Battery experts please help me out with an issue

[Yo Hoot]

I have a Nash 26X travel trailer. I purchased it used last fall from the original owner. It's a 2005 but was first titled in 2007. I assume it was on the lot for a good year or so before it was purchased. The previous owner installed two DieHard Marine/RV Deep Cycle batteries back when he bought it. On our first trip I had charged them up but the batteries were real low when we arrived at the campsite. I had to use the generator to get by. Sitting over the winter they went dead. I should have disconnected them but I didn't. They seemed to charge up and things worked inside. I assumed everything was OK. From then on I kept them charged from outside by plugging in once in a while.

New season... I moved the trailer to a closer spot by the house and plugged it in to 115v. I figure it would get fully charged over time. The convertor in the trailer is an Intellipower PD9100. It has the optional PD9105 Charge Wizard.

It has been plugged in for a couple of weeks. Today I went to install some straps around the battery covers and noticed it was hot under the cover.

I pulled the cover.

The one battery is hot and the acid is bubbling... it's wet around the fill caps.
The other battery is cool to touch.

They are hooked up in parallel. . I checked plus I know if they weren't I'd be running 24v and the light s would be burning out among other things.

I cleaned all of the terminals when I got the trailer last fall.

So I unplugged the trailer from the house current.

Measuring voltage with both still connected I get 12. 55v. I'll go out and disconnect them and check them idividually.

I'm thinking it's time for a new set?

Mike

 

[HBarlow]

Mike,

Yep, write those two batteries off as junk. Batteries that are allowed to discharge and remain discharged are usually junk. In your case you have one bad with at least one dead cell and the other battery is weak.

In any case, you can never pair an older weaker battery with a fresh new one without dragging down the new one.

Go to your nearest SAM's Club or Wal-Mart and buy a fresh pair of deep cycle batteries.

 

[Yo Hoot]

OK I disconnected and removed the two batteries. One is so hot on the side I can't keep my hand on it. The other is barely warm on the side.



The hot one is 12. 51v

The cool one is 12. 49v



I get the feeling one battery is still good and once they sit unconnected for a while the bad one will die.



I checked the voltage of a battery in my truck and it read almost 13v. (Not running)



I suppose I will be buying a new pair. Recommendations?

 

[Yo Hoot]

Thanks Harvey.

 

[Yo Hoot]

Just found this ... . what a wealth of battery info. .

DEEP CYCLE BATTERY FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 

[HBarlow]

Mike,

Yep, write those two batteries off as junk. Batteries that are allowed to discharge and remain discharged are usually junk. In your case you have one bad with at least one dead cell and the other battery is weak.

In any case, you can never pair an older weaker battery with a fresh new one without dragging down the new one.

Go to your nearest SAM's Club or Wal-Mart and buy a fresh pair of deep cycle batteries. [/QUOTE]

My recommendation was above.

 

[Yo Hoot]

Thanks Harvey, our posts crossed paths.

 

[Yo Hoot]

The date on the RV batteries is 7/06 so not too bad. The batteries in my truck are still original so they have 7 years on them and still going strong. That includes snow plowing.

 

[Yo Hoot]

Check this out... stuff most people, including RV dealers, don't know.



SmartGauge Electronics - Interconnecting multiple batteries to form one larger bank

 

[Shadrach]

Here's some "light" reading about batteries: Batteries -- and Other Electric Stuff by phred Have you thought about running 2 6 volt golf cart batteries instead of 2 12's ? Shadrach

 

[Yo Hoot]

I've done some reading about the 6v's. I don't think there is really and advantage.



http://freecampsites.net/forum/technology/battery-selection/

 

[AABEN]

Check this out... stuff most people, including RV dealers, don't know.



SmartGauge Electronics - Interconnecting multiple batteries to form one larger bank

Thanks that was very good info.

 

[Yo Hoot]

After letting them sit overnight I checked the voltages. One is 12. 30 and the other is just over 8 volts! Guess which one was the hot one :-laf

 

[mwilson]

Yo Hoot,

Does it get below freezing in the winter in your area???



If so the batteries at some point during the winter froze solid which in turn ruined them.



A battery with charge is fine below freezing but if it loses charge from inactivity or parasitic draw such as the CO2 detector then it will freeze up and trash the plates, connectors, etc. inside the case.



I remove my batteries in the fall and bring them into the garage for storage.

That seems to prevent any issues.



Mike.

 

[Yo Hoot]

You got it. I'm sure that was probably the killer. You know, I never realized the CO2 detector drew a significant amount of current. Next year I'll pull the batteries or set up a outside outlet on the side of my garage and keep it plugged in.

Shadrach, that writeup is excellent! Thanks

 

[MLee]

There are battery maintainers/chargers out there also that will help to maintain, and disulphate the batteries as they age. That is some more reading one can do. I found it rather interesting, that batteries were brought back to life after they were pronounced dead. One statement was that the life could be extended by five times--20years??????

 

[jeepit]

I disconnect all my batteries in camper, lawn mowing equipment, and stored vehicle and bring them in garage for winter. Every few weeks I put them on the charger and bring them up to 100% charge. Seems to work fine for me.

 

[Yo Hoot]

I'll start from scratch since these batteries were from the previous owner and are five years old. I just bought a pair of Napa 8301 Group 27's. They are made by Deka.



https://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/CatalogItemDetail.aspx?R=NBR8301_0213748737



They were $98 and there's a $10 each rebate so I got them for $88 each.

 

[RVTRKN]

I have had issues in the past with batteries drying out due to dry climate were my toys are stored, so I bought the Gel cell type, (Altima yellow top I believe) and so far it has worked for me. I have three, one for the boat and two for the 5ver. I also set up the 5ver so I can hook up my truck and still use the jacks with the batteries off, through a disconnect within the battery compartment. When I have one fully charged I can swap it out to the boat and then charge it. I used to buy Diehard and they would last two seasons. I thought that there was a short, so I removed all battery cables, and the same result, two seasons and they were toast. I had to charge my boat with a charger before I could even lift the outdrive to the trailer position. I have not had to worry about it since I went to Altima. When I leave the 5ver, I open the battery disconnect, and remove the cables from the boat, and when I return they still have enough charge to even start the boat without charging it first.

 

[Yo Hoot]

I have a red top Optima (not Altima ) in my Jeep. It's got issues. My Battery Tender Plus flashes the red and green lights indicating an issue with the battery. It won't hold a charge. My sister had one that went stone dead. They seem to have a history of issues.



I considered gels but they run $200+ a piece and require a specific charge rate that's a little less than flooded or sealed batteries.