Battery Games

[dannomatt]

Hey,
I'm new to IRV2, but not to RVing. Looks as if a lot of other members have the same problem with premature chassis battery death.
I get a twisted sense of satisfaction out of working on the rolling stock, but this is annoying.
I'm on to a few things, and I've replaced that pesky 'contactor', aka 'relay', aka 'battery solenoid'. (You don't have to pay $100 for it.) "Camdec" got bought out by "Trombetta", and their distributor is 'MurCal', in Palmdale Ca. $32 + T & S.
Hopefully in the next day or two I'll have seen enough discharge to confirm that the new one is functioning. I'll load test the batteries, replace them if necessary, and just maybe I'll be able to start my coach after 4 or 5 days in the desert.
Dan

[idenphones]

Don't you just love the "RV" tax?

Cost plus 200%!!

[wa8yxm]

One of the problems with the chassis battery is that starting batteries do not recover well from excessive discharge,, NOW no battery likes to be run down too far, but some MAY recover, chassis batteries do not have a good record there.

So.. You drive to a campground. Plug in and the converter keeps the house batteries "Fat and Happy" (Well, full of charge) But the chassis battery is another matter.. Often it gets NOTHING from the converter... So you sit, and you sit, remember that for a chassis battery a week is a long time to sit.. And finally... You go to leave .. CHATTER, CHATTER, dead battery.

The soultion... Well there are 3 of 'em

1: New rig with an intelligent battery control system, charges both house and chassis battery from either alternator or converter. (MY rig does that)

2: Trick-L-Charge or Xantrex Echo Charge (Adds the feature missing on many coaches of converter charge of chassis battery)

3: Battery MinDer or Tender type products (Takes up outlet space, no need to do it that way)


NOTE: So far all three times my chassis battery has gone dead.... I good cleaning of the terminals fixed it

And that sucker is supposed to be "Maintenance Free" rozzin frozzin [moderator edit] fraggit! (Old celtic curse, or flintstone's curse)