Battery was way low

mickietucs · September 2015

IrvingJ - Thanks - just curious about those because on the website under that "blue top" it says this: Model: 34M - "These batteries are designed for engine starting applications. They are not recommended or warranted for use in deep cycle applications." Perhaps you have a different model?

I did measure the voltage directly at the battery terminals. Will go back to check it later this week and if not up where it should be the RV guys next door to my storage facility will pull it and charge it for me - then I'll see if it holds a charge (will re-hook up the solar trickle I have on it now).

Photomom · September 2015

@irvingj, where would one get an Optima battery? Would T@B dealers have them?

ChanW · September 2015

Yep, my '57 Ford tractor loves its Optima AGM battery. They're great batteries.

jkjenn · September 2015

AutoZone carries Optimas. They are commonly referred to by the color of the top of the battery. Your mileage will vary and there are many who have not had great experiences with temp. I have not had personal experience, but have done some research on them. There was enough negative reviews and experiences from the off-road and expedition community that I opted not to use them. I know plenty of people are also quite happy with them.

If money were not an issue, I would have bought AGM golf cart batteries when I did the GC battery upgrade to my T@b. To me, the larger battery capacity was the bigger issue.

mash2 · September 2015

There are two different blue tops. The D27M is the one that is appropriate for RV use. It is an 80A (RC) battery).

There are some agm batteries with larger capacity. I got lifetime agm's type 27 that were 100 A. doubling them got me close to golf cart and I wanted AGM for a variety of reasons so thought the 200 A rating for both was close. They were certainly more expensive. Need to determine what you want the batteries to accomplish and where you are going to install them.

Whenever I replace the batteries (hopefully not for a few years), I will look at cost differential for 6V vs 12 v to get comparable capacity in AGM's.

RollingLagrima · September 2015

Michelle. I left the dealer lot with a 10w fuse inline at my battery which i discovered blown three days later. By then my battery registered down at 12.1. I had been hooked to shore power so i didnt notice it. Once i swapped out the blown fuse for a 30w and hooked up to shore power again, it rose up to full 13 something. I have not had any problems since. I think Lisa's point about your battery possibly not having been fully charged at the dealer, before the fuse blew (and you discovered it's weak state) is a very good one. It may have blown while at the dealer while they tried all the systems. If it was hooked up to shore power (as mine was during the walk-through) it would not have been evident at the time. I hope you are back up and juiced soon.

jkjenn · September 2015

mash2 said:

There are two different blue tops. The D27M is the one that is appropriate for RV use. It is an 80A (RC) battery).

There are some agm batteries with larger capacity. I got lifetime agm's type 27 that were 100 A. doubling them got me close to golf cart and I wanted AGM for a variety of reasons so thought the 200 A rating for both was close. They were certainly more expensive. Need to determine what you want the batteries to accomplish and where you are going to install them.

Whenever I replace the batteries (hopefully not for a few years), I will look at cost differential for 6V vs 12 v to get comparable capacity in AGM's.

It would be nice if by that time we had an affordable lithium option.

mickietucs · September 2015

RollingLagrima said:

Michelle. I left the dealer lot with a 10w fuse inline at my battery which i discovered blown three days later. By then my battery registered down at 12.1. I had been hooked to shore power so i didnt notice it. Once i swapped out the blown fuse for a 30w and hooked up to shore power again, it rose up to full 13 something. I have not had any problems since. I think Lisa's point about your battery possibly not having been fully charged at the dealer, before the fuse blew (and you discovered it's weak state) is a very good one. It may have blown while at the dealer while they tried all the systems. If it was hooked up to shore power (as mine was during the walk-through) it would not have been evident at the time. I hope you are back up and juiced soon.

I think you're on the right track (as Beth and I discussed the same as well). And yes, it was hooked up to shore power during the walk-through. Lesson learned - when I go on a trip (as my first one coming up in 2 weeks!) I will check the voltage meter reading before turning on the truck and right after - just to make sure all is well before I drive off. Can't believe yours had a 10w in there! I am going to swap out the 20w for the 30w this weekend (or if I get a chance after work one day this week).

irvingj · September 2015

mickietucs, I got mine at an AutoZone store. And, if you look at my second pic on page one of this thread, as Mash pointed out, I have the "D" series, though mine's a D34 "Dual Purpose Marine" type, a bit more capacity than the D27 Mash mentioned.

While doing some work on the T@B, I had the exhaust fan (and the air detector thing) running solid for 6 hrs one day, 9 hrs the next. Voltage at the battery was all the way down to 12.56

afterward. Put it on a charger --make sure to use one that has an "AGM" setting-- and just now hooked it back up and turned the fan back on. It should have no trouble running the fan all day.

And these batteries will hold their charge beautifully! I put a small Hawker-Odyssey sealed AGM battery in my airplane, and, even though it was considerably smaller in physical size than the Gill G-35 it replaced, was able to start the engine, with no trouble, after having sat --with no charging, no battery tender-- for over three months. Voltage at the battery before starting it was 12.58, even after all that time. Quite a change from the G-35 that would begin to drop immediately and had to be re-charged at least once a month if the plane hadn't been started. The D34 Optima in the T@B is just as good at holding its charge over a long time.

mickietucs · September 2015

I will consider one! Especially going full time, it would be great to have one that performs as you state. Thanks!

mash2 · September 2015

Irvingj. Didn't realize it was available in group 34 that was 120 A. Sounds good.

irvingj · September 2015

Yep, it's pretty heavy duty… and heavy! I wouldn't want to carry it too far!

jkjenn · September 2015

mickietucs said:

I will consider one! Especially going full time, it would be great to have one that performs as you state. Thanks!

Michele, if you are going full time and looking to invest, I strongly recommend you look at GC batteries.

mickietucs · September 2015

jkjenn said:

mickietucs said:

I will consider one! Especially going full time, it would be great to have one that performs as you state. Thanks!

Michele, if you are going full time and looking to invest, I strongly recommend you look at GC batteries.

you mean (for instance) 2 golf cart batteries (like your set-up)? Would the ability to hold a charge be any different, though, than any other regular 12-v battery?

Nomad · September 2015

Holding a charge wouldn't be different (they either do or don't) but the capacity - therefore either the length of time you have a useable charge or the number of things you can run for longer - would be different. Personally, unless you're going to be boondocking for periods (without solar or generator), dual batteries are somewhat overkill (sorry Jenn). I have a measly 24 and do fine - but - I don't watch TV. I may switch my battery out for a 27 but that'd be it.

jkjenn · September 2015

PXLated said:

Holding a charge wouldn't be different (they either do or don't) but the capacity - therefore either the length of time you have a useable charge or the number of things you can run for longer - would be different. Personally, unless you're going to be boondocking for periods (without solar or generator), dual batteries are somewhat overkill (sorry Jenn). I have a measly 24 and do fine - but - I don't watch TV. I may switch my battery out for a 27 but that'd be it.

No apology required., @PXLated.

If you are going FT, you should be recharging regularly enough that holding a charge won't be a big deal. If you want to do any bondocking and don't want to have to be a complete minimalist with battery than the dual GC batter set up (like mine) makes sense. If you will only camp places that have electric, you should be OK.

Nomad · September 2015

Minimalist :-)
Don't need what I don't need - Will get if I ever do.

mickietucs · September 2015

jkjenn said:

PXLated said:

Holding a charge wouldn't be different (they either do or don't) but the capacity - therefore either the length of time you have a useable charge or the number of things you can run for longer - would be different. Personally, unless you're going to be boondocking for periods (without solar or generator), dual batteries are somewhat overkill (sorry Jenn). I have a measly 24 and do fine - but - I don't watch TV. I may switch my battery out for a 27 but that'd be it.

No apology required., @PXLated.

If you are going FT, you should be recharging regularly enough that holding a charge won't be a big deal. If you want to do any bondocking and don't want to have to be a complete minimalist with battery than the dual GC batter set up (like mine) makes sense. If you will only camp places that have electric, you should be OK.

My plan (at the moment) is to try to do maybe 50/50 (boondocking and hook-ups) - I'll have to see how it plays out when I really get going and test the waters. Right now I have the Group 29 (and will get either the 100w Renogy or 120 Zamp - and hopefully a generator for days of no sun and I'm boondocking). I think I'm a minimalist as far as needs and plan on being conservative in power devices. Will assess as I go.

jkjenn · September 2015

mickietucs said:

jkjenn said:

PXLated said:

Holding a charge wouldn't be different (they either do or don't) but the capacity - therefore either the length of time you have a useable charge or the number of things you can run for longer - would be different. Personally, unless you're going to be boondocking for periods (without solar or generator), dual batteries are somewhat overkill (sorry Jenn). I have a measly 24 and do fine - but - I don't watch TV. I may switch my battery out for a 27 but that'd be it.

No apology required., @PXLated.

If you are going FT, you should be recharging regularly enough that holding a charge won't be a big deal. If you want to do any bondocking and don't want to have to be a complete minimalist with battery than the dual GC batter set up (like mine) makes sense. If you will only camp places that have electric, you should be OK.

My plan (at the moment) is to try to do maybe 50/50 (boondocking and hook-ups) - I'll have to see how it plays out when I really get going and test the waters. Right now I have the Group 29 (and will get either the 100w Renogy or 120 Zamp - and hopefully a generator for days of no sun and I'm boondocking). I think I'm a minimalist as far as needs and plan on being conservative in power devices. Will assess as I go.

You will probably be fine if you get a generator.

mash2 · September 2015

We all have our various approaches to the power issue. I don't like or have AC so have never considered a generator. For me, the cost of solar and two batteries was about half the cost of a generator, seemed to fit my style of camping better (and much quieter).

....If you are switching between boon docking and hook ups, plan carefully when you use each and you shouldn't have any problems. Since I don't like generators (just personal), I followed your approach over a few months (with augmented battery power) and never had any issue with power. If I had AC I would obviously changed my tune quickly, but I found a modest use of fan and artful window ventilation covered me in temperatures up to 100 degrees last summer in the southwest.

If I were you, I'd go out a couple of times and get a sense of what constraints you are hitting. Develop an approach will allow you to overcome the bottlenecks and shortages that emerge. If it is capacity, look to your batteries or a generator. If you are boondocking more, consider solar and battery. If you have AC, definitely consider a generator. Obviously, I'd go slow adding all of them... depends on your style of travel. I've gone extended periods without needing a generator, but I can well appreciate Pxlated's approach.

If I needed additional AMPs, I'd just go for a drive with the T@B hooked up or run a charger off an inverter in my TV to top off the batteries.

Nomad · September 2015

I often times just hook up to the TV for a little battery kick. Don't haul the generator out unless I need AC (3-days of 105+ did me in a week ago) or there's no solar (rain, heavy overcast). Solar's my go to source. Generator's backup. As Mash2 says, you need to get out and see what your needs end up being and what types of camping you do most and for how long.

mash2 · September 2015

Must admit that I begin melting at about 100 degrees.

bgualtieri · September 2015

That's one of the biggest reasons boondocking hasn't been in our plan. We got the T@b for weekend camping, replacing tent camping. Here I the desert SW, the tent camping season ends by the beginning of May when our temps hit triple digits.

At midnight tonight the forecast temp will be 84° so even now it's prohibitively hot to tent camp. But with our AC in the T@b we've been camping all summer several weekends a month and a week in August. Shore power is essential for that! I have no idea how the indigenous peoples of this area survived hundreds of years ago.

Nomad · September 2015

I try to avoid hot - Sitting inside a motorhome or T@B for AC is not my idea of fun. Was unusually hot across the upper plains. If it was normal, I wouldn't have been there :-)
Of course, after MN winters most my life, I try to avoid cold also.

bgualtieri · September 2015

Well, we still are outside in the mornings and evenings, just inside at night and for mid day siesta

Nomad · September 2015

Mid-day siestas are good - I'd say "vital" :-)

mickietucs · September 2015

mash2 said:

Must admit that I begin melting at about 100 degrees.

But it's a dry heat - lol! Seriously, it is much easier to handle the heat when it's dry. I'm good until about 104-105 - doesn't sound like much from 100 but after being here for decades it does make a difference. Now that's only doable with at least an evaporative cooler (which is all I have on my place). Does squat during the monsoons but I get by with that and ceiling fans. Camping is another ballgame in the heat :( - and no a/c.

mash2 · September 2015

I'm originally from the midwest (ohio valley) and remember the humidity well. Last trip to tennessee, nc, and ohio jogged my memory.... so I can understand why someone wants AC...

Nomad · September 2015

Michele - Dry or no, can't do the hot thang.
But admit, with humidity it's worse.

Nomad · September 2015

6 years of boondocking - not many can say they've done that.

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