Thanks to all of you who lead me in the right direction. I installed two new 1000CA/ 875CCA yesterday and then pulled out the Barth manual and found the converter in the genny compartment. Well guess what? It was there and it was ...UNPLUGGED!! It's working great the batteries are fine and we're back in business. Thank you Rusty, Bill h, Dave, and all ypu fine folks that helped me.

Ron

OK, now you have new batteries. Let's work on keeping them happy.

The best is a TriMetric (or similar) battery meter and a three stage smart charger. It depends on how much money you are willing to spend now. If you spend it now, your batteries will last longer over the rest of your life, so it can balance out. Buying overpriced batteries on a trip is no fun. Some of the decision will depend on how much you boondock, too.

It is possible to make your batteries last without the above mentioned, but it is more work. At the minimum, you should have a digital voltmeter, a hydrometer and a strong charger.

Thanks for the insight Bill. We don't do any boondocking and we're plugged into 30amps any where we go and here at the house. We do a bit of workamping and a a number of street fairs. We do have a Sears charger that we carry(just in case), but haven't thought about a battery meter. I've seen some digital ones on the internet for $38.00 and up. For right now I'm going to have to depend on my multimeter and the 75 amp converter/charger in the coach. Thanks again and it's good to know you all have a wealth of knowledge and experience I can draw from.

Ron

I replaced the OEM converter in my SOB with an Intellitec 9160 with Charge Wizard. It worked quite well, as it has a desulfating cycle, and won't overcharge. One disadvantage if replacing an old dual-output converter is that a jumper has to be installed, but it's not rocket science.

I have the same (installed by a prior owner) in the Breakaway, but it looks (smells) like the cooling fan is ill - works sometimes and sometimes not - I have to take it out and inspect...