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Sir Traveler · 03-26-2018, 04:41 PM

hello everyone

I am new to Rvs, a couple of months ago I bought a 2003 Ford V10 ( 4 wind hurricane ) , I installed 2 deep cycle batteries and just want to know what are the actual steps of recharge ( I read online 3 steps to recharge the barraties but no details of how to exactly do each step ) also how often should I check the water level in the batteries ( and how high the water level should be before I refill it ) . I am currently in a full RV hookup in San Diego, it is getting warmer here ( 70s during the day and 50s during the night/ if that affect how often the batteries are maintained !?!!) I will appreciate any tips

thank you for your time

LarryH1481 · 03-26-2018, 05:37 PM

I bought a 2005 Ford V10 (Georgie Boy Pursuit) a few years back. It was boiling water out of house batteries. It had basic 1-mode charger, causing overcharge. Added optional plug-in 9105 Charge Wizard, giving me 4-mode smart charging. Normal 13.6vdc, Storage 13.2v. Boost 14.4v and Equilizing 14.4v. I added small DC Volt meter in coach panel to monitor voltages. Solved my problem
Determine what Converter/Charger you have, upgrade to Smart Charger model, if necessary. Google Charge Wizard for details. Good luck!

momdoc · 03-26-2018, 08:13 PM

Welcome to the forum. Sorry I can't help with the battery question but there are lots of good folks here and someone will be along to help out I am sure. Enjoy the adventure

vsheetz · 03-26-2018, 08:22 PM

If you have a multi-stage charger it will handle switching charge modes automatically as appropriate. I think likely, unless changed from orginal, you have a single stage charger.

Battery water level should be checked monthly. Use distilled water to fill to the bottom of the opening.

Stever53 · 03-26-2018, 09:18 PM

Hi

this place is great

Safe travels

Hoosier14 · 03-26-2018, 10:07 PM

Most importantly, don’t let your batteries discharge more than 50% before charging them. It’s difficult to fully advise you without knowing the equipment you have. Most modern three stage inverter / chargers do the work for you. They start with a bulk charge and then go to an absorption charge and float stage. These chargers have settings depending on the type of batteries you have and this determines the appropriate voltage of each stage. Many also have temperature sensors which change the voltage rates depending on the outdoor temperature. Appropriate charge rates are vital to maintaining deep cycle batteries.

Winemaker2 · 03-27-2018, 06:11 AM

If your battys are down...
Check water and only fill to above plates if any are below.
Then charge fully then top off water to bottom of plastic ring at fill cap.

twinboat · 03-27-2018, 06:21 AM

If you can upgrade your converter to 3/4 stage charging, that would be the easy fix.

On my 2000 MH, that wasn't an option, so I bought a Power Max 4 stage converter. I disabled the original one by removing the black wire from the circuit breaker and taping it up.

I then used that circuit breaker, some wire and outlet box, to add an outlet so I could plug in the new converter.

I wired to output of the new converter to the batteries. I also could have wired it to the same spot as the old converter but wanted a short run to the batteries.

As far as discharging deep cycle batteries, there seems to be a myth that you will ruin them by going below 50%.

First off, actually tracking real time depth of discharge is difficult, at best, without a battery monitor. Using voltage alone isn't accurate unless the battery has rested for hours.

Here is a clip from Northern Arizona Sun, a solar web site with the facts.

Battery life is directly related to how*deep*the battery is cycled each time. If a battery is discharged to 50% every day, it will last about twice as long as if it is cycled to 80% DOD. If cycled only 10% DOD, it will last about 5 times as long as one cycled to 50%. Obviously, there are some practical limitations on this - you don't usually want to have a 5 ton pile of batteries sitting there just to reduce the DOD. The most practical number to use is 50% DOD on a regular basis. This does NOT mean you cannot go to 80% once in a while. It's just that when designing a system when you have some idea of the loads, you should figure on an*average*DOD of around 50% for the best storage vs cost factor.

https://www.solar-electric.com/learn...ttery-faq.html

MSHappyCampers · 03-27-2018, 09:32 AM

Hi !

Welcome to IRV2! We're sure glad you joined the gang!

Congrats on the new rig! I can't advise you on the correct procedure. Keep her between the ditches!

Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!

Winemaker2 · 03-27-2018, 02:19 PM

"As far as discharging deep cycle batteries, there seems to be a myth that you will ruin them by going below 50%"

It's not immediately fatal...
More like sun /UV exposure...
It's doing it repeatedly - the affects accumulate over time.
And the deeper the discharge (longer the exposure) the more damage that's done each time.

twinboat · 03-27-2018, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Winemaker2

"As far as discharging deep cycle batteries, there seems to be a myth that you will ruin them by going below 50%"

It's not immediately fatal...
More like sun /UV exposure...
It's doing it repeatedly - the affects accumulate over time.
And the deeper the discharge (longer the exposure) the more damage that's done each time.

That damage is done every time you discharge a deep cycle battery, even down to 75 or 80%.
Discharge it to 75% 1500 times OR
Discharge it to 50% 1000 times OR Discharge it to 25% 500 times.

You us half the quantity of batteries and replace them in about half the time.

For a weekend camper 500 times is a lot of camp outs.

Superslif · 03-27-2018, 02:48 PM

Try this website that covers everything about RV batteries...Your 3 basic stages of charging: Bulk, Absorption, and Float.

Below is a paragraph or two on the charging part of the battery. I thought it would explain a few things.

It means that battery charging is a little more complicated than most people think. It's not really safe to assume that driving your motorhome will keep your house batteries up to par, or that plugging your trailer in to A/C power and letting the converter run will make everything hunky-dory. The truth is, most of the RVs on the road have very poorly designed battery charging systems courtesy of the factory. Why? Well, cost plays a key role in deciding what equipment a RV will have installed when it's sold. Most RVs depend on the 12volt converter to charge the house batteries. In most cases, that's a very poor compromise! The life of your batteries will be longer and happier if you charge them correctly. The best chargers on the market are 3-stage chargers. Use of a good quality 3 stage charger will significantly improve your battery's performance and lifespan. These chargers can be purchased separately or are included as part of many of the better quality inverters. When using a 3 stage charger, battery charging takes place in 3 basic stages: Bulk, Absorption, and Float.

Bulk Charge - The first stage of 3-stage battery charging. Current is sent to batteries at the maximum safe rate they will accept until voltage rises to near (80-90%) full charge level. Voltages at this stage typically range from 10.5 volts to 15 volts. There is no "correct" voltage for bulk charging, but there may be limits on the maximum current that the battery and/or wiring can take.

Absorption Charge: The 2nd stage of 3-stage battery charging. Voltage remains constant and current gradually tapers off as internal resistance increases during charging. It is during this stage that the charger puts out maximum voltage. Voltages at this stage are typically around 14.2 to 15.5 volts.

Float Charge: The 3rd stage of 3-stage battery charging. After batteries reach full charge, charging voltage is reduced to a lower level (typically 12.8 to 13.2 volts) to reduce gassing and prolong battery life. This is often referred to as a maintenance or trickle charge, since it's main purpose is to keep an already charged battery from discharging.

Wundertaker · 03-27-2018, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vsheetz

If you have a multi-stage charger it will handle switching charge modes automatically as appropriate. I think likely, unless changed from orginal, you have a single stage charger.

Battery water level should be checked monthly. Use distilled water to fill to the bottom of the opening.

The warmer it is temperature wise, the more often you need to check water levels. The water needs to cover the plates for sure, BUT DO NOT OVERFILL THE CELL!!! Each cell has a marker built into it when proper water level is achieved.