Battery Boiling Dry ??

[Steve09]

Hello, went camping the other day and smelled what I thought was a gas leak..turned out to be our battery was really charging, but was dry. added water but just boiled that out to. I'm going to have battery checked for a dead cell, but could something else be wrong,,oh the last 2 days I just unhooked the battery ,,seems to do good that way since I always use shore power anyway.Thanks,,,

[NWJeeper]

My money is on a dead battery. They don't take well to being charged with no water in them. It's important to check them at least once a month especially if they are plugged in all the time to make sure they don't boil dry. The usual converter/chargers provided with RVs doesn't make things much better as most of them are not quality chargers.

[donjuanss]

I did that to one battery then put a battery cut off switch in place. I just disconnect the battery during long connection to shore power. works great for me.

[milzat]

I second a Bad Battery. The battery could have go bad because of a bad(or poor quality) charger.

[Herk7769]

You still need to get that battery fixed/replaced ASAP even if you always camp with hookups. The battery also powers your emergency brakes on the camper when you tow.

[Steve09]

Having battery checked today,,I didn't know it helped power your emer-brake though,,I should not have left it on threw the winter,,Just came back from camping and it was fine just pluged in to shore after I unhooked one side of battery,, Can it hurt the charger if its not hooked up to battery when your pluged in to shore power? thanks

[Herk7769]

The "on board" battery throws the brakes on when the breakaway pin is pulled if your camper disconnects while you are driving.

That battery NEEDS to have a pretty good charge to keep the brakes "on" hard till you can get chocks in before the battery quits.

[KyDan]

You should be ok on shore power with or without a battery.

[Herk7769]

While it is true that everything in the camper (12VDC and 110 AC) will work using shore power or generator, you will still need a functional battery for driving home (except in a greater emergency like no auto stores where you are camping). Should you get stopped and checked by the troopers, without a good battery your camper will not pass inspection and you could be ticketed. IMO it is also very unsafe.

I certainly would not LEAVE home without a solid battery.

[08flagvlite]

Also, the provided converters in these campers are designed to operate with a battery. Most equipment in the camper is 12v, converted down from the converter's 120v shore power input, or generator. I believe you will eventually burn up the converter, causing an expensive replacement. I'm also for using a good battery. Randy

[KyDan]

Some new campers come without a battery.
I really think you should contact the manufacturer of your
power center to see if it's OK to be without one.

[NWJeeper]

Originally Posted by 08flagvlite

Also, the provided converters in these campers are designed to operate with a battery. Most equipment in the camper is 12v, converted down from the converter's 120v shore power input, or generator. I believe you will eventually burn up the converter, causing an expensive replacement. I'm also for using a good battery. Randy

New converters while not being great chargers are NOT damaged by removing the batteries. If you read the instructions for them they will say the same thing. This is one of those urban legends that keeps being propagated and isn't true, just like you shouldn't leave batteries on a concrete floor.

The converters only put out the amperage needed by the rig. If the charger isn't requiring any to charge the batteries then they just suspend their output to what is actually needed by the rig at the time, such as the electronics in the LP detector, fridge, etc.

[Steve09]

Well thanks everyone for their imput,,Battery is bad,,didn't even read much on there meter,,I will get another one also. I hope I haven't damaged the inverter/charger,Thanks alot,,,,,

[Herk7769]

The need for the battery while towing is still valid in any case. The only campers that could possibly "come without one" are so light as to not require trailer brakes at all. (1500 pounds or less in CA for example).

[NWJeeper]

Originally Posted by Steve09

Well thanks everyone for their imput,,Battery is bad,,didn't even read much on there meter,,I will get another one also. I hope I haven't damaged the inverter/charger,Thanks alot,,,,,

Steve, I wouldn't be worried about the converter/charger (an inverter changes 12vdc to 120vac) They have fuses on them to guard against such problems. If it isn't putting out voltage after you install a new battery, check the fuses on the converter output.

[KyDan]

Originally Posted by herk7769

. The only campers that could possibly "come without one" are so light as to not require trailer brakes at all. (1500 pounds or less in CA for example).

Not trying to start an argument but some campers come
without a battery! It's considered an option.
If the purchaser is going to place the camper on
a permanent site and not tow it, why would they want
a battery? (yeah I know so they can have lights during
a power failure....)

My first camper which weighed 3000+ lbs did not
come with one. Also it's not unusual for a camper
to sit on the lot for months and or years. If it had
a battery it would be dead and quite possibly ruined.
They don't -all- have batteries!

[Herk7769]

Just trying (and perhaps failing) to help.

If you would prefer driving around without a battery, have at it.

As to the converter charger, I can only tell you my experience with the installed WFC-8900 Charger Converter installed in our Flagstaff.

The TM-2025 battery monitor shows that the net power flow (with shore power hooked up) is FROM the battery initially when the lights are turned on. After a bit the power flow reverses as the WFC detects the change in battery voltage and switches modes.

The three modes/stages of operation include:

Absorption mode/Normal operation

Nominal battery charge and supplies power to appliances

Bulk mode/Charge mode

Fast battery charge and supplies power to appliances

Float mode/Trickle charge

Trickle battery charge during storage

Absorption Mode:

During this mode, the converter output is in the 13.6 Vdc range. This is the normal operation mode. This mode provides the 12 Vdc and current required by the 12 Vdc RV appliances, as well as slow charging the battery.

Bulk Mode:

When the converter senses that the RV system voltage is less than 13.2 Vdc (equivalent to less than 50% of battery charge) the converter will automatically go into the “Bulk mode.” In this mode, the output voltage of the converter will switch to 14.4 Vdc for a maximum of four hours. If the converter cycles between “Absorption and Bulk
mode,” there could be a shorted battery cell or other issues. If the output voltage drops below 13.2 Vdc, the converter automatically changes to a “Bulk mode” 14.4 Vdc (unless the converter is in overload condition).

There are two signs of an overloaded converter:
Low output voltage, and full converter fold back or shutdown. In both cases, the converter will automatically turn ON, once the complete load is removed. For low output condition, removing the extra (over the current rating) load will be sufficient. If it is impractical to remove all the load, resetting the main breaker will have the same effect.

Float Mode:

If the RV is not being used for approximately 48 hours, with a “no load” condition and the shore power is plugged in, the converter will automatically go in to the “Float mode.” In this mode, the converter is charging the battery with a trickle voltage of 13.2 Vdc.
When the converter senses a demand (by turning on lights), the converter automatically returns to the “Absorption mode” 13.6 Vdc.