House Battery Dead, Need Advise.

[shadow]

I went out Saturday to work on my rv, and I had no power in the rv.
I checked to see if I forgot to turn something off from last weekend, and nothing was left on.
I put my battery charger on the battery, and it was dead.

After charging the battery for eight hours, the battery barely took a charge, and it was dead again
Sunday morning. I even pulled all of the fuses in the rv just to make sure it wasn`t something in the
rv causing the battery to go dead, but no change, the battery is dead. 

The battery for the rv (the house battery) is junk, its a Auto Zone Duralast.
The information on the battery is.

Marine cranking amps 685
Reserve capacity 140

I have never had to buy a battery for an rv, so what exactly do I need, or look for
in an rv battery ?. What is a good brand of battery to get ?,

HELP.

 

[Almost There]

Can you find room for 2 batteries?

If so, you might want to look at a pair of 6 volt batteries.

In any case, you'll want a true deep cell battery, not just one that's marketed as such.

 

[Weight]

we need a lot more information. when did you use the battery.. when did you charge it before finding it dead...was it very low on water... are your cables/wires in good condition... what were you using to charge...what size battery, they have numbers... lot more information is needed.

 

[shadow]

Can you find room for 2 batteries?

If so, you might want to look at a pair of 6 volt batteries.

In any case, you'll want a true deep cell battery, not just one that's marketed as such.

No, I only have room for one battery.
How do I tell a true deep cycle battery from one that`s not really
a deep cycle battery ???.

 

[shadow]

we need a lot more information. when did you use the battery.. when did you charge it before finding it dead...was it very low on water... are your cables/wires in good condition... what were you using to charge...what size battery, they have numbers... lot more information is needed.

I last charged the battery two weeks ago, and it took a full charge, and it was not low on water, that is
something check often. I use the battery on the weekend, or I sometimes plug in if I need 110 power in
the rv if I`m working on it inside.

I was just using a regular battery charger, its nothing fancy but it works. And no, the battery was not over charged.
I did not see a group size on the battery, but I will look again tomorrow.

Battery cables are in good condition.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Unless you have a battery disconnect switch, or manually disconnect the battery, you can expect this to happen with almost any RV or motorhome  that does not have shore power or solar power 24/7.

There are a couple of items pulling a small amount of current from the house battery, the two main ones are the refrigerator control circuits and the propane leak detector (if equipped). There may be other items such as a radio, monitor panel, etc.

After a battery is slowly 'killed' it will rarely recover fully.

If you end up buying a new battery, I recommend you install a battery disconnect switch, OR add a small solar panel and controller if the rig is stored outside in sunlight, OR keep a shore power cord hooked up 24/7.

 

[Weight]

"How do I tell a true deep cycle battery from one that`s not really
a deep cycle battery ???. "
http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/deep_cycle_battery

 

[rm.w/aview]

"How do I tell a true deep cycle battery from one that`s not really
a deep cycle battery ???. "
http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/deep_cycle_battery

Thanks for this Weight. With marketing & sales being two views of the same beast, we need research and each other, (this forum), to purchase wisely. Shadow, as mentioned, use a battery disconnect switch when your RV is sitting unused. You say that you have room for only one battery. Relocating the batteries using a vented/sealed box could be an option, using vacuum cleaner hose (thrift shop) or other flexible hose (pool?) between existing battery area and new location to vent.

 

[highdesertranger]

be careful with battery disconnect switches if you have solar. highdesertranger

 

[tx2sturgis]

Yes, I stated a battery disconnect switch OR a solar system.

However I have done both (disconnecting loads but solar input remains connected) but I cant recommend it to anyone else since that one person that tries it might have a controller that is not happy with it.

 

[DLTooley]

A small panel for maintenance (15 watts ???) doesn't need a controller. Batteries plus has both 12 and 6 volt deep cycles. The Walmart's are ok.

Two weeks shouldn't completely kill a good battery. Try keeping it on a trickle charge for a couple of weeks or research an equalization capable charger.

 

[tx2sturgis]

A small panel for maintenance (15 watts ???) doesn't need a controller. Batteries plus has both 12 and 6 volt deep cycles. The Walmart's are ok.

A small panel can be used without a controller, but it still needs a 'blocking diode'..some of these small maintenance panels already have that built in.

If not, a small 2-5 amp diode placed inline, (correct polarity of course) will do the job.

 

[highdesertranger]

I have had a small 15watt maintainer panel since the early 90's I have used it with and without a controller. for me I noticed it works much better with a controller. highdesertranger

 

[user 37446]

"How do I tell a true deep cycle battery from one that`s not really
a deep cycle battery ???. "
http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/deep_cycle_battery

Took me about an hour and nearly a bag of chips to read that article, one of the takeaways (other than there’s significant sticker relabeling crap happening) is to be careful where you buy from, as he says: “4 Price wins! Ignore the West Marine pricing and shop other places. You'll see the cost per Ah and per cycle between 12V flooded batteries and GC2 6V or even GC12 golf cart batteries becomes even more apparent. The GC2 230Ah battery pictured at the top of this article can also be purchased as a Duracell EGC2 at about half the Sam's Club's in the US. This means $109.00 at Sam's vs. $199.99 at West Marine. The only difference between these two batteries is the sticker that East Penn installs at the factory.”

You can almost purchase 2 batteries at the wholesale club for the price of 1 at the big name marine shop...   :dodgy:

 

[John61CT]

Yes, it is very common to find that level of pricing differences in most technical categories if you don't know to shop around.

West Marine is famous for their high prices, but then they have big overheads maintaining all those conveniently located low-volume B&M shops.

 

[akrvbob]

I would think of the new one you buy as a "learning" battery and expect to kill it as well. So, buy the cheapest battery you can find with the best warranty. That's probably a Walmart marine. Just tell the clerk you want the largest marine battery he has, that will be either a group 29 or group 31 battery.

 

[shadow]

After some more searching, I found that this is a group 24 battery, and that it has very poor customer reviews.

I don`t have a lot of options when it comes to buying a new battery.
I have a Napa auto parts store here in town, any of there battery`s worth buying ?.
There is also a WalMart about eighty miles from me, what about there battery selection ?.

There isn`t a Sam`s Club within five hundred miles of me.

 

[John61CT]

Batteries+ ?

 

[shadow]

I would think of the new one you buy as a "learning" battery and expect to kill it as well. So, buy the cheapest battery you can find with the best warranty. That's probably a Walmart marine. Just tell the clerk you want the largest marine battery he has, that will be either a group 29 or group 31 battery.

Thanks Bob.

I am a rookie when it comes to this stuff, but I don`t think I killed this battery, I did keep it charged and never let the water get low,
that much I know for sure. But the battery was in the rv when I bought it, so I have no idea if the previous owners took the time
to take care of it. If its like everything else in the rv, probably not.

I did check out a group 29 battery, and it won`t fit in my rv.

 

[GypRat]

I've had good luck with batteries from Costco. They sell their own brand but they also sell Interstate batteries. It's hard to beat Costco warranty too.
Another thing to consider is buying two 6 volt gold cart batteries and connecting them in series. If done right, it's perfectly safe.
A regular, lead acid battery can't be placed indoors and must have proper ventilation. You can purchase a sealed lead acid battery (SLA) or a AGM battery (also sealed) that will not require ventilation. 
There are also lithium batteries available but they cost a LOT more. 

Also, keep in mind that most RVs have a Propane Leak detector that always stays energized when the battery is connected. Those leak detectors are power hungry and can drain a fully charged battery in several days or less, depending on battery condition.