Has anyone installed a battery meter in their rig? Is it necessary?
Blossom

Hi Blossum
I use a battery tester.I beleive you get MUCH better results when testing each cell.EG------------You could have one cell dead and never know it using a battery meter.:)

Battery meter... Hmm... seems similar in concept to a remote thermometer for the fridge. Good info, but might just add to the stress level: "Honey, the battery is down to 84%! Turn off a few lights or we'll run out of power!" Might want to read Charles' write-up about his experience with his new thermometer!
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/read.php?TID=2055

Nah......

Just use a hand held digital multimeter (which is handy for lots of things) and remove the battery twice a year to check the fluid level and do a hydrometer check.

Like Chester says, this is where a bad cell will show up.

Blossom,

Necessary? For camping, practically nothing is necessary. Oh sure, a dry bed and pleasant company is nice, but...Necessary??

I put one (Link 10) in my Casita, but I've only been camping with electrical hook ups so far. The meter hasn't been particularly helpful as yet.



But hey, I'm a gadget freak. To be honest tho', pretty much nothing it gives me couldn't be obtained in some other way.

Hey Steve, glad to see I'm not the only gadgeteer in the crowd

Me too!

I guess it really is a guy thing, maybe I'll have to start a new thread

Hi Joe
Hey man start a gaget thread.That could be fun.:wave

Hi, When I had one in my bus conversion, in the drivers compartment, all I used it for was to tell me if my alternator was charging my battery pack. Otherwise I usually ignored it basically because as someone said earlier, why add to your stress level checking it all the time...If you want to check your battery, like earlier posts, use a hydrometer ....Benny

Jim Rowe is sending me a prototype meter for testing (prior to marketing)....I have a PDF file that I can e-mail with specs and features. It will indicate voltage, percent charge and number of deep cycles to date, Also has an LED warning light that blinks when charge drops below 70%, and stays on below 55% to indicate it's time to charge.

thats an easy one! when the fan slows down to the pointit is not moveing air and a light it just a glow. LOL

Here's a link to a battery meter I'm going to try.
I have a chance to evaluate one no charge(no pun intended)
So I'll let everybody Know how it works when I get some results.
It's called an e-meter, from a Canadian electric vehicle company.
Canadian Electric Vehicles Ltd.

I also picked up a tank guage kit. It's an add on kit, and does not require putting holes in the tank. the sensors glue on to the outside of the tank. If it works well, it could be a solution for a lot of people.
here's the site Snake River. I have the led-4 version

OHHHHHHHHHHHH ----New toys.:thumb

The E-meter is the same one I have installed. It's made by Xantrex who I find a pretty competent company.

I've had more experience with mine with a couple boondocking trips and one backyard camping outing courtesy of the power grid. As mentioned elsewhere, it doesn't really provide anything that couldn't be had with a digital multimeter, but it is pretty handy. I like the forecast of how many more hours the battery will last at the current current(!) drain. Sort of a one button check to see if it's time to think about the generator for a recharge. I like it.

You've already cost me too much ;) with the LED lights and various associated fixtures but heaven help me, the water gauge appeals to me as well. I can already hear some grousing from the back row about, Good Grief! how hard is it to open an access door and peek at the water tank? But, imagine; My access door on the Casita is outside. I might bend over to look, crack my head on the open door, stumble backwards, trip over a camp chair and fall on some passing orphan child, hurting them. I see this gauge as a potential must have! :r

I agree Steve:wave

i pick up a cheap 5 dollar one years ago .
It has 5 balls that float inside a tube when you draw up some acid from the battery cell. it is not temperture corrected but for this type of use it works great .
i keep it in a glass jar 3/4 full of distilled water. this keeps acid bruns to other items to a minimum. i also carry distilled water in a pint size squeeze bottle for keeping the battery watered.

Yup! That works too. A whole spectrum of options ranging between 'do/buy nothing' to particle beam accelerators. I won't install a gadget that, if it fails, I can't camp. Beyond that, it's whatever the toy fund allows. Wahoo! :sporty

All the talk about Harbor Freight (different thread) sent me over :steer at lunch to buy one of those long armed riveters ($17). I'm starting to have some problems with my hands and I have some trouble pulling the big rivets like those holding the cabinets to the ceiling with the typical hand riveter. Heck, I even looked at the air/hydraulic riveter. Not this trip.

Glad to hear the e-meter works. Sorry to hear I'm putting you in the poorhouse. Guess it's just the old keeping up with the eggers syndrome.
I got the tank meter kit on e-bay, after doing a lot of research on what type to get.
Saved a whack of money, and got what I wanted too!

Steve ; just for you I'm not going to tell you what I'm working on next, Maybe you won't notice it in the pictures I put up.

BTW, the air riveters work great, I used to use one at my last job