2017 Mountain Aire ... batteries?

[GlampDaddy]

What does it show with the 50amp disconnected Buddy? And how fast do the DC amps drop?

Jim, just got back to the coach and turned 50 amp off to check the drop. Both sets started at 14.4. Chassis dropped to 12.9 within a minute and dropped to 12.5 in 15 minutes. House dropped to 12.9 in about three minutes and dropped to 12.3 in 15 minutes.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

These are the house batteries - 6 volt

So 840ah right?
So 12.3 after 15 minutes! I assume they have no load? If they have a load, drop the load out and tell us what the voltage reads.

How long have they been charging? 840ah is a lot of power! Consider with 100 amp charging that would require 8.5 hours of charge. And we know that above 80% charge that is not an option.

 

[GlampDaddy]

So 840ah right?
So 12.3 after 15 minutes! I assume they have no load? If they have a load, drop the load out and tell us what the voltage reads.

How long have they been charging? 840ah is a lot of power! Consider with 100 amp charging that would require 8.5 hours of charge. And we know that above 80% charge that is not an option.

Kevin, here's my best answer to your question(s): Last night I removed all the load I could at about 10:30. The Silverleaf display showed the status at 14.4. I slept and six hours later it was 11.1. At that point I started the generator and ran it until 4pm (11.5 hours). During the first hour, I checked the display and it showed 14.4. While checking in to the new campground, getting parked and set up, about 30 minutes, the display dropped to 12.1, when I turned on the 50-amp shore power. 15 minutes later it was at 14.4 again. I'm thinking I've convinced myself that these batteries are on their deathbed.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

After that input I agree. I hate to see someone buy something they don't need. That is why I ask so many stupid questions.
For replacements I would suggest Northstar Blue + lead Carbon batteries. That is of course unless you have fallen for the lithium craze. Then do your research on the plus and minus aspects before you shell out the cash. Plenty of well meaning people that are happy to help with that here.

 

[Rich W.]

14.4 is just your bulk charging voltage - it doesn’t indicate battery health status. The batteries will never hold that on their own. 12.9 would even be high for healthy or even new batteries fully charged and allowed to rest. This document is very informative and always good to review: How To Maintain Batteries - Deep Cycle Battery Store .

All that said, if your house batteries are dropping to 12.1 fairly quickly with no load then they have definitely aged. You might get some more use out of them, but the time is comming to replace them. But six years isn’t bad. If cared for perfectly 100% of the time you might get seven or eight years out of them but we all push our house batteries a little too far from time to time. Your chassis batteries appear to be healthy (12.6 after sitting 6 hours is normal), but chassis batteries don’t get the hard use (repeated deep cycling) that house batteries do.

 

[Jim]

Hi Buddy, we've been without Internet for the better part of the night/morning, but I see you've gotten the information that I would have probably give as well. Bummer though . . .

 

[Neal]

From the images provided they look normal and nothing there concerns me. But your test can prove otherwise. For me, chassis batteries I will not go to fail. I replaced mine at 5 years good or not, they got replaced as I never want to be in a situation where they are bad both from engine start and gen start. House batteries I can fiddle with and manage, they are not critical to me unless they are bad/defective. My house batteries, lead acid which I water using the watering system, are still going strong for 6+ years. Yeah, it's coming time, but until I have a need they will remain. I'm guessing next winter this will be the next project.

Moral is, if you have a 2017 like mine and original chassis batteries, yes, replace them. For me I had FL at Gaffney do them, it wasn't that expensive. Keep in mind those batteries are on that chassis before your coach is built. so add at least 6 months to the in service date.

When I need house batteries to last I have to carefully turn things off such as home theater system (on a power strip), computer(s), don't use TV's, etc. If you really want to extend the time you could turn the inverter off, it will kill the refer power but it will be fine overnight, but yeah, we're not going to do that.

 

[Rich W.]

Thinking about it I repalced my chassis batteries at 6 years also even though they were working just fine. The only concern was that my LBCU read “Low Battery” every time I turned on the ignition, but it does that with the new ones too and I came to the conclusion that it is reading charging system voltage and only sees battery voltage when the engine isn't running.

 

[Neal]

Thinking about it I repalced my chassis batteries at 6 years also even though they were working just fine. The only concern was that my LBCU read “Low Battery” every time I turned on the ignition, but it does that with the new ones too and I came to the conclusion that it is reading charging system voltage and only sees battery voltage when the engine isn't running.

This is normal on FL and should be ignored.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

"When I need house batteries to last I have to carefully turn things off such as home theater system (on a power strip), computer(s), don't use TV's, etc. If you really want to extend the time you could turn the inverter off, it will kill the refer power but it will be fine overnight, but yeah, we're not going to do that."
- @Neal

Yes @Neal. I agree, the power used while you sleep needs to be replenished. It also cycles the battery if the batteries go below a point determined to count as a cycle (lithium cycles are calculated differently). No matter, cycles are likened to years in your life!

I have my refrigerator/ freezers on timers, but basically they are off at night. My experiments have shown a residential fridge, will have little change in temperature overnight. (Notice I stated residential in the text). Because of the inverter I have, the standby power requirements are very low, and therefore the convenience is worth the 2 amp drain.