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08-16-2014, 06:33 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Trailer: 2009 Escape 17B 2020 Toyota Highlander XLE
Posts: 17,136
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New battery: OUCH
Unplugged the trailer yesterday so I could check the charge today. I forgot to unplug my 12V Sirius radio dock, but it was turned off.
Nothing other than propane detector was on.
Got a reading of 12.02 on the voltmeter. Checked cells and all are topped up. Got out hydrometer and discovered it was broken, even though I stored it in pipe insulation tube.
Priced new Trojan 27TMX at Lordco. $352.72. That's about $80 more than I paid for the same in 2011.
An AC Delco 27 DC is $179.39. ( don't know amp/hours ).
Got a new hydrometer and put the battery on my Motomaster 10A/2A charger.
It's not looking like I'll get another trip out of this battery.
Any idea how I could go from full charge to 12.02 in 24 hours, other than that the battery is deceased?
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
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08-16-2014, 06:45 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Tampa Bay Area, Florida
Trailer: 2015 Escape 5.0TA (Little Elsie) Extensively Personalized
Posts: 2,969
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Just a suggestion. Get a Battery Minder and leave it on this charger for 30 days. It is a pulse charger which desulphates the plates. I have brought a couple of batteries, including a deep cycle, from the battery graveyard with mine. About $50. Your problem could be caused by sulphation.
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08-16-2014, 06:55 PM
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#3
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Commercial Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Hillsboro, Oregon
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21 - "Felicity"
Posts: 2,945
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I was in the battery-powered medical devices field for over 10 years; pulse cycling is the only way to desulphate wet batteries as it gives the wet chemistry time to rearrange electrons from the sulphated plates back into solution.
__________________
Charlie Y
Need custom storage to your design? Don't drill holes!
www.RVWidgetWorks.com
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08-16-2014, 08:11 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Trailer: 2009 Escape 17B 2020 Toyota Highlander XLE
Posts: 17,136
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I was trying to equalize / desulphate as per a video on Trojan site. Basically, you unplug the charger, disconnect from the battery for a couple minutes and then reconnect and plug in. Does the same thing as a charger with that feature ( according to the video ). Searched for more info on their site without success.
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
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08-16-2014, 08:26 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Tampa Bay Area, Florida
Trailer: 2015 Escape 5.0TA (Little Elsie) Extensively Personalized
Posts: 2,969
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gbaglo
I was trying to equalize / desulphate as per a video on Trojan site. Basically, you unplug the charger, disconnect from the battery for a couple minutes and then reconnect and plug in. Does the same thing as a charger with that feature ( according to the video ). Searched for more info on their site without success.
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Except that it takes a long time to desulphate. I seriously doubt that procedure would work. Get a real desulphating charge. Google "Battery Minder," do your research, then decide. And no, I do not work for Battery Minder!
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08-16-2014, 08:28 PM
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#6
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Site Team
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Canyon Lake, Texas
Trailer: 2015 19 "Past Tents", 2021 F150 Lariat 2.7L EB
Posts: 10,222
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gbaglo
Unplugged the trailer yesterday so I could check the charge today. I forgot to unplug my 12V Sirius radio dock, but it was turned off.
Nothing other than propane detector was on.
Got a reading of 12.02 on the voltmeter. Checked cells and all are topped up. Got out hydrometer and discovered it was broken, even though I stored it in pipe insulation tube.
Priced new Trojan 27TMX at Lordco. $352.72. That's about $80 more than I paid for the same in 2011.
An AC Delco 27 DC is $179.39. ( don't know amp/hours ).
Got a new hydrometer and put the battery on my Motomaster 10A/2A charger.
It's not looking like I'll get another trip out of this battery.
Any idea how I could go from full charge to 12.02 in 24 hours, other than that the battery is deceased?
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This guy uses Epsom Salt to desulfate batteries with some pretty remarkable results:
__________________
"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy an RV. And that is pretty close."
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08-16-2014, 08:32 PM
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#7
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Maple Bay, British Columbia
Trailer: Bigfoot 25T21RB
Posts: 42
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Unfortunately, your 10A/2A charger is not going to up to the task of bringing that battery back. You really must do a full 'equalize' charge cycle to have any hope of getting it back. The automotive charger is just not designed to drive the voltage up to the 16 volts required to to an absorption charge (15V for equalize) on the deep cycle wet batteries. The battery minder pulse system is also really effective, but only if used in conjunction with a full absorption charge cycle.
A 3-stage charger (common in the marine world) will do the job. I wouldn't swap the battery out. At 2011 it's still pretty young. I'm still using batteries from 2004 on my boat and hope to get another couple of years out of them.
Do you know anyone with a boat that you could borrow a smart charger?? If not, there is a really good 20amp, 3 stage charger available from Xantrex. Unfortunately, it costs around $250. Too bad you're in Van - I've got a portable unit here in Victoria.
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08-16-2014, 09:07 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Trailer: 2014 5TA/ *012 17B (previous)
Posts: 442
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Which battery minder would work for the 2 - 6 volt batteries?
__________________
Min D
Chapi II
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'Have No Regrets'
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08-16-2014, 09:21 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Portland, Oregon
Trailer: 2002 Escape 13'
Posts: 967
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08-16-2014, 09:21 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Trailer: 2009 Escape 17B 2020 Toyota Highlander XLE
Posts: 17,136
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Two hours after disconnecting the trailer from shore power, I am getting 12.76 on the voltmeter that plugs into an outlet.
I'm gonna check it again tomorrow before plugging the trailer in and will report.
My mechanic can do an equalization charge with his equipment, but last time I discussed it with him he said in his experience it doesn't accomplish much.
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
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08-16-2014, 09:28 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Arvada, Colorado
Trailer: 2015 E'21 - 'Velocity'. Tow: Toyota Tacoma V6, 4X4, manual.
Posts: 1,692
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gbaglo
Any idea how I could go from full charge to 12.02 in 24 hours, other than that the battery is deceased?
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Actually, that is a good indicator of a near-dead battery. It will also charge rapidly to full voltage. Of course you aren't actually storing much energy, just moving the tiny remaining bit of un-sulphated lead back out of solution onto the plates. Or in other words, you have a 1 Amp hour battery in a 90 Amp hour case.
I'm betting you were coming to that conclusion.
--
Alan
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08-16-2014, 09:35 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Galesville, Wisconsin
Trailer: 2017 21 "Blue II" & 2017 Highlander XLE (previously 2010 17B "Blue" & 2008 Tacoma)
Posts: 4,233
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hotfishtacos
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Same here, seems to work well.
__________________
Eric (and Mary who is in no way responsible for anything stupid I post)
"Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance." George Bernard Shaw
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08-16-2014, 10:57 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: North Van., British Columbia
Trailer: 2014 Escape 19, sold; 2019 Escape 21, Sept. 2019
Posts: 8,786
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Are two different volt meters in use? Was the first reading taken with one volt meter at the terminals and the second with a different meter at an outlet?
A reading of 12.76 is hard to reconcile with your first reading.
Ron
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08-16-2014, 11:58 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Trailer: 2009 Escape 17B 2020 Toyota Highlander XLE
Posts: 17,136
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Both readings were from a 12V outlet in the trailer. I left the trailer unplugged from shore power and I'll take another reading tomorrow morning ( make that mourning ).
I'm also going to check cells with my new hydrometer and will report.
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
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08-17-2014, 06:58 AM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Tampa Bay Area, Florida
Trailer: 2015 Escape 5.0TA (Little Elsie) Extensively Personalized
Posts: 2,969
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hotfishtacos
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The key is to get the battery desulphated and then KEEP it desulphated. While the Battery Tender (TM) is a "smart" trickle charger, it DOES NOT have the capability to desulphate.
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08-17-2014, 07:30 AM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Galesville, Wisconsin
Trailer: 2017 21 "Blue II" & 2017 Highlander XLE (previously 2010 17B "Blue" & 2008 Tacoma)
Posts: 4,233
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__________________
Eric (and Mary who is in no way responsible for anything stupid I post)
"Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance." George Bernard Shaw
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08-17-2014, 09:44 AM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: N/A, Indiana
Trailer: Escape
Posts: 976
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__________________
"Never argue with an idiot. They only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience." George Carlin
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08-17-2014, 11:29 AM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: North Van., British Columbia
Trailer: 2014 Escape 19, sold; 2019 Escape 21, Sept. 2019
Posts: 8,786
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gbaglo
Both readings were from a 12V outlet in the trailer.
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I've never found 12V outlets to be all that reliable. The first reading could have been a poor connection. I've had to "wiggle and jiggle" (tech term) sometimes to get a good connection.
An inexpensive multi-meter measuring from the battery terminals probably gives a more consistently accurate measurement of the battery voltage.
Ron
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08-17-2014, 11:40 AM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Trailer: 2009 Escape 17B 2020 Toyota Highlander XLE
Posts: 17,136
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thoer
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Good read. Looks like you have to start with a healthy battery.
Have to dig out my multi-meter and the manual.
Cheap voltmeter is reading 12.60 from DC outlet this morning.
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
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08-17-2014, 03:55 PM
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#20
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Trailer: 2009 Escape 17B 2020 Toyota Highlander XLE
Posts: 17,136
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Tested cells this afternoon. Hydrometer read 12.75 or better on all cells (probably more like 12.71 if adjusted for temperature ). Electrolyte is clear.
Beats me.
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
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