Converter fuses & SeeLevel II questions

2Drifters

We have a 2016 T@b Max.  We camp primarily without hookups so we rely on battery and LP a lot.

We’re very grateful for the guidance of those who can explain things in simple terms, as neither of us is very technically adept!  I learned a lot yesterday reading jkjenn’s early posts on batteries.

We had some battery problems this last week while camped on the shore of Lake Superior in our UP.  I’m fairly certain the problems were due to the age of the battery and neglect of proper maintenance, so that’s an easy fix (time for a new battery and proper care!). On the plus side, the battery served us well for over three years, though it hasn’t gotten a lot of use since 2016.

In investigating the battery problem, I looked at the fuses on the converter closely and noticed that the amps of some of the fuses didn’t match the amps printed on the sticker that’s in there (see photo).  We haven’t touched the fuses; this is how it came to us from manufacturer/dealer.  Aren’t they supposed to match?



Also, is the SeeLevel II reliable for monitoring battery charge?  I was persuaded by those talking about the monitors that plug into the 12v port, but didn’t see much info regarding the reliability of the SeeLevel II.  Would a plug-in monitor be more  accurate?

Thanks in advance for any info that folks are willing to share!

Dawn (& David)

Photomom

My fuses don’t match the sticker either. I carry a complete set of replacement fuses and would replace with the same value if one blew.

The SeeLevel will tell you the current voltage of the battery AS IT SEES IT. The voltage could be the battery itself, the output of the converter if you’re plugged in, or the output of your car’s charging system if if you’re towing. I will say that the Victron solar controller that is connected directly connected to my battery generally reports a couple tenths of a volt higher than the SeeLevel. 

When we are camping without hookups the SeeLevel voltage we watch for is 12.2. If we get to that point we charge the battery.

BrianZ

@2Drifters, you're definitely not the first to have those kinds of discrepancies.  15A seems appropriate for the fridge fuse & what ours uses, but Alde shouldn't need 20A, or even 15A.  Our Alde circuit uses a 10A fuse, and none are discrepant; however, NüCamp may change wiring & components at any time, and discrepancies are sometimes the result.  
You may want to double check the power requirements in the installation manuals for your model of fridge & alde, then use a fuse that's only a few amps more, or check with NüCamp.  Using a higher rated fuse than needed puts the appliance at higher risk.

MuttonChops

My Two Cents

My sticker values are also different then the installed Fuse size for a couple of locations.  Since the T@B works fine with the installed Fuse sizes, I changed the sticker to match what the factory installed.

Note on your sticker Fuse #2 Fridge is marked 10-Amps . . . well the NorCold draws between 11.6 and 13.6 Amps when on DC Power so the installed 15-Amp Fuse is required.

Believe folks using a plug-in 12V Monitor generally do not have a SeeLevel panel.  My SeeLevel Voltage value has been very accurate when compared with voltmeter measurements.

Checking Battery Voltage can be helpful but is not an ideal method for knowing actual battery status. (a different lengthy topic)

Instead of buying a plug-in 12V monitor consider getting a USB Port plug-in voltage monitor.  The USB Ports are known to fail so checking they are working can save the shock of a dead phone after a night plugged in . . .

pthomas745

The SeeLevel and plug in battery monitors can be useful, but only if you understand the idea of a "rested" battery to check the state of charge.  If anything is running in the camper, and you hit the button on the SeeLevel, it will always read lower than the actual battery state.  Depending on what is running (the higher amp television/fan/pump) it will read a lot lower than actual battery state.  The way to get a better reading is:turn everything off, or even just turn off the battery switch.  Wait an hour or so, turn the switch back on, and without turning anything else on in the trailer, have a look at the SeeLevel or your plug in monitor.  Even better would be to use a multimeter directly on the battery itself.  I used the SeeLevel/plug in/multimeter for a couple of years, and along with Jenn's spreadsheet on power use I would keep a running tally in my head of how many amp hours I had used.  I didn't do too bad, but sometimes the low numbers would freak me out a bit.

The paragraph on "false capacity" comes from here:https://www.solar-electric.com/learning-center/deep-cycle-battery-faq.html

On the table below, you have to be careful that you are not just measuring the surface charge. To properly check the voltages, the battery should sit at rest for a few hours, or you should put a small load on it, such as a small automotive bulb, for a few minutes. The voltages below apply to ALL Lead-Acid batteries, except gelled. For gel cells, subtract .2 volts. Note that the voltages when actually charging will be quite different, so do not use these numbers for a battery that is under charge.

Sharon_is_SAM

@2Drifters, as Photomom described for the SeeLevel, a plug in voltmeter reflects the same info as the SeeLevel and will not offer any other information.  You probably know that if you check the voltage with any load (lights turned on, pump running, LP detector on) your voltage will be lower than your actual battery state of charge.  For more accuracy,  if you don’t have a battery switch, best to remove the battery fuse (or disconnect the battery wires), let the battery rest, then check the voltage at the battery terminals.  Alternatively, make sure everything is turned off, disconnect and rest then hook everything back up and then check the SeeLevel.  You would only have a small load from the SeeLevel display and the LPG/CO detector and that should not throw off your results too much.  BTW, our SeeLevel reading is identical to out Victron battery monitor reading.

2Drifters

Thanks so very much everyone.  This is all very helpful information.  I really appreciate it.