battery acts dead

[Craig M]

Last year towards the end of the season I was noticing that I could hardly move my landing gear or slides with power on my 2014 Laredo 293SBH even if it had been plugged in for days. I put jumper cables on the battery and it worked perfect. The indicator lights on the inside of the camper show a full charge. Today I pulled the camper from storage and put the battery in that was sitting on the charger for a couple days (a different battery) and the charger showed it to be at full charge and a good battery and still the same thing. Is there a chance both batteries are junk and the inside indicator light is wrong or is there antoher issue?

[buzzcop63]

To eliminate the battery as a cause of your problems, get a Volt meter and check the voltage of the battery and or check the Specific Gravity of the fluid in the battery. Both tools are fairly cheep and can be put to good use all year.

Percentage Specific Gravity Voltage
100% 1.265 12.7 Full Charge
90% 12.5
75% 1.225 12.45 Time to Charge Battery
70% 12.32 Charge up
60% 12.20
50% 1.190 12.06
40% 11.9
30% 11.75 Caution
25% 1.155 12.0
20% 11.58
10% 11.31 Bad
Discharged 1.120 10.5

Battery Readout inside Trailer: Voltage
4 Lights, C Charge Full Charge 12.7V
3 Lights, G Good 12.1V-12.7V
2 Lights, F Fair 11.6V-12.1V
1 Light, L Low 6V-11.6V

[chuckster57]

The indicator will show voltage, but not available amps. I would take the batteries out and load test them.

Depending on what tester you use, you can create a large "draw" on the battery, and while the load is "on" observe the voltage gauge.

We use a 500amp tester, and with the load on the voltage shouldn't drop below 11 IIRC, and once the load is relieved the gauge should return to 12 quickly.

I suspect your batteries are failing. Load test them to be sure.

[JRTJH]

If you don't have the tester to check specific gravity of your batteries and to load test them, take both of your "suspect batteries" to a local auto supply store. They have the equipment to load test your batteries and determine if they are good or bad. Chances are that if the battery from last year was not holding a charge then and still not holding a charge, it's gone. The other battery, if it has been sitting in the garage or shed all winter, it may be internally damaged as well. The only way to know for sure is to test them.

My guess is you'll be buying a new deep cycle battery before you solve your problem.

ADDED: Chuckster, it looks like we were both typing at the same time :)

[cblong]

Take them to your local auto store and have them load test them they will tell you if they are good or not.

[chuckster57]

ADDED: Chuckster, it looks like we were both typing at the same time :)

IIRC, that's two now :D