Trouble getting batteries?

[fallmeadow]

Due to negligence of the dealer we purchased our 2019 Reatta from (see other threads re: good deals on past year coaches...), 1 chassis and 1 house battery need replacing (we have had all kinds of electrical problems). I dropped my coach off at NIRVC in Lewisville, TX on March 15th for battery replacement, some warranty work and a recall. They already knew of the battery problem as the coach had been there recently. As of today, they are telling me they cannot get the normal replacement batteries until the end of May. The service advisor said his main battery contact had even stopped responding to his calls and emails. He did find some off-brand batteries that were supposed to be installed last Friday, but as is the norm with NIRVC, I have not heard anything. !00% of the contact between me and NIRVC has been initiated by me. No updates or anything else from them unless I initiate it.

Long post and probably a lot of venting, but is anyone else having problems getting batteries or other parts? Thank you.

[LWBAZ]

Based on what I hear from a number of fellow RV owners, batteries are in short supply at this time with no light at the end of the tunnel. You'll probably have to take what you can get and hope for the best.

Regarding your frustration with NIRVC, I highly recommend reading through this entire thread...

https://www.irv2.com/forums/f278/fru...ix-517553.html

...but if you can't take the time to do that, at least read these two posts from NIRVC founder & CEO Brett Davis:

https://www.irv2.com/forums/f278/fru...ml#post5553954

and

https://www.irv2.com/forums/f278/fru...ml#post5572558

You may not feel any better, but at least you'll have a sense of the magnitude of the challenge Brett and his people are up against.

[brobox]

It's not only RV batteries, Ebike batteries have been back ordered for a couple of months now. Even the off brands are getting hard to come by for electric bikes. It is the rare earth material supply that we sold to China that is needed for batteries that is hard to come by now.
Hard for NIRVC to give information on something that is not available.

[arcaguy]

Care of the batteries has a lot more to do with their longevity than the name brand on them. Do you know what the off-brand is by chance?


I think we're talking about lead-acid batteries which last I knew didn't have any rare earth in them, but I've been wrong before.

[brobox]

Originally Posted by arcaguy

Care of the batteries has a lot more to do with their longevity than the name brand on them. Do you know what the off-brand is by chance?


I think we're talking about lead-acid batteries which last I knew didn't have any rare earth in them, but I've been wrong before.

I was speaking of ebike lithium batteries. However ALL batteries are in short supply right now, lead, AGM, lithium, there are not any.

[Flanz]

Well, I’ll have to disagree with the statements, above, being made. Two weeks ago our chassis batteries went belly up. Made a call to batteries plus here in San Antonio Texas and I had my choice of chassis batteries, in stock. I chose two Duracell 950CCA batteries with 01/21 build dates. Picked them up the next day and now life is good.....

Moral of the story.....Don’t always believe what you read....

[Jimjensen]

6 weeks to get 8 lifeline batteries for me. Was offered alternatives.

[LWBAZ]

Originally Posted by Flanz

Well, I’ll have to disagree with the statements, above, being made. Two weeks ago our chassis batteries went belly up. Made a call to batteries plus here in San Antonio Texas and I had my choice of chassis batteries, in stock. I chose two Duracell 950CCA batteries with 01/21 build dates. Picked them up the next day and now life is good.....

Moral of the story.....Don’t always believe what you read....

Good info Paul - thanks for posting.

Based on what I'm hearing from various RV friends and industry people around the country, I'd say you're living right! It may help that what you needed were BCI Group 31 engine starting batteries. That particular BCI group is very widely used, not just in motorhomes but in many over-the-road trucks. Our local Freightliner sales & service center here in the Phoenix area buys them by pallet and sells a whole lot of them to their trucking industry customers.

BCI Group GC2 deep-cycle batteries are also in widespread use in that they are used to power golf carts at golf courses around the country (and beyond).

The L16 deep-cycle batteries Entegra started using for house power starting with the 2017 model year are, I suspect, harder to come by at the present time.

[Nohurry]

Bought two new 6V house batteries last June from O’reily’s. Went on a trip a few weeks ago, and they wouldn’t hold a charge (We boondocked the first night and had to use the genny a lot). Fast forward to today, I took them both back (still under warranty), and one had a bad cell

Thinking they would just replace the one, I said “Man, I hate to put a new one along side a used one”. The clerk immediately said “No problem we’ll replace them both, we have them in the back”.

[brobox]

Just to clarify what I posted since some like to lay in wait for anything I post to do a "gotch ya". I called Discount Batteries in Ft Myers,(239) 693-9400, one of the largest battery suppliers in this area trying to find L16 6v AGM for another RV owner. They had none in stock and did not know when they would get any and that was also the case for Trojan 105's lead acid.

If NIRVC also cannot get RV batteries and they are much larger than I am, there might be some truth in what is read when posted. Again, just my experience.

[Hayman]

Originally Posted by Flanz

Well, I’ll have to disagree with the statements, above, being made. Two weeks ago our chassis batteries went belly up. Made a call to batteries plus here in San Antonio Texas and I had my choice of chassis batteries, in stock. I chose two Duracell 950CCA batteries with 01/21 build dates. Picked them up the next day and now life is good.....

Moral of the story.....Don’t always believe what you read....

Hi Paul , You need to buy a Lottery Ticket , Oh wait you won the battery lottery ! This situation may be regional.
Brobox nailed it as 6 volt AGM batteries at least in Florida are scarce and if you can find any they are rather PROUD in pricing. Our local SAM's Club Duracell
( East Penn / DEKA ) 6 volt AGM have been unavailable for months and no luck at 2 battery suppliers both claiming 12 - 16 weeks out. Engine start batteries are available but in limited supply.

OFF TOPIC : an elderly relative needed HP 62 XL ink to complete his tax's . We went to Best Buy, Staples and Walmart all SOLD OUT with empty shelves similar to last year paper products ! Crazy world we're living in .

[Bobby F]

Originally Posted by Hayman

OFF TOPIC : an elderly relative needed HP 62 XL ink to complete his tax's .

I learned long ago that printer ink gets scarce every year at tax time, as millions of people break out their printers for the first time in a year to print their forms, and realize their ink carts have all dried up. They buy new cartridges, print their forms, and then leave their printers to dry up again for the next year.

[Flanz]

Originally Posted by LWBAZ

Good info Paul - thanks for posting.

Based on what I'm hearing from various RV friends and industry people around the country, I'd say you're living right! It may help that what you needed were BCI Group 31 engine starting batteries. That particular BCI group is very widely used, not just in motorhomes but in many over-the-road trucks. Our local Freightliner sales & service center here in the Phoenix area buys them by pallet and sells a whole lot of them to their trucking industry customers.

BCI Group GC2 deep-cycle batteries are also in widespread use in that they are used to power golf carts at golf courses around the country (and beyond).

The L16 deep-cycle batteries Entegra started using for house power starting with the 2017 model year are, I suspect, harder to come by at the present time.

You may be right Larry, but you can’t make a blanket statement about all batteries! I called three battery plus stores in Texas and they all had batteries for the chassis and I bought the ones with the newest build date.

They also have plenty of house batteries depending on what you were looking for. I didn’t look, but asked and the sales clerk confirmed it. He named off several as we checked the chassis batteries.

Also while I was there, two people were purchasing AGM motorcycle batteries. All were Duracell grey case.

[RonandDeb]

In the lithium world, both Amazon and Battleborn have them in stock and ready for delivery. 100ah 12v anyway..not sure about others