First of all I want to make sure that these are the house batteries.

Or are these the house batteries




My second question is what size, model, etc. battery should be in my barth. When I took the Barth to the race the other weekend the batteries seems to run low real quick. The low battery alarm would come on the engenius panel and the battery monitor on the panel above the entrance door would still say 3/4th full. I also have a hard time starting the generator. I pretty much have to start the main engine and rev it for a little while then start the gen set.

Also does the small gaged wire hooked up between the two batteries making them in series seem like the right size. Maybe this could be part of my issues in charging them.

The green-top batteries are 6V golfcart batteries, a preferred choice for house batteries due to capacity and overall ruggedness. The series connector wire isn't too small for charging - your converter is likely 80A or less. However if you have a combo converter-inverter, it may be too small to handle the load when operating as an inverter.

Before you do any trouble-shooting on either battery set, thoroughly clean ALL connections, especially the grounds on the chassis, engine, and transmission/bellhousing. There will be one or two main grounds, and as many as a dozen secondary. Don't overlook all the 12 VDC connections at the generator,either.

Based on my Gillig Regency you are missing two more 6v house batteries. That would explain the short power supply time. I have two 8d starting batteris and 4 golf cart deep cycle batteries. Never had a shortage of power when not plugged in.

I will start looking for two more golf cart batteries. Any model capacity or type I should look for? Is it ok to get a couple good used ones?

Do you know the age and condition of your existing golf cart batteries?

Generally, batteries need to be fairly closely matched. This is not quite as critical in parallel as in series, though.

You should have a hydrometer, a digital volt meter, and a charger that desulfates. Desulfation can often bring poor batteries up quite a bit.

If your batteries are old or weak, adding two more will not be the best thing to do.

If your GC batts are poor, you might be able to bring them back to health and see how you do on just a pair. Or, if you do replace them, you might just buy two and see how your usage is. After a few months, you will have an idea of your needs. If you need 4, buy two more that match, and either throw them in. They will still be pretty closely-matched.

Everybody is different, but we got by quite well on just a pair of GC batteries for maybe 30 years. It wasn't until 5 years after I retired and went out for longer and longer stays that we upped to 4 GC batteries. This, of course, depends on so many variables, though. As you boondock more, you might find ways to save battery power, too.

I was told by the previous owner that he replaced the house batteries just prior to me picking it up. I don't know if they were new or used though. The only charger I have for the batteries is what's installed on the coach. Do they desulfate??? Or do you have to get a stand alone charger? How much should these batteries cost?

quote:

Do they desulfate??? Or do you have to get a stand alone charger? How much should these batteries cost?

Newer converters desulfate; you'll have to locate yours and provide the plate data. 6 V golfcart batteries run $75 up.

FWIW, I recently replaced my converter with a unit from Progressive Dynamics. It has 3 charging rates (14.4v, 13.6v and 13.2v for maintenance) and a desulfation cycle controlled by the so-called "charge wizard" microprocessor. I've only had it for 2 months but it does ramp up and down with load and the batteries have not used any water. Seems to be working well.

You'll LUV your PD converter! I'm going on 6 years with mine, and I've NEVER added water..Silent running, it just does what it was designed to do. Last year, when my alternator died, I just flipped the battery connect switch, started generator and the PD got me home (200mi) without missing a beat.

Since my house battery is just one 12v Group 27, I buy relatively inexpensive batteries, but the PD keeps it in great condition for about 4-5 years - longer than I originally expected

As for used batts.if you have one bad one or one weak one it alone will draw down all the to that one. It is best to replace all at the same time .Rusty is right clean all connections and grounds.Did you buy the coach near the ocean more corrosion ?
lenny

It will probably be a while before I get out to the storage facility we have the RV at. But I think I will go the cheapest route and verify all the connections and have the batteries I have now tested for performance. Is there anyway to test the charging system and associated circuitry for performance. I have electrical experience but not with rv electrical distribution stuff.

Thanx again in advance

quote:

Originally posted by sk8er32283:
Is there anyway to test the charging system and associated circuitry for performance.

There is a site called The 12 Volt Side of Life. Pretty good.