colet581 Posted June 20, 2020 Report Share Posted June 20, 2020 Hello All, I am new to the forum so please bare with me and I'll try to make it quick My wife and I are full timers and reside in a 2019 Sanibel 3402 and are park hosts in Texas, we have been on shore power for the past 3 months with no issues, Recently I noticed that when I turn on my main living area led lights my battery indicator reads 1/3rd charged but when those particular lights are off it shows full, would anybody have an idea of what might cause this. Im thinking converter. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Second Chance Posted June 20, 2020 Report Share Posted June 20, 2020 If you're talking about an LED battery indicator with three or four lights, they're not exactly a precision instrument and I would first verify that you can trust what it's telling you. Do all the 12 volt devices seem to operate normally (LED lights come on and are bright, controls on RV frig and ACs working OK, etc.)? Have you bumped your battery cut-off switch accidentally and taken your battery off-line? If you have a digital voltmeter, take readings at the battery terminals. A fully charged 12 volt lead-acid battery should measure about 12/6 - 12/9 volts and about 11.4 volts when fully discharged. Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
remoandiris Posted June 20, 2020 Report Share Posted June 20, 2020 Another indicator that your converter is not working properly is to run your slides in/out. If they move slower than normal, there is a good chance your converter is going out. As for checking your batteries, make sure you disconnect the cables when you put the voltmeter on them. Otherwise, they may be getting some power from the converter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VagabondKen Posted June 21, 2020 Report Share Posted June 21, 2020 What you are probably seeing is the voltage drop caused by the lights and the meter being on the same line. If so, it means nothing. The standard battery indicator meter is useless. As was mentioned earlier, you need to use a voltmeter. And even that is not accurate. If you plan to boondock, you will need a meter that has a shunt. About $200. I don't know why modern RVs don't come with one. If you are not going to boondock more than 48 hours, don't worry about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colet581 Posted June 23, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2020 Thanks for all the replies and sorry for the late response, I do have a meter and I checked my battery (group 27 12V DC) it measured 12V. If Im not mistaken that amount of charge would be low, possibly at 25%. So before I go any further I need to make sure the battery is still good, and yes I am trying to get setup to boondock at some point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colet581 Posted June 23, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2020 Oh and Second Chance, everything else seems to normal as far as the electrical is concerned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray,IN Posted June 24, 2020 Report Share Posted June 24, 2020 Have the battery load-tested, most battery stores do it free. Make sure the plates in each cell are covered with acid solution first. If the solution is below the plates, they might be warped, which ruins the battery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
57becky Posted June 29, 2020 Report Share Posted June 29, 2020 If you are planning to start boondocking, you might as well plan on at least two batteries and maybe even four. You might also consider 6 volt golf cart type batteries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray,IN Posted June 29, 2020 Report Share Posted June 29, 2020 I assume you've check liquid level in the batteries already? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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