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Battery System Questions???

Started by EvanDoss, May 14, 2007, 07:35 PM

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EvanDoss

May 14, 2007, 07:35 PM
I am a new RV owner so some of these questions might seem silly but I am only asking because I don't know.  I purchased my 98' Jayco last spring from an individual over eBay.  Overall the camper is in very good condition but after meeting the seller in person I got the impression they weren

tlhdoc

#1
May 14, 2007, 08:18 PM
You should fully charge your battery with a 3 stage "smart charger" after each trip and then top it off before your next trip.  I am guessing that the power converter in your PU will charge the battery, but I will not do as good of a job as a battery charger will do.  You TV can charge the battery (but not much) if you have a hot line from the TV to the plug on the camper.  What kind of plug do you have?  A four flat, a round Bargeman, or something else.  Did you keep the battery charged over the winter?  It should be charged every 4 to 6 weeks in the off system.  Batteries like to be kept charged.  Your current battery may be on its way our, but if you get a battery charger with a desulfication cycle you may be able to put some life back into the battery.  Good luck with the camper this season.:)

EvanDoss

#2
May 14, 2007, 08:34 PM
Quote from: tlhdocYou should fully charge your battery with a 3 stage "smart charger" after each trip and then top it off before your next trip.  I am guessing that the power converter in your PU will charge the battery, but I will not do as good of a job as a battery charger will do.  You TV can charge the battery (but not much) if you have a hot line from the TV to the plug on the camper.  What kind of plug do you have?  A four flat, a round Bargeman, or something else.  Did you keep the battery charged over the winter?  It should be charged every 4 to 6 weeks in the off system.  Batteries like to be kept charged.  Your current battery may be on its way our, but if you get a battery charger with a desulfication cycle you may be able to put some life back into the battery.  Good luck with the camper this season.:)

Thank you for the quick response.  I connect my campter to my TV via a 4 flat connector.  I didn't keep the battery charged this winter and I doubet the previous owner ever kept it charged in previous winters.  I might take the battery up to my local auto parts store and have them test it to see if its worth keeping but I imagin it would be best to start this season with a fresh battery.  Thank you for the brief overview on how the charging system works and I will take your charging advice and put it to good use.

cruising usa

#3
May 14, 2007, 08:51 PM
As said before the converter will charge your battery when on shore power. If the battery was not charged over the winter it may be toast. Use this link to check out the 12V side of things http://www.ccis.com/home/mnemeth/12volt/12volt.htm.

zamboni

#4
May 14, 2007, 09:01 PM
Just for a small tid-bit... our 1996 Starcraft (we bought it in 1999 or 2000) did not charge the battery on shore power!  It was wired to only charge off the TV.  Thus, and I did not realize it until much later, it was only getting charged while driving down the road and sharing the charge with the fridge.

Once I realized, I used a trickle-charger a few days before each trip.

Oh yeah, and the charging system did not stop when the battery was full... so, after a year of this mode, the OVER-CHARGING while driving down the road started to do damage to the battery.

Lesson learned:  Check how your system is set up! :-)

wavery

#5
May 14, 2007, 09:02 PM
Quote from: cruising usaAs said before the converter will charge your battery when on shore power. If the battery was not charged over the winter it may be toast. Use this link to check out the 12V side of things http://www.ccis.com/home/mnemeth/12volt/12volt.htm.
Most of the early converters (including the one in my 2002 Coleman PU) only put out about 12.8V. That is hardly enough to put a good charge in the battery.

A smart charger will take the battery up to 14.8V before it stabilizes it at just over 13V. That's what you need to put a good charge in the battery.

The best way to check your battery is to go to your local auto parts store and buy a hydrometer (Under $10). Charge your battery all the way up then let it sit for 24 hours. Then check each cell with the hydrometer. They are very easy to use.

If any of the cells falls below the "good" range.....buy a new battery. All of the cells should read about the same. If any are lower than the others, the bad ones will just drag the good ones down. Not worth messing with it.

rccs

#6
May 15, 2007, 05:47 AM
If the hookup to your popup is only the flat 4 type you are not charging your battery from the tow vehicle at all so running your refrigerator on 12 volts is running it totally from the camper battery while travelling. That is the reason that your camper battery is near dead when you reach your destination. The refrigerator will kill a completly charged battery in just a couple of hours . Depending on the year and model of your camper, you may not even be capable of charging the battery from your converter. The origional converter in my 95 Coleman did not have any charging capability but the new one I replaced it with does.

EvanDoss

#7
May 15, 2007, 09:01 AM
Quote from: rccsIf the hookup to your popup is only the flat 4 type you are not charging your battery from the tow vehicle at all so running your refrigerator on 12 volts is running it totally from the camper battery while travelling. That is the reason that your camper battery is near dead when you reach your destination. The refrigerator will kill a completly charged battery in just a couple of hours . Depending on the year and model of your camper, you may not even be capable of charging the battery from your converter. The origional converter in my 95 Coleman did not have any charging capability but the new one I replaced it with does.

It sounds like if I want to run my refrigerator while driving I will need to modify my wiring harness both on my car and pop-up.  I currently use the 4 flat connection.  Should I upgrade to the 6 pin or 7 pin.  How do I avoid overcharging while connected to the car?  It seemed that zamboni was having this problem.  I have no need for electric brakes/ break controller as the pop-up has serge breaks.

As for my converter I am going to guess that it has charging capabilities.  I have never put a battery charger on my battery, yet when it ran down it appeared to get some charge while I'm plugged into shore power.  I still plan on replacing the battery though.

AustinBoston

#8
May 15, 2007, 09:50 AM
Quote from: EvanDossIt sounds like if I want to run my refrigerator while driving I will need to modify my wiring harness both on my car and pop-up.  I currently use the 4 flat connection.  Should I upgrade to the 6 pin or 7 pin.

The 7-pin is more widely used, even though 1 or 2 pins (in your case, 2 pins) are not used.

QuoteHow do I avoid overcharging while connected to the car?  It seemed that zamboni was having this problem.

Zamboni's problem seems to be unique, and may be the result of the trickle charger, not the car's electrical system.  If the car charging system would overcharge your pop-up battery, then it would overcharge the car battery as well.

QuoteAs for my converter I am going to guess that it has charging capabilities.  I have never put a battery charger on my battery, yet when it ran down it appeared to get some charge while I'm plugged into shore power.  I still plan on replacing the battery though.

Most older converters were not really good battery chargers.  Some newer ones have multi-stage capabilities with good maintenance modes.  Unless your charger has been replaced (which is entirely possible with a 9-year old pop-up), it's probably not that good at charging.

In the long run, nothing beats a good 3-stage charger.

Austin
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