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Old 06-08-2015, 09:21 AM   #1
HappyCamperMN
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Battery cooked

Our dealer supplied 12v battery was emitting a foul odor when we arrived at our campsite on Thursday (we didn't figure out where the foul odor was coming from until at home on Sunday night). Friday it seemed to have disappeared, then came back on Saturday evening / Sunday morning. We thought the odor was from a nearby outhouse at the State Park, but when it followed us home we thought dead animal / propane leak or other. Eventually I noticed smoke / steam coming from the battery box, problem solved (or at least discovered). Turned off the converter at the distribution panel and let things settle down before disconnecting the battery.

Guilty admission - I had not checked the water levels in the battery prior to our trip, but I had checked them a couple weeks prior and all was good.

I'm a novice in the realm of battery care and maintenance. What I assume happened was the water (acid) levels got too low the voltage dropped so the converter kicked in, but never got up to charge so kept running and eventually cooked the battery. I had noticed the converter seemed to be running more than usual on Friday night, but didn't think much of it at the time and didn't piece everything together until I noticed the battery box smokin'.

Is my battery done for? Would it likely be 'ok' for campground camping where we're plugged in to shore power full time? Could it be a converter problem and not actually the battery? Potentially an issue with the truck over-charging the battery during transit on our 5-hour trip?
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Old 06-08-2015, 10:18 AM   #2
hankaye
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HappyCamperMN, Howdy;

May your battery R.I.P. have a wake for it
time for a new one. Chalk it up to a lesson learned
and enjoy the new battery

hankaye
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Old 06-08-2015, 01:31 PM   #3
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Any recommendations for a single 12v deep cycle to replace it with? Or will pretty much any battery do?
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Old 06-08-2015, 01:56 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HappyCamperMN View Post
Is my battery done for? Would it likely be 'ok' for campground camping where we're plugged in to shore power full time? Could it be a converter problem and not actually the battery? Potentially an issue with the truck over-charging the battery during transit on our 5-hour trip?
1) Most likely done for. You can add some distilled water back to the original level, trickle charge the battery, then take it to autozone for load testing.

2) It'd be OK. Fill it back up with water. Your converter will cover power needs while plugged in.

3) Most likely a "dumb" converter problem in my experience. With a good battery, measure the voltage after a day. If it's above about 13.7 or so, it's slowly roasting the battery. Lots of entry-level converters do this. Either replace converter with a "smarter" one, charge more selectively, or start watching the water much more frequently.

4) Not likely a truck problem, it'd be over-charging your truck too.


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Originally Posted by HappyCamperMN View Post
Any recommendations for a single 12v deep cycle to replace it with? Or will pretty much any battery do?
Any 12v similar sized battery will "work". Deep cycle is better. Note there is a difference between true deep cycle and marine "deep cycle". Until you get it worked out, I wouldn't buy an expensive battery. READ

Best to worst: 6V "golf cart" batteries in series, Deep cycle, Marine deep cycle, regular 12V automotive
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Old 06-08-2015, 04:09 PM   #5
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Great info, thanks CB1000Rider

Original Battery -> Pathfinder PF-24DP 500CCA RC100
NEW Battery -> Interstate Marine/RV 24DC 550CCA RC140

For less than $80 out the door (including core swap and sales tax) Costco was close and cheap. It's a bit better on RC (40% more) than the original. I could have upgraded to a 27 for less than $10 more, but then I would have needed a new battery box as well. Since we don't plan on any dry camping I expect this battery to serve us well for a few years.
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Old 06-08-2015, 04:43 PM   #6
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If you are hooked up to campsite power for almost all of your camping, there is no need to go out and buy 2 - 6v batteries. The Interstate Group 24 that you just bought should be all you need. Just make sure that you check the water levels frequently and don't let it completely discharge.
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Old 06-08-2015, 07:54 PM   #7
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Now I've been thinking about my converter... So I pulled off the access panel below the power distribution center, nothing there but the back side of the outdoor shower and some water lines. Had to pull the cover off the distribution panel to see back into where the converter is... sheesh, I hope I never need to replace our converter, it is literally buried behind the power distribution center.

Can't find a manual for the converter in the packet we have from the dealer. Does anyone know the type of converter that Keystone has been putting in 2015 Bullet Premiers? I'd like to try to determine if it is a smart charger or a dumb charger. I'd also like to hardwire a surge suppressor at some point, but that's not going to be a project for the faint of heart.
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Old 06-09-2015, 06:15 AM   #8
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Maybe I'm missing something here, it sounds like the battery was only cooking while you were NOT connected to shore power. You could smell it when you arrived and then seemed to disappear when you hooked up. It then came back on your drive home. The converter is used with 120v power. I know electrical issues can be quirky, but this just sounds like a battery problem not a converter problem.
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Old 06-10-2015, 01:19 PM   #9
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Maybe I'm missing something here... but this just sounds like a battery problem not a converter problem.
No, you're not missing anything. Battery replaced, issue resolved.

The whole problem just got me thinking about the converter and whether or not it was "smart" or not. So I started looking around to try and answer that question.
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Old 06-13-2015, 09:52 PM   #10
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I assume you have 50a service? and not 30a. You charger is probably a WF8955 - PEC. And it sounds like your converter is separate from your distribution box, right? If it is the number mentioned then it has three operation modes, Absorption mode/Normal operation, Bulk mode/Charge mode and Float mode/trickle charge. It is a sufficient converter for shore powered trips, but....they do go bad. There is no equalizing mode. There is a method for checking them if you suspect the converter.
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