I'm a newby in the RV world & it's the first time I deal with battery of the kind that's in my QS 10.0
When I'm home, should I keep my QS plug with an extension & let the inverter charge the battery or should I plug it like 2 days before leaving home?
What's your way to keep your batt charged so when you leave, you leave with a fully charged one?
Thank!
Kinyo
[quote source="/post/10425/thread" timestamp="1430937946" author="@kinyo"]I'm a newby in the RV world & it's the first time I deal with battery of the kind that's in my QS 10.0
When I'm home, should I keep my QS plug with an extension & let the inverter charge the battery or should I plug it like 2 days before leaving home?
What's your way to keep your batt charged so when you leave, you leave with a fully charged one?
Thank!
Kinyo
[/quote][font size="3"]Either way will work. If you leave it plugged in you should check the battery water level occasionally to make sure it is not boiling off. This should not be a problem with the OEM converter. However, if you choose to disconnect the camper you should reconnect it once a month and let it recharge overnight. There is a small constant load that will discharge the battery over time, particularly if you have the propane package. Leaving the battery in a discharged state will significantly shorten its life. However you work it you should recharge overnight just before you leave to ensure a fully charged battery for you trip.
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i usually pick the camper up the day before i leave and then leave it plugged in overnight. i also run a small solar panel when it is in storage. batteries also charge when towing (7 pin plug). between the 3 they batteries are always fully charged when i get there
[quote source="/post/10425/thread" timestamp="1430937946" author="@kinyo"]I'm a newby in the RV world & it's the first time I deal with battery of the kind that's in my QS 10.0
When I'm home, should I keep my QS plug with an extension & let the inverter charge the battery or should I plug it like 2 days before leaving home?
What's your way to keep your batt charged so when you leave, you leave with a fully charged one?
Thank!
Kinyo
[/quote][p]Vocabulary. The [em]inverter[/em] isn't what charges the battery. If you have an inverter, it converts DC to AC.[/p][p]
[/p][p]But yeah, if the [em]converter[/em] (AC to DC, also known as a [em]recitifier[/em]) has the right smarts built into it, it will not overcharge your battery. With the right converter and battery you can be pretty safe just leaving the thing plugged in. Fire and forget. The old school approach from more primitive batteries and chargers was trickle charge to only provide charge equal to natural discharge, or to let the discharge cycle happen to a certain point that would not result in a battery memory in the chemistry, and then recharge from there.[/p][p]
[/p][p]I personally leave the thing sit, unconnected, for a few weeks at a time. No load whatever on the battery, as I have a disconnect switch. I check it 2 weeks before I need it, in case there's a problem, and I connect it to AC 2 days before. 12 hours ahead or departure (or thereabouts) I turn the fridge to AC and then run it DC while in transit. I'll know in another year whether I've diminished battery life or not but I'm planning on replacing the battery every 2 years anyway. In fact I may replace the single 12 with 2 sixes in series, or maybe 2 12's in parallel. Not sure. Don't have to decide until the current battery dies.[/p][p]
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During the off season I pull it out of the Camper and put the battery on a Battery Tender in the garage.
From April thru Oct I plug in the camper plug here at my home up to 2 days before I head out.
Since we also tent camp we use battery powered lights in the camper as well and have no need for a battery.
I pull my battery and hook it up to a solar panel / battery charge monitor in my shed. I leave it alone until its needed and while its not in the camper I use it has a hub to charge/jump my smaller powersports or lawn mower batteries.
-Sean
I just bought a AGM Battery (Lifeline GPL-24T) for my BC16FK, the stock Battery is lacking the power I want.
Reading the instructions for it says leaving it on a battery tender isn't required in the off months but I may do it anyway but 1st I have to be sure my Battery charger is ok for a AGM Battery.
[p]If you have the PD-4045 it is even capable of charging Gell Cells with the addition of a jumper or switch. Not that you would want Gells Cells but it can do. I charge my AGM with it. It's profile is good. The Gell Cell profile is a little milder for long term storage on the grid. May be wanted or not but it is there.[/p][p]
[/p][p]I killed my first battery by simply leaving it connected to the quiescent trailer load for 2 weeks in February off the grid power. It was an unlabeled supposed Group 24 that the dealer installed. I'm not convinced it was a good battery to begin with but wasn't driving 300 miles back to the dealer so bought a Group 31 AGM.[/p][p]
[/p][p]First boondock starting tonight.[/p]
Off topic but related, a few weeks back we brought the rig up from the barn where it winters. Took one trip in it and then it stays by the house in between trips during season. Walking by one morning on the way to the mailbox, I hear a fan running - and there is air flow coming from the furnace exhaust.
Now, the furnace wasn't on, as I turn off the propane except when in camp. But I go in the trailer and the therm is set to off, but the furnace fan is still running. And the on/off switch on the top of the therm has almost no movement to it.
Long story short, I disassembled the therm and determined there's a plastic bump molded in, Presumably some sort of detent, but it was preventing the lever from traveling far enough to separate the contacts.
A small chisel quickly shaved off the bump which, as far as I can tell actually serves no real purpose. The lever now has full travel and works. The temperature lever is OK, I guess, but I was quite surprised that even all the way to the lowest end, it still was making contact to let the furnace run. Overnight temps were mid-40's.
Anyways. Bring this all back home...This is the kind of thing that can drain a battery while the rig is stored off power for a few days. I just lucked out to be there and notice it.
While the thermostat is a truly crappy piece of crap, I don't feel the need to spend beer drinking time or money on an upgrade. I'm more likely to go for a downgrade to a simple on/off switch which would suffice for my needs. Actually, now that it's addressed, I'm most likely to do absolutely nothing further.
I use a Noco 7200 intelligent charger once a month for my deep cycle batteries. I try to keep them above 75% charge in the winter and never go below 50% during use. I have learned the hard way that poor battery maintenance only leads to sulfation, empty wallets, and tears... :'(
[quote source="/post/10526/thread" timestamp="1431095487" author="@pinstriper"]... I don't feel the need to spend beer drinking time ...
[/quote][p]pinstriper, I like the way you think. ;)[/p][p]
[/p][p]I first spelled pinstriper with an extra p and realized that I'd completely changed the occupation of your moniker and avatar. Glad I caught that.[/p][p]
[/p][p]I've read a lot about intelligent chargers and the problems people have with OEM converter/chargers. I see there are 3 stage & 4 stage aftermarket chargers available. Can a converter with a good battery charger be requested when ordering a LL or does everyone change out the charger later? Do the stock units work well or do they ruin batteries. Do I just see anecdotes of the bad experiences, meanwhile, most of the stock chargers work perfectly but that's just not written about?
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[font size="3"]Cadman,
I'm not aware of CL owners having troubles with the OEM converters or replacing them eventually. The PD 4045 converters supplied in the larger CLs are an excellent and reliable 4 stage charger. I leave mine plugged in all the time and it maintains the battery perfectly. I've even instrumented it to confirm it does its periodic desulphating cycle.
I believe the Quick Silver popups come with a lesser converter and I have no info on them. I'm not sure what converters come in other LL products like the toy haulers or truck campers. My previous camper had a WFCO converter and, thoughI never had problems, they did suffer from reliability issues. Some owners take their batteries inside during winter so they have to use a small maintainer periodically.
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[quote timestamp="1431111880" author="@charliem" source="/post/10533/thread"][font size="3"]Cadman,
I'm not aware of CL owners having troubles with the OEM converters or replacing them eventually.
[/font][/quote]Charlie, thanks for that info. I should have been more specific in my comments. I've never read of CL have converters having a problem, unless it was on this forum. I made the assumption that all TT came with the units I'd read about. The issues I read about or watched videos on youtube were probably all replacements or upgrades to the WFCO units you mentioned. The info I'd come across made it sound like all of the OEM units would ruin batteries in short order. I'm glad to hear that CL uses the 4 stage unit you mentioned. That is the unit that people were upgrading to and one I'd been looking at. Another feather in the hat for CL.
[quote source="/post/10534/thread" timestamp="1431113031" author="@cadman70454"] Another feather in the hat for CL.
[/quote][font size="3"]Roger that.[/font]
Quote from: @pinstriper" timestamp="1431095487" source="/post/10526/threadOff topic but related, a few weeks back we brought the rig up from the barn where it winters. Took one trip in it and then it stays by the house in between trips during season. Walking by one morning on the way to the mailbox, I hear a fan running - and there is air flow coming from the furnace exhaust.
Now, the furnace wasn't on, as I turn off the propane except when in camp. But I go in the trailer and the therm is set to off, but the furnace fan is still running. And the on/off switch on the top of the therm has almost no movement to it.
Long story short, I disassembled the therm and determined there's a plastic bump molded in, Presumably some sort of detent, but it was preventing the lever from traveling far enough to separate the contacts.
A small chisel quickly shaved off the bump which, as far as I can tell actually serves no real purpose. The lever now has full travel and works. The temperature lever is OK, I guess, but I was quite surprised that even all the way to the lowest end, it still was making contact to let the furnace run. Overnight temps were mid-40's.
Anyways. Bring this all back home...This is the kind of thing that can drain a battery while the rig is stored off power for a few days. I just lucked out to be there and notice it.
While the thermostat is a truly crappy piece of crap, I don't feel the need to spend beer drinking time or money on an upgrade. I'm more likely to go for a downgrade to a simple on/off switch which would suffice for my needs. Actually, now that it's addressed, I'm most likely to do absolutely nothing further.
pin...my vrv has it as well. when i push it hard enough it clicks off. i presume the bump is to keep it locked in the off position