Trickle Charger & Maintenance Free Isn't Really...

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Orick

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Bingham Lake, Minnesota
I'm near the tail end of a problem I've been working on another forum but thought I'd post here just for reference.  My Ellipse 40FD Freightliner DP came with "maintenance free" starting batteries.  Now a bit over three years old I started having trouble with them and have had to use the AUX booster switch the last couple of starts.  The info panel showed voltage dropping to 12v and wouldn't rebound after many days of being hooked to shore power.

I removed and cleaned all cables and terminals and then drove 400 miles.  Batteries came back up to 12.7v following the trip but dropped off after a few days so I was pretty sure that they weren't getting, or at least holding a charge while connected to shore power.  I should probably make a confession here.  Until this problem began, I was in the habit of leveling and running the slides (4) in and out with the engine off so I could listen for any unusual noises.  I'm sure this didn't help my chasis batteries as they became weak.

I couldn't find any reference to how my chasis batteries would be charged from shore power in my manuals so I posted the question on the other forum.  There were differing opinions until one member nailed it as being located in my electrical bay above the inverter. I had to remove about 8 screws to get to it but there it was.  The 5 amp Trickle Charger has three LEDs:  one for "charging" (which was lit)... one for "maintenance"... and one for "reversed polarity".  So hopefully this might help someone else find theirs...

The second "ah ha" concerned my "maintenance free" batteries.  Someone suggested that I should remove the "sticker sheet" which covered to tops of both batteries and see if I could remove the caps.  Turns out there were caps to remove and on one of my starting batteries 4 of the 6 cells were dry enough to take nearly 3 qts of distilled water!  So... I don't hold out much hope of the batteries being salvaged but I ran the engine for 30 min on fast idle today and we have about a 200 mile drive tomorrow so we'll see what happens but I'm guessing I'll be replacing both starting batteries this weekend.  Maybe if I had known earlier I could have been "maintaining" my maintenance free batteries...

I'll follow up with what happens.
 
That is exactly the reason that I hate maintenance free batteries.  My last coach had 2 maintenance free starting batteries.  Not being able to check them without voiding the warranty can  be a problem.  The dealer had abused them pretty hard prior to me buying the rig, and they had apparently boiled pretty dry.  On our first long trip out about a month after we bought it we were pulled into a campground in Oregon on the coast. About 3 am there was a huge explosion right under the bed area.  After peeling myself off of the ceiling I went outside and checked the battery bay. One of the starting batteries had exploded and blew the top almost completely off the battery. 

After a while I figured it out that most of the fluid had been boiled off and was starting to off gas pretty good.  Then when the trickle charger clicked on to put a maintainer charge on the starting batteries the fumes ignited.  No injuries or damage, other than to the batteries. 

Yeah, I'm not a real fan of maintenance free batteries.  If you have boiled them enough to cook off the electrolyte and uncover the cells, they are pretty much toast. They won't hold much of a charge and may show a false complete charge but it will fall off quickly.  You may be in the market for a new set soon......
 
Our coach came with maintenance-free batteries (2 chassis and 2 coach) when we bought it used about 5 years ago.  We don't know when these batteries were installed and can't get any information about them either as they were made by Douglas Corp who is no longer in business.  Our converter/charger is made by MagneTek who claim that this model charger will never overcharge your batteries.  I'm beginning to believe it.  Maybe they're really AGM batteries in disguise.  8)
 
Starting with about the 2006 model year, Winnebago started installing the Trik-L-Start device (at least on the diesel pushers) to charge the chassis batteries while on shore power.  They install it in the electric bay at the battery bank  bridging solenoid.

Maintenance free as you have discovered is primarily marketing spin - they are not maintenance free.  If you want maintenance free, buy AGMs or gel batteries - they are truly sealed and never, ever need attention.
 
"Maintenance free" should read "Maintenance Impossible", but that probably wouldn't sell many batteries.  As John says, get AGM or Gel if you want to be truly maintenance free, but you will pay a hefty premium.

At three years of age, I would say you are due for new starting (chassis) batteries anyway.  You pretty much got the expected life from that type of battery.
 
RV Roamer said:
"Maintenance free" should read "Maintenance Impossible", but that probably wouldn't sell many batteries

Yeah - there you go.  A much more accurate description. 

We just had some major routine maintenance done at Freightliner factory service and we had them install new starting batteries strictly on the basis of the battery age (~five years.)
 
Well, an eventful morning but we made the 240 miles from south of Cleveland to Rising Sun, Indiana.  Had to use the Aux start this morning and in the time it took to get the slides in, the jacks retracted and the toad hooked up the starting battery which had been dry was swollen and pumping out rotten egg gas! 

I shut her down and disconnected the bad battery.  Using the Aux start to help the remaining battery it started again and made the trip without further incident but I'll clearly be buying a couple of new starting batteries this weekend.

AGMs or gel batteries would be nice but don't make the cut on my priority list and I don't really mind the maintenance.  One last question, Tuesday we head down to The Rally in Louisville.  It's our first Rally.  Are batteries something which I might find a deal on there or should I just bit the bullet at a local NAPA Auto or Sears?

Thanks again to all for your help!  Aren't these motorhome things fun?


Rick
 
I wouldn't spend the money on AGM batteries for chassis batteries.  Get a pair of Interstates or equivalent.  We have maintenance free Interstates.  Our originals were Freightliner branded, maintenance free, and lasted over 7 years and were replaced not because they had failed, just that they were old.
 
I found good price on diesel starting batteries at a Reilly Auto parts store for about $100 each. You need a pretty hefty battery - probably something like 900+ CCA rating in a Group 29 or 31 size. Freightliner dealers may carry the Freightliner Alliance brand, which is a good battery at a fair price, or at least it is if bought direct. Hard to say what the dealer mark-up may be, though.

I'm with Ned - an AGM starting battery is a waste of money. Plain old flooded cell is fine for engine work.

Rally battery pricing varies, but usually seems fair. 
 

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