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Old 01-19-2005, 03:47 PM   #1
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I currently have a 2003 All American Sport toy hauler. This will be my 3rd year for the unit and I see that I have to replace the battery.It will not take a charge. I,ve always kept the water in it full, but at times I,ve checked the battery and it will need quite a bit of water in all cells, Does it hurt to leave the unit plugged in when not using it. Thanks, Mike
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Old 01-19-2005, 03:47 PM   #2
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I currently have a 2003 All American Sport toy hauler. This will be my 3rd year for the unit and I see that I have to replace the battery.It will not take a charge. I,ve always kept the water in it full, but at times I,ve checked the battery and it will need quite a bit of water in all cells, Does it hurt to leave the unit plugged in when not using it. Thanks, Mike
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Old 01-20-2005, 10:52 AM   #3
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Hi Mike I think You can over charge a batt. and I was told let them drain down now and then to keep them working for longer life.Just My .02 And that works for Me I use 2 batteries and charge one at a time.Use the other and back and forth. John
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Old 01-20-2005, 12:14 PM   #4
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Depending on the power converter you have, you can certainly boil the battery dry with a single output converter. We have had the Progressive Dynamics Intellipower converters (9155 in previous 5th wheel, 9180 in this one) with the Charge Wizard accessory in our last 2 5th wheels that stay plugged in 24/7 while in covered storage. With the Charge Wizard, the PD 9100 converters function as sophisticated battery chargers with boost, normal, float and desulfation modes. Typically, I add water to the batteries about 1-2 times per year.

Rusty
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Old 02-15-2005, 12:16 PM   #5
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Sorry if this is an ignorrant question...but why not just replace with an Optima Deep Cycle? The are maintenance free and very solid...
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Old 02-15-2005, 04:15 PM   #6
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As I understand it, a battery should never be fully discharged. When your battery is fully charged, the voltage will probably be over 13.5 volts and once you use it enough to drop below 12.5 volts you are starting to deep cycle it. If you go to less than 12 volts before recharging you're probably causing damage to your battery. Think of any battery as having a 'deep cycle bank account'. A car battery may only have 3 or 4 deep cycles in it's account and when you've used them up by running it down that many times, your battery is seriously damaged. A RV/marine battery will have more deep cycles in the account, maybe 15 or more. Once you've used them up, it's time for a new battery. As for adding water to the battery, it depends on several factors. Like if you leave it on a cheap charger that typically comes with most campers, you will boil the battery causing some damage and losing some fluid. If you don't immediately add the water back in, you'll cause even more damage. Weather matters too, here in Phoenix, I have to be more diligent monitoring my water level in the summer than in the winter because the heat can stress a battery. Maybe the bottom line is, don't just leave your battery on the charger unless the charger system is specifically designed to 'maintain' a battery. Battery chargers just do that, charge the battery. They don't maintain it. Even a charger that goes into 'trickle' can damage a battery over a period of time. If you really want to be technical, use a specific gravity tester to monitor your battery. Test each cell and maintain the level somewhere between 1250 adn 1275 (that may not be accurate since I don't have my tester with me). Using a specific gravity tester you can test each cell independantly and instantly identify a bad cell. If you go that route, try and get a good unit. You won't find it at Auto Zone, I got mine at NAPA and it's worked great and even has a thermometer on it so I can compensate the readings for temperature. Guess I've rambled on a little long here. Hope it helps though.
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Old 03-31-2005, 11:30 AM   #7
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Get one of those battery disconnect switches that are sold at a marine supply. Hook your batteries to this and when the weekend is over and the trailer parked you can disconnect the batteries. This saves the batteries being totally drained or having to keep the trailer plugged in and boiling out the batteries; both of which will quickly damage a battery.
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Old 04-22-2005, 04:00 AM   #8
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replace your 12v battery with 2 6volt golf cart batteries ran in series. this setup gives you more amp hours, and longer battery life. check outrv.net in the toyhauler section and serch 6 volt v 12 volt and variances..
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Old 04-22-2005, 06:25 AM   #9
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All good info here...it's taken m about 2 years of my friends razzing me to get 6's, and now I finally "saw the light"- gonna put eith 4 or 6 of 'em in our new rig, along with a good inverter.

The only problem, though, is- after I get done accessorizing this thing, about the only payload I'll be able to put in it is a bag of peanuts!
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Old 04-22-2005, 06:47 AM   #10
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yea, the weight issue of the batts is almost becoming serious
i am now going to put a little solar on my roof to keep the batts charged when not in use, i am not going to go too crazy with solar as I don't fulltime and I have a gen,
but up till now I have been taking my two deep-6's out of the trailer each time we are done camping and keeping them hooked up in my garage to a smart trickle. it was fun carrying them from the trailer into my garage the first 5 times, a pain the next 10, and borderline miserable from there on out. it was just inconvenient lifting them straight out of the batt box I had made, while on my knees underneath the 5er kingpin (so they don't slide around in transit)

so Ill get a little solar, and I almost have a feeling that i say 'a little solar' now and a few years from now and we'll all have solar covering our entire roofs
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Old 04-22-2005, 07:29 AM   #11
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So FatDog:

You don't have enough to do, so you remove the batts after every trip? Wow...I've been spending my whole life trying to make things easier! I'd be doing everything in my power to keep from having to do that! But...on second thought, if you have to store your TH, then I can see your point exactly, but your solar should take care of that so you can quit using batteries to weighlift and go back to that gym where the scenery is better.

If you can hook up some 120 critters, I think the trick is to have a good CONVERTER (not inverter) that will trickle your batteries for you. If you've seen the picture where our TH is, it's little cubbyhole has a 120v hookup, so it's always plugged in. I check the batt's water every 6 months, and so far, so good. Also, try not to fill the batts all the way up- they will always "cook" and if you fill them all the way up, that's what creates the mess!

Solar WILL be the standard here shortly- I think you're "right-on" on that one. In fact, what panel are you using now and is it the same you'll use on the new TH? The more I think of it, the more I like it!!
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Old 04-22-2005, 07:53 AM   #12
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yup Sean, i think solar is about to become my new hobby of the month. I am reading up on it now, never have had it. And i move my darn batteries because I have to store my RV. My house sits on almost an acre and from fore to aft rises 60 or 70 feet and is almost impossible to walk much less park a trailer. I have buddies who won't ride their motorcycles into my garage . Needless to say I don't get too much traveling salemen at the door, but the drag is i can't fit or get my trailer up there. That really is non-optimum. So, i store it down the street and drive my batteries back and forth and I am going to put a solar panel hidden up top before i ever do it again. i suppose 2000 yards of extension cord would offer too much electrical resistance, but believe me, thats my second idea. Luckily, Lakeside gets about 3 inches of rain a year and is hotter then you know what.
I'm ready to solarize.
(and I haven't unleashed my secret weapon idea yet, but Ken Lenger on this site appears to be a elec/mech ace, and I have mulled around tapping him on the sholder for some good advice once i have my bearings down, but keep that between us so he doesn't 'plan a vacation' if he knows I'm on the lookout )
Mike
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Old 04-22-2005, 09:48 AM   #13
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Sounds like a great opportunity to dig a bunker for it! 60-70 feet, less 15 for TH height- plenty of dirt on top to hold it up! A 24" deep trench with 50amps of juice, and, wah-lah- POWER.

Is there a problem?

Be sure to let all of us know what you learn in your "search of the sun". And I'll be sure to ssshhh...KL may be using his super decoder ring to listen in on us! Ssshh.....again!
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