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Old 03-11-2019, 09:40 AM   #1
German Shepherd Guy
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Talking Long, Long, Long Winter Upgrades.

Snowing heavily today and for the last week. We have a trip planned for the new 26RBPR in early April. It is not looking too good right at the moment. Avalanches and closed mountain passes are currently the norm. I can't get it out of the barn at the moment. BUT I have been busy with my mods. Ordered Some Goodyear Endurance trailer tires to replace the China exploding pneumatic rolling devices the trailer came with. (I hear China "bombs" might be politically incorrect in some circles ) I upgraded from 205s to 215s which will supply me with some margin as far as weight goes. Only hope I can get down to the shop and have them put on. (Long, long, long winter) Added a "winterization" cut off to the Flojet pump so that next fall winterization will be easy. (It came to me winterized when we traded in this fall) Put a anode rod into the water heater. Not sure why they do not come with one. Modified the pantry so that it will take the DWs long cloths on hangers, AND there are still shelves for storage available. Upgraded the propane bottles from the 2 20# it came with to 2 30# bottles. (I have spent so much time out there this winter that I have seriously depleted one) Made some nice robe and towel hooks for the bathroom and still need to add the towel bar. Added 5 hooks on a nice piece of pine backing in the bedroom for a place to hang cloths at night. Added leash holders next to the door for the puppies. Replaced the table and chairs the unit came with with some nice bamboo folding table and chairs. reason: so that we can put crates there for the dogs when we are camped and still fold the crates up and put down a table and chairs for 4 when company is over to dinner. I installed a nice DVD player for the TV and installed a XM radio. We so much prefer listening to the news and baseball games then watching them. I have put a water filter system into the intake line, Got a progressive industries EMS-PT30X surge and electric system monitor. I have ordered a brass back flow preventer to replace the plastic one on the black-water flush system. So now it is just a matter of waiting for WINTER TO GO AWAY!
can you all tell I am getting a bit ansy? Was really tough watching the blizzard yesterday while resetting my clocks!
Happy spring everyone.
Oak
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Old 03-11-2019, 10:00 AM   #2
66joej
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Yes you have been busy! If your water heater is an Atwood brand it does not require an anode. If Suburban then yes.
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Old 03-11-2019, 10:03 AM   #3
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Originally Posted by German Shepherd Guy View Post
... Put a anode rod into the water heater. Not sure why they do not come with one. ...
Oak

Sounds like some nice mods. As to the WH anode, a few models don't need them because of construction; Atwood and Dometic come to mind. I don't know if an added anode would be detrimental, but others more knowledgeable on the topic will have to answer that.
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Old 03-11-2019, 10:11 AM   #4
sourdough
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You certainly have been busy!! As the previous posts said, if an Atwood it won't require the anode rod.

Also, if you're stuck and wanting to make additional mods one of the best ones I've made, to me, is the watering system I put on the batteries. I used to have to pull the cowl cover, then the LP tanks and dig back in there to try to get the battery box tops off (having to get on the ground to pick them back up and reinstall them), remove the caps, try to maneuver around to check/fill the cells them put it all back. Installed the water system; go out and unvelcro the feed line from inside the frame, plug in pump hose, put end in gallon of distilled water, pump the hand pump once (usually fills them) and reverse process. About 5 minutes and zero trouble - I've only had it less than a year but Oh My! what an improvement! The reason I bring it up is I checked them yesterday and I still remember doing it so thought I would throw that out there as you look for things to improve your camping experience. Spring is coming.
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Old 03-11-2019, 02:11 PM   #5
German Shepherd Guy
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Whoa, I might not need the anode?? So I have to take dogs to town tomorrow to the repro Vet and then off to Utah for a Gun and Knife show BUT as soon as I get back: OUT TO THE BARN and verify the type of water heater I have.



Sourdough, so is this watering system something you came up with or is it something that can be found on the internet? That sounds really worth doing! There is someway that you know you haven't overfilled I am guessing.


As soon as I send this I am googling to see if I can see one.


Thanks for the advise gentlemen.
Oak
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Old 03-11-2019, 04:01 PM   #6
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Oak, these are what I bought off Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Flow-Rite-RV2...0&sr=8-1-spell

https://www.amazon.com/Flow-Rite-MP2...DSWFTZEY5841PT

I have to say due to the complications of getting to my batteries in this particular trailer this was a God send to me. Bought it last year (spring?) and used it all year in 18 and so far this year. I dreaded the procedure; now, just do what I described; don't remove battery box lids, don't do much of anything. I will of course remove the box lids to inspect the connections once a year (I never have issue with that) but battery water maintenance? It's a snap now.
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Old 03-12-2019, 03:39 AM   #7
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WOW, you have been busy, let's hope for an early Spring!
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Old 10-10-2019, 06:46 AM   #8
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Originally Posted by sourdough View Post
You certainly have been busy!! As the previous posts said, if an Atwood it won't require the anode rod.

Also, if you're stuck and wanting to make additional mods one of the best ones I've made, to me, is the watering system I put on the batteries. I used to have to pull the cowl cover, then the LP tanks and dig back in there to try to get the battery box tops off (having to get on the ground to pick them back up and reinstall them), remove the caps, try to maneuver around to check/fill the cells them put it all back. Installed the water system; go out and unvelcro the feed line from inside the frame, plug in pump hose, put end in gallon of distilled water, pump the hand pump once (usually fills them) and reverse process. About 5 minutes and zero trouble - I've only had it less than a year but Oh My! what an improvement! The reason I bring it up is I checked them yesterday and I still remember doing it so thought I would throw that out there as you look for things to improve your camping experience. Spring is coming.


Sorry to bump up an old thread but is low water in the battery common in a deep cycle? I think I’ve only added water to an automotive battery once in my 42 years.

Also, is it best to keep them on a Battery tender during storage months like I would with a standard automotive type?
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Old 10-10-2019, 07:22 AM   #9
sourdough
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Sorry to bump up an old thread but is low water in the battery common in a deep cycle? I think I’ve only added water to an automotive battery once in my 42 years.

Also, is it best to keep them on a Battery tender during storage months like I would with a standard automotive type?

Low water in a "deep cycle" RV battery is very common and has probably ruined more batteries than we realize. They aren't "maintenance free" like many/most auto batteries.

The batteries need to stay charged. Discharging them below a max of 50% reduces their life very quickly. Discharging 80-100% once reduces the life by about 83-85% if I recall.

My trailer is plugged in almost 365 days a year either in storage or camping. The converter is charging it all the time and by doing so gradually evaporates some of the liquid in the battery. You periodically need to check the fluid level and replenish. For me and the Interstates that I have, I've found that once a month is a little too soon and if I wait 2 months it takes a little more water than I would like so try to check about every 6 weeks or so.

In the post above I mention a "watering" system. That wasn't important to me in the past with other trailers because the batteries were in accessible boxes. This trailer has them hidden behind a cowl then behind the LP tanks; a pain to get to. It's improved my ability to keep the batteries full by 100%.

And yes, if it were me, I would have a tender on them while in storage.
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Old 10-10-2019, 07:48 AM   #10
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If you think of a battery as a "always functioning item" rather than as a "static device" (sort of like it's a "living, breathing thing") then you'd think of the battery as always changing, always doing something, always in use....

That said, the way any battery "interacts with its environment" will determine how much water it uses or doesn't use. Imagine a battery that's connected to a "constant 1.5 amp draw" (one light left on) and the 1-2 amp "phantom draw". That's 2.5 - 3.5 amps "flowing through the battery" all the time. (like a human breathing).... That battery will always be in "some sort of charge condition from the converter. The heat produced from that "always being charged" will evaporate some water from the electrolyte over time.

Some batteries have a "cell cap system" that can condense that evaporated water and return part (or all) of it to the electrolyte, a maintenance free battery. Some batteries have a "vented port cap system" that allows most of that evaporated water to escape out of the cell (as seen with many battery boxes that stay damp on the inside most of the year).

Now, add being in a high/low humidity area (think living in the southwest desert vs living in Florida where it rains every day) and you'll see why a battery in Phoenix will need more water added than that same battery will need while spending the winter in Florida.

Now, add a charger/converter system that is "slow to reduce charge status" by a half volt while the neighbors charger converter is "fast to reduce the charge status by a half volt and you can see where one trailer system might be in "charge condition" for an hour or so longer than the one in the next trailer over.... That means one will generate more heat, evaporate a bit more electrolyte, need to be filled more often than the other.....

Yes, batteries are "living breathing things" (metaphorically) and each system will "evolve a life of its own".... some use water faster than others, some tend to go into sustain mode before others, some hold a charge a bit longer than others (when disconnected and with no load) while some tend to corrode the terminals faster than others and some will "wet the inside of the battery box" faster than others....

Within reason, most will "generally be fairly close in performance" but just because your neighbor only has to add water once a year, it's not "something wrong" because you have to add water once a month.....
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Old 10-10-2019, 07:48 AM   #11
Brantlyj
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Good to know. Luckily I have a TT and can keep it at our business so it’s easy to check. I can see where a fill device would be helpful if the batteries are difficult to access though.

Your mention of keeping it plugged in 24/7 brings up more questions but I’ll start a new thread later.
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Old 10-10-2019, 10:25 AM   #12
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I have the same water fill system as Danny, my 2 X GC2 6 volt batteries are not behind a shroud, but it was still a PITA to keep them filled, so I love the new setup.

Hook the quick connect pump ball to the hose in the battery box, drop the other end of the hose into a jug of distilled water and pump it until you can't squeeze it anymore.

Takes longer to get the pump and water jug from the garage than it does to fill both batteries. I leave the battery hose in one of the cutouts on the battery box, so I don't have to remove the box cover.



-Brian
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