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Old 08-11-2008, 01:20 PM   #1
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Battery life

Our dear Lucy is a 2005 25FB that we purchased new on June 1, 2006. At time of purchased our Airstream Dealer installed two brand new Interstate Marine/RV Deep Cycle Batteries.

Here we are 2+ years later. We have pulled Lucy 33,000+ miles and have spent almost 300 nights in her. These batteries have not given us any problems whatsoever.

What can I expect in the service life of these original batteries? Is there a way to test them that will give some indication of their remaining service life?

We are preparing to take a six week Western trip right after Labor Day. We are trying to avoid any problems on the road, and I got to thinking about Lucy's batteries.

I am also looking for recommendations for new replacement batteries. We do some boondocking, but have a pair of Honda 2000's to keep the batteries charged.

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Old 08-11-2008, 03:38 PM   #2
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I would think you should be fine. My thought is you have a few to maybe 3 good years left. Alot depends on storage. Last time I replaced mine were in 1998. My sons and I went hunting for 1 week. Ran them dead everynight charged um back up with the truck. They still seem good. I dont care for it like I should cuz I keep expecting to replace them in the spring. If they are a good battery you should be fine. I have Castle brand. I was told to pick up the battery Before I buy it and choose the heaviest 1. I did I was told it has thicker lead plates in it. Napa makes a good 1 to
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Old 08-11-2008, 03:49 PM   #3
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Mosetags,
I had to replace the original Interstate batteries in our '06 half way trough the season this year. One of them boiled, so I replaced both. I don't understand why one boiled. I am fanatical about keeping the electrolytes topped off and I periodically put them on a good trickle charger. And they are always removed during the winter and placed in a warm basement and charged every other week.

I think a battery warehouse should be able to place your batteries on a load tester to tell you how far gone your batteries are.
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Old 08-11-2008, 03:55 PM   #4
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Here in Florida, 2-3 years is about it for batteries. If yours are 2+ years old, and yo are going on an extended trip, I would seriously consider replacing them as a preventative measure. I replaced the battery in our coach early this year, the battery that was in there was just over 2 years old.
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Old 08-11-2008, 04:35 PM   #5
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I replace mine every 3-4 years after learning the hard way. Heat can kill quickly.
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Old 08-11-2008, 04:37 PM   #6
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Boil Over is from over chargeing. I had an old univolt that did that but I cought it in time. I switched to the blue univolt , the old 1 was tan I must have gotten lucky so far on the age of my batteries
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Old 08-11-2008, 05:24 PM   #7
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Moose.

I have a Safari 30 bought from Ol Bates RV July 06, and just had to replace my batteries. I do think however despite what they told me, these batteries sat on the lot for the year and a half the trailer did. Mine were the Interstate deep cycle, one was still good and the other sulfated despite my best maintenance. We we fixing to leave to Wyoming for three weeks and I replaced before my trip.

Oh, by the way Optima has the blue tops with a 25 dollar rebate each until August 31, thats what I replaced them with. I seem to have much better amp hours I like the anti corrosion element they feature. I have an optima in my 01 Suburban that is 7 years old!!
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Old 08-11-2008, 07:14 PM   #8
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It's my opinion (I'm a battery shop owner) that Optima's are not the best choice for use in deep cycle service...they are only 55 amp hour rated, while flooded cell deep cycle batteries of the same size (10 inch long) have about a 90 amp hour rating....the larger the amp hour rating, the longer you can run your stuff!

If you are after a sealed battery similar to the Optima, look for an AGM type...they are rated at about 75 amp hours, but cost at least twice as much as flooded cell types.

Corrosion of flooded cell types should not be a problem if you keep the terminals clean and coat them with any grease type product that will keep the the oxygen away...vasaline even works, or any one of the flexible type products sold for coating battery terminals.

I've used flooded cell batteries for years and years in all my stuff without any real corrosion problems...but I do try to take care of them, and actually LOOK at them every couple of months...that's the real 'secret' of long lasting battery banks - don't neglect them - you change the oil in your TV's engine to make it last longer, why not your battery system as well????

I usually advise customers in my battery shop the their new deep cycle batteries, if cared for properly will have a useful service life of 4-6 years.

There is no real test that I've heard of that can predict the remaining useful service life of a lead-acid type battery...If you notice that your stuff isn't running as long as usual, it's time to think about replacement.

As to the 'boiling' comments...if your battery has a shorted cell, you then have a 10 volt battery, and your 12 volt charger will 'boil' the fluid from the remaining cells...or possibly, you have an older type charger that doesn't have a 'float' setting, and if you're plugged into shore power all the time, your charge will eventually 'boil' the fluid away!

Sorry gang, 99% of the battery problems I see are due to negelect...bad connections, frayed or undersized cables, dirty battery tops, with road crud, low fluid level, overcharging, or no charge at all for months, etc, etc.

If there is a real 'warranty' type mfg. problem with a battery, it will usually show up quickly when placed in service....after that, it's up to we users the take care of them properly to get a long service life.
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Old 08-11-2008, 07:30 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mexray View Post
As to the 'boiling' comments...if your battery has a shorted cell, you then have a 10 volt battery, and your 12 volt charger will 'boil' the fluid from the remaining cells...or possibly, you have an older type charger that doesn't have a 'float' setting, and if you're plugged into shore power all the time, your charge will eventually 'boil' the fluid away!
Mexray,
I do all the things that you state to try to keep my batteries in tip-top shape. When in storage during the camping season here in PA, I turn of the 12 volt master switch (I know it isn't a total disconnect) and she is not constantly hooked up to shore power unless in preparation for a trip or while out camping. The charger in our '06 is a Parallax series 7400 model 7455. Do you knoe if that model has the 'float' setting that you talk of?

I replaced the Magnatek converter in our '87 with the the 60 amp Inteli-Power 9200 model and it works GREAT. But I really don't relish the idea of replacing a brand new functioning converter in our '06.

Any thoughts?
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Old 08-11-2008, 07:30 PM   #10
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I have a 2005 AS with the Interstate batteries and I replaced them this year. We do a lot of boondocking and I found I wasn't getting much more than a night of battery life when fully charged. I replaced them with Exide Nautilus Gold Marine/RV Deep Cycle. I'm back up to about 3 nights of battery life without recharging.
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Old 08-11-2008, 07:44 PM   #11
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It's all about the AMP HOUR rating...the higher the AH rating, the longer you can run your stuff...Interstate sells similar sized batteries with different ratings, check out the specs before buying!

I don't sell converter/chargers...I would check Parallax's web site, or ask the guys at BestConverter.com for some spec info to see it your particular model is a '3-stage' type charger.

Make sure you batteries are fully charged prior to putting your AS in storage...then you should probably try to give them a boost charge every 3 months or so...unhooking from the trailer electrical system also helps...a discharged battery will allow for quicker build up of sulfate crystals on the places, causing a decline in capacity.
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Old 08-11-2008, 07:51 PM   #12
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Something that helps ours, is we have a small solar trickle charger to keep the battery topped up. A downside to life in Florida is the combination of nearly year-round heat, humidity, and if you are within a few miles of the coast, you get salt spray and sea fog. Salt will cause problems with the batteries, as well as contribute to corrosion on the terminals.
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Old 08-11-2008, 07:51 PM   #13
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Exclamation Battery Life

I agree with Mexray.
Just want to add a few tidbits.

Batteries used for stationary generators (FAA Navigational Transmitter Sites back up generators: 8 to 10 years) will last longer than ones used in mobile equipment.

Vibration is a conventional batteries worst enemy. There have been a lot of advancments to fight the effects of vibration over the years.

First both my Interstates boiled last week. Come to find out (yes I kept an eye on the water and there was no corrosion) both were bad (shorted cell in one, reduced voltage in the other{old age}).
If your battery mysteriously boils do this:
1. Remove the battery from your trailer.
2. Charge it on an automatic battery charger for 24 hours on the 2 amp rate.
3. Remove it from charge and let it sit for 24 hours.
4. Measure the voltage of the battery using a multimeter. You should have at least 12 Volts showing
on your multimeter. Any less than that and the battery needs to be replaced.
The reason the battery boiled is because the converter is trying to (if it is a three stage charger) charge it up to 13.6 to 13.8 volts and the best the battery can rise to is less than 12 volts. The converter sees this as a load and will allow more current to flow. This excess current is changed to heat and will eventually boil the battery.
The 2 amps from the trickle charger used previously will not boil the battery but will charge it up if it is good.
Take your volt meter and measure the unloaded output of your converter (turn off all load and disconnect both batteries). If you have a Charge Wizard you can step through the three levels and see if the voltages are within reason. A voltage chart is available at

Charge Wizard

Mine read 14.5, 13.8 and 13.4 respectively.

Saturday morning I placed a known good car battery in one battery box, energized the trailer and turned on the battery switch. Because I had previously charged this battery the voltage level selected by the Charge Wizard was 13.8 volts. After 30 plus hours (inaccordance with the chart refer to above (web site) the Voltage level dropped to 13.4 as it should. A couple hours ago I peeked in on the Charge Wizard and it was at high charge (LED on solid), and hour later it was back at one flash every 5 seconds (in accordance with the web site).
Lessons learned:
1. Just because the battery boiled dosent mean the converter ran away.
2. Two Batteries can fail at the same time. (Mine were both of 2002 manufacture).
3. Remove the batteries and place them on trickle charge for 24 hours, then remove the charge and let set for 24 hours and measure the voltage. I the voltage is less than 12 volts (if the battery is bad it will usually be 10 volts or less) the battery is bad.
4. Obtain the charging rate charts from your manufacturer and using a good smaller battery ( a junk yard battery less than 2 years old that takes a good charge) and test the converter as I have. It could save you several hundred dollars.
5. The selection of charge rate seems to determined by current draw (for either Boost or Normal) and time (Normal or Storage) since the converter was energized. I have the luxury of being able to step through the charge rates and see if the converter is regulating properly.
Any corrections or additions are welcomed.
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Old 08-19-2008, 06:20 PM   #14
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This is not in camping application but I think it might hold some truth for camping. I Drag Race a Mustang (No chargeing system) I was using deep cycle batteries but I couldnt make it 3 rounds with minimmal draw. I talked around and I needed more "reserve capacity" Now I can race all day without a charge maybe 9 rounds depending how far I go before elimination. I learned no matter what I replace batteries in I look for reserve capacity. This has made all the differance in the wolrd for me. Optima didnt have what I needed but the big advantage to optima was mouting them in anyposition or a roll over. I didnt care about either. I went with a good NAPA brand. I am not that sold on Interstate anymore. Mine didnt last all that long. New Castle Battery or NAPA is where I had my luck. New Vastle has been in there since 1999. When I hunt I back it up with a NAPA out of my Mustang hooked in parralel
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Old 08-19-2008, 07:55 PM   #15
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This is not in camping application but I think it might hold some truth for camping. I Drag Race a Mustang (No chargeing system) I was using deep cycle batteries but I couldnt make it 3 rounds with minimmal draw. I talked around and I needed more "reserve capacity" Now I can race all day without a charge maybe 9 rounds depending how far I go before elimination. I learned no matter what I replace batteries in I look for reserve capacity. This has made all the differance in the wolrd for me. Optima didnt have what I needed but the big advantage to optima was mouting them in anyposition or a roll over. I didnt care about either. I went with a good NAPA brand. I am not that sold on Interstate anymore. Mine didnt last all that long. New Castle Battery or NAPA is where I had my luck. New Vastle has been in there since 1999. When I hunt I back it up with a NAPA out of my Mustang hooked in parralel
The lower amp rated batteries will generally have more reserve capacity, and last longer. One significant reason is there is more liquid to keep the battery at a more even temperature, and since there is less lead, there is more space between the plates. If there is more space between the plates, there is less chance of two plates touching under a load, and it will take longer for the "stuff" to build up in the bottom of the battery to touch two plates and short them. Sometimes less really is more.
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Old 08-19-2008, 08:40 PM   #16
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Overlander63...sorry, I've got to call you on your reserve capacity comments above...not true.

Reserve capacity goes hand in hand with amp hr rating...the higher the AH rating, the GREATER the reserve capacity.

The reserve capacity 'number' for most of the batteries we're concerned with here is the number of minutes a battery can accommodate a 25 amp load till the individual cells drop to 1.75 volts - 10.5 volts in a 12 volt battery, 5.25 volts in a 6 volt battery. It's really just a 'number' that allows a buyer to compare batteries...and helpful to give you an indication on how long you can run your stuff...

You get longer reserve capacity minutes in a battery with a HIGHER amp hr rating.

Take a look a the following chart made by US Battery...scroll down to page 3 for the RV type 12 volt batteries:

http://www.usbattery.com/usb_images/usb_bro_1aa.pdf.pdf

Always buy the heaviest battery in the size you are looking for...a heavier battery means more plates and a greater AH rating, and a longer running time for your stuff, after all, isn't that what we all are looking for...

It's true that in a flooded cell battery the fluid can migrate to some degree to allow for more electrons to be released and improve the capacity to a small degree...remember how you cranked and cranked an old beater trying to get it to start and then the battery gave out...then if you let it sit for 10 minutes or so, you could get another 'crank' or two out of it...well as the battery 'rested', the fluid could 'soak' deeper into the plates to allow for some limited additional electron flow.
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Old 08-19-2008, 09:30 PM   #17
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Specific Gravity Reading

I have been going round and round with Interstate's tech support and Parallax trying to determine why the 2 batteries in my 1 year old Safari won't go past 1.250 specific gravity (75-80% charged) even after being plugged into shore power for 4-5 days or using an $80 smart trickle charger for 24-36 hours.

I have used 3 different testers to verify the specific gravity readings as being accurate. Sam's Club load tested the batteries and they both passed as 'good' on 2 different machines.

Finally today Interstate's tech support told me today their deep cycle batteries require 14.8-14.9 volts to fully charge. Obviously my trailer won't charge that high and neither will my trickle charger.

So, given that I check the electrolyte weekly and top off with only distilled water and have cleaned the cables regularly, does anyone have an idea why the specific gravity on my batteries remains so low. Ideally I'd like to hit 100% (1.27) before dry camping.

Last winter when I had the batteries in the warm garage and trickle charging every 2-3 weeks, the specific gravity on both batteries was around 1.27-1.28.

Would anyone mind checking their specific gravity at full charge and let me know what reading they get? Thanks!

Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
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Old 08-19-2008, 10:09 PM   #18
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When using a manual charger, I run batteries up to 1.275 and then turn it off...they will then 'float' back down to about 1.265 or so...Full charge!

I don't agree with Interstate about that high charge voltage...most automotive charging systems run around 14.2 to 14.5 or so, and are able to charge 12 volt deep cycle batteries just fine. You need a minimum of 13.7 volts to charge 12 volt batteries.

I suspect your smart trickle charger isn't working properly, or perhaps too low rated, amp wise to get both batteries up to snuff in a reasonable amount of time.

The lower amp trickle chargers are really just 'maintainers', and not really designed to full charge up batteries...don't know about yours.

The parallex should do the job, however.

The only other thing that comes to mind, is that you have old batteries in your rig...even though you bought it a year ago, perhaps the batteries had set around, in a discharged condition for months before you got it...

A load test is kind of a go-no-go test...it will detect if you have a shorted or weak cell. If the battery still has some life in it, it will still hold a load during the test.

I would recommend you put your batteries on a high amp charger, perhaps a 40 amp charger, and run them till they get warm, to perhaps break down some of the sulfate on the plates...equalize charge, some call it. Then see if your SG as come up to 1.275 or so.
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Old 08-20-2008, 03:00 AM   #19
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We love our Optima Blue Tops. Great service life and warranty if you ever need it. They cost a little more but like our Airstreams, they're worth every penny.
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Old 08-20-2008, 11:27 PM   #20
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At the risk of being somewhat negative, I don't think Optima Deep Cycle's are the best choice for an RV battery system's use.

Optima's have their places, but they just don't have a very good Amp Hour rating for RV usage if you boondock for any amount of time.

If you mostly use your RV in places where AC is available, you'll be OK.

Optima's have only a 55 AH rating, due to their construction of having the plates wound in a tubular shape...take a look at the bottom, and you'll see all the space between the cylinder shaped cells that have no battery plates.

If you want a completely sealed battery, look for an AGM type that has about a 75 AH rating in the same size as the Optima.

Flooded cell deep cycle's in the same size typically have 85-90 AH ratings and are about half the price of Optimas.

The higher the AH rating of your batteries, the longer you can run your stuff between charging cycles...
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