Battery check--why don't I ever have to add battery water?

[Kistler]

Have owned my tt for almost 2 years now and check the battery water and I never have to add water.

Am all prepared with my wife's old turkey baster and distilled water and I check every few months and the level never changes.

Is this normal? Tucson is pretty low humidity most of the time; I don't get it.

[davidz71]

You must be charging your batteries correctly and water, which condenses on the inside of the caps, is being returned to the battery. Overcharging leads to boiling off of the battery acid/liquid.

[Kistler]

Thank you Craig, I gotta "D" in Physics in HS and did not take Chemistry.

Appreciate your reply.

Kistler Ryan
Tucson

[uwe]

I second Craig's post.
Newish trailer, newish battery, near perfect charging system.

[Kistler]

And thank you, Uwe, for seconding that!

K

[davidz71]

One thing I did before buying new batteries was to "bone up" on Battery Maintenance 101. I studied the different types of batteries and was thinking that four Trojan 6 volt batteries would be the ideal way to go due to extra amp hr ratings. I learned that they made special caps that allowed the water to condense on the inside and it was returned to the supply. I would have never thought about that. All I had to do was look at my two battery compartments on the front of the trailer and knew that there was no way I could fit four 6 volt batteries on the tongue because my disc brake booster and other components were there. Oh well.

I opted to buy two of the 105 amp hr. grp 27 batteries (found that not all of the grp 27's fit) and do the best job of charging them right. I have since found that I could have used two Trojan 12 volt batteries rated at 115 amp hours but that is OK. I have had good luck with the 1 amp BatteryMinder product so I ordered the 4 amp model and hooked it up several days ago. I sure am sold on what it does.

[Kistler]

Craig, that is really a pretty Excella you have. Envious here

K

[davidz71]

Thanks for the comments. Now that most of my garden is in, I can start polishing her so that she is better than when I picked her up in AZ.

[gklott]

Just checked our batteries after the first 10 months. Ok, but slightly less of a level than I normally have in marine batteries.

Added about 1-2 oz. per cell to bring them up to slightly below the bottom of "tubes" going down inside the battery, which is about 1/4 to 1/2 in. above the plates. Seems to be about what everyone recommends. A little bit more is better than not enough.

Figured that's not bad for the first year, and I doubt I will need to add much more.

73/gus