boil the batteries ?

[cabin fever]

My wife was reading reading in the AAA magazine that if you left the trailer plugged in all the time it would overcharge and boil the batteries. It also said there were exceptions. Are the Cyclones OK to keep plugged in so the batteries stay charged until use ?

 

[JohnDar]

My wife was reading reading in the AAA magazine that if you left the trailer plugged in all the time it would overcharge and boil the batteries. It also said there were exceptions. Are the Cyclones OK to keep plugged in so the batteries stay charged until use ?

Our 3670 has been plugged in all summer on a seasonal site and there's been no problem. The battery worked fine during a 7 hour power failure at the camp. For winter storage, however, I'll remove the battery and store it in my garage, off the floor. Come spring, I'll put it on a slow charge to bring it back up before reinstalling it. If the battery is a maintenance-free type, there's not much you can do to it. If it has caps on the cells, add distilled water to them to keep them full.

 

[cookie]

cabin fever, our Bighorn is plugged in all the time. The converter will monitor and control the charge the batteries as needed. It will also boil the batteries as needed to take care of sulfication. Thats its job. What you do need to do however is check the water level in your batteries and top off with distilled water as needed. You should have no problems leaving it plugged in.

Peace
Dave

 

[geeksrus]

cabin fever, our Bighorn is plugged in all the time. The converter will monitor and control the charge the batteries as needed. It will also boil the batteries as needed to take care of sulfication. Thats its job. What you do need to do however is check the water level in your batteries and top off with distilled water as needed. You should have no problems leaving it plugged in.

Peace
Dave

An additional maintenance step would be to use Battery Equalizer. I've been using this for 10 years, on 3 different RVs, and have yet to have a battery problem & never had to replace a battery. http://www.batteryequaliser.com/

Also, to make the filling easier I use this: http://www.flow-rite.com/qwik-fill/index.html?open_menu=0&sub_menu=2

Eh!

 

[katkens]

The article you read is probably true some converters can boil your battery. The converters Heartland uses now is the Progressive Dynamics 9200 series converter with what is called a Charge Wizard built in to maintain charging. If one has the 9100 series you can add a Charge Wizard to them , which I did to my previous rig which boiled the batteries if left plugged in to long. Mine has been plugged in all the time for the last 3 years except to travel and no problems. I am not sure if
Heartland smaller rigs use Progressive Dynamic converters , for those reading this. Here is links for the Wizard and converter.....Kenny
http://www.progressivedyn.com/prod_details/charge_wizard_9105.html
http://www.progressivedyn.com/power_converters_9200.html

 

[rick_debbie_gallant]

Our 3670 has been plugged in all summer on a seasonal site and there's been no problem. The battery worked fine during a 7 hour power failure at the camp. For winter storage, however, I'll remove the battery and store it in my garage, off the floor. Come spring, I'll put it on a slow charge to bring it back up before reinstalling it. If the battery is a maintenance-free type, there's not much you can do to it. If it has caps on the cells, add distilled water to them to keep them full.

I will be storing my batteries in Texas for the winter. Michigan is just to cold for the batteries.

 

[porthole]

My 2 cents from over 20 years in the automotive field (with a stint a Caterpillar Fork Lifts)

• As noted above, if you don't have a "smart charger" leaving it plugged in all year can be harmful. Smart chargers, Progressive or other brands are usually a multi stage type. High voltage/current when batteries are below 80%, less between 80-100% and then a "float charge" to keep them at 100%. "smarts" typically have a "de-sulfate" mode which is an intermittent, much higher charge rate (16-17 volts or more) for a short period of time. This helps to de-sulfate the batteries, which is a normal occurrence of the charge-discharge-charge cycle.
• If you don't have a battery disconnect switch already I would strongly suggest you add one.
• A clean battery is a happy battery
• A properly charged battery will not freeze
  
• Taking batteries in and out can cause more harm good then just leaving them in and keep up with a maintenance charge.
• Leaving batteries on a concrete floor will cause them to discharge is an "old wives tale". This probably came about from days long gone of removing batteries and keeping them in the warmer garage to keep them from freezing because they were not charged.
• But if the "stored batteries were not kept on a maintenance charge they went dead anyway. Plus a dirty, "surface covered with electrolyte battery" will actually discharge right across the top of the battery. Remember also, water is a conductor of electricity, so water between the two terminal will cause a short.
• All wet acid type (as well as many dry type rechargeable batteries) will self discharge at the rate of approximately 1% per day (higher quality less, lower quality more).
• There is a reason why standard automotive, marine deep cycle, golf cart, AGM or "Rolls" brand batteries have significant price differences.
• "Mechanic in a bottle" is usually a waste of money, whether it is in your engine, trans or battery.
• At Caterpillar I worked on a variety of fork lifts, including some very expensive, sophisticated electric fork lifts. Electric trucks typically had a 3600+ pound 36 volt battery ($$$). Never any additives, only distilled water and kept properly charged.

So, keep your battery clean & charged.
Keep it clean and properly filled with distilled water.
Deeply discharging and not recharging properly can damage it. Discharging it repeatedly to 0 volts will damage it.

Make sure your charger is a "smart type" and you can leave it plugged in. If not not just plug it in monthly for a day or two.
Add a battery disconnect switch if not already installed.
All trailers have 12 volt CO detector, so if your batteries are on you will have a draw. Not to mention other loads you may not be aware of. On my trailer the Jensen stereo is always "on". And the new style variable speed water pumps constantly have a draw.

 

[Bob&Patty]

What Duane said is correct. We keep ours plugged in all the time with no problems. Just dont overfill when you add water. Then it will boil over. Sorry Duane....go you beat by about 25 years as a auto tech and have seen it all. Well maybe not all yet, there is still alot of stupid in this world. Bob

 

[SilverRhino]

Another Great Post

Duane:

Thanks for sharing your experience......great information......lots of common sense!

I think I speak for others on the forum......... Really appreciate your insight and information that you share with all of us!

Travel safe!

 

[dieselengineer]

One more thing to add to the keep the battery's clean. Mix some baking soda and water together in a cup, and with a old paint brush, brush some on top of the battery and around the terminals. This will neutralize the acid. Then rinse off real good with water. Makes the batteries look new again and removes the current pathway Duane was talking about.

Also, once or twice a year, discharge the fully charged battery's with a fix load down to about 10 volts. The amp-hr (the fix electrical load in Amps x hours) can be measured and compare to the original mfg rating. This will give you a warning when it is time to replace the batteries before you're out dry camping somewhere and the lights go out.

 

[porthole]

What Duane said is correct. We keep ours plugged in all the time with no problems. Just don't overfill when you add water. Then it will boil over. Sorry Duane....go you beat by about 25 years as a auto tech and have seen it all. Well maybe not all yet, there is still a lot of stupid in this world. Bob

Started in high school (so typical, eh?).

Went to Auto Diesel Tech school post HS on a full ride .
First job was in a gas station (as well as the second).
Then I went "dealer". My 20 years I mention was all Chrysler/Dodge dealerships, class A, bumper to bumper. Specialized in engine, trans, differentials and electrical.

Took the first ASE test is 75, back then it was only a 3 year renewal, passed all eight for the top rating at the time. Quit the trade when I got on the fire department in 92 but still worked part time at my last and favorite dealer for a few years.

Kept taking the ASE renewals until my last cert expired last year. Always passed all eight until the last one, missed the engine emissions by 1 or 2. Not bad considering I have been out of over 10 years.

Figured it might be a good time to let the certs drop, keep my department from getting any ideas about putting me in maintenance

Don't miss it one bit

 

[porthole]

This will give you a warning when it is time to replace the batteries before you're out dry camping somewhere and the lights go out.

Like this past weekend? We pulled the power (see my post under the 50 amp distribution thread)

Withing two hours I had a dead battery.
The battery was replaced at the service center before I left Elkhart, guess this one is just as much junk as the previous.

This one is always wet. Just gave it a good bath today and next chance I get will be checking the charge rate. I'm sure it is just a cheap *** battery.

By next season it will have a bigger and better 12 volt supply

 

[Bob&Patty]

Yes to that Duane, dont miss all the crap trying to make a living. After college my 1st dealership was in 1964. Olds dealer in Downey Calif. Been with GM all these years. AH yes, I do remember all the ASE tests...plus going to the GM training center for all the classes. Hated the 8 date electrical class, but passed it.

Diesel, washing the battery acid off is a good idea.......BUT never on your concrete drivway. Also my rule of thumb on testing a fully charged 12V battery. If it wont hold a load of 9.2 Volts at 150 amp load for 30 seconds its just about done. Loved the SUN VAT 40's. The Vat 60 was junk..could not trust them. I really dont like the GM MID-TRONICS tester....it always lies. But really like the TECH 11 scan tool. Bob