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JohnBG View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Battery charging?
    Posted: 21 Jun 2015 at 1:45pm
When the camper is plugged into 120VAC should it be charging the battery?  Or do I need to charge it with a separate charger?  

 My battery is about completely dead as previous owner left it connected and it drained.

Or is it time for a new battery?
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Leo B View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jun 2015 at 2:37pm
I would say it is time for a new battery.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jun 2015 at 8:56pm
When you're connected to 120VAC it charges the battery through the converter.  However if your battery was left for a long time in a low state of charge it is probably bad.  Try giving it a full charge and see what happens.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jun 2015 at 9:02pm
I agree you probably just need to get a new battery.  You need to disconnect it from the pod if you don't leave the pod plugged in all the time (or leave the battery on a battery tender), but then charge it overnight every 30 days.
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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JohnBG View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jun 2015 at 10:08pm
I checked the water level in the battery (it was fine) and leaving the trailer plugged into a house circuit overnight and will check it tomorrow.  From then on I will disconnect the positive lead when in storage until I can install a shut off switch.  Or maybe just pull the battery out and put it in the garage on a piece of plywood

The existing battery is an interstate but they didn't punch the date codes on it so I have no idea how old it is.  Florida heat is murder on batteries. I am lucky to get 3 years on my truck, motorcycle and lawn mower and they aren't sitting in a black box baking in the sun.

Could be muerto... Any suggestions on a replacement?
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jun 2015 at 1:23am
Originally posted by JohnBG

/ .. snipped to here:

Could be muerto... Any suggestions on a replacement?

Dual 6-volts wired in series.  Gives you 12 volts with lots of capacity.
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JohnBG View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jun 2015 at 11:01am
Why not 2 12V batteries wired in parallel?  That would give double the amp-hours.
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CharlieM View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jun 2015 at 12:20pm
Simple math, and then some. The typical Group 24 12 volt "marine" battery supplied by dealers is rated at 70+ AH so two would provide ~150 AH. Some of the better batteries go to 86 AH for one. The common GC2 golf cart battery is rated at 220+ AH at 6 V. Two in series gives 12 V at 220+ AH, or 46% more than the dual twelves. They fit the same footprint, but weigh slightly more. The energy storage capacity of a flooded lead acid battery is roughly proportional to its weight so more lead is better. A secondary reason for two sixes vs two twelves is that parallel battery paths are technically inferior to a single series path. It has to do with current sharing (engineer speak). 
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JohnBG View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jun 2015 at 1:02pm
I don't plan on doing any "boondock" camping, and will probably stay at places with electric and water hookups, so I will probably stick with one battery at least for the meanwhile.  My wallet is starting to get a little empty. Cry

Two golf cart batteries will put a lot of load on the tongue I don't want.  I rebuilt an old electric golf cart two years ago and put 6 new batteries in it, those suckers are heavy!

I'm leaving the camper plugged in for a day or two and see if the battery will hold at least a partial charge.  If not then I guess I need to make a trip to Wally World for another one.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jun 2015 at 4:25pm
I have two Interstate Sportsman batteries 12V (85ah if I remember correctly), in Parallel. no problems with 4 nights camping, as long as it doesn't involve a lot of furnace activity. Otherwise, no problems.

Always check water levels a couple times a year, and electrolyte levels, and don't discharge below 50% if possible, or it will shorten the life cycle.

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