120V power

[GHen]

Glad to hear you figured it all out!

Don’t let that new battery get below 12.2 volts, unhook it when you’re not using the rig or keep monitoring it weekly. On many rv’s parasitic items like smoke detectors will drain it quickly.

[Camp CA]

Congratulations on getting it resolved!!

When I left the battery connected there were sufficient parasitic power consumers that would drain the battery resulting in either recharging or replacing it. Solved that on my last 2 trailers with a battery switch at the battery terminal (or you can disconnect the battery's positive lead). Our new trailer has a solar panel that continuously charges the battery so we do not risk draining the battery with it still connected.

[Whutches]

Just went through something similar with my 5th wheel. I found that the battery wasn’t charging so I pulled it and found it needed almost a gallon of distilled water. Fortunately I caught it in time and the battery wasn’t ruined. I had my battery on a constant charge while parked. I’ve since quit that practice. Make checking the battery water level a routine maintenance item.

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by Whutches

Just went through something similar with my 5th wheel. I found that the battery wasn’t charging so I pulled it and found it needed almost a gallon of distilled water. Fortunately I caught it in time and the battery wasn’t ruined. I had my battery on a constant charge while parked. I’ve since quit that practice. Make checking the battery water level a routine maintenance item.

You boiled out all the water and you think there's no damage? I'm guessing you haven't had it tested.

[Whutches]

Well I believe it’s okay anyway. I bench charged it, reinstalled it and it seems to be holding a charge. All my 12 volt items, including the slides seem to be working now so I’ll keep my fingers crossed.

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by Whutches

Well I believe it’s okay anyway. I bench charged it, reinstalled it and it seems to be holding a charge. All my 12 volt items, including the slides seem to be working now so I’ll keep my fingers crossed.

You sound confident in your knowledge and decision so good luck with that.

[Roscommon48]

start with plugging into 'real' electric and see what happens.


then get your batteries checked out.


in the future, if you are leaving the trailer out and not using it either keep it plugged in or disconnect the batteries....you can just disconnect the neg. side of the battery.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by Whutches

Well I believe it’s okay anyway. I bench charged it, reinstalled it and it seems to be holding a charge. All my 12 volt items, including the slides seem to be working now so I’ll keep my fingers crossed.

When a battery has had the water boiled out of it it's not OK. A typical deep cycle battery should never be discharged below 50%. I have posted previously, and had new batteries replaced by a dealership free of charge, because they had let them totally discharge one time. They were skeptical until I sent them the Interstate publication on the batteries that said 1 (ONE) total discharge reduced the ability of the battery to recharge and hold a charge by 83% - one time.

If you choose to use your trailer and run it without outside power to augment the battery(s) and it does not put out full power your equipment will pay the price; your slides depend on 100% power to operate properly and efficiently without damage due to low voltage. Same goes for all the other 12vdc equipment. It's much larger than "it held a charge". I wouldn't keep it for a minute....the future costs to other equipment, and then a new battery, far outweighs the minimal cost of a new battery.

[notanlines]

Let me blunt: (Yeah, there's a first) You can afford an RV, you can afford a TV, you certainly afford a hundred bucks for a new battery to replace one that boiled a gallon of water out of it. Consider it one of life's little lessons. These guys wouldn't steer you wrong....well, Marshall might if you rubbed him the wrong way!

[chuckster57]

As a tech that has seen this too many times to count. Get a new battery, before you end up buying new parts that are much more money and much harder to access.

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by notanlines

Let me blunt: (Yeah, there's a first) You can afford an RV, you can afford a TV, you certainly afford a hundred bucks for a new battery to replace one that boiled a gallon of water out of it. Consider it one of life's little lessons. These guys wouldn't steer you wrong....well, Marshall might if you rubbed him the wrong way!

I'd never steer anyone wrong at least knowingly. Just not in the mood to argue with someone who's convinced they have the answer.

[Folkie]

Originally Posted by sourdough

When a battery has had the water boiled out of it it's not OK. A typical deep cycle battery should never be discharged below 50%. I have posted previously, and had new batteries replaced by a dealership free of charge, because they had let them totally discharge one time. They were skeptical until I sent them the Interstate publication on the batteries that said 1 (ONE) total discharge reduced the ability of the battery to recharge and hold a charge by 83% - one time.

Is there any chance you have a link to that publication? A friend of mine could use that. He had the dealer install a 2nd battery in his new camper. The dealer tech left the lights on in the camper and when my friend came in to pick up his rig both batteries were dead.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by Folkie

Is there any chance you have a link to that publication? A friend of mine could use that. He had the dealer install a 2nd battery in his new camper. The dealer tech left the lights on in the camper and when my friend came in to pick up his rig both batteries were dead.

Here it is:

https://www.intechtrailers.com/image...nce-Manual.pdf


Figure 3 bottom of page 4. 1st line says if you deplete the battery to 25% then recharge it will recharge 2200 times. If you deplete it one time 100% the remaining charges left is only 250. That means you lost 1950 charges of that 2200 due to the 100% discharge = 88.6% reduction. So yeah, the dealership can say, as mine did, they charged just fine all is OK....no, it's not. The damage they incurred just got transferred to the owner to have to deal with at a later time....just not a lot later. After I explained it to the SM & GM I got 2 new Interstate batteries to replace the new ones I had put in. They in turn got 2 "new looking" Interstates that I hope they disposed of but......

[Folkie]

Thanks a lot. I know taking them below 50% was not good, but it is nice to see some numbers to show the impact to performance life.

[mikz86ta]

Their generator appears to have 2 15a, 1 50a, 1 30a/240 and 1 30a/120 plugs.
They should not need any adapter for it. Just plug their 30a ship to shore cable in.

https://www.duromaxpower.com/product...pane-generator

[skids]

Originally Posted by Folkie

Thanks a lot. I know taking them below 50% was not good, but it is nice to see some numbers to show the impact to performance life.

Yeah, it is an eye opener.

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by mikz86ta

Their generator appears to have 2 15a, 1 50a, 1 30a/240 and 1 30a/120 plugs.
They should not need any adapter for it. Just plug their 30a ship to shore cable in.

https://www.duromaxpower.com/product...pane-generator

The OP has a 30 Amp shore power which requires a 30 Amp RV receptacle (TT-30), hence the adapter.

[GHen]

I don’t understand why there are different 30amp plug arrangements, I’m sure there is a good reason that I’m not aware of.....
In my shop have a 30 amp welder plug and a 30amp rv plug...

[flybouy]

The 30 amp RV plug was originally for electric dryers. It did not provide a ground when wired for 220 v service so a separate ground was required to connect the dryer to the outlet box. This caused issues when old timers first started wiring home RV service outlets when they were unaware of the 30 amp 120 volt usage.

A grounded 30 amp 220 volt plug was made to accommodate a ground pin and the 4 conductor 30 amp plug was born.

[GHen]

Thanks for the explanation