# Battery Question



## smithfries (Apr 27, 2007)

So this weekend was one of bad smells for my 25RSS and I...

The smelly water problem (see separate post) was confused by the fact that it also smelled very bad on the OUTSIDE of the TT. I had a friend at the show come over because I started to be concerned that maybe I was smelling a gas odor and not realizing it (OK, so I was very tired). So he came to look at the gas tanks and lines and could smell the a rotten egg smell too. We discovered that the battery was frying up. It was hissing and bubbling. So I figured the battery is dead.

Had my daugther at home call around to find a replacement battery. They found one and my husband drove the 3 1/2 hours to bring it to me and install it. <he's a great guy> Once installed the smelly problem was confined only to my hot water, so I believe the two were entirely unrelated.

So now for my questions...

The battery purchased says "Marine battery". The battery I had says "RV/Marine Deep Cycle". What is the difference? Am I going to have a problem using this marine battery long term? Should I buy something different?

Was the other battery really dead because it was hissing and popping? Or do the batteries need some care and feeding that I overlooked and could have completed to bring it back to life?

I was concerned that I needed the battery to drive home since I believe the trailer brakes operate on the battery. Is this a correct understanding. Absent a DH, or other applicable sherpa, what else could I have done to drive home safely?

Elizabeth
- who did not realize she would need to be so mechanically inclined to own a TT


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## smithfries (Apr 27, 2007)

keeper18 said:


> The battery may have been dead, but may also have been overcharging. Batteries give off hydrogen gas when charging, and if overcharged will produce excess gas and heat. Were you plugged into shore pwoer, and if so, do you know what the voltage at the battery was?


I was plugged into shore power. I do not know what the voltage at the battery was. Is this something I should be able to check? Should I get a voltage meter??

I do know that when we purchased the TT used the battery was completely dead (it was beyond even running the gas alarm), so I was not expecting a long life from the battery.

Elizabeth


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## Five Outbackers (Dec 27, 2006)

Elizabeth

You want a RV/MARINE deep cycle battery for sure.

Here is a link to all things battery. It will answer all your questions

The 12volt Side of Life (Part 1)

Hope it helps


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

THats a good link. lots of good information. The key is that you need deep cycle. does your marine battery say that it is deep cycle? If not, it will work but may not have the longevity of a deep cycle.


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## bentpixel (Sep 2, 2006)

esfdogma said:


> Absent a DH, or other applicable Sherpa, what else could I have done to drive home safely?


Call roadside service?







I a carry triple A card. Signed the kids up too incase their friends car goes on the blink. Otherwise, I couldn't sleep.

BTW, good catch on tracking down the smell. Sound like you found the problem before it found you.









Happy Camping,
Scott


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## smithfries (Apr 27, 2007)

bentpixel said:


> Call roadside service?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I was thinking about the roadside service. Seems like triple A would be a good thing to have. I'll look into that this spring when the season starts again. I wonder if the *Onstar Service * would cover this since this issue is not with the tow vehicle. Anyone know?

Of course there is always the stand on the side of the road looking puzzled until someone takes pity on you method.

There definitely LOTS of expenses to having a TT, esp. if one is not too strong or handy on their own.

Elizabeth


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## campmg (Dec 24, 2005)

esfdogma said:


> There definitely LOTS of expenses to having a TT, esp. if one is not too strong or handy on their own.
> 
> Elizabeth


It is not a cheap hobby.

Propane $25
Campground fees $60
New battery $75
Daughter's broken ankle $1,000
Family memories that will last a lifetime -- priceless.


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## jtarby (Aug 30, 2007)

October must be the month for cooking batteries in Connecticut. I had hooked up the RV to the house yesterday morning to charge the battery and that evening it was a smelly boiling box of acid. The scenario sounds very similar to the original post. Used RV purchased recently with little expectations on the battery. I went back and reviewed the owners manual and read the details about checking the electrolyte levels 'often' when connected to an AC source. I also read though that the inverter was supposed to supply a trickle charge to the battery. There was definatley more than a trickle charge going to that battery last night.

I let the battery cool and checked the levels this morning. Tops of a couple of the plates were exposed and I fear at this point the battery might be a goner.

So, armed with a new understanding of how these batteries work I'd like to know what other people have done to help prevent this from happening, especially if camping in an area with a power source. I'd like to have the inverter to run the lights and other 12v appliances but don't want to cook the battery again or have to worry about it overcharging.

So, what's the recommended solution? Switch to isolate the battery? Is there simply a fuse that I can pull?

Thanks


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## OregonCampin (Mar 9, 2007)

jtarby said:


> October must be the month for cooking batteries in Connecticut. I had hooked up the RV to the house yesterday morning to charge the battery and that evening it was a smelly boiling box of acid. The scenario sounds very similar to the original post. Used RV purchased recently with little expectations on the battery. I went back and reviewed the owners manual and read the details about checking the electrolyte levels 'often' when connected to an AC source. I also read though that the inverter was supposed to supply a trickle charge to the battery. There was definatley more than a trickle charge going to that battery last night.
> 
> I let the battery cool and checked the levels this morning. Tops of a couple of the plates were exposed and I fear at this point the battery might be a goner.
> 
> ...


Here is what we do (we have two deep cell 6V batteries in parallel rather than 1 12v):

When at home the batteries are disconnected competely - this keeps the CO2 alarm from draining our batteries. We use a battery tender ($25 at the Wonder World of Wally) to keep them charged - we usually plug them in two days before at trip. We actually purchased the tender for my motorcycle, but found that it works great for the OB batteries as well.

When we camp with power (which is VERY rare - hence the two 6volts) we unplug the batteries as well and let the connection run what we need. We have talked about putting in a switch to make it easier to disconnect the batteries when we are camping with power, but it is so rare it probably is just as simple to walk over and disconnect them.

Hope that helps! I am sure someone else will pop in with their ideas as well!

Shannon


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## raynardo (Jun 8, 2007)

OREGONCAMPIN said:


> Here is what we do (we have two deep cell 6V batteries in parallel rather than 1 12v


Aren't those connected in series rather than parallel?

I, too, use two six volt batteries, but I have the negative terminal of one battery connected to ground, the postive of that same battery to the negative of the other, and the positive of the second battery to the hot connection.

That's a series connection.

Connecting negative to negative and positive to positive is a parallel connection.

If anyone is wondering, two six volt (golf cart batteries) connected in series work a helluva lot better than two RV/marine deep cycle batteries connected in parallel.

YMMV


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## OregonCampin (Mar 9, 2007)

You are right - series, not parallel....


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## smithfries (Apr 27, 2007)

OREGONCAMPIN said:


> When we camp with power (which is VERY rare - hence the two 6volts) we unplug the batteries as well and let the connection run what we need. We have talked about putting in a switch to make it easier to disconnect the batteries when we are camping with power, but it is so rare it probably is just as simple to walk over and disconnect them.


I'd like to see/hear if anyone has made a switch for when they are plugged in. I have SO much trouble getting that darn cover off the propane and battery area. Hate to think of fiddling with that everytime. Not to mention I am a bit squemish about touching the battery connections (got an electrical shock as a kid and now I am terrified to be too close to exposed wires and ekltricity).

Or is it possible to disconnect the inverter inside the OB (I recall that is what the battery article indicated).

Oh, and the battery I purchased is not a deep cycle :-( I am thankful for it to get me home safely so, guess I'll need to find someone with a boat that needs a battery.

Elizabeth


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## kjdj (Sep 14, 2004)

Why would you disconnect the batteries when your hooked to shore power?

A few personal thoughts and measurements:
I've had mine plunged in for 3 years and just check the water monthly. 
The batteries are the main 12 volt power filter when hooked to shore power.
The TT converter is regulated, if anything it doesn't charge enough typically 12.6 volts. 
The TV charge circuit will roast TT deep cycle batteries quicker because of the lack of amperage ( as high as 100 amps) regulation and high (typically 14.5) voltage.


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## OregonCampin (Mar 9, 2007)

kjdj said:


> Why would you disconnect the batteries when your hooked to shore power?


Don't know - we just do... and it's not a huge issue anyway - we have camped in our OB some 45 days since it's purchase in March and only 1 (yes, I said one) night was hooked up to shore power - we just don't camp in places that have hookups!


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## jtarby (Aug 30, 2007)

What I'm trying to do is avoid cooking another battery. Clearly something was wrong yesterday and I'm not sure what the root cause was. 
With a healthy battery can I leave it connected to a shore line 24x7? I'm thinking not, that's why I was wondering about a switch to disconnect the battery.

If I'm camped for a week and have AC power attached, how often should I be checking the levels? The owners manual just has the vague term of 'often'.

What do people with seasonal sites do? Disconnect the shore line when they're not there?

Thanks


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## raynardo (Jun 8, 2007)

esfdogma said:


> I'd like to see/hear if anyone has made a switch for when they are plugged in. I have SO much trouble getting that darn cover off the propane and battery area. Hate to think of fiddling with that everytime. Not to mention I am a bit squemish about touching the battery connections (got an electrical shock as a kid and now I am terrified to be too close to exposed wires and ekltricity).


Since I switched to the 6 volt batteries I no longer disconnect them, ever. When I had the 12 volts, they'd be totally discharged within a week. Like it was mentioned earlier, I keep the battery level up with distilled water. And when I'm shore power my inverter charges up the 6 volt batteries nicely.

For old time sakes, I keep a 12 volt RV/marine on a trickle charger in the cabinet under the queen mattress in the bedroom. I have sleep apnea, and if I have to sleep a few nights without shore power that 12 volt battery keeps my CPAP machine running.

I do however open that cover once at the beginning of a trip to turn on the propane and at the end of the trip to turn it off again. I've got gauges on both tanks so I can see what shape they're in - I don't want any surprises.


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## smithfries (Apr 27, 2007)

kjdj said:


> Why would you disconnect the batteries when your hooked to shore power?


The helpful battery article states:

"As stated above, the converter in your RV really isn't designed to be a decent battery charger. It's main purpose in life is to provide 12 volt power for your rig while you are plugged in to an A/C outlet. Since the converter is designed to not exceed a voltage of about 13.5 volts, it will never fully charge your batteries. Also, after it has succeeded in partially charging your batteries, it will then commence to boil off electrolyte, as the "float" voltage is too high (should be about 13.2 volts max.). "

I guess my problem was not keeping an eye on the electrolyte level.

Elizabeth


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## sleecjr (Mar 24, 2006)

esfdogma said:


> Why would you disconnect the batteries when your hooked to shore power?


The helpful battery article states:

"As stated above, the converter in your RV really isn't designed to be a decent battery charger. It's main purpose in life is to provide 12 volt power for your rig while you are plugged in to an A/C outlet. Since the converter is designed to not exceed a voltage of about 13.5 volts, it will never fully charge your batteries. Also, after it has succeeded in partially charging your batteries, it will then commence to boil off electrolyte, as the "float" voltage is too high (should be about 13.2 volts max.). "

I guess my problem was not keeping an eye on the electrolyte level.

Elizabeth
[/quote]

This is the info for your charger.

Automatic 3-Stage charging maintains the life of your batteries with output voltages of 13.2 VDC (Sleep) mode, 13.6 VDC nominal charge, and 14.4 VDC (Boost) charge. Series also maintain peace and quiet, as the cooling fan runs only when needed. When the fan is running, it is so quiet it goes unnoticed.

You can leave it plugged in all of the time. Just make sure you check the batt levels once a month. Chnces are your batt was damaged from before, and this caused the problem. My camper has been plugged in over a year with no problems.


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## jtarby (Aug 30, 2007)

I went searching through my package of assorted owners manuals and found the one for the distribution panel and converter. It has the details mentioned in the previous post. The info in the Keystone owners manual is much more generic. Here's a link to a softcopy version of the converter manual if anyone is interested:

http://www.bestconverter.com/assets/images.../8900manual.pdf

So, in my case I can presume that the battery was already damaged from the RV sitting in a driveway for almost a year before we bought it. I doubt they were periodically charging it because when we first looked at it the battery was completely dead.

Thanks to all who offered suggestions.


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## Tyvekcat (Aug 28, 2007)

jtarby said:


> I went searching through my package of assorted owners manuals and found the one for the distribution panel and converter. It has the details mentioned in the previous post. The info in the Keystone owners manual is much more generic. Here's a link to a softcopy version of the converter manual if anyone is interested:
> 
> http://www.bestconverter.com/assets/images.../8900manual.pdf
> 
> ...


Thanks for the link to the converter manual. It answered all my questions. A fully charged battery should not freeze. I appreciate it !!


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