Over charged battery

[plongson]

Have you guys had any problem with the charger in your travel trailers over charging the batteries? I left the rig plugged in for a week and went out lastnight to get somthing out and the inverter/charger fan was running, indicating to me that it was hard at work. I went out and checked the batteries, and one of then was VERY warm and the other was not. I didn't have time to check the water level (probably low now) but it was OK a week ago. I thought that the charger would back down and not boil the batteries dry.

 

[B.G. Smith]

Battery charger

Yes, I have had problem with the inverter either over charging or not charging the battery. They seem to work fine when on the road but I haven't found them to be reliable for maintaining the battery while the trailer is not in use. bg

 

[klenger]

The less expensive converter/chargers will do that. The Progressive Dynamics with the Charge Wizard is a three stage charger, and should not overcharge the batteries.



http://www.klenger.net/arctic-fox/charge-wizard.pdf



http://www.progressivedyn.com/_frames/frames_rv_power_converters.html

 

[WMeyers]

I'll second that re the Charge Wizard. Mine is plugged into 120 volt AC most of the time and I only add water to the batteries twice a year and could get by with only doing it once a year.

 

[Casey Balvert]

I agree with Klenger that a three stage "smart charger" is the way to go. I replaced mine with a good marine charger (Statpower) the day I brought the trailer home. You WILL spend the money either way, by buying a lot of replacement batteries or by buying a good charger up front. FWIW.



Casey

 

[WMeyers]

If you already got a Progressive Dynamics unit, it's only about $25 to add the Charge Wizard.

 

[Diesel Gunner]

Ditto On the Charging Wizard. I think that it was the best low dollar add on that I could have put on my rig. Two years, lots of battery cycles and they still work great. I will replace the originals with the six volters when the time comes. I have had the unit plugged in for up to a week and have not seen any evidence that the batteries were overcharging.

 

[TowPro]

I also have the Charge Wizard setup. I bought the wizard piece in 2000 as soon as I brought my rig home, Its been plugged into AC ever since (unless I am moving it )



Works great!

 

[HBarlow]

plongson:



I agree with klenger and the long line of others. The Progressive Dynamics Inteli-Power solid-state converter and Charge Wizard will avoid the issues of overcharging and undercharging. I installed one last winter and now I wonder why I waited so long. It seems to be a great product.



But before you buy and install one, you may want to check the age and condition of your batteries and make sure they are matched. The fact that your batteries are displaying different symptoms makes me suspect a battery or batteries. When RV batteries get old and sediment builds up in the bottom of the battery case, the plates can become shorted. As the charger tries to charge the bad battery, the charger and battery will get hot and the electrolyte will boil out of the battery.



Some of the old-fashioned linear converters did a better job of charging batteries than others. I've owned trailers that always overcharged and detroyed the batteries, and others that would not.



I still agree with the recommendation to install the Inteli-Power converter and Charge Wizard once you know the condition of your batteries.



Harvey

 

[TowPro]

Most old converters have an adjustment inside to raise or lower the voltage.



Also the only problem I have with the progressive dynamic converter is it plays hell with Amateur Radio receivers when its on. Just about wipes out the 20m band. In fact its RF noise output is so loud I start to get interference in my truck when I get within 30' of the RV.



The noise is generated into the air from the charger, not onto the DC line.



I went around with Prograssve Dynamics about this, they said because its a mobile device, it don't need to meet FCC emission requirements. They recomended building a screen cage around it (they know about the problem, bet I'm not the first ham to call about this.



Don't know if the old converters were much better though for Ham Receivers.

 

[plongson]

What is strange is that this is a brand new 2003 trailer and the batteries are only about three months old. I went out and checked the water level and specific gravity. The second battery in the parallel was Ok for water and charge, but the first was low on water in all but ONE cell. I filled it back up and did an overnight charge. All cells came back except for the one that was not low. I'm thinking that it is shorted and may be the cause for the runaway charger... What do you think????

 

[RustyJC]

I'd get the batteries tested to verify their condition. Regardless of the year of the trailer, a "cheapie" power converter can burn the batteries dry and toast them in very little time. We switched our 5ver to a Progressive Dynamics Intellipower converter with the Charge Wizard and only have to add water about twice a year, even though it stays plugged into shore power 24/7 while it's in covered storage.



Rusty

 

[HBarlow]

I think your trailer was equipped with one bad battery when you bought it. It happens.



Ideally, for best performance, you should probably replace both batteries, not just the bad one. Batteries installed in parallel should be identical in characteristics or the weakest will always reduce the capacity of the stronger.



The batteries might be a year old, even in a three month old RV. A new battery may not have identical performance characteristics.



The RV manufacturer and dealer probably aren't your warranty station. I think warranties usually specify that batteries and tires must be returned to the retailer for that particular brand. The battery retailer will probably only replace the failed battery. Maybe your RV dealer will trade with you so you'll have a pair that are of the same brand, size, and age.



If not, you can buy a matched pair of deep cycle RV batteries at your nearest SAM's Club for just over $100.



Harvey