Battery Question

[wa8yxm]

How often to check fluid (it ain't water folks) level in the batteries and add Distilled water can only be determined by experience. Start with monthly. and go from there. (It is dilute sulfuric acid.. I'm reminded of a poem warning about just that.. A very very very OLD memory (Junior high, I'm 65)

7 Day "Deep Charge"... never heard of such a thing.. NEVER 7 HOURS yes, but never 7 Days.

[MtCamper]

I don't think Outdoors ships with batteries on their units. They are usually dealer provided and installed. Lots of dealers select their batteries by cost not performance. That said, I'm not surprised you had the fail so soon. Replace with good 12v or a pair of 6v golf cart. Pick the largest battery that will fit. Be sure to read up on 12 volt usage paying special attention to deep discharge. With the chargers used by Outdoors, no damage is done by plugging in 24-7.

[Franma]

Thank you for responses....Yes, we have 150w not 1500....Lousy with numbers.

I think I have a much better handle on how to prevent this in the future. I wish the guy last spring would have known a little more so that we could have addressed it over the summer. I also wish that battery life had been covered better in the walk through...it's sort of important!

[Larv]

I always put my batts in the garage for winter and charge maybe once a month then. I always use distilled water when needed and never let the battery acid fall below the tops of the plates.

I've use 6v golf cart batts for years and I think they stand charges and discharges better than other batts. At least they are supposed to. Also, have a 150w solar panel and it works exceptionally camping in the AZ desert.

FWIW, just my .02 worth

Larv

[jtbuilds]

Originally Posted by MtCamper

I don't think Outdoors ships with batteries on their units. They are usually dealer provided and installed. Lots of dealers select their batteries by cost not performance. That said, I'm not surprised you had the fail so soon. Replace with good 12v or a pair of 6v golf cart. Pick the largest battery that will fit. Be sure to read up on 12 volt usage paying special attention to deep discharge. With the chargers used by Outdoors, no damage is done by plugging in 24-7.

Our ORV has cheap WFCO 55amp that shouldn't be kept on 24/7. WFCO is a power supply not a charger. It is impossible to get 55amp out if it because ORV fused the WFCO at 40 amp and then put a 40 mini breaker at the battery side.

When I pulled it out of the trail and hooked it up to a battery that was 11.8V the highest charge voltage was 13.4V. I called WFCO they blew some smoke about Ohm's Law preventing the charger from going above 13.4V.

Our 5th has a 55amp Progressive Dynamics (heads and tails above WFCO). It is fused at 60 amps. We only use the PD to bring the batteries up to 70% then our 2 ProMariner chargers are used from 70% to 100%.

[Rickeoni]

Originally Posted by jtbuilds

Our ORV has cheap WFCO 55amp that shouldn't be kept on 24/7. WFCO is a power supply not a charger. It is impossible to get 55amp out if it because ORV fused the WFCO at 40 amp and then put a 40 mini breaker at the battery side.

When I pulled it out of the trail and hooked it up to a battery that was 11.8V the highest charge voltage was 13.4V. I called WFCO they blew some smoke about Ohm's Law preventing the charger from going above 13.4V.

Our 5th has a 55amp Progressive Dynamics (heads and tails above WFCO). It is fused at 60 amps. We only use the PD to bring the batteries up to 70% then our 2 ProMariner chargers are used from 70% to 100%.

I have both the factory WFCO and Progressive Dynamics 60amp 3 stage charger in my GP.
I keep the WFCO as a backup only. The WFCO only ever reaches 13.2 volts and stays there no matter what condition the batteries are in. The PD9260 works a true 3 stage charger reaching 14.4 volts on a nice slow ramp and then falls down in voltage as the batteries get charged.

Manufacturers use the WFCO because it is easy, cheap and works good enough for most people. Powermax is now comimg out with an entire charger/converter assy, so hopefully more manufacturers will stop using the WACO unit.

If you are leaving your RV plugged in 24/7, do your batteries a favor and swap out the charging unit for a Powermax or Progressive Dynamics unit, it will be the best $200 you ever spent.

[LBZYA]

I replaced the WFCO with a Iota DLS converter. I was going to go with the PD but the charge voltages of the Iota are closer to what Trojan battery requires. FYI, the Iota converter slides right into the same location as the WFCO. All that was needed was two pieses of wire and two large fender washers to hold it down using the factory screws of the WFCO. While I was in there I also removed the jumper wire that was sharing the refrigerator circuit breaker and added a dedicated breaker for the converter. I also added a battery disconnect switch at the converter so it doesn't continue to draw current when dry camping. I then bought an extra Iota converter without the DSL in it and turned up the voltage output to the required 15.5v that Trojan needs for equalization charges. I equalize the batteries about 4 times a year. I also use this converter while dry camping to bring the batteries back on generator power. Very happy so far with the Iota products. By the way, you can pick up an Iota 45 amp converter on Amazon for around $130.00.

[utahrd]

I also added a battery disconnect switch at the converter so it doesn't continue to draw current when dry camping.

I didn't realize that the converter would draw current when running on battery only power. Any idea of how large a draw it is?

[Kodiakan]

RV's or boats, you can't go wrong doing what LARV posted above. Thats my preference but not everyone can haul heavy batteries around. Its getting harder for me every year.

[LBZYA]

Originally Posted by utahrd

I also added a battery disconnect switch at the converter so it doesn't continue to draw current when dry camping.

I didn't realize that the converter would draw current when running on battery only power. Any idea of how large a draw it is?

Not sure, never measured it. The one thing that I know for sure is that every amp counts when dry camping. I even removed the factory LP detector and added a more sensitive one that runs on lithium batteries along with adding power switches for the TV,s and stereo.

[Rickeoni]

Originally Posted by LBZYA

Not sure, never measured it. The one thing that I know for sure is that every amp counts when dry camping. I even removed the factory LP detector and added a more sensitive one that runs on lithium batteries along with adding power switches for the TV,s and stereo.

A simple toggle switch for the radio is a must.

[Highway 4x4]

I just plug the TT in whei I get home and leave it that way till I go somewhere then it's plugged into the truck. I have a huge Interstate 12V battery I thing a group 92 or something like that. I just have the converter that came with the TT. just how much of this stuff do you have to upgrade to have a good TT? I have the stock 15W solar and it's like I have no solar when it's not plugged into 120V power. Will not keep the battery charged with nothing in use.

[jtbuilds]

Originally Posted by utahrd

I also added a battery disconnect switch at the converter so it doesn't continue to draw current when dry camping.

I didn't realize that the converter would draw current when running on battery only power. Any idea of how large a draw it is?

The converter is 1 parasitic load. Our 5th the stereo, hyd. leveling, TV, digital thermostat, propane detector, outdoor motion detector, fridge, HW tank have parasitic loads. The self discharge of wet cell batteries is +/-2% for 220Ah si 1Ah/week.....this is why there is solar and generators

[Larv]

Originally Posted by Kodiakan

RV's or boats, you can't go wrong doing what LARV posted above. Thats my preference but not everyone can haul heavy batteries around. Its getting harder for me every year.

Yes, those batts are getting heavier! Took abt two days for my back to recover!

Larv