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Thread: RV Camping; Tips, tricks & repairs

  1. #1201
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    I usually charge my trailer batteries with this old Motomaster charger from Canadian tire that does 12v/6amp or 12v/2amp charging and I have 210 amps battery so I charge it with the 6amp option but ive noticed that even though the meter says its 100% if i put the fridge on the night before a trip when I load up the next morning my battery is at 50% the fridge is only drawing 2 amps per hour. Also this motomaster charger meter seems to just move around everytime I pickup the charger to look at it. Anyway long story short I took a black and decker charger with me this time and connected it to the plug in my boler and directly to the battery, what I didnt realize was that the black and decker charger charges at 1.2amps and so I ended up running out of charge and my fridge turned off.

    Looking for battery charger recommendations please:

    I currently have this one in my cart on amazon but havent bought yet:


    LST 12V 5A Automatic Battery Charger Maintainer Smart Deep Cycle Trickle Charger for Automotive Car Boat Motorcycle Lawn Mower RV SLA ATV AGM Gel Cell Wet& Flooded Lead Acid Battery

  2. #1202
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    I'd check with a voltmeter to see if you are actually getting a full charge on your battery. Could also potentially need a new battery, if you frequently discharge the battery below 50% capacity you can do permanent damage to the batteries. I'm running a fridge, water pump, lights, small inverter, fans for 24hrs and not even reaching 50% capacity on my 6V's.

  3. #1203
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    Got two 12 V brand new batteries last year. I went on a trip to edmonton 2 weeks ago for 3 days - batteries lasted the whole time and still were 50% or more full when we came back. Im only running a fridge on them. This time I was only charging with the trickle charger and while driving and I think that perhaps I didnt charge enough.

    I also checked with a volt meter after they had drained and the voltage was 11.88V I checked after leaving the trickle charger on for the whole night and the fridge off and it came up to 12.1 this was before we left to go home. I should check the voltage before we leave I think its supposed to be 12.88 - I wish there was a way to check how many amps the batteries have.
    Last edited by nzwasp; 07-15-2019 at 11:19 AM.

  4. #1204
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    Full "resting" charge is 12.8v. Charge while charging should be higher than 13.4v for sure, and most chargers get to 14v+ during the cycle.
    12.1v is very low.

    Many vehicles don't charge much at all while driving.

    You don't need a fancy charger for your trailer, but your batteries can take a lot of amps if your charger can supply it. Even my 7.5A charger takes many hours to charge my batteries if I have them out of the trailer.

    Post a pic of your "old" charger. A decent smart charger is a good investment and can be used on your cars too.
    Last edited by ExtraSlow; 07-15-2019 at 01:45 PM.

  5. #1205
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    My old charger
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    I just tested it with a multimeter and its putting out 12.29v

  6. #1206
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    Get a proper "mutistage" or "smart" or "microprocessor controlled" charger. They charge faster and will take care of your batteries better. That one could fry your batteries of left on too long.

    Canadian tire has a sale on the noco genius ones right now.
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    Last edited by ExtraSlow; 07-15-2019 at 03:05 PM.

  7. #1207
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    Keep in mind that you should be charging these at 10-15% of their total AH. For 6V/Dual 12V Setups this means charging them at 20+ Amps. Smart chargers are highly recommended, they need that 14.6-14.8V during the bulk charge to really keep their lifespan.

  8. #1208
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    Unsure where I would be able to get a 12v charger that puts out 20 amps. Even the more expensive one above only does 7.2 amp

  9. #1209
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    You can charge at lower amps, just takes a lot longer.

    Most trailers with batteries charge when plugged in to shore power using the onboard converter. Those are very high amperage.

    Although you can buy those noco genius up to 26A and Motomaster has a "nautilus" one that does up to 15A.
    Last edited by ExtraSlow; 07-15-2019 at 04:26 PM.

  10. #1210
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    Ordered a starting capacitor for my AC unit today, read some great reviews about it, a cheap upgrade for easier starts when running the AC from a generator.

    https://www.amazon.ca/Supco-SPP6-Har...gateway&sr=8-3

  11. #1211
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    I'm running the micro air easy start, which is a capacitor and a buncha other stuff. Can run my 15k AC on 2000w generator.

  12. #1212
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    I got the nautilus one - the $270 for the other one that ran at 25 amps was a bit much especially considering its reviews. Also I swapped out my wiring harness today from the one that wasnt working properly - easiest 30 mins job Ive ever done.

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    The previous harness was just marette'd together for all the cables, cant believe how much money ive spent over the years for wiring on this thing (probably easily $500).

  13. #1213
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    Now let's see if your batteries are fucked or not. I'm still betting they are......

  14. #1214
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    How would I know if they were or not, ie they wouldnt charge?

    If your battery is:

    Reading 0 volts, chances are the battery experienced a short circuit
    Cannot reach higher than 10.5 volts when being charged, then the battery has a dead cell
    Fully charged (according to the battery charger) but the voltage is 12.4 or less, the battery is sulfated

    Im guessing the last one since the first two arent the case.

  15. #1215
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    Disconnect your batteries from the trailer. Charge them separately to full charge, no matter how long that takes. Could be 24h+ for large deep cycle batteries with smaller amperage chargers.
    Then leave each to sit for 24-48h and measure voltage. If resting voltage of fully charged battery with no draw is under 12.8v, the battery is damaged.


    There are better amperage tests that can tell you more. But that test I described is the easiest thing for an individual to do at home.

    If you suspect damaged battery, charge it fully and take it back to where you bought it for further testing and warranty replacement.

    Are your batteries sealed or not? Most deep cycle batteries need you to add distilled water a few times a year.

  16. #1216
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    They are AGM sealed batteries

  17. #1217
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    Oh. You can ignore my comments about water and actually, maybe my comments about voltages too. I know nearly nothing about AGM, aside from the fact they are different. You should check if that new charger you bought today is AGM compatible. I know my NOCO has an AGM setting. No idea what's different about that.

  18. #1218
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    Quote Originally Posted by ExtraSlow View Post
    This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
    Oh. You can ignore my comments about water and actually, maybe my comments about voltages too. I know nearly nothing about AGM, aside from the fact they are different. You should check if that new charger you bought today is AGM compatible. I know my NOCO has an AGM setting. No idea what's different about that.
    Says it works I think I’m going to charge them out of the trailer though because that charger is unknown to me, it has a fan and it smelt a bit in the trailer even though agm batteries aren’t supposed to off gas I think it was more to do with the new charger. The batteries in bolers live under the seat which is why I have sealed agm batteries for the safety aspect

  19. #1219
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    Right right. Charger itself may be smelling while it heats up the first few times.

  20. #1220
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    So, anyone who remembers all my posts about my lippert / schwintek slide not working right. It seems fixed and I'm embarrassed to say what I did. Step 1, lubricate as shown in multiple lippert videos with ptfe spray. Step 2, "retime" the motors using procedure shown in multiple lippert factory videos.

    So that's it, some lube and hitting the slide extend switch a few times, and it works better than it ever did from the factory. I actually don't think it was lubed when new at all.

    Amazing, stupid, awful and awesome all at once.

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