BATTERY CHARGING

[Larry-P]

I need to charge my battery before taking it in for replacement. It currently reads 13.3 when charging & 10.7 when the battery dis-connect is off.
I was told by the service dept at Camping World that the converter in my Monty (2011 3455SA) will not fully charge a somewhat dead battery. According to CW the converter within a Monty is only a trickle charger.
To charge my battery now they suggested taking the battery out of the Monty, hooking up an external battery charger & charging the battery for 24 hours. Then test the battery at that time.

My questions are -
1)Is the built-in converter only a trickle charger ??
2) When using an external charger must the battery be disconnected from the Monty ??
3) If not disconnected from the Monty when using an external charger, what will be the result ?

Thanks for yor help.

Larry P

[7.3Ford]

Larry,

As far as I know the Converter is 80-100 Amps depending on year. I wouldn't call 80 Amps a trickle charger. Trickle chargers are in the 1-8 Amp range. BatteryMINDer makes a very good trickle charger.

Turn the disconnect key to so it can be removed, and I think you can trickle charge the battery in the Montana. The remote control will pull some power, but not enough to worry about.

You could have a bad cell in the battery, cause it to not charge all the way (most likely reason). You can get a Battery Hydrometer (around $10 at any auto parts store) to test each cell holding a charging.

[Carl n Susan]

Isn't this a continuation of the questions you asked in topic http://www.montanaowners.com/forums/...ad.php?t=50580 ???

If there is 13.3V when plugged into shore power then your converter is working. It is the only way you get that kind of voltage. The on-board 90 amp converter is more than capable of charging a dead battery. The CW representative may be thinking of some older RV and is incorrect.

You have (99.99%) a failed battery. It won't take a charge from the converter. But to be sure, remove it from the rig and hook it up to a "real" battery charger for a day or two. Then see if has a charge greater than 10.3V.

[Larry-P]

Okay, final result of my battery problem.
Charged the battery outside the unit for 24 hours. Readings were 15.0 amps when charging, 12.8 dis-connected from charger.
Put battery back into Monty & checked battery afer re-connecting to Monty & reading was 10.7
Took battery to Menards (distributor of Excide batteries in area)& exchanged for a Excide Nautilis deep cycle battery. Placed battery in Monty & all seems well for now.
Thanks for everyone help.

Larry P

[steelpony5555]

What you described is what batteries do when they are dying.

[Tom S.]

quote:Originally posted by Larry-P

Okay, final result of my battery problem.
Charged the battery outside the unit for 24 hours. Readings were 15.0 amps when charging, 12.8 dis-connected from charger.
Put battery back into Monty & checked battery afer re-connecting to Monty & reading was 10.7
Took battery to Menards (distributor of Excide batteries in area)& exchanged for a Excide Nautilis deep cycle battery. Placed battery in Monty & all seems well for now.
Thanks for everyone help.

Larry P

I hope you meant volts and not amps. Otherwise, you have lost me.

[CBTraveler]

13.3 volts does not fully charge a battery. While tHe current output of the converter may be 50 amps or more, the voltage needs to be near 14 volts to fully charge. I used "near" because various battery chemistries require different voltages, al are around 14. Most converters are set at 13.2 to 13.3 volts to prevent boiling the battery when the battery is connected for long periods. Other posts have suggested adding a smart controller option to the converter which raises the votlage to the proper charge level and returns it to float (13.2 to 13.3 ) voltage.

[bncinwv]

The OP has a 2011 model rig. As far as I know, all of the newer rigs are now equipped with multi-stage battery chargers/inverters and do not require the addition of a "smart charger" or "smart controller". Older rigs may well have the need, but newer ones do not. If the owner's manual is available and one is not too "proud" to consult it, the details of the charging sequence are provided. If not, a quick web search of the make and model number of the charger will yield the needed information.
Bingo

[CBTraveler]

Real men don't read manuals or ask directions. Thats why Moses wandered the desert for 40 years.

Seriously, too many of us do not read the manuals whether they are for trailers or other equipment. Occasionally I have been asked to take an irate customer call and it was always surprising how many people asked for help on something that was clearly discussed in the manual.

[DonandBonnie]

This may or may not relate to your battery issue. My refrigerator in the horse trailer would not work on propane. I took it in to be checked. The service folks found a broken charging wire in my truck. The truck would not charge the trailer batteries and as a result the batteries drained and didn't have enough power to ignite the propane in the refrigerator. After the repair, the refrigerator worked when plugged into the truck, but not when disconnected. The batteries had drained to the point that they would no longer hold a charge and had to be replaced. I now understand that a problem with the trailer could really be a problem with the truck. Look beyond the obvious.

[bighornram]

http://www.progressivedyn.com/all_in_one_pd4500_1.html

Inteli-Power 4500 Series models can recharge the battery to 90% in 3-6 hours
using our patented Charge Wizard technology:

BOOST Mode 14.4 Volts - Rapidly brings RV battery up to 90% of full charge.
NORMAL Mode 13.6 Volts - Safely completes the charge.
STORAGE Mode 13.2 Volts - Maintains charge with minimal gassing or water loss.
EQUALIZATION Mode 14.4 Volts - Every 21 hours for a period of 15 minutes prevents battery stratification
& sulfation - the leading cause of battery failure.

[snfexpress]

With all I have read about batteries, if they get down to 10.5 volts they are considered "dead".

[Ozz]

7.3Ford is a wise man indeed:

You could have a bad cell in the battery, cause it to not charge all the way (most likely reason). You can get a Battery Hydrometer (around $10 at any auto parts store) to test each cell holding a charging.

Great advice.

It is amazing how many folks at places like CW give out bad, or incorrect information. They should just say 'I don't know, but I will find someone who can help you"
But that does not happen often enough in life.