RRinNFla
Northeast Florida
New Member
Joined: 07/11/2008
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club
 Offline
|
I use my fiver about one weekend per month. There is no 120v available where I store the rig.
I have been having house battery problems. Even if I have been connected to shore power for a couple of days, as soon as I disconnect, I have no 12v power. I suspect that I need to replace the battery.
My question is about how to extend my battery life. I have searched some forums and blogs, and see two recurring suggestions, which seem to be mutually exclusive.
Some advise installing a low wattage solar panel to continually trickle charge the house battery. Others suggest using a battery disconnect while the unit is stored. Is there an advantage (other than cost) to one method over the other?
Richard
2007 Keystone Cougar 291RLS
2008 Ford F250 V10 (Gas), EC, SB, 4X4
|
tjar66
Portland OR
Senior Member
Joined: 03/09/2004
View Profile
 Online
|
I use the battery disconnect while in storage. Keeps the detectors from running down the batteries and you cant easily raise or lower the trailer with out power.
2006 Dodge Ram 3500 Cummins
2007 Desert Fox 305j
2004 TRX 450r Mine
2005 Yamaha Raptor 350 Wife's
2006 Honda 300ex Sons
2007 Honda 250ex Daughter
.jpg)
|
jauguston
Bellingham, WA
Senior Member
Joined: 07/03/2005
View Profile
Offline
|
The best option would be to do both. Disconnecting the batteries from the coach will eliminate "phantom loads" that are hard to find and can draw your batteries down fairly quickly. A solar panel wired direct to the batteries will take care of the batteries that slowly normally self-discharge.
Jim
Jim, Sharon and Buddy the Yorkie
1999 Gulfstream Sun Voyager 31' ISB Cummins 210 uprated to 275
AIMS 2500w inverter 4-6v GC batteries
3- Kyocera 130w solar panels
Pressure Pro TPMS
1987 Suzuki Samurai tintop Toad w/VW 1.6 turbo diesel power
|
MNtundraRet
Bloomington, MN
Senior Member
Joined: 12/06/2007
View Profile
Offline
|
I would hope you have been using electric sites when camping. Driving back from camping will only recharge the batteries about 10 amperes for each hour of driving. Not nearly enough to fully recharge batteries. Batteries that do not get fully recharged within a few days after a trip can go bad within a year or two.
Mark
Mark & Jan "Old age & treachery win over youth & enthusiasm"
2003 Fleetwood Jamboree 29
|
RRinNFla
Northeast Florida
New Member
Joined: 07/11/2008
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club
Offline
|
jauguston wrote:The best option would be to do both. Disconnecting the batteries from the coach will eliminate "phantom loads" that are hard to find and can draw your batteries down fairly quickly. A solar panel wired direct to the batteries will take care of the batteries that slowly normally self-discharge.
Jim
So, the two are not mutually exclusive? If the positive cable is disconnected, how does the battery accept a charge? Or is there another set of cables?
|
|
|
smkettner
Southern California
Senior Member
Joined: 03/21/2005
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club
|
15w solar and a switch is what I use. Make sure the battery is fully charged before you store it. Otherwise you will need 100+ watts to actually charge the battery in reasonable time.
Switch disconnects everything except the solar that connects right on the battery terminals.
2001 F150 SuperCrew
2006 Keystone Springdale 249FWBHLS
|
pianotuna
Regina, SK, Canada
Senior Member
Joined: 12/18/2004
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club
Offline
|
Hi RRinNFla,
Umm, do you turn the battery disconnect switch *on* when you unplug?
I'd go solar--but I'd go for 60 watts per 100 amp hours of storage.
For storage a disconnect switch and solar system are not mutually exclusive. They compliment each other extremely well.
Good Luck!
RRinNFla wrote:I use my fiver about one weekend per month. There is no 120v available where I store the rig.
I have been having house battery problems. Even if I have been connected to shore power for a couple of days, as soon as I disconnect, I have no 12v power. I suspect that I need to replace the battery.
My question is about how to extend my battery life. I have searched some forums and blogs, and see two recurring suggestions, which seem to be mutually exclusive.
Some advise installing a low wattage solar panel to continually trickle charge the house battery. Others suggest using a battery disconnect while the unit is stored. Is there an advantage (other than cost) to one method over the other?
Regards, Don
Kustom Koach Class C 28'5" 256 watts solar, 875 amp hours in two battery banks 12 volt batteries 2500 watt inverter.
|
cruiserjs
Aurora, CO, USA/ Mesa AZ/ openroad
Moderator
Joined: 07/02/2003
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club
Offline
|
I use a battery disconnect switch ('knife" style) that I open whenever I store our trailer for more than a week. Have managed to keep enough charge on the two batteries to lift the trailer for hooking up and opening the slides for packing purposes over at least 3 months in AZ "winter' or CO summer.
Colorado Cruiser
Cruiser CF29CK 5th wheel; 2009 GMC Sierra 2500HD, 2wd, short bed
wonderful lifetime traveling companion/spouse
|
skipnchar
Topeka Kansas USA
Senior Member
Joined: 12/17/2003
View Profile
|
It sounds more to me like you're having problems with the converter instead of the batteries. When plugged into shore power even WITHOUT a battery at all you should have 12 volt power. Probably are only getting the batteries charged when towing so they don't last long and when plugged in they're going flat with no power from the converter to take their place.
2004 F-250 SCREW Long Bed (new)
OR 2004 F-150 HD (85,000 towing miles)
Rockwood 8314SS 34' travel trailer
We have enough YOUTH...how about a fountain of SMART
|
Veebyes
Bermuda
Senior Member
Joined: 11/24/2003
View Profile
Offline
|
Sounds like you may have battery problems. Load test them. A load tester, well worth having, can be had for about $40.
As far as long term storage goes, if more than a week, fully charge first then disconnect the batterys. If only a month or so in storage, you won't even notice the slight discharge.
Look at how long machinery is left stored outdoors with no preparation whatsoever.
My 5er is left for over 5 months each winter. Batterys disconnected. No solar panel. No trickle charger. No problems. Sure, in the 5 months there is noticable discharge. Reconnect. Recharge & we are good to go.
Boat: 32' 1996 Albin 32+2, single Cummins 315hp
40+ night per year overnighter
RV: slightly pre enjoyed 2006 Alpenlite 34RLR LTD
2006 Chevy 3500 crew cab LT 6.6L Diesel
Ham Radio: VP9KL, IRLP node 7995
|
|
|
