| Author | Message | ||
| AL (Proudeagle10)
Registered Member Username: Proudeagle10 Post Number: 61 Registered: 4-2005 Posted From: 75.104.192.36 Rating: N/A |
Why is it, that we all turn our battery master switch off? And if we forget, more likely than not, the batteries will lose their charge. Even if the ignition switch is in the off position. AL | ||
| Dan West (Utahclaimjumper)
Registered Member Username: Utahclaimjumper Post Number: 102 Registered: 1-2005 Posted From: 208.66.38.115 Rating: N/A |
The average battery will lose 1 to 2 percent of its charge DAILY under normal conditions, so you need to service and charge them on a regular basis. A SMART CHARGER will take most of the work out of it.>>>Dan | ||
| Jack Conrad (Jackconrad)
Registered Member Username: Jackconrad Post Number: 832 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 76.3.173.51  Rating: N/A |
There may be phantom loads such as radio memories, clocks, etc. that are wired to the batteries ahead of the disconnect switch, in additon to what Dan mentioned. Jack | ||
| James Robinson (Jjrbus)
Registered Member Username: Jjrbus Post Number: 157 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 173.6.107.193 Rating: N/A |
What kind of bus? Is there anything else tapped into system befor switch (phantom loads)? How old are batterys? How long a period of time befor batteries are dead? 1 day, six months a year? How did you sneak that post in Jack?? (Message edited by jjrbus on September 11, 2008) | ||
| Nick Badame Refrigeration Co. (Dnick85)
Registered Member Username: Dnick85 Post Number: 249 Registered: 2-2006 Posted From: 70.208.210.157  Rating: N/A |
Hi Al, I found out that I had a baggage compartment light that wouldn't shut off with the door switch. Man, that thing drove me nutz until I had my wife close the door with me in it to find the light on.. Yea, she wouldn't open the door afterwards... I'm still in here! Lol Good Luck Nick- | ||
| FAST FRED (Fast_fred)
Registered Member Username: Fast_fred Post Number: 464 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 208.100.193.179 Rating: N/A |
A couple of years ago we installed a Shell 85W solar panel and Trace C-10 charge controller. The coach is never plugged in during storage and the batt set is 100% on almost every afternoon. Works for me, FF | ||
| doug yes (Dougg)
Registered Member Username: Dougg Post Number: 56 Registered: 1-2007 Posted From: 75.90.60.123 Rating: N/A |
We found alot of phantom loads outside of the big battery switch so we installed two small battery cut-off switches (from Walmart)in the other wires comming off the battery that are not switched by the big switch. It definately helped prolong the battery charge. | ||
| Buswarrior (Buswarrior)
Registered Member Username: Buswarrior Post Number: 1356 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 76.68.122.134  Rating: |
If we were to leave our cars sit for a month or 2 or 6 regularly, we'd discover the same thing, me thinks... More motivation to get out there and RUN the coach regularly. Good for more than the batteries! happy coaching! buswarrior | ||
| Gus Causbie (Gusc)
Registered Member Username: Gusc Post Number: 730 Registered: 11-2005 Posted From: 208.54.200.148 Rating: N/A |
AL, It is possible that your batteries are never getting a full charge. Just a few minutes ago I finished cleaning the pos terminal of a battery that had a thick coat of black corrosion so it was never getting a full charge. This corrosion is very common and will form on batteries not used much. I've had this happen numerous times over the years. The tricky part is that when you use one of those wire brush terminal cleaners it looks nice and shiny, the problem is that the black corrosion coat is shiny and not the lead terminal. The terminal must be a shiny bare lead color, otherwise the battery will never fully charge. I usually end up scraping the black corrosion off with the back side of a razor knife blade and then use the wire terminal brush. It took me many years to finally discover this problem. I remove the terminal clamps from all my bus batteries about every year and clean them all this way. For some reason the pos terminal seems to form this corrosion more than the neg one. |
