Battery charge.

[BOBSMITH]

Okay. We haven't had our Casita for long. Only since October 2005. It's a 2002 model.

We've noticed that the battery will rarely hold a charge for more than about a day and a half. And that's being conservative with it when we're boondocking. Yes, we have a generator, which makes it largely a non-issue, but I like to have the option available in an emergency.

I've never removed the battery to have a look. Before I do so...any advice or any clues as to what the problem may be? Do you think it's time for a new battery? (I do have a pal with a Casita, and he had to buy a new battery afer the first year he had his trailer.)

[George Green]

Okay. We haven't had our Casita for long. Only since October 2005. It's a 2002 model.

We've noticed that the battery will rarely hold a charge for more than about a day and a half. And that's being conservative with it when we're boondocking. Yes, we have a generator, which makes it largely a non-issue, but I like to have the option available in an emergency.

I've never removed the battery to have a look. Before I do so...any advice or any clues as to what the problem may be? Do you think it's time for a new battery? (I do have a pal with a Casita, and he had to buy a new battery afer the first year he had his trailer.)

Bob,
I don't know if you have a marine deep cycle battery or not, or if the drawdown test would be as applicable as for a car battery, but I've saved money fpr a new battery on two occasions by taking the questionable battery in to the local auto parts place (NAPA for here) and having them do a drawdown check . They did not charge either time. Four years seems about right to possibly need a new battery depending on it's usage.
George

[Art VanDelay]

I strongly suspect the battery is low on water. pry the top off and look then add distilled water. If you have to pry off, glue it back on after U fill it.

[BOBSMITH]

Thanks!

I'll check the water level on Sunday and see how that is.

It takes a charge just fine, but doesn't hold it as long as I feel that it should.

[Steve L.]

Other things to check are: Are you using a voltmeter to check the charge? It takes several hours for the voltage to stabilize after either a load or a charge before you should check the voltage. Previously, there have been published on this site the appropriate voltage for a fully charged battery. My recollection is 12.7 is a fully charged battery. It can take hours for the battery to drop from the 13+ volts from the charger down to a stable number.

Also, watch out for hidden drains on the battery. The TV amplifier should be off. A plug in voltmeter has a small continuous drain. Some people put in automotive radios and the clock and memory presets can drain. Just turning on a couple lights inside the trailer to read a voltmeter can cause a temporary drop in voltage. Things like that.

[BOBSMITH]

Getting ready to head over to where I have my Casita stored. I've left it hooked up all day yesterday, all night long, and all afternoon. By the time I get over there to unhook the plug and check the charge, it will have been charging for over 24 hours. The first thing I did yesterday was take the battery out and check the fluid--it was fine, so I didn't have to add any distilled water at all.

I'm hoping it has just been that I've never been able to let it sit and charge for 24 hours. We'll see.

[BOBSMITH]

Well, it read 13V today after I unhooked the power. I'm going to charge it for a full 24 hours before our next trip. Of course my next outing we'll have electric hookups. But better to have the charge just in case.