Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
RV Trip Planning Discussions

Go Back   iRV2 Forums > TRAVEL TRAILER, 5th WHEEL & TRUCK CAMPER FORUMS > Travel Trailer Discussion
Click Here to Login
Join iRV2 Today

Mission Statement: Supporting thoughtful exchange of knowledge, values and experience among RV enthusiasts.
Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on iRV2
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 06-23-2021, 07:24 AM   #1
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2021
Posts: 5
Unhappy '21 NuCamp Boondock XL not holding a charge overnight after one outing - SmartShunt

I have a new '21 Boondock XL with the dealer installed "DynaThrust" 24DC3 battery.

On our first outing we had no issues with going overnight and still having power in the morning, this was running an Alpicool C30 and normal usage of lights.

Wanting to understand more about my battery usage as we did more outings, I added a SmartShunt after this first weekend and we just had out second weekend out. Each morning we woke up, the battery was full on dead.

I am having difficulty understanding the utility and usefulness of the SmartShunt, but more frustrated by the lack of power in the morning. In the morning the unit has no power, so when I add a charge, it comes back online but the historical data is empty. There is no retention of data like when the battery died or how it's usage over time was graphed. With it plugged into home power, it starts back up saying 100% capacity.

When I got home I've been running tests each night - full charged battery, synchronized app, NOTHING turned on in the trailer, very little draw in the hours before bed. In the evening with less than a couple of amps draw, I see that there is well over a day of estimated time left (30+ hours).

But by morning, no power and no history is available.

Battery capacity - 82Ah
Charged voltage - 13.2 (default)
Discharge floor - 50% (default)
Charge efficiency factor - 95% (default)

Under history, I see Deepest discharge -22Ah, cumulative Ah drawn -123Ah (I've recharged the battery probably 10 times since purchase). Charged energy - 1.6kWh, discharged energy 1.4kWh.

I haven't even been able to test a night with the Alpicool C30 plugged in. I'm going to run the test during the day when I can keep an eye on the discharge, but that it's not even going 10 hours with no load is an obvious problem.

Is this a bad battery and I need to contact the dealer? Because at this point it seems like that or the only other thing is the SmartShunt is somehow causing this issue (although I dont know how it could).

Yes, it's wired up correctly - no, nothing else is on (amp draw is less than 3amp). How can I get more utility from the SmartShunt in understanding what's going on? At this point, it seems to be a pretty worthless device since I get nothing from it.
__________________
2021 Ford F150 FX4
2021 NuCamp Boondock XL
packetjunkie is offline   Reply With Quote
Join the #1 RV Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

iRV2.com RV Community - Are you about to start a new improvement on your RV or need some help with some maintenance? Do you need advice on what products to buy? Or maybe you can give others some advice? No matter where you fit in you'll find that iRV2 is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with other RV owners, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create an RV blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Old 06-23-2021, 10:16 AM   #2
Senior Member
 
tuffr2's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Palm Coast Florida
Posts: 12,995
That is a small group 24 battery I think. A bigger group will last a lot longer. You will probably need a bigger battery box because a group 27 or 31 is going to be longer.

I would even look for a AGM battery and but that if I could find one.
tuffr2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-23-2021, 05:25 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
Outdoors RV Owners Club
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: So. Cal.
Posts: 385
Another thing to consider is your default charge voltage at 13.2 volts. That would most likely be while you're plugged into shore power, with the convertor in a float mode. Your battery voltage, at rest and off the charger for a couple of hours, is probably going to be somewhere in the 12.8 volt range. You will still have parasitic draws on the battery from things like the propane detector, electronic device memories, control boards, etc. I agree with tuff, an 84 amp hour battery isn't going to do a lot, and unfortunately; a dealer is generally not going to put a quality battery in like an owner would.
With the trailer at home, you can monitor your usage, then decide if, and how much more battery you need. I would suggest keeping an eye on your water levels if you've been charging alot. Best of luck to you.
__________________
GPCPL
2017 ORV Glacier Peak F26 RLS
04 Dodge 3500 CC, DRW, 4.11 gears, 4X4, Cummins 5.9, NV5600 manual trans.
GPCPL is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-24-2021, 07:37 AM   #4
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2021
Posts: 5
Thank you, the voltage thing lines up with my latest testing. The SmartShunt was reporting 90% capacity when it died - as I hooked up the Alpicool you could watch the voltage meter just drop continuously. There is a definite problem with the battery holding its charge, so I will replace it with something "better" and see about replacing the stock unit since its so new.


What is confusing to me is that the SmartShunt isn't more useful - it doesnt show the status of a battery charging, when plugged in to shore power, it just shows 100% all the time. Again, maybe its a configuration issue and maybe related to the problem with the battery, but the capacity seems to just not work and the lack of historical data is annoying.
__________________
2021 Ford F150 FX4
2021 NuCamp Boondock XL
packetjunkie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-24-2021, 07:44 AM   #5
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Beaver Dam, Wisconsin
Posts: 5,081
I think your analysis is pretty good. It is not clear what is happening. You have a fairly simple system. It should be clear.

Observations:
Does the unit have an inverter? If so, having it "ON or OFF" makes a difference.
What is using 3 amps? You may or may not have a propane detector and even if so, it should not use anywhere near 3 amps.
Control boards for water heater, furnace, and refrigerator all use a little power, but I am not sure you even have those appliances.

Things to consider:
Ground may be on the wrong side of the shunt.
Victron settings need adjusting.
Some people report better Victron results by resetting it and re-entering all necessary parameters.

I always like to go back to basics in cases like this. Measure voltage directly on the battery terminals. Use a digital voltmeter (not the Victron). This bypasses connections, devices, and anything that might confuse the issues.

Lead acid batteries require 14 to 18 hours for a full clean charge.
Fully charge for 14 to 18 hours.
Unplug from shore power for the test.
Measure battery terminal voltage immediately.
Wait 3 hours and measure again. Voltage should slowly drop from 13.6 or 13.3 volts to 13.0 volts
Measure 3 hours later.
Decide to continue or not. If voltage is below 11.4 volts, recheck Victron results and compare to battery terminal voltage.
Assuming nothing but the Victron is drawing power, voltage should should not drop below 12.7 volts in a week.

If battery voltage drops faster than expected, battery may be defective.
You can get the battery load tested, but most automotive load testers are not definitive for deep draw batteries. If the battery fails the load test, it is defective. If it passes the load test it may still not have the expected deep draw capacity.

You would need a 20 hour discharge test for best results, but that is harder to do.

You can do a long term voltage test that is easier.
Fully charge for 14 to 18 hours.
Disconnect negative battery terminal.
Monitor terminal voltage.
Voltage should should not drop below 12.7 volts in a week. My AGM holds 13.0 volts for weeks.

I wish you good luck and happy trails ahead!
__________________
Paul Bristol
Kodiak Cub 176RD
Nissan Pathfinder 2015
Persistent is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-24-2021, 08:03 AM   #6
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Payson, AZ
Posts: 1,273
i have a smart shunt and it helps me. i'm wondering about one item you posted. you said with nothing on you are seeing a 3 amp discharge. that seems quite high. first thing i'd do is try to find what is causing that draw. the shunt will help you with this.

then use the shunt to help you monitor the charging process. let it charge for at least overnight if not an entire day. watch the shunt to see how the charging current decreases over time. the shunt monitors the charge current and determines that the battery is 100 percent full when the charge current falls below a threshold for a certain length of time. i don't remember the actual parameters off the top of my head but they are in the manual. make sure you have these set properly or the shunt may be reporting the battery as 100% full when it really is not. if this is the case it may give you a false impression on battery status.
bigchick is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-24-2021, 08:11 AM   #7
Senior Member
 
tuffr2's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Palm Coast Florida
Posts: 12,995
Would a water heater being on draw 3 amps. I think maybe. That is the only thing I can think of that might draw that much power.
tuffr2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-24-2021, 12:06 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
Outdoors RV Owners Club
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: So. Cal.
Posts: 385
I glanced at the Alpicool C30 specifications on line. That looks like a nice unit, but I think you're asking alot of your battery to run it.
As suggested, read the Smart Shunt manual, set your parameters and don't rely on the default settings. I think you'll find that you need more battery, and solar, or a small generator.
__________________
GPCPL
2017 ORV Glacier Peak F26 RLS
04 Dodge 3500 CC, DRW, 4.11 gears, 4X4, Cummins 5.9, NV5600 manual trans.
GPCPL is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-24-2021, 12:19 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Washington
Posts: 1,837
Quote:
Originally Posted by tuffr2 View Post
Would a water heater being on draw 3 amps. I think maybe. That is the only thing I can think of that might draw that much power.
That is not very much power daw at all on 12v. My base draw when I we leave the RV for the day is 3 amps. This is with the inverter on and parasitic loads.

A 3 amp draw at 12v would only be a 48 watt element.
A 3 amp draw at 120v would only be a 480 watts element.

An RV water heater element seems to around 1400 watts or 116 amps of 12v or 11.6 amps of 120v.
__________________
Boondockers
2014 Volvo 630 Tandem 2016 Chevy 3500 DRW, crew cab
2016 Fuzion 325T, 675ah AGM, MSH 3012 inverter, 1400w Solar
Nwcid is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-24-2021, 12:46 PM   #10
Senior Member
 
Outdoors RV Owners Club
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: So. Cal.
Posts: 385
The Alpicool lists 45 - 65 watts @ 12 volts, depending on ambient temperature.
__________________
GPCPL
2017 ORV Glacier Peak F26 RLS
04 Dodge 3500 CC, DRW, 4.11 gears, 4X4, Cummins 5.9, NV5600 manual trans.
GPCPL is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-24-2021, 01:11 PM   #11
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2021
Posts: 199
When I get to the point where the op is i start regularly load testing my batteries. Once you get a baseline the rest is easy, several comments here are suggesting possibly you need more battery/batteries, valid points. You have a new rv, with an older battery possibly, dealers like to save money.
mickeybitsko is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-24-2021, 02:50 PM   #12
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2021
Posts: 5
Great suggestions in here and I'm going to follow them.


I did purchase a Duracell Ultra 105ah battery, so will be installing that to replace this one.


As to the 3 amps - as I noted there is the Victron solar setup that is powered up (bluetooth), the shunt, the radio display is on (but radio is not turned on) and I assume the inverter is powered up, although not being used. I felt that the 3amp draw was about right for those items, but I could be wrong.


I'll be picking up the new battery tonight and testing this weekend. As for the battery that came with the unit, I'll either see about exchanging it for a backup or just return for core.
__________________
2021 Ford F150 FX4
2021 NuCamp Boondock XL
packetjunkie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-25-2021, 07:04 AM   #13
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Beaver Dam, Wisconsin
Posts: 5,081
As to the 3 amps - as I noted there is the
Victron solar setup that is powered up (bluetooth)

What is the model of the Victon solar setup?

the shunt,
Is the shunt system a Victron? What is the model?
Generally they do not consume much.

the radio display is on (but radio is not turned on)
I agree, the radio is unlikely to consume much when “off”.

I assume the inverter is powered up, although not being used.
What is the make and model of the inverter?
I have a 1000 watt inverter. It uses a little more than 1 amp when “on” and no 120 volt appliances plugged in to it. I turn it “off” when not in use. A 2000 watt inverter may easily draw more than 2 amps.
(I assume you know that an inverter converts 12 volts DC to 120 volts AC. Some folks call their inverter/charger/converter an “inverter”.)

I felt that the 3amp draw was about right for those items, but I could be wrong.
The battery you have should be able to sustain 3 amps for 10 hours. However, 3 amps is high for parasitic draw in a typical tear drop trailer.

Did you fully charge the battery regardless of what the shunt meter said before testing? It takes 14 to 18 hours to fully charge lead acid batteries.
__________________
Paul Bristol
Kodiak Cub 176RD
Nissan Pathfinder 2015
Persistent is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-25-2021, 09:58 AM   #14
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2020
Posts: 15
I purchased one of these for 55.00....

It works great and matches my dvm. Very easy to use for checking batteries.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...asin_title?ie=
__________________
99 Monaco Executive 450 M11
Fu227 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
boondock



Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Early April Fools and Victron SmartShunt bob26rls Outdoors RV Owner's Forum 13 03-24-2021 10:30 PM
First outing in Alpine..a few problems, but still pretty good for the first outing. StansCustoms Alpine Coach Owner's Forum 14 05-03-2011 06:54 AM

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 04:32 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.