Battery Charger - Montana Owners Club

2007dura · 01-09-2006, 02:34 PM

Would the battery charger in this link http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=42292 work on the battery for the Montana? Or do I need a special charger because of the deep cycle marine battery? Not going to keep on battery all the time, just a few hours every other week or so.

Montana_1574 · 01-09-2006, 05:25 PM

A FEW MONTHS AGO WE BLEW A FUSE IN OUR 12 VOLT SYSTEM. I ATTACHED A REGULAR CHARGER TO THE BATTERY OVERNIGHT TO KEEP THE 12 VOLT SYSTEMS UP UNTIL THE SUNCOAST RV TECH COULD GET OUT AND TROUBLE SHOOOT THE PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD BY THE TECH AT THAT TIME THAT THE MONTANA'S CHARGE THE BATTERY WHILE YOUR PLUGGED INTO SHORE POWER. IF YOU WERE TO CONNCET A BATTERY CHARGER TO THE SYSTEM WHEN IT IS WORKING PROPERLY AND ON SHORE POWER YOU COULD HAVE SOME MAJOR ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. YOU MAY WANT TO DO SOME RESEARCH...........

Montana Sky · 01-09-2006, 05:47 PM

I use a battery charger from Sears I bought a few years back on both my rv battery and boat batteries. These are all deep cycle and have not had any trouble charging them.

Broome101 · 01-10-2006, 12:59 AM

2002dura,
That charger will take forever to charge your battery if it's dead. It is designed to maintain a charge in your battery while it's not attended too. The built in charger in your Montana that comes with the converter will do the same thing as this unit. If you want a good unit to charge your dead battery you need to get something along lines of what Montana Sky has. Sears has good ones that do both deep cycle and regular batteries at good prices. You want one that can switch between both deep cycle and regular batteries, 10 amp/2am/ and 60 amp jump start switch. Most of them will also charge a 6 volt battery as well.

2007dura · 01-10-2006, 03:58 AM

I have the battery out of the rig and in the basement. It has a charge and I plan on keeping it charged. I was going to get a charger so it wouldn't drain down while I have it out.

kegger5769 · 01-10-2006, 05:02 AM

I put a battery disconnect on the batteries and use the small visor solar charger I got at harbor freight for under $20. I wired a cigarette lighter plug (female) on the batteries with a 5amp fuse link for safety and just plug in the solar visor into the batteries when I'm storing the Monty. I took a piece of alum plate and mounted to solar visor on it, put a hole in the alum plate so that the king pin fit thru and use my king pin lock to hold it in place. Keeps the batteries charged up even with overcast days.
Kim

lightningjack11 · 01-10-2006, 05:14 AM

I have two batteries but only use one at a time so I will never again get caught in the rain and unable to bring my slides in due to a dead battery. I alternate the batteries by the use of screw type disconnects on every terminal. Only takes a few seconds to change batteries.

My deep cycle batteries have a tendendency to discharge even though disconnected over long periods of time. So for anyone that is going to store their Monty for long periods without shore power, it would probably be adviseable to remove your battery and keep a trickle charge on it at home.

Also battery water levels may go down in storage which will weaken the charge so always keep water levels checked.

Lucky for me I keep the Monty at the house where I can keep shore power on.

On the road I carry a standard car charger but I always disconnect the battery I am charging.

If your deep cycles are completing discharge it would probably be futile to charge the batteries with the Monty system. Even with a regular charger it may take 3-4 days.

The charger shown in the link may do fine for doing a trickle charge but I doubt it would do a good job for a completely discharged deep cell.

Bottom line is to keep water in the batteries, keep them charged, and periodically check converter output for 13.5V DC. Also check for 13.5 when connected to TV with engine running. Do this and your batteries will last a long time.

Parrothead · 01-10-2006, 06:33 AM

Tom
When we had the electric cord problem a few months ago, our batteries completely discharged. After we got the plug fixed on the cord and plugged back into electricity, the batteries charged back up in less than a day (24 hours). Fixed in afternoon, charged by next morning. I don't know whether it makes a difference but we have 2 batteries (came that way). We have the 50 amp but are plugged into our special 30 amp service we had installed at our stick house (previous 5er was only 30 amp).
Happy trails..................

315RLS · 01-10-2006, 07:11 AM

I've used a regular charger on trickle. No problems (not done while on shore power though). I noticed your link was to Haborfrieght. I don't know about others but I've not had good experiences buying through them.

lightningjack11 · 01-10-2006, 02:24 PM

Sue and Ed,

Remember I have an older rig but when I say discharged I will explain it this way.

I check my battery charge with a hydrometer, not voltage. It has 4 floating balls with 4 floating means a full charge. When your batteries lose water from a lengthy time in storage and you add water and then try to charge back up it could be a day even before you get 1 ball floating in each of the 6 cells. Much much longer for all 4 to float although the batteries may work good enough to be functional.

Also the batteries may charge up enough to work in a day or so but to get a full charge (all balls floating) may still take several days.

If your not careful you may operate for long periods at half charge which could reduce the life of the batteries. I like to operate my batteries with three balls floating or better.

When you do the hydrometer checks you will find that eventually 1 cell may hold less and less charge. When just one cell gets bad enough you will have to replace the battery even though you have 5 good cells. Once a cell goes bad the battery may still read 12volts but it probably won't handle the load.

houseof many dogs · 01-10-2006, 02:36 PM

Your link shows a Float charger, whose purpose is different than a battery charger. Float chargers are meant as a way to maintain a fully charged battery through an extended storage period. They do this by actually draining the battery slightly and then "topping it off" - thus maintaining a full charge.
I have two of them, one I connect each month for a couple of days to each of my batteries. ( a fully charged battery will not freeze - so I leave them in the garage all winter).
The other is used to keep the tractor battery freshened up.

2007dura · 01-10-2006, 04:01 PM

On the float charger shown, will it work on a deep cycle battery, or is there one specifically for a deep cycle?

sreigle · 01-11-2006, 10:28 AM

I haven't looked at that link but wanted to note I have an old 10-amp trickle charger (tapering) that I had when I had bassboats. It has a specific deep cycle position on the switch.

Montana_4221 · 01-11-2006, 03:06 PM

I have not had too much luck with Harbor Freight either. I have used a Sears charger in the past that did well. I am presently using one that I found at Northern Tool and it is a decent charger. Whatever you choose look at those with variable charge rates that will regulate to avoid overcharging.

Hemlockusa · 01-17-2006, 02:34 PM

2002dura That Battery float charger will do the job. I just bought two myself. Camper world has about the same on SALE FOR About 19.00. I checked one of the chargers I got from harbor freight and the volt meter read 13.5 so it will keep you battery up to charge no problem and the price is right!!!!! I also agree that a lot of Harbor Freight stuff is a little below par, just keep you receipt as I do and exchange or get your money back. Most everything we buy any more come's from China so just be as selective and careful as possible and enjoy.

Later John H.

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