Dead Batteries

[ecusick]

Being the dumby that I am, I left the headlights on in mt Class C Winnebago last week. I just got to the storage lot where it's kept to bring it home as we're going away next week. Low and behold the engine battery was dead, and the house batteries that I usually can jump it on were flat too. Does it make sense that the house batteries would go dead too? The switch for them was tured off, but maybe they drain somehow too (in series with the engine battery?) Anyway, I'm now charging the engine battery at 20 AMPs which should bring it up to full in a couple of hours. Myquestion is how to charge the 2 house batteries? Since they are in series, do I put the jumper leads only on th + and - on one battery, or is there some other way?

Thanks, I'm learning (slowly)

 

[Just Lou]

The house batteries charge as a 12v battery.  Put the positive charger lead on the positive post of the first battery and the negative charger lead on the negative post of the battery jumped to it.  DO NOT remove, or connect to, the jumper between batteries.

Your chassis battery may charge enough in two hours to start your engine, but it will not be fully charged in that short time.  Running the engine for a considerable period of time will be the best way to finish your re-charge of both battery sets.

 

[carson]

Right on, Lou.  I would just like to add that to fully charge the batteries takes a long time.

  I have a 45 amp 3-stage charger for the house batteries. I keep them up by regularly by exercising the generator while in storage. Hence I don't have a problem. However; I find that to "fully" charge the low batteries to the float mode, it takes 12 hours or more. Yes, One can charge the chassis battery at the same time with a temporary jumper just to get all up to snuff.

  Just to get the engine going, a short time of heavy charging or a jump job will do the trick. Probably best to charge the chassis (engine) battery separately.

Am I in trouble now? 

carson FL 79?



  I get the feeling that many folks think that full battery charging can be done very quickly...not really.

  Just my thoughts.. 

 

[John From Detroit]

I am fond of saying "There are no six volt batteries in RV's" (Even though I have two myself)

Only 12 volt batteries that come in two half-battery piects

Think of it like this  -{BAT}+-{ERY}+ and you have it

So you charge the single 12 volt
When it comes time to replace,  You replace the 12 volt

Treat the pair, in series, EXACTLY like one 12 volt

Do the two six volt batteries need to be the same size, make, model, age, type, and so on?

Would you buy a 12 volt battery that was 1/2 new/old or G-31/G-27 or AGM/Flooded wet cell?

No.. and that's your answer

Thinking of them as 2 halves of a single 12 volt battery (Save that you clean all the terminals) is just..> Easier,, it is also correct.

 

[carson]

??? (huh)  this  getting old.

 

[Just Lou]

Thank you John, for that short quick concise precise to-the-point unambiguous enlightening clarification.  I'm constantly amazed at how many people still report the mirage of two 6-volt batteries in their coaches when we know, because you've told us time and time again, that there simply is no such thing.

I sincerely hope I'm not guilty of plagiarizing if I have that tattooed across my forehead.

 

[Tom]

How do we count two 12V batteries connected in series? (Yes, I have that combination.) If it's a single 24V battery, then 12V cranking batteries would be 'half batteries', and 6V golf cart batteries should be 'quarter batteries'. This is getting way over my head.