House (not starting) Battery

[ben322]

Another thing to keep in mind after you spend a lot on batteries is that the Tripplite inverter/charger cannot be plugged in continuously or you'll boil your new batteries. I had mine on a timer before I changed over to the Magnum inverter/charger which is designed to properly maintain expensive Lifeline batteries. I bought my 6CT's from Best RV Supply which competively priced and were drop shipped from Lifeline.

[aa9zz]

What periods did you use with your timer? I was thinking the same thing.

[ben322]

I had the timer set for about an hour three days week while parked and closely checked the voltage for a couple of weeks to make sure they weren't being over charged. That was the winter regimen but now with the Magnum, I leave it plugged in 24/7.

[73shark]

With everything turned off, the solar panel keeps my batteries charged.

[UKDUDE]

Originally Posted by aa9zz

What periods did you use with your timer? I was thinking the same thing.

If - with the Tripplite - you're wondering how to manage your batteries over long periods of not using your Interstate, then a simple alternative is to get a smart charger which essentially has the same charging functions as the Magnum.

When my AI was new I read the paragraph in the manual which erroneously states "DO NOT leave the vehicle continually plugged in and unattended while in storage."
So I bought a CTEK Multi US 7002, connected it up - and it did the job perfectly. It even has a temperature sensor to compensate for hot days, etc. And then I realized the Magnum on my unit can do the exactly same thing, so I now leave it plugged in at home.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by UKDUDE

So I bought a CTEK Multi US 7002, connected it up - and it did the job perfectly. It even has a temperature sensor to compensate for hot days, etc.

I thought temperature compensation was for cold days. As a battery gets cold, the voltage drops due to slowing of the chemical reactions in the battery. That drop in voltage can cause a non-temperature-compensated charger to mistakenly believe that the battery is low, and overcharge the danged thing trying to bring it up to a voltage it can't reach at that temperature.

[lewster]

Actually when a battery is cold it requires more voltage and when hot, less voltage. The basic charging voltages that are referred to on a regular basis are for 77*F ( or 25*C).

The Lifeline tech manual that is available on their web site has a nice graph of voltage vs. temperature.


Lew Farber
RVIA/RVDA Nationally Certified Master Tech
Master Tech Energy Systems, Inc.
AM Solar Certified Installation Center
Lifeline Batteries**Magnum Inverters
541-490-6357

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by lewster

Actually when a battery is cold it requires more voltage and when hot, less voltage.

I was referring to battery voltage dropping in cold weather, not charging voltage.

[UKDUDE]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

I thought temperature compensation was for cold days. As a battery gets cold, the voltage drops due to slowing of the chemical reactions in the battery. That drop in voltage can cause a non-temperature-compensated charger to mistakenly believe that the battery is low, and overcharge the danged thing trying to bring it up to a voltage it can't reach at that temperature.

Yes, you're right Protag, but I inserted a little "etc" in my sentence to also cover the cold scenario

[paullovern]

These guys treated me pretty well - http://www.powerstridebattery.com/

[aa9zz]

I installed the Life line batteries yesterday and they fit well into my battery box (2010 Airstream) with just one issue. There is plenty of height but the batteries are slightly taller and the straps that hold then in place were just slightly too short. The holder in mine are straps about three inches wide and fit from a holding tray holding each battery in place to the side of the box. There is one for each battery.

Had I known, I would have fashioned an extension, possibly a wire or coat hanger to hold it into place.

Because of the time of day and location of the Airstream I had to complete the job without clamping them down fully and will have to take out the seats again (a very easy two man job) and open the box again to hold them in place.

I would suggest having a number of wrench sizes and sockets (I used at least four sizes) ready as well as a drill to drill a hole in the strap to connect a wire to lengthen the strap.

The whole process took me about four hours because I was not prepared with the proper tools and I did it alone. Take a friend and you can do it in an hour or slightly more.

Let me know how you end up fastening the units.

Phil