Battery/electrical question - Montana Owners Club

dennisl · 09-22-2009, 05:22 AM

I need to remove my battery to check the water and charge it. I am presently hooked up to shore power. My question is, can I leave it hooked to shore power with the battery completely removed, so I can keep the refrigerator running? I do not have a battery cut off switch. Any help appreciated.

HughM · 09-22-2009, 05:26 AM

Your refrigerator will stay cold for hours. Without a battery cut off then I would disconnect shore power and check the battery, top off with distilled water(15 minutes) and reconnect shore power.
Hugh

H. John Kohl · 09-22-2009, 05:30 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by dennisl

I need to remove my battery to check the water and charge it. I am presently hooked up to shore power. My question is, can I leave it hooked to shore power with the battery completely removed, so I can keep the refrigerator running? I do not have a battery cut off switch. Any help appreciated.

The answer is yes. However, make sure you isolate or insulate the Positive connector. The converter is providing power to the Monty and also charging the battery. If that connector touches trailer mental (ground) it will spark and then do worse things.

RADHAZJOE · 09-22-2009, 05:57 AM

I concur with H. John Kohl. Put some electrical tape or even a piece of water hose over the positive + terminal to make sure it does not touch any metal while it is lieing loose.

dennisl · 09-22-2009, 06:30 AM

Thanks for the great information - I knew someone would have an answer. I am woefully ignorant of all things electrical, so this really helps a lot.

kilch123 · 09-22-2009, 06:35 AM

It's not ignorance - just a lack of knowledge

Ignorance would be to proceed knowing that you don't know what your doing.

Asking the question is the only way to learn

dennisl · 09-22-2009, 07:08 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by kilch123

It's not ignorance - just a lack of knowledge

Ignorance would be to proceed knowing that you don't know what your doing.

Asking the question is the only way to learn

I guess at least I'm smart enough to know to ask about what I don't know! Anyway, thanks.

By the way, great looking rig!

kdeiss · 09-22-2009, 09:48 AM

One of the breakers will turn off the converter and some of your recepticles that way you will not loose all power

radio flyer · 09-22-2009, 01:58 PM

Dennis
I have the same FW 2007RKD, why do you have to remove to add water and charge? You can do this with battery in the unit. How do you like this FW. I am very happy with ours.

dennisl · 09-22-2009, 05:31 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by radio flyer

Dennis
I have the same FW 2007RKD, why do you have to remove to add water and charge? You can do this with battery in the unit. How do you like this FW. I am very happy with ours.

In my case, with all the rain we have had in the last week, it is easier to remove the battery to my workshop and charge it there than to drag extension cords etc thru the mud and water to charge it in the fiver. I don't like messing around with electrical cords while standing in muddy water. We really like our rear kitchen unit and hope to take it out again soon.

Trailer Trash 2 · 09-22-2009, 08:18 PM

Another thing you might keep in thought is try to use more of the AC lights in the Monty so you wont put too much strain on the converter.

Glenn and Lorraine · 09-22-2009, 11:57 PM

I can possibly understand removing the battery to add water (that's DISTILLED water NOT TAP water) but why do you feel a need to charge it? Your converter should keep your battery fully charged without any external charging.

dennisl · 09-23-2009, 03:42 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Glenn and Lorraine

I can possibly understand removing the battery to add water (that's DISTILLED water NOT TAP water) but why do you feel a need to charge it? Your converter should keep your battery fully charged without any external charging.

I needed to charge it because it was very weak (almost dead). I had left it unplugged from shore (house) power for several days because of all the rain, and the connection between the 50 amp cord and extension (30 amp cord) was exposed to a lot of water. Maybe I am paranoid about getting water into the cord connections, so I unplugged it. Anyway, the battery was so weak it would not operate the slideouts, so that is why I am charging it now. Don't know if it will hold the charge, but I don't want to buy a new battery without trying to charge it first.

Trailer Trash 2 · 09-23-2009, 05:16 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by dennisl

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Glenn and Lorraine

I can possibly understand removing the battery to add water (that's DISTILLED water NOT TAP water) but why do you feel a need to charge it? Your converter should keep your battery fully charged without any external charging.

I needed to charge it because it was very weak (almost dead). I had left it unplugged from shore (house) power for several days because of all the rain, and the connection between the 50 amp cord and extension (30 amp cord) was exposed to a lot of water. Maybe I am paranoid about getting water into the cord connections, so I unplugged it. Anyway, the battery was so weak it would not operate the slideouts, so that is why I am charging it now. Don't know if it will hold the charge, but I don't want to buy a new battery without trying to charge it first.

Why dont you just connect the battery charger to the battery while it's in the RV, pos to pos and neg to neg, I would disconect the pos to the battery from the converter so the charger does not get a false reading and turn off the charging.

dennisl · 09-23-2009, 07:29 AM

[Why dont you just connect the battery charger to the battery while it's in the RV, pos to pos and neg to neg, I would disconect the pos to the battery from the converter so the charger does not get a false reading and turn off the charging.
[/quote]

As stated earlier, I did not want to drag electrical cords etc thru the mud and water to charge the battery in the RV. It was SAFER to take it out and charge it.

skypilot · 09-23-2009, 11:51 AM

Dennis: Go for it -- when dealing with Electricity - be as safe as you can be (and are comfortable with!!). I'm the same way -- I will not plug in the trailer if it is raining outside -- we will use the batteries as long as possible. I've gotten zapped to dang many times in my Army days when I had to do something -- I'll be danged if I'll voluntarily risk it now that I'm in a differnt career field

.

That said - when you added water (if you added water), how low was it. If the top of the plates were just barely showing then probably no (or minimal) damage done -- if, however, the top of the plates were dry and you had to add a lot of water to get even to the top of the plates, Exide Battery site says that the battery was probably damaged and its life time greatly reduced. Hope it is the former for you but wanted you to be aware to watch in case of the later.

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