7465. According to the "manual" it does not sense battery condition at all. It just comes on at 14 volts (mine is actually 14,5), and after 13 hours a timer drops the output to 13.5 volts. Not real scientific but I guess it works. Problem with this is, if the power to the shop goes out, for even a few seconds, the converter goes back to 14.5 volts for another half day. With Florida's afternoon thunder storms, brief power drops are common. This could cook a battery in short order.

If the unit ever goes out, or probably sooner, I'll install a quality multi-stage unit. Thinking about installing a volt meter on the battery side of the disconnect switch so I can keep an eye on the voltage of the batteries at rest (off the charger).