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Old 08-25-2019, 05:03 PM   #1
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Battery Maintenance

Our 5.0TA was built in December, we picked it up in April. After the trip from Chilliwack to Texas we made one brief trip to New Mexico and it has been in storage ever since, in the sun with the solar panel keeping the 6 volt batteries charged.

We're getting ready to head out on a month-long trip in a few weeks so I checked the water level in the batteries for the first time. It was down but not dangerously low, probably normal for this interval - the plates were still well covered but the level was below the neck of the filler openings.

I found an easy way to add water to the batteries that I thought I'd share. I got a large syringe, 200ml. It came with a length of plastic tubing. With about a foot of tubing on the end of the syringe it was really easy to suck distilled water out of the jug to fill the syringe, and then the syringe and tubing made it very easy to add water with no mess to each cell. Kind of a pain accessing the batteries under the back bench - sure wish I'd had the back cushions and bench lid split in two, but considering the infrequency of the need to get at the batteries it's hard to complain.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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Old 08-25-2019, 05:19 PM   #2
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Another solution is the Flow-Rite watering system. I'll be giving one away at the Niagara Wine Escape rally since I switched to lithium batteries, but it worked great with the 6V batteries. There is a second part at the link to Amazon's page - the pump is a separate item...
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Old 08-25-2019, 05:59 PM   #3
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Another solution is the Flow-Rite watering system. I'll be giving one away at the Niagara Wine Escape rally since I switched to lithium batteries, but it worked great with the 6V batteries. There is a second part at the link to Amazon's page - the pump is a separate item...
Good idea Jon, it's working great in the 21'. With it installed, the battery box cover doesn't have to be removed to fill the batteries.

http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f8...ller-9641.html
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Old 08-25-2019, 06:04 PM   #4
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Here is mine with my supervisor. $dollar store variety. BTW I asked for and Escape listened. Based upon past owners complaining about the inaccessible battery location due to the dinette support obstruction, Escape moved the batteries down 3" to allow better access for watering.
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Old 08-25-2019, 06:08 PM   #5
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Here is mine with my supervisor. $dollar store variety. BTW I asked for and Escape listened. Based upon past owners complaining about the inaccessible battery location due to the dinette support obstruction, Escape moved the batteries down 3" to allow better access for watering.
That's another "off the build sheet" option I wish I had known to ask for....that extra few inches would have made accessing that battery on the end easier for sure.

I guess by the time I'm on my fourth trailer I'll have all this worked out...
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Old 08-25-2019, 06:16 PM   #6
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We used to make and paint park signs with a router. To paint the letters we’d go to the farm store and get a mastitis syringe, suck it full of paint and pump it into the letter channels. Once it soaked in and dried we’d paint the brown, unrouted area. Worked well. Same idea as the batteries. One time they sent me to get information on building a handicap fishing dock. I volunteered take my own personal vehicle (unmarked). I stopped and saw the park manager and he gave me a spare bid package complete with plans. The job complete, I had to try the dock out and fished about an hour and went back to work. And got a commendation for saving money on plans and specs.
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Old 08-25-2019, 06:20 PM   #7
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............ Once it soaked in and dried we’d paint the brown, unrouted area. Worked well. Same idea as the batteries. Iowa Dave

Why on earth would you ever paint your batteries brown? Is that one of those "Iowa" things?
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Old 08-25-2019, 06:35 PM   #8
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Camo floogie so people could not see us shocking up night crawlers in the woods to go fishing on company time. Two long screwdrivers and some heavy copper wire, a coffee can and boom you’re there.
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Old 08-25-2019, 08:00 PM   #9
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Hey Dave, I found a rare tool for a classic model Escape that I'm bringing to Mississippi rally. I used it on my 2014 and it only works with the classic model but that is all I'm telling you to pique your interest. Oh and it fits in your shirt pocket protector......
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Old 08-25-2019, 09:06 PM   #10
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Hey Dave, I found a rare tool for a classic model Escape that I'm bringing to Mississippi rally. I used it on my 2014 and it only works with the classic model but that is all I'm telling you to pique your interest. Oh and it fits in your shirt pocket protector......
I’m waiting with bait breath. ( been eating sushi) I’ll have something for you that will help your luck.
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Old 08-26-2019, 08:56 AM   #11
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I use the same type of syringe to remove the water remaining in the hot water tank after it is "drained". I have found that I can remove up to 5 full syringes of water from the bottom of the hot water tank after it drains when the anode is removed.



The remaining water could (1) grow mold/algae and (2) freeze so I try to remove as much as possible. I was very surprised how much water remains in a drained water heater.
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Old 08-26-2019, 09:36 AM   #12
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I use the same type of syringe to remove the water remaining in the hot water tank after it is "drained". I have found that I can remove up to 5 full syringes of water from the bottom of the hot water tank after it drains when the anode is removed.



The remaining water could (1) grow mold/algae and (2) freeze so I try to remove as much as possible. I was very surprised how much water remains in a drained water heater.
That's a good point, I had never thought of that. We often have our trailer sitting in a storage yard in the hot sun during the summer months and having that water sitting in the bottom of the hot water heater is certainly not a good thing.
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Old 08-26-2019, 10:24 AM   #13
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Sorry I have to use this word but with the “nip in the air” thread title I’m going to.
Winterization. When I winterize I drain the trailer and all that goes with it. I leave the anode out and the hot water tank is very dry by Spring. When I tip the trailer as shown I leave it set for a little bit and all of the drains run liquid for a bit. I’m sure there may be a frozen disc of water in the bottom of the tanks because they have a sag in the bottom, but not enough to do any damage. Bleaching the system in the spring when I get ready for the season is always part of the process.
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Old 08-26-2019, 10:51 AM   #14
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Sorry I have to use this word but with the “nip in the air” thread title I’m going to.
Winterization. When I winterize I drain the trailer and all that goes with it. I leave the anode out and the hot water tank is very dry by Spring. When I tip the trailer as shown I leave it set for a little bit and all of the drains run liquid for a bit. I’m sure there may be a frozen disc of water in the bottom of the tanks because they have a sag in the bottom, but not enough to do any damage. Bleaching the system in the spring when I get ready for the season is always part of the process.
Iowa Dave
It's interesting what y'all yankees have to do for winter approaching!

Houstonians don't do snow and ice! We're good at hellish temps though.
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Old 08-26-2019, 10:51 AM   #15
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You guys are hi-tech this is what I use to fill my batteries.
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Old 08-26-2019, 10:55 AM   #16
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I finish the water heater drain process with removing the anode and stuffing a strip of terry cloth towel into the heater using a rod of yard sign support as a pusher. A thin dowel would work. I leave 4" or so of the towel outside. Capillary action draws the residual water out pretty quickly. I have a deck plate on my water tank and can access it's interior for a wipe down and clean out.
Works well for me.
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Old 08-26-2019, 11:01 AM   #17
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I finish the water heater drain process with removing the anode and stuffing a strip of terry cloth towel into the heater using a rod of yard sign support as a pusher. A thin dowel would work. I leave 4" or so of the towel outside. Capillary action draws the residual water out pretty quickly. I have a deck plate on my water tank and can access it's interior for a wipe down and clean out.
Works well for me.
I had a deck plate on my fresh water tank in our Casita as well. The Escape fresh water tank is mounted underneath the trailer with the top of the tank inaccessible so installing a deck plate can't be done.

Would be nice to be able to swab out the tank if it was possible though!
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Old 08-26-2019, 11:10 AM   #18
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You could always install a deck plate in the floor to access a new deck plate in the tank.....
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Old 08-26-2019, 11:38 AM   #19
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You guys are hi-tech this is what I use to fill my batteries.
I use a similar turkey baster to top off my batteries.
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Old 08-26-2019, 11:57 AM   #20
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My battery maintenance was replace the wet cell as soon as I got home with an AGM. Winterization?
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