Good Question about a Bad Battery

Nomad

You said there was an empty "propane tank" not the cover/tub - they're different.

GrandmasKid

jkjenn said:

I am beginning to think it's a rite of passage to kill your first RV battery. I killed mine. Yes, that first drain probably did it in. I am really glad that LG has started including a battery monitor so people can see their status but it seems as though no dealers are doing a thorough battery education.

I too am learning the hard way. After doing some research here I opted for a 160 watt Zamp solar panel but my dealer wouldn't, and said they couldn't, put in anything larger than a group 24, 79Ah, AGM battery. Perhaps it was never fully charged as I've never seen it above 12.1 volts. Now I'm shopping for a battery charger. I'm a newbie but I'm learning. May I get some recommendations on a charger? I'm thinking it should be able to push 10-15 amps initially and then charge in stages, maintain and test my AGM battery, be small enough to carry, and not cost an arm and a leg. Thanks for any thoughts and advice you can give.

lapowers57

GrandmasKid - The first change I made was to buy a grp 24 100ah battery for my T@B.  I  believe this is the best you can do without modifying something on the T@B.  I also have the Zamp 160 panels and this has been a good combination for the little bit of camping I have done.  I threw the original battery into my Jon boat since I needed a new starting batter anyways.  

ScottG

The converter in your T@B already has a multi-stage charger/maintainer built in. Of course, it only works when you are plugged into 120 volt power, but that's true of any charger other than a solar panel.

If you are looking for a separate charger, you might look into those made by CTEK (http://www.ctek.com/). Check the specs, as they have many models with different features--however, they do not meet your criteria for being inexpensive!

I'm not sure what's up with your current battery. Have you tried charging it fully using the T@B's converter? If so, and you still can't get it above 12.1 volts, it sounds like the battery is faulty. It can happen, even with a new battery.

You can squeeze a larger battery into the tub--I put in a group 27--but as lapowers57 said, it requires some modification to the battery box mount. I suspect most RV dealers aren't prepared to get that creative.

ScottG

UPDATE: @GrandmasKid, I just read your post in another thread, where you answered my question about trying to fully charge the battery. Assuming your converter is putting out the proper charging voltage (13.6 volts, I think), what you describe mirrors my experience with compromised batteries.

I question the converter output only because even compromised batteries usually take a charge, they just can't hold it (even in a disconnected state).

Tabaz

If it turns out your 79ah battery is bad, I'd suggest going to a 100ah Group 24.  The larger amp battery should fit in the existing space.  I have been very happy with the Battery Tender Plus (about $45 at Amazon and Walmart).  I also bought a small conversion cord from Amazon that allows the Battery Tender to plug directly into the Zamp outlet on the propane tub.

GrandmasKid

Well, I feel dumb. I've let friends and neighbors explore my outback and I remember telling one of the kids not to mess with the knob on the refrigerator. Well, this morning when I put my hand on the counter next to and above the Norcold it was warm and I wondered why would that be. The refrigerator was on battery for I don't know how long. No wonder it's been hard to keep my battery charged. Thanks so much for all the comments. It really is helping. I hope to be out there camping soon.

ScottG

Yup, that'll do it--but didn't you say in your other post the battery had lost its charge even when disconnected? 

Be prepared to find your battery may not recover completely from the extra-deep deep-cycling. Hopefully it's still serviceable. Good luck, and let us know how it turns out.

GrandmasKid

It was down to 11.8 volts after being disconnected for a week. I got it back up to 12.1 or so and then forgot to disconnect it overnight and found it without any juice the next day. I didn't realize then that the Norcold was running on battery and started trying to charge it with my 160 watt Zamp. I'm working with it now trying to charge it with the Zamp. I'm up to about 13.1 volts. I'm not at all sure what I'll end up doing with it. Thanks for the help. I'll let y'all know how it turns out.

Photomom

Once you think it's charged, see what the voltage is after unplugging the trailer and disconnecting the solar, with the fridge turned off. 

GrandmasKid

Photomom said:

Once you think it's charged, see what the voltage is after unplugging the trailer and disconnecting the solar, with the fridge turned off. 

12.8 volts on the monitor above the sink and when I plugged the Zamp back in with the battery disconnected from our T@B, the Zamp showed 12.9 volts.

GrandmasKid

The monitor on my Zamp solar says 3.29Ah. The label on my deep cycle AGM battery says 79 A.H. @ 20Hr. Our land is heavily wooded so I keep moving the solar panels around to catch as much bright sun as possible. At this rate it would take 24 days of this to fully charge the battery. Am I considering this the right way? I'm thinking about plugging in to our house. Will this charge the battery without hurting anything. Would it be alright to charge through house current and solar at the same time? After reading about charging in stages I'm actually worried about over charging which seems a little funny right now. We're getting pop-up showers almost every day. Is there any danger in being plugged into our house while it's raining? I very much appreciate your thoughts and suggestions. Thanks.

ScottG

GrandmasKid said:

The monitor on my Zamp solar says 3.29Ah. The label on my deep cycle AGM battery says 79 A.H. @ 20Hr. Our land is heavily wooded so I keep moving the solar panels around to catch as much bright sun as possible. At this rate it would take 24 days of this to fully charge the battery. Am I considering this the right way?

The physics is a little out of my pay grade, but no, I don't think that's how it works. If your battery is off the charger and reads 12.8 volts, it's fully charged.

I'm thinking about plugging in to our house. Will this charge the battery without hurting anything. Would it be alright to charge through house current and solar at the same time? After reading about charging in stages I'm actually worried about over charging which seems a little funny right now.

Yes. That's what the converter's built-in battery charger is designed to do.

I don't know if running house current and solar together would damage anything. I doubt it, but there's no reason to do this. A solar panel is for when you don't have a place to plug in.

It's the "charging in stages" that prevents overcharging. If your converter is functioning properly, this should not be a problem.

We're getting pop-up showers almost every day. Is there any danger in being plugged into our house while it's raining? I very much appreciate your thoughts and suggestions. Thanks.

As long as your power cord is locked in on the T@B end, and protected on the house end (either indoors or under an in-use cover), there is no danger. People camp in the rain all the time without unplugging their campers. 

GrandmasKid

I did buy and use a charger which tells me I'm charged to 100% of capacity. I guess only time will tell if I damaged my battery by letting it go flat one time. I'll use the charger this winter to maintain my battery. I wonder if I need to take it out of the T@B's box so that it doesn't freeze this winter. I'd rather just maintain it in the T@B box and save my back. Would that be alright as long as I don't try to charge it while it's below freezing? Thanks for everyone who commented. I'll let you know if my battery gives us any problems over our upcoming extended trip.

j_ntabowners

Being a newbie, I think I have followed those before and I've damaged my first battery too.  I've accidently drained it completely dead several times this summer, and blown fuses countless times.  After reading this older post, with a lot of good discussions, enough to get the juices in my brain going.  I decided to take it a step further and googled the subject of batteries, since the talk about amps and group size is just plain greek to me.  I came across a fairly good site, that I'd like to share.  Hopefully it will be helpful those after me.  Now if I can only convince my wife that I need a Zamp 120 watt solar charger, or AGM under the tree

https://www.batterystuff.com/kb/tools/peukert-s-law-a-nerds-attempt-to-explain-battery-capacity.html

AldebaranJill

GrandmasKid said:

jkjenn said:

I am beginning to think it's a rite of passage to kill your first RV battery. I killed mine. Yes, that first drain probably did it in. I am really glad that LG has started including a battery monitor so people can see their status but it seems as though no dealers are doing a thorough battery education.

I too am learning the hard way. After doing some research here I opted for a 160 watt Zamp solar panel but my dealer wouldn't, and said they couldn't, put in anything larger than a group 24, 79Ah, AGM battery. Perhaps it was never fully charged as I've never seen it above 12.1 volts. Now I'm shopping for a battery charger. I'm a newbie but I'm learning. May I get some recommendations on a charger? I'm thinking it should be able to push 10-15 amps initially and then charge in stages, maintain and test my AGM battery, be small enough to carry, and not cost an arm and a leg. Thanks for any thoughts and advice you can give.

I added a secondary Noco Genius 15A charger to charge and maintain my battery. Has AGM and Cold 12V settings as well. Extremely happy with its performance (as monitored by Trimetric meter and when bookdocking).

TresaKaye

Bumping up this thread to ask a newbie question: we picked up our 2021 T@B 320s Boondock a couple weeks ago and are planning to take it out for a few quick, close trips before a serious boondocking adventure in October. First stop: driveway, tomorrow night! It makes us a little nervous that we can’t find ANYTHING online about the particular brand of battery installed by the dealer. Anyone ever seen this one? Want to be sure it will get us through four days with no hookups! We do have nucamp solar package and a Yahama EF2400 generator. Do we need a better battery? Season-All sounds more like a cooking spice to me. 😉

pthomas745

Too blurry for me to read...but on the label there is apparently an "amp hour" rating for the battery.  What does it say?  Appears to be a stock Group 24,  80 amp hour battery.  Solar panel and a generator?  You won't have a problem.

Batteries are commodities.  Many of the "best" batteries on lists are from companies you may never have heard of. 

It is strange that nothing comes up in a search.......

Oh...and, Welcome To The Forums!

VictoriaP

https://www.irv2.com/forums/f54/season-all-batteries-504388.html

Some info here.

Between solar and a generator, yes, you’re probably OK-ish, but I’d recommend a 12v plug in voltmeter at a minimum and some study of the various battery related threads here. Solar isn’t the be all and end all of all battery worries, though it helps—a heavily treed campsite or some bad weather can mean solar can’t keep up with your usage. Likewise, generators cannot always be used when you need them—many campgrounds have time limitations on their use, and out west right now, a widespread and raging wildfire season has banned them altogether in some locations.

This is why being able to monitor your actual usage, and upgrading your battery (or plural) is often critical for boondockers. With a 2021, you have a 12v fridge that while relatively efficient, is going to take up a good chunk of that battery power daily that your solar hopefully replenishes. Being conservative with other battery usage will help.

Good luck, and do report back on how it went!

TresaKaye

Thank you for your comments! I will pass them on to hubby and I will let you know how our camping goes!