Battery won't hold a charge

[ramsey5]

The battery on my Mountaineer doesn't seem to hold a charge for very long. To check it, I turned everything in the trailer off except the fridge on propane mode. I checked it a few days later (2 or 3 days), and the fridge shut off because the battery had lost so much of it's charge. How long will a fully charged g27 Interstate battery last before it loses it's charge? I find it hard to believe that without hook ups I can't boondock for more then a few days.
Thanks in advance for any help.

[firetrucker]

ramsey5,

There are a surprising number of lilttle things that can take power from the battery, including the refrigerator (even in propane mode) and the propane leak detector among others. The refrigerator has a couple of switches that reduce condensation by running a small heater in the door and keep the light on if the outside temperature is too low. Some people have just recently discovered these, to their surprise.

The best way to check your battery is to completely disconnect it from the Mountaineer after it has a full charge and check its voltage (after making sure its topped off with distilled water) to see how long it holds its charge. There is also a load tester available that puts a heavy load on the battery to see if the voltage stays within specs.

If the battery checks out OK, put an amp meter in series with the battery and measure how much current is being drawn by the Mountaineer when you think everything is off. That can be a surprise and should tell you more about the condition of the battery as well as how long you can expect a good battery to last.

I think that most of us use dual batteries, some even more, when we're boondocking, as well as generators or solar panels to keep the batteries charged. A search of the forum should provide a lot of info about batteries and maintaining them.

Bob

[CRUZIN 2]

ramsey5

How many batteries do you have? If one, that is not enough and do you have a TV booster that will drain your batteries also, if so make sure it's off. Just some of the things I can think of. Happy Camping Larry & LaVonne

[stiles watson]

I believe you might be well served to do some research on battery technology. Although there is quite a bit of info on the forum, I might go outside the forum to educate myself. I ended up with two 6_volt golf cart batteries to replace the one 12-volt to support longer battery life.

If I were boondocking, I would invest in at least a Honda EU2000 generator. All the diagnostic info above is great, however, knowing the condition of your battery may not entirely solve the problem. Some way to keep your batteries charged will be a necessity.

[tweir]

One thing many of us do not check is the "born on date" of the battery. There is a manufacturer's date stamped on either the case or on the negative terminal (depending on the manufaturer). I've found when ordering batteries for the 30+ "golf cars" at work, that some of the newer ones ordered are pushing a year old when delivered. We've also discovered that when using an "old" new battery, the life cycle & capacity is lessened. It would not surprise me that many RV units have aged batteries installed and thus, their life expectancy is diminished. besides the "tests" as outlined by others on this thread, I would also run a comprehensive hydrometer check on the electrolyte. A fully charged 12 volt battery should read 12.68 volts and 1.265 Specific Gravity (SpGr); at 75% charge you should have readings of 12.45 volts and 1.225 SpGr.. Parasitic draw is a major culprit as mentioned before. For reserve capacity, 2 batteries provide more discharge capacity than a single battery. You may want to investigate adding another battery for extended capacity.

[lightningjack11]

It might be me but I have had very bad luck with Interstate batteries. In both my original Interstates individual cells went bad when they dischacharged too much.

However I always do the following:

1 I check each individual cell with a hydrometer that you can get at Walmart for a buck or so. Keep cells full.

2. When connected to shore power the charger should put out about 13.5 volts to the battery. Cheap voltmeters are available most anywhere.

[H. John Kohl]

One of the comments I have not see is the fridge has a "defrost" mode that will eat a battery quickly. It actually heats the coils to get ride of the frost. You might check your manual and make sure that option is turned off when your on just battery.
Good luck and Tow Safe.

[sreigle]

These refrigerators have a switch to eliminate moisture on the frame in high humidity situations. If that is on, it uses a lot of power. The manual says turn it off when not on shore power. Open the freezer door and you should see the switch along the upper frame about where the door would be when closed.

Also, if you have the rechargeable flashlight that ours came with, that uses 12v power even when not on shore power.

Others mentioned the propane detector and that the fridge uses 12v even when on propane.