RE: Battery weekend life?

jeanne7566 · Sep 28, 2003, 07:05 PM

[fI have a question concerning how long will the battery run the furnance & one light. I had a problem last fall in which it lasted only 1/2 the night before it went dead & had to be recharged with my vehicle, as we don t have a generator. Also if a generator is neeed to recharge since most of our camping is not in electric hook-up sites what do you suggest?? Many thanks Jeanne=" " ][/font]

whitestar505 · Apr 30, 2003, 08:54 AM

jeanne7566jeanne7566,

You might be the one to answer my question on this thread. http://www.popuptimes.com/members/tm.asp?m=25291&p=1&tmode=1

Thanks[

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wynot · Apr 30, 2003, 09:58 AM

jeanne7566Jeanne,

I suspect if your battery only lasted 1/2 a night, that it wasn t fully charged...

SactoCampers · Apr 30, 2003, 10:17 AM

jeanne7566

QuoteORIGINAL: jeanne7566

[fI have a question concerning how long will the battery run the furnance & one light. I had a problem last fall in which it lasted only 1/2 the night before it went dead & had to be recharged with my vehicle, as we don t have a generator. Also if a generator is neeed to recharge since most of our camping is not in electric hook-up sites what do you suggest?? Many thanks Jeanne=" " ][/font]

The furnace fan draws about 4.8 amps. Assuming you have a standard group 24 deep cycle battery, you have around 50-55 usabel amp-hours available when fully charged.

Note: Amp-hours is a unit of measurement for energy:
amp=electricity/energy required to run the fan
hours= the time component necessary to determine how long your battery can supply that energy

Since the fan draws about 4.8 amps, the battery could supply uninterrupted power to the furnace for about 10 hours (50/4.

before going completely dead. So it probably wasn t fully charged. But of course you probably ran some lights, too, and maybe the water pump(?). Lights take about 1 amp each.

tlhdoc · Apr 30, 2003, 04:51 PM

jeanne7566How long do you stay out on each trip? You can get a bigger battery or several batteries (that is what I do).

kathybrj · May 12, 2003, 07:56 AM

jeanne7566We ve decided to pick up a larger battery to take as a spare. We ve never had our battery go very low, but it did this past weekend, after using the furnace at night, for two nights, plus the water pump and the lights a few times.

It was at the dealer for a month and we neglected to disconnect the battery. Then, when we brought it home, it did stay plugged in for two days before the trip, plus the drive to the campground.

It s off the camper and being charged now. But Blaise wants to pick up a larger battery to take along as a spare. Now that we re organizing the garage, we ll have room to charge the batteries off season and during the season, when not camping.

We normally disconnect the battery as soon as we arrive home and charge it, put it back on the tongue, disconnected, until before the next trip, when it s charged again. BUT with the dealer juggle this past week, it just didn t get charged.

We looked into solar trickle chargers and it doesn t seem worth it. A second battery seemed to be the most economical way to go. We may even go 2 spares, like tlhdoc!

whitestar505 · May 12, 2003, 08:01 AM

kathybrjKathy,

Just got off the web looking at batteries. Was looking at the Interstate Batteries, Model SRM-4D. It weights a lot and cost around 150 dollars but well worth it if you are dry camping.[

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kathybrj · May 12, 2003, 08:47 AM

whitestar505

QuoteORIGINAL: whitestar505

Kathy,

Just got off the web looking at batteries. Was looking at the Interstate Batteries, Model SRM-4D. It weights a lot and cost around 150 dollars but well worth it if you are dry camping.[]

That s a bit out of our price range. If we have to, we ll get another battery like the one we have now.

whitestar505 · May 12, 2003, 08:52 AM

kathybrjOkay, That is the top of the line. Look at the web page to see what you want .
http://www.interstatebatteries.com/estore/default.asp

kathybrj · May 12, 2003, 08:58 AM

whitestar505

QuoteORIGINAL: whitestar505

Okay, That is the top of the line. Look at the web page to see what you want .
http://www.interstatebatteries.com/estore/default.asp

Nope, it ll be Sears or Walmart for us.

whitestar505 · May 12, 2003, 09:15 AM

kathybrjGood Shopping ![

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wynot · May 12, 2003, 09:22 AM

jeanne7566

QuoteIt was at the dealer for a month and we neglected to disconnect the battery. Then, when we brought it home, it did stay plugged in for two days before the trip, plus the drive to the campground.

I do hope (can t tell) that this isn t your normal mode of charging for the batttery (only using the converter and tow vehicle). I have never gotten a full charge out of these - and I paid for it on our first dry camping trip.

kathybrj · May 12, 2003, 09:43 AM

wynot

QuoteORIGINAL: wynot
I do hope (can t tell) that this isn t your normal mode of charging for the batttery (only using the converter and tow vehicle). I have never gotten a full charge out of these - and I paid for it on our first dry camping trip.

From my first response:

" We normally disconnect the battery as soon as we arrive home and charge it, put it back on the tongue, disconnected, until before the next trip, when it s charged again. BUT with the dealer juggle this past week, it just didn t get charged. "

So, nope, this time around, we did not do our normal mode of charging.

tlhdoc · May 12, 2003, 08:47 PM

whitestar505

QuoteORIGINAL: whitestar505

Just got off the web looking at batteries. Was looking at the Interstate Batteries, Model SRM-4D. It weights a lot and cost around 150 dollars but well worth it if you are dry camping.[]

I have to disagree with you on this battery. When I checked it out they listed the cranking amps and cold cranking amps. This is not a true deep cycle battery, this is a starting/deep cycle battery and will not last as long as a true deep cycle battery.

whitestar505 · May 13, 2003, 05:55 AM

tlhdochttp://www.ibsa.com/estore/view_product_detail.asp?mscssid=4GPF0CHB0BCU9JA0V5Q61X2QPLJGAE4E&part_number=SRM-4D&category_id=0&find_spec=srm-4d&js=1

Well, all I can tell you is that it is listed as a Marine R/V - 30 Months - battery.

Hey guys I am not trying to sell you the battery. Just seen it on the web, that all.
Coming down hard are we. Must of been a long weekend campin.

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