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Battery Charge Level

Yahoo Message Number: 8095
Planned on a dry camping night Saturday. So I checked my Batteries (Both Coach & Chassis-All are 8-D's) Water and Specific Gravity Levels. Most cells in the coach checked "fair"-1.260 specific gravity, even though the Heart Interface Link 1000v Monitor/Controller indicated the Battery Charge Level at 12.65. which is above 95%, according to Trojan Battery Web Site info. This morning wife got up early to watch her Sunday Morning TV show with the inverter (freedom 20d) as the AC power source. After 1/2 hour there a static type popping sound came out of the speakers and the TV went off. Guess who was awaken from a sound sleep?? The Monitor indicated the battery charge level @ 12.55 volts or 85% according to Trojan info. The speaker popping sound continued until I turned on the AM/FM Radio/Back-up Monitor, The popping sound stopped, but not music out of the speakers. Even with speaker switch on Stereo.. Only after I started the Engine did music resume thru the speakers abd Popping stop. I started the generator so Wife could finish her program. Further investigation, I noticed the Fridge and Water on AC. The inverter had not been turned On until we went to bed at 11:00 pm last evening. I assume the popping sound was an indicator of Low Battery Condition. After running the generator for One hour, the Link Monitor indicated battery level at 12.90 volts. Off with generator, AC Fridge and Water Heater, but kept TV on for another hour on the inverter, where battery level lowered to 12.65... Not sure how much amperage draw there is from Fridge & Water heater, but maybe True Deep Cycle Coach Batteries are on my near Future??? Anybody else out there with a similar experience?? Thanks for listening....
Lee in Portland with '01 Intrigue #11219

Re: Battery Charge Level

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 8097
Lee,

I assume when you say Water, you mean the A/C water heater. It draws huge amps, I would never try to run it with the inverter.
Tom

02 Allure 30780

Snip - the Fridge and Water on AC.

Re: Battery Charge Level

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 8098
I'm on my third coach with an inverter, and none of them would operate the fridge or the water heater with the inverter.

Walt Rothermel
03Allure30811

Re: Battery Charge Level

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 8100
Quote from: truk4u2003

Lee,

I assume when you say Water, you mean the A/C water heater. It

draws

Quote
huge amps, I would never try to run it with the inverter.
Tom

02 Allure 30780

Snip - the Fridge and Water on AC.
After two years with the original batteries I switched to the Lifeline Batteries and have had no problems with them. They are a little pricy but well worth the money. We have stopped many times at a Flying J for the night, have the tv on for several hours at night and in the mornings, regular furnace running, and microwave on for a little time and have never had low voltage problems. The batteries are now three years old and I know if I had replaced the originals with the same ones I would be buying new ones now. Soon as the chassis battery goes and I think it is trying to tell that is is not going to be around very much longer, it will be replaced by another lifeline battery.
Egon

'99 Allure #30321
'02 Tahoe Z71

Re: Battery Charge Level

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 8101
? On my coach, a 2000 Allure, the hot water heater on AC uses 9amps; frig alone 3.5 amps; and the ice maker 4amps. When the inverter is ON it is also running the battery charger and that uses 5.5amps. You will have to do the math!
On Mon, 19 Jan 2004 09:48:43 EST Spiker1029@... writes:

Lifeline Batteries

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 8103
My experience is identical. I had the original batteries for approximately two years at which time I switched to the Lifeline 8Ds (including the chassis battery). The chassis battery was upon CC's recommendation. They said, "Why have one battery that you still have to look at and possibly add water to?" All three batteries have worked flawlessly including the chassis battery, which seems to start the engine so much easier than the old battery. I used the Lifelines for about a year before adding a Link 2000 battery monitor. If anyone wants to add either a Link 1000 or 2000, it is much less expensive to have it placed in the bathroom immediately above the battery compartment than to have it run to the front of the coach. When I had this done, the estimate for labor to have it placed in the front of the coach was $700 versus $200 to install it in the bathroom.

In case you are wondering, Lifeline, Xantrex and Country Coach all told me that the default setting on the inverter would charge these batteries safely even if there hadn't been a way to "tell" the inverter/charger that the batteries were AGM batteries. They said that the only downside was it would take longer to charge the final 10% of battery capacity using the default setting. I had the Link 2000 installed because I wanted to be able to "tell" the inveter that I had AGM batteries, but more importantly it tells me the exact amount of amps I am using at any given time as well as telling me the remaining capacity of the batteries.

Brian Davis

'99 Allure #30282

'03 Dodge Dakota crew cab

Quote from: cctravelingman
> After two years with the original batteries I switched to the > Lifeline Batteries and have had no problems with them. They are a > little pricy but well worth the money. We have stopped many times > at a Flying J for the night, have the tv on for several hours at > night and in the mornings, regular furnace running, and microwave

on

Quote
for a little time and have never had low voltage problems. The > batteries are now three years old and I know if I had replaced the > originals with the same ones I would be buying new ones now. Soon > as the chassis battery goes and I think it is trying to tell that

is

Re: Battery Charge Level

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 8111
Quote from: lcasebeer@c\.\.\.
Planned on a dry camping night Saturday. So I checked my Batteries (Both > Coach & Chassis-All are 8-D's) Water and Specific Gravity Levels. Most cells in > the coach checked "fair"-1.260 specific gravity, even though the Heart Interface > Link 1000v Monitor/Controller indicated the Battery Charge Level at 12.65.
which is above 95%, according to Trojan Battery Web Site info. This morning > wife got up early to watch her Sunday Morning TV show with the inverter (freedom > 20d) as the AC power source. After 1/2 hour there a static type popping sound > came out of the speakers and the TV went off. Guess who was awaken from a > sound sleep?? The Monitor indicated the battery charge level @ 12.55 volts or 85% > according to Trojan info. The speaker popping sound continued until I turned > on the AM/FM Radio/Back-up Monitor, The popping sound stopped, but not music > out of the speakers. Even with speaker switch on Stereo.. Only after I started > the Engine did music resume thru the speakers abd Popping stop. I started the > generator so Wife could finish her program. Further investigation, I noticed > the Fridge and Water on AC. The inverter had not been turned On until we went to > bed at 11:00 pm last evening. I assume the popping sound was an indicator of > Low Battery Condition. After running the generator for One hour, the Link > Monitor indicated battery level at 12.90 volts. Off with generator, AC Fridge and > Water Heater, but kept TV on for another hour on the inverter, where battery > level lowered to 12.65... Not sure how much amperage draw there is from Fridge > & Water heater, but maybe True Deep Cycle Coach Batteries are on my near > Future??? Anybody else out there with a similar experience?? Thanks for > listening....

Lee in Portland with '01 Intrigue #11219
Well...my experiences with the "8D" .."deep cycle" batteries hasnt been all that great.
Since I bought my coach ( a 2000 left over..bought in early 2001) my coach is either plugged into 120..or the rig is running down the road. So that my batteries ( I hope) are getting charged all the time. VERY SELDOM do I ever need to use the "inverter" for power..and thats usually to run the TV if Im all night at a truck stop..etc. I ALWAYS keep and eye on battery voltage and water.
Last year during a trip west..I overnighted at a truck stop and fell asleep with the front TV on. From about 8 PM till 4 AM the next morning... My coach batteries were basically DEAD. Later on during the trip I happened to screw up my inverter ( a long story) so that it wasnt charging batterys...but again..I am plugged into AC..or running the genset 99% of the time.
When I returned home..I had the Heart "remote control" panel installed ( I looked all over for a 1000 and everyone was out of them with no ship due dates..??..) And with SEVERE checking I find that I have one battery thats basically DEAD..and the other I question.
If these things are "deep cycle batteries" then IM BATMAN !!
Once spring and warmer waether gets here...the *8D's are hitting the dumpster and 4 Trojan 105 are going in there. Ive had them before in other RV's.....got GREAT service and life out of them and they did what a DEEP CYCLE battery is suppose to do.
If for some reason my life depended on service from 8D's as deep cycle batterys..Id just go ahead and commit suicide and not have to endure the "pain" that poor batteries can make.

Sully

2000 Allure #30549

Re: Battery Charge Level

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 8113
Sully,

Last winter while in Quartzsite, Az, I had the 8Ds in my 2000 Intrigue replaced with 6 Trojan 6 volt batteries....gave me extra capacity and fit perfectly in the place where the 8Ds previously sat.
I also had two solar panels installed to keep the batteries charged up during periods when I'm not connected to shore power. I'm happy with the battery situation now. I still have the original 8D starting battery and expect that will have to be replaced soon.

Ray

Quote from: rvman4u
Quote from: lcasebeer@c...
> Planned on a dry camping night Saturday. So I checked my
Batteries (Both

Quote
Coach & Chassis-All are 8-D's) Water and Specific Gravity Levels.
Most cells in

Quote
the coach checked "fair"-1.260 specific gravity, even though the
Heart Interface

Quote
Link 1000v Monitor/Controller indicated the Battery Charge Level

at 12.65.

Quote
which is above 95%, according to Trojan Battery Web Site info.

This morning

Quote
wife got up early to watch her Sunday Morning TV show with the
inverter (freedom

Quote
20d) as the AC power source. After 1/2 hour there a static type
popping sound

Quote
came out of the speakers and the TV went off. Guess who was
awaken from a

Quote
sound sleep?? The Monitor indicated the battery charge level @
12.55 volts or 85%

Quote
according to Trojan info. The speaker popping sound continued
until I turned

Quote
on the AM/FM Radio/Back-up Monitor, The popping sound stopped,
but not music

Quote
out of the speakers. Even with speaker switch on Stereo.. Only
after I started

Quote
the Engine did music resume thru the speakers abd Popping stop. I

started the

Quote
generator so Wife could finish her program. Further
investigation, I noticed

Quote
the Fridge and Water on AC. The inverter had not been turned On
until we went to

Quote
bed at 11:00 pm last evening. I assume the popping sound was an

indicator of

Quote
Low Battery Condition. After running the generator for One hour,

the Link

Quote
Monitor indicated battery level at 12.90 volts. Off with
generator, AC Fridge and

Quote
Water Heater, but kept TV on for another hour on the inverter,
where battery

Quote
level lowered to 12.65... Not sure how much amperage draw there
is from Fridge

Quote
& Water heater, but maybe True Deep Cycle Coach Batteries are on

my near

Quote
Future??? Anybody else out there with a similar experience??

Thanks for

Quote
listening....

> Lee in Portland with '01 Intrigue #11219 >

Well...my experiences with the "8D" .."deep cycle" batteries hasnt
been all that great.

Quote
>

Since I bought my coach ( a 2000 left over..bought in early 2001)
my coach is either plugged into 120..or the rig is running down the
Quote
road. So that my batteries ( I hope) are getting charged all the
time. VERY SELDOM do I ever need to use the "inverter" for
Quote
power..and thats usually to run the TV if Im all night at a truck
stop..etc. I ALWAYS keep and eye on battery voltage and water.

Quote
>

Last year during a trip west..I overnighted at a truck stop and
fell asleep with the front TV on. From about 8 PM till 4 AM the next
Quote
morning... My coach batteries were basically DEAD. Later on during
the trip I happened to screw up my inverter ( a long story) so
Quote
that it wasnt charging batterys...but again..I am plugged into
AC..or running the genset 99% of the time.

Quote
>

When I returned home..I had the Heart "remote control" panel
installed ( I looked all over for a 1000 and everyone was out of them with

Quote
no ship due dates..??..) And with SEVERE checking I find that I
have one battery thats basically DEAD..and the other I question.
Quote
If these things are "deep cycle batteries" then IM BATMAN !! >

Once spring and warmer waether gets here...the *8D's are hitting
the dumpster and 4 Trojan 105 are going in there. Ive had them
Quote
before in other RV's.....got GREAT service and life out of them and
they did what a DEEP CYCLE battery is suppose to do.

Quote
>

If for some reason my life depended on service from 8D's as deep
cycle batterys..Id just go ahead and commit suicide and not have to

Re: Battery Charge Level

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 8116
Quote from: travman100"

Sully,

Last winter while in Quartzsite, Az, I had the 8Ds in my 2000 > Intrigue replaced with 6 Trojan 6 volt batteries....gave me extra > capacity and fit perfectly in the place where the 8Ds previously sat.
I also had two solar panels installed to keep the batteries charged > up during periods when I'm not connected to shore power. I'm happy > with the battery situation now. I still have the original 8D starting > battery and expect that will have to be replaced soon.

Ray
Ray: I havent measured my compartment yet for them...BUT..if its possible to fit a total of 6 T105's in there...I'll sure do it. Not sure..??...just how I'd wired them???...because Ive never seen a 6 battery bank setup before...but maybe I can find something that will tell ( actually SHOW) me how the setup works.
My engine start battery seems to be doing ok..?? but when it finally dies on me Im going to twin Group 27's wired to give me 12V at a TOTAL of 1800 CCA...so that way if something needs worked on I can at least lift it out of the compartment...lol

Sully

2000 Allure #30549

Re: Battery Charge Level

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 8119
Quote from: rvman4u
Quote from: travman100"\[br\
\[/quote\]\[br\]] > > Sully,

> Last winter while in Quartzsite, Az, I had the 8Ds in my 2000 > > Intrigue replaced with 6 Trojan 6 volt batteries....gave me extra > > capacity and fit perfectly in the place where the 8Ds previously

sat.

Quote
I also had two solar panels installed to keep the batteries

charged

Quote
up during periods when I'm not connected to shore power. I'm

happy

Quote
with the battery situation now. I still have the original 8D

starting

Quote
battery and expect that will have to be replaced soon.
>
> Ray
>

Ray: I havent measured my compartment yet for them...BUT..if its
possible to fit a total of 6 T105's in there...I'll sure do it. Not
Quote
sure..??...just how I'd wired them???...because Ive never seen a 6
battery bank setup before...but maybe I can find something that will

Quote
tell ( actually SHOW) me how the setup works.

My engine start battery seems to be doing ok..?? but when it
finally dies on me Im going to twin Group 27's wired to give me 12V at a

Quote
TOTAL of 1800 CCA...so that way if something needs worked on I can
at least lift it out of the compartment...lol

Quote
Sully

2000 Allure #30549

Sully,

I am sure they will fit in your Allure, I have 2000 Intrigue and I am reasonable sure that the battery compartments are identical. I can't do it right now due to the cold weather here but when it warms up I will take photos of my battery layout and you can see how they were installed in the Intrigue. I agree with you on the engine battery, I would like to do the same as you when mine gives out. Of course, I will have to have someone else remove the 8D, no way could I lift that thing!
Ray

Re: Battery Charge Level

Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 8120
Sully: If you look under "Larry's" in the photos, I took a picture of 6 D's replacing the factory batteries.

Larry
Intrigue
10762

Re: Battery Charge Level

Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 8123
Sully,

I also have a 2000 Allure #30511 (40' Chandler) and I transitioned to Trojan batteries about 13 months ago. I used four T-145's in the tray where I had two 8D house batteries and one 8D engine battery.
You can see photos in my folder (KC4FWS). I could have squeezed six T-145's (same size as T-105's) in there but the back two wpould be out of the rubber tray and blocking the open vent area for the battery compartment. With four of the T-145's I already had more capacity than previously with the two 8D's. This also gave me enough room to put a small storage box I built. I use it to store my hydrometer, terminal brush, terminal spray and a pint of distilled water.

From the photos you can see a cross-brace that I made out of a piece of aluminum rail/post that is used for a screen enclosure. Found it at Lowes and cut it to fit with a couple of brackets and stainless screws.

Why did I use the T-145's over the T-105's? I found a good deal on them only being about $5 more each. Otherwise, I was planning to use T-105's. Take a look at the Trojan web site for detailed size and capacity specifications.

Batteries are easy to hook up. Just hook up the batteries positive to negative in groups of two 6vdc bateries. Each one of those groups of two now is the same thing as one 12vdc battery. Take the two groups of two (three groups of two is you decide to use six 6vdc batteries) and connect the remaining unconnected positive ends together. Do the same for the negative ends. From one of these terminals you just connected, connect a ground cable to the negative side and another cable to the positive side. These last tow cables will connect to your coach at the same point your 8D's connected.

Of course you can avoid all the manual labor and have the shop you buy the batteries at install them. They can usually custom make the cables to fit as well. That is what I did and everything has been working great.

BTW I also installed a Xantrex remote control panel (in photos) in lieu of the on/off switch above the entry door. Now I have full control of the charger and can equalize the batteries when needed.

Good luck....

Jim Hughes

Jacksonville, FL
2000 Allure #30511

Battery choices

Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 8167
What type of battery would you get for replacement of your current house and chasie batteries.
Golf cart deep cycle 6 volt wired in series or AGM 8 D battery like lifeline. Lets hear the pros and cons of each.
Thanks
Calvin

99 intrigue
10811

Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free web site building tool. Try it! http://webhosting.yahoo.com/ps/sb/

Re: Battery choices

Reply #13 –
Yahoo Message Number: 8168
I replaced the house batteries with 6 golf cart batteries, so got additional capacity plus got true deep cycles batteries. If cost is a consideration then you'll spend about half as much on 6 golf cart batteries as you'd spend on two Lifeline batteries. From listening to many folks who have used the golf cart batteries they will last about as long as any battery on the market if one keeps them maintained properly.
Ray

2000 Intrigue 11040

Quote from: cal harris\[br\
]

Re: Battery choices

Reply #14 –
Yahoo Message Number: 8174
Cal: I have a coach (10762) just a few numbers from yours. I changed the battery system. See my photos on "Larry" in the photos section. I didn't like the two 6 volts for the chassis so I went back to the large type after using them for a few months. I've never used all of the capacity in the new system because I don't do much dry camping. We were in Quartzite for three days without hookups and it worked fine.
It seems I always fire up the generator for a few minutes for the microwave, toaster, etc.
We're currently in Mexico at Rocky Point for a month, then off to SE Arizona for a while. Then to the Pre-ralley in Tucson.

Larry

Intrigue10762

Re: Battery Charge Level

Reply #15 –
Yahoo Message Number: 8196
From: "rvperson2004" rvperson2004@...> (snip) > Of course, I

Quote
will have to have someone else remove the 8D, no way could I lift > that thing!
How DO the pro's handle those 8D's to get them in/out of that tray??? With some kind of a lift?

Dick (& Geri) Campagna
'98 36' Intrigue #10571
Mfd: 11/97

(in Key West, FL)
 

Re: Battery Charge Level

Reply #16 –
Yahoo Message Number: 8197
When I had my AGMs installed to replace the existing batteries, the installer had a high school football player (looked like an offensive lineman to me) whose job it was to get the old ones out and the new ones in.

Brian Davis

99 Allure #30282

Quote from: Dick Campagna
> How DO the pro's handle those 8D's to get them in/out of that
tray??? With