Batteries running down early. What did you do?

Ted

Ted

Magellan
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Ted,

I'm not sure if I had battery problems. I think the fridge was just using more power than the 100W solar could supply. My attempted fix was to improve the fridge efficiency by increasing air flow around the condenser coil and loading the fridge to increase the thermal mass.

I haven't had any extended trips lately to test the fix but I'll find out in Baja in March.
 
I do not yet have a fix, and I don't know if its a battery issue, frig issue, or something else. My last two trips to Death Valley, one last week, my frig stopped working completely on the 4th night. This with 2 lights showing, driving several hours each day, and sun. In over 2 years of ownership I would say I have not yet had a single "normal" trip when I was not fighting the electric system after 3/4 days. In about 50 nights of use I've probably used my lights for a total of 10 minutes, and have not used the internal 12v plugs to charge my camera and computer batteries. Seeing how quickly the system drains, I'm afraid to use anything.

FWC looked at it last year for a week and they did not find anything wrong. I just dropped it off today at American RV Company in Azusa. Hopefully they can find something. My fear is that everything will "test" ok in the shop again, but in the field it is not working. I spent A LOT of money for the double batteries and solar. I assumed with a little driving each day and sun, that I would be self sufficient for weeks or more, not just a couple of days. This was the entire basis of my purchase and I've yet to experience this.
 
My issue was the same as Ted's. The 110L 2-way fridge wasn't vented properly and FWC corrected it by sealing around the fridge it the inside and venting the coils to the outside. Haven't been in real hot conditions yet but it's so much better. I can go about a week without any external charge, running the truck or plugging into shore power.
 
Those two lights really don't mean anything. Knowing the battery voltage is only part of the solution. Strongly suggest installing a true battery monitor like the Bogart Engrg Tri-Metric. The install is fairly simple process. To get much from it you will need to spend some time reading both the install guide and the users guide. After finally setting mine up completely (procrastination) I'm amazed at how much more at ease I am with the whole system.

http://www.bogartengineering.com/

http://www.panther-rvproducts.com/Battery-Monitors_c520.htm
 
Not exactly apples to oranges but in my Flippac I had a TF130, propex heater, 4 LED light fixture, CPAP running off a single group 31 Sears Platinum battery. It was charge by a 130w solar panel when stationary and alternator when moving. I would get down to 82% of charge over night
but get back up to nearly 100% by the time the following night rolled around when stationary. As mentioned before the blown fuses are the key. A screw could have nicked a hot lead or unprotected wire chaffed through.
FWC wiring - no chafe protection and unprotected wiring.



Cheers
 
I'd get an ammeter in series with the battery, make sure nothing is running and see if theres any parasitic draw that shouldn't be there.
 
Do you have a battery seperator or isolator? If the truck battery is going south a seperator is might not get much To the camper battery. Get a volt meter To watch both while driving. You can wire some in the cab and watch while driving. Btw a isolator will charge both batterys at the same time.
 
The Tri-Metric meter that I linked above is both a voltmeter and ammeter as well was a battery SoC indicator. It uses a 500A shunt, so the meter can be put pretty much anywhere that you want. Only the shunt and the wires between it and the meter need to be near the batteries.
 
I had the exact same experience and it looks like I have the same setup you do. A 90 watt panel going into 2 group 24 batteries all installed by FWC in a brand new 2013 Hawk. After the second day on a 21 day Baja trip the frig stopped keeping cold and the batteries never went above half full. All the food was spoiled and the frig was useless for the rest of the trip. I used one of those cheap foam coolers, knowing I had left several high end Yeti coolers at home.
Once home I rewired the cord that connects the camper to the truck alternator and it has worked fairly well ever since. Keep in mind that after a couple of days or even one day in cloudy conditions the batteries start to get low.
Incidentally this is the second thing that FWC hadn't wired correctly at the factory, the battery/water monitor was DOA, they sent me new one that worked a couple of weeks later.
 
bsharp007 said:
I had the exact same experience and it looks like I have the same setup you do. A 90 watt panel going into 2 group 24 batteries all installed by FWC in a brand new 2013 Hawk. After the second day on a 21 day Baja trip the frig stopped keeping cold and the batteries never went above half full. All the food was spoiled and the frig was useless for the rest of the trip. I used one of those cheap foam coolers, knowing I had left several high end Yeti coolers at home.
Once home I rewired the cord that connects the camper to the truck alternator and it has worked fairly well ever since. Keep in mind that after a couple of days or even one day in cloudy conditions the batteries start to get low.
Incidentally this is the second thing that FWC hadn't wired correctly at the factory, the battery/water monitor was DOA, they sent me new one that worked a couple of weeks later.
Click to expand...
bsharp007, what was wrong with the cable to the alternator and how did you detect that?
 
My batteries were two Optima blue tops bought at Sam's about 16 months ago. Finally got them tested last week. One was completely dead and dragging down the whole system. Returned them to Sam's for a full refund (Impressed by that) and bought the Diehard Group 31 AGM from Sears that seems to be popular. Went camping in cold weather for a test. Left the heater set high and the fridge running all night. Still had a green light in the morning. That has never happened before. Wish I had done this a long time ago.
 
I pretty much guessed, I figured it had to be since I wasn't getting a charge even after a couple of days of 8 hour drives and got to camp to find the batteries less then half charged. The cord that connects the camper to the plug in the bed of the truck was wired half assed by FWC, after taking off all the electrical tape, I rewired a new plug and its bomber, it seems to have solved the problem, I have probably been on at least another 30 days camping since and the refrigerator seems to keep up.
I'm still a little POed at FWC about the wasted food on that trip and having to buy a new plug as well as rewire the battery/water level monitor myself.
That one amazes me because it shows that FWC never even bothered to push the button on the monitor to see if it worked before I drove away.
I also think on that trip having two kayaks on top of the roof may have limited the solar panels ability to keep up, we also had fairly warm weather and at one point my batteries went almost completely dead. We had to turn off the refrigerator for the rest of the trip.
 
Great thread and after I year I need to get active posting my trip reports.

Need some help and advice. I have a 2013 FLEET on a TACOMA with 2 aux batteries. I have been suffering LOW POWER after 3 days. I do not have solar. Latest trip was a three day 1500 mile run from San Diego to Kansas (10+ hours driving a day) with only the 2 way refer running, no camping. I started out with 4 red indicators and by the third day I was down to 1/3 and the low voltage red light in the fridge was flashing. Over the past year of owning the FLEET about half the trips I've suffered through low power I called FWC and their advice was to check the batter fuze, connections...etc.
I charged up in Kansas and was able to knock out a 4 day trip through the Colorado 550, Yankee Boy and Moab area (trip report to follow) before was out of juice again. Back home again and after reading several threads I've done the following:

Checked all connections and polarity....good to go. Made the following measurements after a full shore power charge followed by running the refer for 12 hours off shore power.

- ENG OFF ENG OFF with fridge running ENG ON ENG ON with FRIDGE running
Truck Battery 12.77V 12,77V 14.02V 14.02V
1314
Main 12.77V 12.77V 13.94V 13.87V
AUX 12.76V 12.52V 12.76V 12.52V
AUX BAT TERMs 12.78V 12.57V 12.78V 12.58V

I then removed the connection to AUX BATTERIES and measured the voltage
ENG OFF
TRUCK BAT: 13.25V
AUX BAT 13.25V
While conducting that test I heard the islolator click and voltage went to zero.
I then removed the isolator and went direct to the truck battery....voltages were similar to above table.

The last symptom is the isolator is always hot (not just warm) when the truck is running or on shore power.

Tried calling the 1314 manufacture but can't get through. So......I have several questions for the forum:
> Any one had problems with the 1314 not cycling?
> Based on my measurements, I suspect that the 1314 is the problem.
> Thoughts about using a diode based isolation? .I'm less than thrilled with the heat that the 1314 generates. Any suggestions on manufacture of a diode based isolator?

Of course my warranty ran out in FEB so this is my problem,. I was on my way to FWC from Yosemite last fall after suffering the same problem and then all of a sudden I had full power. Thought is was my lack of power management...wish I had spent the gas $ then to get it checked out.

Thoughts, comments, ideas appreciated.

Thanks - SLEDAWG
-
 
Batteries
Recently I learned there is only one battery still made in America. Rest including the Optima are manuf in Mexico with some using recycled plates which is causing the batteries to fail more often.

Johnson Controls has manuf plants in the US and Mexico. Rumours are most of the batteries are made in Mexico. Johnson is negotiating with China. Some of the Mexico batteries are made with re-cycled plates.

My mechanic told me this and Offroad Warehouse corroborated on the Optima.

The manufacture in America is: ........ "Deka" http://www.dekabatteries.com/

Besides Deka, there is Delphi, Johnson Controls and Exide. Delphi sold itself to Johnson Controls in 2006.

"Johnson controls makes some or all of these batteries .
Acura, Advance Auto Parts, Autocraft, Western Auto, Tough One, Alliance, American Hardware, Ames, Varta, Blains Farm & Fleet, Battery Alliance, Bosch, Carrefour(Europe), Champion, Amara Raja Batteries LTD(Joint venture with Johnson Controls India).
Varta, Optima Batteries, LTH, and Heliar are all battery manufactures owned by Johnson Controls.
Johnson Controls supplies Ford Motor company, Diamler Chrysler, Honda, Toyota, Nissan, and Isuzu with original equipment batteries. So next time you go and buy a battery, or a automobile chances are its a battery made by Johnson Controls."

Costco distributes"
Costco, batteries labled Everyready, Champion, there store branded Kirkland (hecho en Mexico), and more recently, Interstate.

Exide and Johnson Controls make Sears Die-hard

I have "heard" from my mechanic friends that the first time the battery fails it will be swapped out. The second time they want to blame the alternator, or your wiring system. This has only been a problem for the last year or so. The battery in our 06 Honda died last fall and I replaced it with the Deka. Triple AAA jumped it and was willing to sell me a "made in Mexico" battery....I declined.
 
Not sure if this is relevant but I wanted to share this story.

Last week three buddies and I did a 1450 mile trip for a bachelor party. Basically fly fishing the rivers in Nor Cal. When I left Redding one evening after fishing we headed to the McCloud River and my batteries were about 70%. The solar panels were shaded all day and never fully charged the batteries. The few hours it took to get there only charged my dual batteries up to 78%. My 160 watt solar panel can charge the batteries from 70% to 100% in 5-6 hours easily!

I need to see if there's an issue with the plug that connects the camper to the truck.
 
Edited my battery comments as follows

"Recently I learned there is only one battery still made in America. Rest including the Optima are manuf in Mexico with some using recycled plates which is causing the batteries to fail more often.

Johnson Controls has manuf plants in the US and Mexico. Rumours are most of the batteries are made in Mexico. Johnson is negotiating with China. Some of the Mexico batteries are made with re-cycled plates."

The Mexico problem has been happening last 1-2 years.
 
The "Mexico problem", with regard to Optima's, goes back much further than that.

Didn't see Odyssey or Trojan listed, wonder where theirs are made?
 
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