Dead Battery - Montana Owners Club

RJI47 · 07-18-2006, 05:05 PM

It seems that when I leave my 3280RL unplugged for a few days, the battery goes dead. Everything seems to be off, and the flashlight is out of the charger.
Anyone else have this problem?? If so, any help or suggestions would be greatly apreciated.
Rick

firetrucker · 07-18-2006, 08:11 PM

How about the refrigerator and the propane sensor? There may be other things that are sneaking some current from the battery, too.

Get a meter that will measure current and put it in series with the battery to see how much current is being drawn. If it's zero, then you may have a bad battery, but I suspect it won't be.

Bob

ken · 07-19-2006, 02:17 AM

These batteries take water. If you cannot keep a charge, have the battery checked out and see if you now have a dead cell. use distelled water in the battery. Constant charges do drain the battery. There are electrical items that stay on and run off the battery. we added a second battery, and a 4 way switch (bought at a boat store). That way we can switch batteries and charge each one and also turn the batteries both off when not in use.

dieselguy · 07-19-2006, 02:18 AM

I put a battery cutoff switch in the front compartment bolted to the slide pump tray. As noted in the previous post ... you have several little sources of low current drain that will draw a battery down after a few days. An added benefit to the cutoff switch is you can have 110 V power to your fiver without continually charging the battery with the converter which isn't a good thing. Just remember to turn the battery switch back on before moving the slides in and out!

RJI47 · 07-19-2006, 02:22 AM

Thanks for the responses. You're right, I never thought about the propane sensor. I know that's on all the time. The battery is new, and a heavy duty one. I'm just surprised the sensor would drain a fully charged 12v HD battery in just a few days. I don't think the refer runs on 12v. Just gas or 120v. Besides, it's turned off.

OntMont · 07-19-2006, 02:35 AM

Perhaps the biggest drain on a battery is the heater built into the fridge door to prevent it sweating in humid weather. Hardly anyone seems to know of the existance of this heater, and the fact that there is a little switch to switch it off. If you face the fridge, feel under the top of the freezer door frame, you should find a little rocker switch. Keep it off unless you are experiencing the sweating problem on the outside of the door frame. Other drains are the TV antenna amp, and the flashlight, as well as the propane and CO detectors. As others have stated, it is a good idea to disconnect the battery if you are going to be storing the trailer without power. You do need to make sure that you reconnect it, not only for the slides, (which I have inadvertly operated without the battery with no ill effect, but more importantly, to power your brakes. That is a legal requirement most places.

CountryGuy · 07-19-2006, 03:17 AM

Rick,

Our vote goes to a battery disconnect. Quick and easy solution to the storage situation. And, no more dead battery unless you forget to disconnect! (oh, yea, we do forget, eh??

) Was one of the very early on improvements Al made to our Tana, I can easily switch on and off as required.

Carol

Montana_1240 · 07-19-2006, 05:53 AM

If that battery's dying in just a few days, (and you don't have a load of stuff on,) I'd have it checked. I'm guessing that it should be able to sustain a Monty's low drain use for a longer time than a few days. As long as you’ve got it fully charged to start with. Not all off-the-shelf batteries are ready for “deep cycle” use.

I've got a battery cut-off switch. It was one of the first modifications I did to both our Monties. Only because I was preparing to leave the Monty sit for a while before we were ready to use it for fulltiming. Haven’t used it much. I did use it to test the output of our replacement Converter, though.

Unless your charger isn't bringing it up to speed to begin with, (possible Converter failure,) it should hold a charge sufficient to operate those small drains for more than a week. Boondocking would be nigh on to impossible to accomplish if batteries went down that fast without actual usage.

We don't have a fridge door heater, though. I suppose that would be a big drain, if it's on all the time. But, still, it doesn't sound right to die in such a short period of time.

Let us know what you find out!

Steve

RJI47 · 07-19-2006, 06:19 AM

Well, it looks like the concenses is to put in a battery disconnect switch. I think this is what I'll do. Where's the best place to get one? I don't want to have to keep taking the battery box cover off all the time.

Montana_1240 · 07-19-2006, 06:44 AM

I put mine under the shelf of the hydraulic pump. I knew how long the cables I'd need would have to be before starting the task, too. And that's strange for me, because I don't always think too far ahead!

But you really should get that battery to a reputable garage or battery shop and have it tested. It just doesn't sound right that it dies so fast, switch or no switch. It can't hurt!

When I had battery trouble, (due to a dead Converter,) a voltmeter said both batteries were fine. But they didn't act it. One had a dead cell and had to be replaced. The other was just in dire need of a 24 hour deep charge. I've since learned to check the fluid level in the batteries more often, and have a battery-filler jug full of distilled water right there in the battery compartment, ready to top any low cells off!

Steve

TheCoachPotatoes · 07-19-2006, 10:56 AM

Rick, any Auto Supply Store like Pep Boys should have one. I even saw one a Wally World the other day.
Al

Charlie · 07-19-2006, 11:53 AM

The last time I filled my battery I filled the cells a bit too much but did not run them over at fill time. Not allowing for fluid expansion at full recharge, there was some run over into the battery case.

This is what the case is for.....right? Except, the trailer was not completely level front to back, being high in front. The net result was the acid did not run out of the overflow, ate up the black metal screw that secured the back of the case to the trailer and ran out of the hole that was created by the screw.

I removed and cleaned the battery, the case, and the mess that was in the botttom of the compartment, installed stainless screws along with a about a 1/4" shim under the back of the case to make sure any more accidents will exit the battery box drain.

Montana_1240 · 07-19-2006, 12:25 PM

Charlie,

That's one reason I bought that battery-filler jug at NAPA. It stops the flow before it can go over the limit. It’s such a pain to try to check the levels as it is. And I don’t know what I’d do to remove extra fluid. Probably make a speed trip to Wally World for a cheap baster.

I wondered what the use of having a battery case is, if it's got screw holes drilled through the bottom....

And has ANYONE ever located a battery case with a vent hose on it? People looked at me like I had three eyes when I tried to duplicate the one that I had in my Monty for the second battery. I just wanted one like the one I had so I could join the two hoses and more-than-adequately vent any gases.

As it is, I ended up with a regular case, screwed into the bottom of the compartment.

But now I'm gonna check to see there has been no erosion at those screws...Just in case!

Steve

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