Batteries lose power after coming home??? |
Post Reply | Page 12> |
Author | |
brownjen
Newbie Joined: 27 Sep 2020 Location: Vermont Online Status: Offline Posts: 14 |
Post Options
Quote Reply
Topic: Batteries lose power after coming home??? Posted: 14 Oct 2021 at 9:27am |
It has happened 2 times!
I have two 12v batteries hooked in parallel.
We take our R-pod RP-180 on a 2 - 4 day camping trip. Boondoggle. Don't use the lights, or radio, or water heater or water pump too much. Seem to have plenty of electric to get us thru. We drive 2 - 4 hours home (which should be charging the batteries). We get home and the batteries read just about what they did when we hooked up to leave our campsite. (ie 12.04 the last trip when I actually took a reading as we broke camp) We arrive home and the batteries read 12.04. I disconnect from the tow vehicle and plug into shore power. Two days later we notice the LED lights are quite dim in the camper when you turn them on. Nothing is running in the camper. No fridge, lights, radio, furnace... nothing. I take a voltage reading 8.40 volts!! An no, the electric brake emergency cable has NOT been pulled. -- that happened once as we arrived at a campsite, so I know to look for that. So what is drawing down the batteries even though we are plugged in??? Only thing I can guess is that I BACK into our site at home, and the truck emergecy brake engages. I unplug from the vehicle and that the Rpod electric brake is somehow remaining engaged???? Seems far-fetched. Any ideas? Ken |
|
Ken in Vermont
|
|
GlueGuy
Senior Member Joined: 15 May 2017 Location: N. California Online Status: Offline Posts: 2629 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 14 Oct 2021 at 10:12am |
My guess is that there is something up with your converter. I would double-check fuses and circuit breakers to make sure it's charging.
|
|
bp
2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost |
|
jato
Senior Member Joined: 23 Feb 2012 Location: Kewadin, MI Online Status: Offline Posts: 3221 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 14 Oct 2021 at 11:51am |
Agree with GG. Also I would think your batteries on on their way out if they are only reading 12.04 even if you have been boondocking for 2-4 days. Have you kept the electrolyte levels full with distilled water? I have a pair of group size 24 Interstate deep cycles that have performed very well; we usually boondock. We expect 3 days/battery when night temps are in the 40's and the furnace runs a lot. Even after 3 days the battery will be 60% S.O.C. or 12.2v - at that point we switch batteries. We run separate, not parallel, since one is from 12/2010 and the other is 4/2011. I must confess at this point, the older one from 2010 was just 'retired' as of yesterday. After 1 day of use it drops to 12.14v and after trickle charging with a 2 amp charger for 24 hours and letting it rest for another 4 hours before reading it only reads 12.3 volts. So, I just purchased a 12v. Trojan golf cart battery T-1275, 150 ah, weight is 85 lbs. I am glad for the extra tongue weight as I have had to add 3 used rotors from my F-150 and they sit in the front stow area of my 177 (taking up valuable storage space) so that I can keep my tongue weight at 11% - tongue weight with the old setup was 325 lbs with a fully loaded FW tank which is located behind the axle. With the additional 45 lbs on the a-frame I will now be able to pitch the rotors and gain some extra storage.
|
|
God's pod
'11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." |
|
brownjen
Newbie Joined: 27 Sep 2020 Location: Vermont Online Status: Offline Posts: 14 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 14 Oct 2021 at 2:02pm |
Thanks for your response. I checked the circuit breakers. None had tripped, including the one marked converter. I didn't pull all the individual fuses to check them, but I assume that if the converter circuit breaker didn't trip it might be working. I'm not enough of an electical whiz kid to know how tocheck to see if it's charging.... other than to take a reading every so often. The batteries have gone down from 13.somthing when I finished charging them this morning, to 12.6 now that they are on their own with just the shore power to keep them going.
Ken
|
|
Ken in Vermont
|
|
brownjen
Newbie Joined: 27 Sep 2020 Location: Vermont Online Status: Offline Posts: 14 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 14 Oct 2021 at 2:12pm |
jato... thanks for your response.
I wonder about the health of my batteries after being drawn down so far 3-4 times this summer. Both are Interstate 24M-RD 400CCA batteries. One came with the used R180 fall 2020 (maybe the original battery ? -- no date stickers removed to clue me) and I went the cheap route and added a matching battery that fall 10/20. Maybe need to start with two fresh?! Ken |
|
Ken in Vermont
|
|
jato
Senior Member Joined: 23 Feb 2012 Location: Kewadin, MI Online Status: Offline Posts: 3221 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 14 Oct 2021 at 2:26pm |
Before going that route give them each a 2 amp trickle charge for 24 hours and take a reading of each. They both should read a minimum of 12.72 volts. Wait 4-6 hours and read each again. They should read 12.7 volts or close to that if they are good. Take another reading a day later. If they continue to fall in voltage, they are probably ready for retirement, however if they read the same as they did after your 4-6 hour reading I would let them live. Make sure your electrolyte levels are full before charging, add distilled water if low.
|
|
God's pod
'11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." |
|
brownjen
Newbie Joined: 27 Sep 2020 Location: Vermont Online Status: Offline Posts: 14 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 14 Oct 2021 at 3:48pm |
Sounds like a plan. Thanks for the suggestion.
Ken
|
|
Ken in Vermont
|
|
offgrid
Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 14 Oct 2021 at 5:06pm |
12.6V for a fully charged lead acid battery at rest with no load or charging is normal. So if after charging (with what, an external charger?) you're at 12.6 a few hours later then that's a good indication that your on board charger isn't working. It's also a sign that there is no significant unknown load on the system. It's not a sign of bad batteries. So while the batteries could still be bad let's not start there.
I think your first instinct that it's the charger is a good one. To confirm that disconnect the battery negative terminals. Disconnect any other charging sources (solar, tow vehicle, external charger) except the on board charger. With shore power connected the charger should be able to directly run your 12V loads without the battery. If it can't and your 120vac supply is good (check your receptacles and microwave), and the charger breaker is on, then either the charger is not working or you have an open circuit in the 12V system. You can eliminate the latter if the batteries can power your 12V loads without any charging sources being on. |
|
1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
|
StephenH
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6288 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 14 Oct 2021 at 9:31pm |
Don't forget to check the two 40A fuses which are the reverse polarity protection fuses. If you connected the battery in reverse polarity, even for a moment, those are supposed to blow to protect the converter. Look for the troubleshooting guides on the WFCO site to help troubleshoot the system.
|
|
StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
|
brownjen
Newbie Joined: 27 Sep 2020 Location: Vermont Online Status: Offline Posts: 14 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 15 Oct 2021 at 9:58am |
Offgrid and Stephan H....
Thanks for the pointers. It'll take me a day or so to follow up. I'll report back what I find out. Appreciate the guidance!! ken
|
|
Ken in Vermont
|
|
Post Reply | Page 12> |
Forum Jump | Forum Permissions You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum |