Sir Traveller Posted February 5, 2021 Report Share Posted February 5, 2021 Hello Everyone… I have a 2003 Ford F-53 RV I usually stay hooked up to shore power for 6 months, then leave the RV in storage for the other 6 months … So after 3 years of this schedule the chassis battery died even though I was hooked up for months , and now the deep cycle batteries are leaking .. (I did replace the starting battery ) What are my options in this case to increase the longevity of both the starting and house batteries? (Since the charging system is built in) disconnect from the shore power for few minutes every day? For few hours every week? Should I remove the negative terminal from the starting battery even when hooked to shore power? If so then how often? Take into consideration that my fridge and microwave work only when connected to shore power… I do not know much about how electric systems work so that is why I ask all these details to make sure I get it right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaydrvr Posted February 5, 2021 Report Share Posted February 5, 2021 (edited) The first step is to check the chargers. If they're not "smart", they'll just keep pushing excess charge into the batteries until they're fried. A "smart charger" will taper off and stop charging as it detects the batteries achieve full charge. I suspect that's what happened to your batteries. A premium smart charger can help your batteries last a long time. I had a boat battery on a smart charger that still worked after 20 plus years. Jay Edited February 6, 2021 by Jaydrvr Clarity Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk W Posted February 5, 2021 Report Share Posted February 5, 2021 I lift the negative cable from my wet cell batteries and attach a float charger to them while in storage. You can find a nice selection of them on Amazon. Mine is by Schumacher. Quote Good travelin !...............KirkFull-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray,IN Posted February 6, 2021 Report Share Posted February 6, 2021 My reply disappeared; here is the main point. Check your lead acid battery charging rate, the recommended charging rate is 10% of total battery capacity. Suppose you have 1 chassis battery and 2 coach batteries, each with a 100A capacity, 300A X 10% = 30A. Higher charge rates may result in boiling away the electrolyte and shortened battery life. In extreme cases warped plates may occur, which results in shorting out the cell. Quote 2000 Winnebago Ultimate Freedom USQ40JD, ISC 8.3 Cummins 350, Spartan MM Chassis. USA IN 1SG retired;Good Sam Life member,FMCA ." And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country. John F. Kennedy 20 Jan 1961 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJohns Posted February 6, 2021 Report Share Posted February 6, 2021 What is the brand and model of charger on the rig? Quote 2002 Beaver Marquis Emerald C-12 Cat 505 HP 2014 Volvo 630 D-13 I Shift SOLD 2017 New Horizons SOLD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaydrvr Posted February 6, 2021 Report Share Posted February 6, 2021 With the proper charger, there's no need to ever disconnect your batteries. As emphasised here, the basic dumb charger will boil your batteries and destroy them. Jay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Traveller Posted February 16, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2021 Many thanks to all, all of your comments have been helpful.. I will start by checking what type of a charger installed in My RV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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