More on Batteries

[ddevin]

Wow, batteries charge through the cover! I think we get too much snow here in Alberta for that! I took my batteries out in the fall and neglected them all winter. I hooked them up two weeks ago, and went to Jasper for spring skiing. Once again, severely freezing temperatures every night, but the furnace kept us toasty - no hook-ups. The battery went down significantly each night, but we have the factory installed panel, so the batteries bounced right back every day under cloudy skies! It sure was nice to have our little escape-pod off in the regular camp sites with our own fire pit rather than with all the big rigs in the paved, electrical sites side-by-side. Simplicity. Love the Escape! Love the solar panel!

[gocamp]

A nice boondocking battery tip here at the 17:00 mark
http://youtu.be/tzqn8PrRy_c

[blugene]

I have an idea to install a separate 12v battery with its own outlet somewhere inside the trailer. This would be in addition to (& possibly independent of) the two 6v batteries mounted in the front storage box.

Would Escape do this for me? If not, I could do it myself, and possibly hook it to the under floor tank heating pads, plus put in a separate cigarette-lighter type plug to use it with various things?

I read somewhere that a danger with 12V batteries is the escape of battery gases, that's why they're best stored outside the unit. However, many Escape trailers have their 6v batteries stored inside, so is that concern valid? And would this do me any good anyway?

[Devil Dog]

Yes, Lead-acid batteries emit hydrogen gas when being charged and discharged. It is very volatile and a wayward spark can set off a fire real easy. Best stored out side or in a air tight container vented to the outside properly. I'm glad mine are on the outside.
Hooking a third 12 v battery up to the charge system may be difficult but not impossible. The charge rate of the built in charger maybe the deciding factor. Good luck and be careful.

[gocamp]

Sealed agm batteries are used inside RV's. Might be another option for you to read about. Good luck.

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by blugene

I have an idea to install a separate 12v battery with its own outlet somewhere inside the trailer.

I have to ask why? It will add another 80 lbs. to your cargo, require charging some how, require maintenance and require replacement after a few years ( $300? ).

baglo

[blugene]

You're probably right Baglo, I didn't know a 12v battery weighed 80 lbs. Given that and other concerns, it's probably not a good idea... (hmm, maybe a 6-v?)
Reason: I might want to run the 12v tank heaters in a primitive campground, which would run them down quickly.

[cpaharley2008]

you need to be plugged in for the 12v heaters to operate, otherwise your battery will be gone in less than one night, something like 10 amps on dc and 1 amp on ac, so with one on 50% would be 40 amp which is 50% your set up, but you will have to manually turn off/on to restrict them, otherwise if it's cold that will remain on that means 80 amps for 8 hours. your solar can only replenish maybe 40 per day

[medora]

So -- I admit I'm a little confused. Ultimately, is there any disadvantage to leaving your Escape "on" all the time? In other words, if you never disengage the electrical system?

Also, given that we have solar -- and presumabily that our batteries will never fully discharge -- is that a detriment to battery life? Do they need to discharge and cycle every so often?

Please forgive me if I overlooked something in there ... I have skills, but amperage/trickle charges/etc etc elude me.

Thanks.

[Jim Bennett]

There is no problem leaving your trailer hooked up to 120V AC all the time. Battery banks in industrial situations use similar lead acid batteries and do so. They do run an equalize charge every once in a while to balance out the individual cell voltage. I know some of the RV converters will do this, but have no idea about the one Escape uses.

It is always best to keep the batteries as fully charged as possible, as below 80% charge damage can start to occur, and you should never get below 60%. They have no memory like many other typed of rechargeables, and do not need to be run down.

[medora]

Jim, you are my hero -- thanks for clearing up my confusion. Another reason to be thrilled with the solar panel. Now, if we could just afford solar for the house ...

[Devil Dog]

Hi, I found some " Frequently asked questions and answers " about batteries

Q. Is it true that storing a battery on a concrete floor is bad for the battery?

A. This is a myth that was once fact, and has been handed down for generations. For starters, batteries used to be stored in a glass jar encased in wood. The fear was that the wood would absorb moisture, swell and then crack the glass jar.

Later came the hard rubber cased battery which had a high carbon content and was fairly porous. If the floor was wet and the battery was able to find a ground, it would self-discharge at a higher rate. We also suspect that there was fear that the hard rubber case would crack from the cold.

Today’s batteries are encased in a polypropylene case which insulate the batteries and withstand environmental factors far better.

No, if it were true battery shops across the world would be out of business due to placing batteries on the ground.


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Q. Will driving my car charge my battery?

A. We all have friends who tell us “just go for a drive” when they hear we’re stuck with a flat battery. The fact is though, that alternators make horrible battery chargers. Their primary function is to operate the electronics of your vehicle and to maintain the charge in your vehicle’s battery. Though it’s possible on long drives to return some charge to your battery, it is impossible to do so with the stop and go driving of most commuters. It is always recommended that when your vehicle’s battery is discharged to properly charge it with the appropriate battery charger before driving your vehicle any further. Not only is it next to impossible to charge your battery with your alternator it will shorten the life of charging system!


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Q. My battery won’t hold its charge, what’s going on?

A. It is true that batteries self discharge. Depending on the type of battery and the temperature it is stored at, the rate can be from 1% to 25% a month. A battery stored at 35° C (95° F) will self-discharge twice as fast than one stored at 23.9° C (75° F).

However, if your battery is discharging over night one of three things is happening:

1.Your battery is not discharged it is defective (i.e. a dead cell, an internal break etc).
2.Something has drained your battery, either human error or an electrical problem in the vehicle
3.If you recently charged your battery it was not charged completely. Often people will think that their battery is fully charged after a short time because it successfully started their vehicle. Truth is a surface charge is what started the vehicle

Q. Can I test my alternator by disconnecting the battery with the engine running?

A. There was a time in the 1970’s and earlier when this was an accepted practice. However, as the number of sensitive electronic components in a vehicle has increased this has become an increasingly dangerous practice. A battery acts as a voltage stabilizer to the pulsating DC amps produced by your alternator. Disconnecting the battery with the vehicle running can destroy components such as your emission computer, alarm system, stereo system or the charging system itself.

Your best bet, and by far the cheaper option is to buy yourself a voltmeter and check the voltage at the battery with the vehicle running. Most alternators should be charging between 14.0 and 14.5 volts. Keep in mind though that some newer vehicle’s alternators are controlled by a computer that will not produce that voltage unless there is a load on (i.e. the radio or AC). Also keep in mind that a discharged battery will lower your reading up to a full volt. If ever unsure stop by one of our three locations and we will gladly assess the condition of your charging system.


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Q. What is the best way to care for my seasonal battery when not in use?

A. The two most important things you need to maintain on any battery is its fluid levels and it’s state of charge!

Batteries do self-discharge at a rate of 1% to 25%. When a battery is left in a discharged state the electrolyte will crystallize/sulphate on the plates of the battery. Not only do you lose the active material where this has happened, weakening your battery, but you also run the risk of damaging a separator inside your battery and shorting out a cell. A discharged battery also runs the risk of freezing as it’s freezing point is -7° C (20° F) compared to a freezing point of -67° C (-77° F) when fully charged.

The easiest way to combat this is with a battery maintainer. The beauty of a proper maintainer is that you check your fluids levels once before charging (unless stored in high temperatures), connect your maintainer and forget about it until the next time you need to use your battery. The minute your voltage drops in the slightest a maintainer instantly brings the charge back up so you never have to worry about sulphating, or the peaks and valleys of regular charges which not only sulphate but generate the heat that requires regular fluid level checks.

If for whatever reason a maintainer is not an option for you then make note on the calendar to charge your battery once a month. Use an automatic charger and leave it on over night; remembering to check your fluid levels before and after charging.

for more info go to
www.edmondsbatteries.net

[dave macrae]

checking the charging system properly is a wee bit more complex than just using a voltmeter. it is posible to have a altenator that produces 14 ish volts but insuficient amperage to properly charge the battery. oh and for gods sake DO NOT unhook the battery while running the engine on newer cars . there are upwards of 30 modules running on high speed communiction lines that will get very angry and likely will cost alot of money to repair.