Carl & Mary
Troy, Michigan, USA
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Joined: 08/27/2004
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The tips given have all been covered except having the hitch attached.
My local dealer says it shouldn't matter but they're not always right. My question is: How do I know its charging? my inside gage has a "c" on the battery conditiion section but I was told that only tells you if you are on AC conection.
Carl & Mary
Katie the cat
Dodge Durango 2005
25 ft Shasta Capri
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MNtundraRet
Bloomington, MN
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Joined: 12/06/2007
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"c" probably means the battery is charging. If you have a multimeter, read the the voltage with the probes touching the "+" and "-" battery terminals. If the trailer has been unpluged overnight, you get a correct reading of you battery voltage (12.6 to 12.7 volts is a fully charged battery). When you plug into shore-power and now check the voltage at the battery terminals you should see 13.6 volts (could be 14.6 volts with a multi-stage charger). This means the charger is working and charging the batteries. When charging is finished the voltage should lower to 13.2 volts (float charge). If battery voltage drops from use, the charger will go back to 13.6 volts and charge again.
Mark
Mark & Jan "Old age & treachery win over youth & enthusiasm"
2003 Fleetwood Jamboree 29
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GuyM
IA
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Joined: 05/07/2009
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MNtundraRet wrote:"c" probably means the battery is charging. If you have a multimeter, read the the voltage with the probes touching the "+" and "-" battery terminals. If the trailer has been unpluged overnight, you get a correct reading of you battery voltage (12.6 to 12.7 volts is a fully charged battery). When you plug into shore-power and now check the voltage at the battery terminals you should see 13.6 volts (could be 14.6 volts with a multi-stage charger). This means the charger is working and charging the batteries. When charging is finished the voltage should lower to 13.2 volts (float charge). If battery voltage drops from use, the charger will go back to 13.6 volts and charge again.
Mark
These same approximate voltages should be seen if you are connected to your TV with the engine running, instead of shore power. You do not need to be "hitched up." If it takes being "hitched" to work it means you have a bad ground.
Guy
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MNtundraRet
Bloomington, MN
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Guy's information about charging from your tow vehicle engine is correct. I never saw your original post. The trailer connectors would only allow for around 5 to 15 amp charging of the trailer battery each hour the engine is run. The voltage seen at the battery would be 13.6 volt when charging is taking place. The higher voltage is mainly seen in motor-homes due to heavy-guage cables used between alternator and battery-bank. The comment about bad ground is also correct. Being hitched might create a ground, but that is not the way it is supposed to work.
Mark
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John H
Kansas City Mo.
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Joined: 04/11/2002
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To get a true reading of the status of the battery, after it has been on some kind of charger. You will have to wait 4 hours or so, to allow the battery to come of of what is called a "Surface Charge". If not you will get a false reading.
After purchasing a brand new Battery, and then after several charges & discharges (5-10). Following the above advice, take a voltage reading. Use this reading as a "bench mark", there after, as how your battery has aged or troubles. As it ages you can tell which cell or cells is deteriorates or which one has gone bad by a Hydrometer. Do not leave a 12v. wet cell battery discharged for a length of time as it will take a "set". Thus, very, very hard to bring it back to what should been its normal life depreciation.
Deep-cycle battery's should have a different type of charging charger. As do to the way they are constructed, they take that last full charge % of its charging different than a standard type auto battery. But can take considerable more jarring.
Cold weather effect a battery's performance. Check what you particular charge rate of charge is, and also its method of reading the battery's state of charge.. Over charge will boil out the battery's fluid, as well as to much of a charging rate. to low, and the battery will sit under charged.
Two battery's hooked in series, the weaker battery will bring down the stronger battery's potential to its level, when their demand is called for.
Under gage wiring, distance to transmit is determinal in transmitting amps & voltage. Know you devices/s amp draw, as well as your battery's condition, age, size.
A brand new good 12v wet cell battery could and can read over 13. something volts. 12.0 volts reading and that battery is almost completely dead for all usefull purposes. 12.6 and above is the reading I feel good about.
* This post was
edited 11/07/09 09:29am by John H *
John H
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Jamesrpm
Oregon Coast
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Joined: 08/30/2003
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Carl & Mary wrote:The tips given have all been covered except having the hitch attached.
My local dealer says it shouldn't matter but they're not always right. My question is: How do I know its charging? my inside gage has a "c" on the battery conditiion section but I was told that only tells you if you are on AC conection.
Instead of starting a new thread you sould have updated the original one , makes searching for a similar problem / cure much easier.
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I plan on living forever , so far , so good
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