Replacement Batteries

[carl.swoyer]

Purchase​ group 31deka AGMs. They can be run down further and will change faster. I use 4 of them for my dry camp setup.

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[TravelTiger]

Im looking at 2 Duracell 31 AGM batteries at Sam's Club. A little cheaper than the big name batteries. We don't boondock, but I'd like to have better capacity if power goes out. We don't have a generator.


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[teasac69]

So guys need your thoughts. I've not put a meter on my 2 batteries but are you saying my 2014 BH with 2 are in fact 6v? I'm having inverter issues on my way to Goshen. I can't go far before I have to pull over and check my residential fridge to see if it's running. Inverter keeps kicking out. I finally shut down for a bit and watched it and it read out is showing 12.3 volts on the input and then it will drop and show 11.4 or 11.2 and then start beeping and eventually shut off. Sometimes it will just go back to 12.3 and go silent.

I am am figuring the 3 plus ye old original batts or going bad dropping voltage and putting the inverter in alarm. They have lived on either running down the road or on shore power. Never left unplugged or drained.

So so I don't like weak batts so I'm going to replace them but reading this I'm confused. I wanted to put gel type in but you guys are saying not needed. We do not dry camp but my gourmet cook keeps that fridge full and uses it a bunch. I cannot let the freezer get warm.

Seeking two pieces. Is the stock ones 6 or 12v? Shud I forget the gel and get strong floods? Help. I'm desperate before I lose my food and my wife.

 

[danemayer]

So guys need your thoughts. I've not put a meter on my 2 batteries but are you saying my 2014 BH with 2 are in fact 6v? I'm having inverter issues on my way to Goshen. I can't go far before I have to pull over and check my residential fridge to see if it's running. Inverter keeps kicking out. I finally shut down for a bit and watched it and it read out is showing 12.3 volts on the input and then it will drop and show 11.4 or 11.2 and then start beeping and eventually shut off. Sometimes it will just go back to 12.3 and go silent.

I am am figuring the 3 plus ye old original batts or going bad dropping voltage and putting the inverter in alarm. They have lived on either running down the road or on shore power. Never left unplugged or drained.

So so I don't like weak batts so I'm going to replace them but reading this I'm confused. I wanted to put gel type in but you guys are saying not needed. We do not dry camp but my gourmet cook keeps that fridge full and uses it a bunch. I cannot let the freezer get warm.

Seeking two pieces. Is the stock ones 6 or 12v? Shud I forget the gel and get strong floods? Help. I'm desperate before I lose my food and my wife.

Tim,

Standard batteries are 12V. Two of them would be wired in parallel (pos to pos, neg to neg). They could be underperforming at 3 years old. But before replacing, have you checked the water level recently. If you allow the water to boil off, which it may do, the batteries will not work well. If low on water, adding distilled water may put you back into business.

Also make sure the connections are clean and tight.

And you should consider a simple modification that lights up an LED on the front of the trailer to let you know the inverter is running. Here's a link to Jim Beletti's description of the project.

 

[teasac69]

Tim,

Standard batteries are 12V. Two of them would be wired in parallel (pos to pos, neg to neg). They could be underperforming at 3 years old. But before replacing, have you checked the water level recently. If you allow the water to boil off, which it may do, the batteries will not work well. If low on water, adding distilled water may put you back into business.

Also make sure the connections are clean and tight.

And you should consider a simple modification that lights up an LED on the front of the trailer to let you know the inverter is running. Here's a link to Jim Beletti's description of the project.

Dan,
i did check water level and they are full. Also cables are all tight with no corrosion. I don't see a name on them to know brand or date etc.

 

[TravelTiger]

Tim, if you can stomach the cost, get a couple of AGMs from Sam's Club. Made by Deka, but about half the cost.


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[teasac69]

Tim, if you can stomach the cost, get a couple of AGMs from Sam's Club. Made by Deka, but about half the cost.


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Thanks I'll look into that option. I know my BH (2014) has a trickle type charger. Is it possible to upgrade it to a better charger with maintainer? We have the resi fridge and sometimes have to sleep and run (yea I know that's the first thing that needs to go) and not sure they've had time to recover.

Where is the dang charger in this buggy anyway? Big Horn 3875FB

Nowadays I'm packing a gen so worst case I can fire it up but need the fridge to stay running when we are.

 

[TravelTiger]

The converter is usually behind the basement wall, near the steps. If it is a Progressive Dynamics Converter, it should have a smart charger that maintains the batteries properly. Someone with more tech savvy can chime in with details. Check your blue satchel of manuals, there may be info about it in there.


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[Oregon_Camper]

So guys need your thoughts. I've not put a meter on my 2 batteries but are you saying my 2014 BH with 2 are in fact 6v? I'm having inverter issues on my way to Goshen. I can't go far before I have to pull over and check my residential fridge to see if it's running. .

Many issue to trouble shoot here.

If I were you and I was on my way to Goshen for the National Rally, I'd simply pack all my food into a cooler (might have to buy a cheap one) and forget about the refrigerator until you get to the Rally. You will have SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO many people there to help, that it will be resolved in a snap.

 

[danemayer]

Thanks I'll look into that option. I know my BH (2014) has a trickle type charger. Is it possible to upgrade it to a better charger with maintainer? We have the resi fridge and sometimes have to sleep and run (yea I know that's the first thing that needs to go) and not sure they've had time to recover.

Where is the dang charger in this buggy anyway? Big Horn 3875FB

It's not a trickle charger. It's an intelligent charger that has several modes, adjusting output to charge the battery quickly, and then maintain. If you have a voltmeter, or cycle the autolevel panel to read voltage, you can see the Power Converter output. When batteries are low, the Converter output is 13.6V. When fully charged, output is 13.2V.

Yes, one possibility is that there's a problem with the Power Converter. Or with the 12V DC mini-circuit breaker between Power Converter and batteries.

If you check voltage (with a meter or on the levelup panel) and it's less than 13V while plugged into shore power, and not plugged into the truck, there's a problem getting power to the batteries to charge them. The light charge you do have could be from the truck.

I'm attaching a couple of pictures. After checking the voltage, press the teeny-teeny-teeny-tiny reset button on the manual-reset circuit breaker. It's on a row of little circuit breakers located near the batteries. They're usually covered by a red rubber boot and are connected by a copper buss bar. One breaker, often on one end of the row, has the reset button. The rest are auto-reset.

If you check voltage before and then after pressing the reset button, and see a difference, that was your problem.

If nothing changes, and voltage is less than 13V, you may have a problem with the converter being unplugged, on-board fuses being blown, or a malfunction. You'll have to take down the rear wall of the pass through basement storage to get to it. If it's unplugged, after plugging in, tie the plug so it doesn't come out again.

And before taking the coach apart, check all of your 120V circuit breakers in the main panel in the coach. One of them powers the Power Converter so it can convert 120V AC into 12V DC.

 

[teasac69]

It's not a trickle charger. It's an intelligent charger that has several modes, adjusting output to charge the battery quickly, and then maintain. If you have a voltmeter, or cycle the autolevel panel to read voltage, you can see the Power Converter output. When batteries are low, the Converter output is 13.6V. When fully charged, output is 13.2V.

Yes, one possibility is that there's a problem with the Power Converter. Or with the 12V DC mini-circuit breaker between Power Converter and batteries.

If you check voltage (with a meter or on the levelup panel) and it's less than 13V while plugged into shore power, and not plugged into the truck, there's a problem getting power to the batteries to charge them. The light charge you do have could be from the truck.

I'm attaching a couple of pictures. After checking the voltage, press the teeny-teeny-teeny-tiny reset button on the manual-reset circuit breaker. It's on a row of little circuit breakers located near the batteries. They're usually covered by a red rubber boot and are connected by a copper buss bar. One breaker, often on one end of the row, has the reset button. The rest are auto-reset.

If you check voltage before and then after pressing the reset button, and see a difference, that was your problem.

If nothing changes, and voltage is less than 13V, you may have a problem with the converter being unplugged, on-board fuses being blown, or a malfunction. You'll have to take down the rear wall of the pass through basement storage to get to it. If it's unplugged, after plugging in, tie the plug so it doesn't come out again.

And before taking the coach apart, check all of your 120V circuit breakers in the main panel in the coach. One of them powers the Power Converter so it can convert 120V AC into 12V DC.

thanks Dan very helpful info. All items checked nothing tripped. Level up panel shows 13.7 volts. Why would it show more if they are low? I'm going to get some batteries today. Going on 4 yrs anyway. The local Sams only has Duracell AGMs

cant possibly unload fridge. Full size residential and it is packed in for being on the road 2 months. Goshen doesn't start for 3 more days so I don't have the resource to keep all this food without freezer.

 

[Mrz]

I use NAPA Group 27 RV batteries, and the rig is plugged it 24/7

I also keep my 2017 BH 3575 plugged in 24/7 with the inverter light on. Am I doing anything wrong or is this the right way to keep the batteries topped off?

 

[jnbhobe]

That's just the way I do it I've never had a problem always keep the battery terminals clean make sure you have a good ground

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[danemayer]

13.7v because the converter senses the batteries are low. You're reading the converter output voltage, not what's coming out of the batteries.

New battery time.

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[TravelTiger]

thanks Dan very helpful info. All items checked nothing tripped. Level up panel shows 13.7 volts. Why would it show more if they are low? I'm going to get some batteries today. Going on 4 yrs anyway. The local Sams only has Duracell AGMs

cant possibly unload fridge. Full size residential and it is packed in for being on the road 2 months. Goshen doesn't start for 3 more days so I don't have the resource to keep all this food without freezer.

Yes Duracell AGMs at Sam's are made by Deka.


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[carl.swoyer]

A couple of things to consider. First , if your inverter is to small you might be experiencing " lock rotar amperage". This happens when the inverter can not deliver the start up amperage for the compressor to kick on. This would drain you batteries and your inverter may turn off. I have been using group 31 AGM deka batteries for 10 years. A bit expensive but they ​actually out perform wet cell batteries. Agm batteries can be run down further and will take a charge faster than the wet cells. If you look around you may find seconds for half off. I usually pay $100.00 for each. My dry camping battery bank is four group 31 AGM deka agm batteries.

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[teasac69]

13.7v because the converter senses the batteries are low. You're reading the converter output voltage, not what's coming out of the batteries.

New battery time.

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I came to that conclusion as well and went shopping. Too bad for me I'm in southern Illinois and while there's a lot of nice folks there are no 27 AGMs between here and Chicago. Once I'm absolutely certain it's batteries I can use these wet cells in my boat and put in something more.

Thanks always for for all the great input from everyone. But Dan & Tony are da man.

 

[TravelTiger]

Tony? You mean Erika? He's MrTravelTiger.


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[Oregon_Camper]

Tony? You mean Erika? He's MrTravelTiger.

Oh Snap! Someone just got called out.

 

[TravelTiger]

Oh Snap! Someone just got called out.

It happens a lot on the forum. I read nearly every new post, absorb a lot and repeat answers the experts here have already stated. People assume it's Tony, the guy, saying the technical stuff.

Not so, it's little 'ol miss TravelTiger.


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