Deep cell battery's

[lindadoglady@aol.com]

Hi, I have a 190 pop. Roadtrek..2008. The deep cell battery's don't seem to be holding a ch arge..they ch a re up after I drive, but lose after one night..what does this me a n. Thanks linda

[mkguitar]

batteries do wear out- it is important to make sure that when they do chrge they charge at the correct voltage.

most also need to be topped up with distilled water from time to time


temperature takes its toll


and fully discharging a battery can reduces it's capacity to recharge

you also need to balance the load on the battery to it's capacity- changing to led lights or more efficient appliances/tv can help- and making sure that nothing is draining teh battery which should be "off"

you can see my fun with harbor freight coupons thread- for extending battery range off grid



mike

[booster]

Yep, they could be just plain worn out. If you have the Exide gp27 ones like we did in our 2007 (one in front of and one behind the passenger side rear wheel) I am surprised they lasted that long. If they are wet cells, they can be tested with a hydrometer by a decent battery retailer to see if they are really charging all the way, and if the cells are even.

If you are going by the Roadtrek "battery" leds to determine if they are charging, it can be way off, also, so you may not even be getting full. It can take 8 hours or more of driving to get totally full.

[lindadoglady@aol.com]

Thanks..I'm afraid they are worn out..I drive it every other day or so...I'd like to look into sol a r..does anyone know a good shop in the area around Boston or cape cod..iv looked...but not much for rvs..thanks again.

[BBQ]

Originally Posted by lindadoglady@aol.com

Thanks..I'm afraid they are worn out..I drive it every other day or so...I'd like to look into sol a r..does anyone know a good shop in the area around Boston or cape cod..iv looked...but not much for rvs..thanks again.

The best place to start on solar is youtube.

There are lots of intro videos.
Get yourself acquainted with the basics,
so that you know what you are getting into.

[booster]

Originally Posted by BBQ

The best place to start on solar is youtube.

There are lots of intro videos.
Get yourself acquainted with the basics,
so that you know what you are getting into.

I agree, but also be very careful to confirm what you "learn", as there is also a lot bad/inaccurate information out there in internet land.

If you go to the DIY section of this forum, you will also be able to find quite a few of us that have done our own installs, often with pix and procedure, and even results.

[hbn7hj]

You need more info. You can start here.

https://handybobsolar.wordpress.com/...ging-puzzle-2/

If you are driving every other day don't be too quick to go solar. Just my opinion but I don't think it will help much. The east isn't known for sun anyhow. See if you can solve the problems in other ways first. You do have a generator. A dedicated battery charger might be your second purchase after a battery monitor. The LED battery charge indicators are next to useless.

In summery: check or buy new batteries then install a battery monitor and play with it for a while. Your problems are solvable, all it takes is knowledge on your part.
Harry 2003 Chevy 190 P Roadtrek

[BBQ]

.

Are those original batteries?
If they are, it has been 9 yrs. They have served their time. You need to buy new batteries.
I would suggest to replace them with maintenance-free AGM deep cycle batteries.

Do you know what kind of charger you have?
If it is a single-stage charger,
you might want to upgrade it to a three-stage charger.
It makes batteries last longer.

[Ron J. Moore]

You might want to consider a move up to AGM batteries, they are sealed and you don't have to worry about checking fluid level; if it has a Isolator for the house batteries, you might be better served by switching it out to a Separator, well worth the money, compared to a dead battery. Ron