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Old 06-11-2019, 07:15 AM   #1
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Battery charger

My Ford F450 battery keeps dying on me. Can someone recommend a battery charger for this beast? My neighbor is kind to let me use his, but want something myself for on the road. This is an ongoing problem. What could be hidden in the truck that drains? Lights, radio, overheads are all off. Disconnect is disconnected. 2006 Jayco Escapade Class C.
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Old 06-11-2019, 08:28 AM   #2
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My Ford F450 battery keeps dying on me. Can someone recommend a battery charger for this beast? My neighbor is kind to let me use his, but want something myself for on the road. This is an ongoing problem. What could be hidden in the truck that drains? Lights, radio, overheads are all off. Disconnect is disconnected. 2006 Jayco Escapade Class C.


Maybe it’s just a worn out battery. Have it load tested before looking for other potential problems, if you haven’t done so already !!
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Old 06-11-2019, 08:51 AM   #3
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Maybe it’s just a worn out battery. Have it load tested before looking for other potential problems, if you haven’t done so already !!
X2 on the load testing.

Batteries don't last forever, when was the last time it was tested/replaced?

Make a quick voltage test when the engine is running, if you're getting around 14 volts, and the battery dies soon after the engine is not running, it's probably a bad battery.
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Old 06-11-2019, 08:58 AM   #4
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Unless your storing your truck for months at a time the battery should hold a charge.

You may have a bad charging system. It could be a bad belt or idler arm pulley. If you are showing normal charging voltage when running but it still discharges I agree it is most likely the battery.
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Old 06-11-2019, 09:31 AM   #5
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Thanx for advice, but....

You all didn't answer my question!! I was asking for recommendations for a battery charger! This battery is about 3 years old. Worked well and held charge til this year. It seems I'm buying new batteries every few years, for either the truck or the home.
So, is there something I should look for in a battery charger for this? Or will any car charger do??
Thanx
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Old 06-11-2019, 10:16 AM   #6
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I've always like Schumacher chargers. I'd get a 10 amp charger with a 2 amp maintainer setting too.
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Old 06-11-2019, 10:27 AM   #7
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I use a multi-stage charger from Harbor Freight that seems to do fine so far for whatever I've hooked it up to.

I don't see the one I have listed on their site any more, but it's similar to this one:
https://www.harborfreight.com/automo...art-60581.html

I have also just installed a trik-l-start on my rig. My MH only charges the chassis battery when the engine is running. The trik-l-start will allow it to be charged when plugged into shore power or running off the generator.

Also, extreme heat and extreme cold (mostly heat where I am) destroys batteries along with frequent deep discharges (like sitting in storage for a month at a time). I have just discovered that I have several parasitic drains on my chassis battery that I wasn't aware of that may have destroyed it. My plan is to replace with a 12V AGM; they're expensive, but I've had much better luck with them.

Eventually it will be a solar panel so that ALL batteries stay topped off while the rig is in storage (which can be up to 3 months in some cases for me).
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Old 06-11-2019, 10:31 AM   #8
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The answer to your question about battery chargers gave me the thought that you may really need battery maintainers. Battery Tender Junior brand keeps the battery at 100% with a tiny trickle of power, much less than typical battery chargers.

By doing that it avoids boiling the battery dry or letting it go dead or low between charges. One of the biggest killers of flooded batteries is letting them go below 50%. But each cycle you go from 100% to 50% you use up one of its lifetime totals. Literally you kill off a tiny bit of the life each time you use battery or just let it sit a long time between recharges.

I have a Schmacher charger also for when my car battery dies.
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Old 06-11-2019, 10:48 AM   #9
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You all didn't answer my question!! I was asking for recommendations for a battery charger! This battery is about 3 years old. Worked well and held charge til this year.
I think you're missing the point. There is something else going on which is discharging your battery. We're trying to give you some help and suggestions. Batteries normally hold a charge unless there are other issues.

You have a 13 year old coach, either the charging system isn't working correctly or there's something inside draining it. Another note, once you kill a battery once or twice, it's usually toast, so a battery that's 3 years old doesn't mean anything.

My coach that I bought brand new in February (and was built last Fall) had a battery that wouldn't hold a charge. Was probably run down at Ford, at Jayco or at the dealer. Bottom line, I had to put in a brand new replacement battery for one that was 6 months old.

Since you said your battery died multiple times, my guess is that your battery is toast.

The bottom line, you can buy a battery charger and keep recharging a bad battery (which is akin to putting a band aid on a major skin infection and not treating the infection), or you can do some troubleshooting or just continue to charge a bad battery, and make sure every time you turn off the motor, you're near an electrical outlet.

Your choice...
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Old 06-11-2019, 11:20 AM   #10
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Gotcha

I do understand what you are saying. I've had electrical folks out to look at it, but they say electrical troubles are a nightmare. Not purchased new, so who knows what previous owners did. I'm not willing to pay mega bucks to have the MH torn apart. Right now the back window is broken out, and DE DMV will not pass it for inspection. I've ordered a new window, 4 weeks ago. Not in yet. So the RV is just sitting since illegal to drive on the road. If I need yet another new battery, so be it. But I'll wait til no longer just sitting. I rarely overnight without electrical hookup minimum. Thanx for the suggestion.
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Old 06-11-2019, 11:48 AM   #11
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I have several battery maintenance chargers from Northern Tools (Battery Minder). I caught them at a special sale some 4 years ago for $19.99 each and purchased four. (Coach, ZTR, tractor, and spare)

I'm seriously considering adding that charging mechanism that connects the house battery to the chassis battery. That will resolve the charging issue for the chassis battery. As long a the house battery is being charged, the chassis battery will be maintained a well.
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Old 06-11-2019, 11:52 AM   #12
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I've got a Schumacher that has lasted a long time. Like 15 years and still going strong. My father in law got one from harbor freight and it works just as good. Just make sure you get one that will charge as well as trickle charge and you are good to go. Unless you wanted to run a solar trickle charger. Those work good, too but are not as reliable due to where you place them and then weather.
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Old 06-11-2019, 03:42 PM   #13
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I'm assuming you are talking about the chassis battery..

Trik-l-start works great. Plug the the shore power in and charge your house battery and chassis battery at the same time.
https://www.lslproducts.net/TLSPage.html
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Old 06-11-2019, 03:59 PM   #14
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I'm not willing to pay mega bucks to have the MH torn apart. If I need yet another new battery, so be it. But I'll wait til no longer just sitting. I rarely overnight without electrical hookup minimum. Thanx for the suggestion.
OK fair enough. But there are a couple of quick battery checks you can do that doesn't require tearing anything apart.

Do you have a digital voltage meter with probes? If not, you can get one at Lowes or Home Depot for $10 - $20. These are invaluable for checking both 12 volt systems and 110 volt systems. If you don't have one, maybe your neighbor (who you borrow the charger from) does.

1) With nothing running and engine off, check the voltage of your battery. A fully charged battery that can hold a charge should be around 12.6 volts. If your battery tests less than that, there's issues. If it tests less than 11 volts, it's toast and dead, and needs replacing.

2) Start the engine. The the motor running check the voltage at the battery. The alternator should be putting out around 14 volts to charge the battery. If there is no change, or if it stays in the 12 volt ranges, you have charging system issues.

3) You can take the battery out and take it to any auto supply (Auto Zone, Advanced Auto, Pep Boys or any service station and get a load test done on it. Most of these places do that test for free, since it takes 15 seconds to do. This is the best way to determine it's health, as it will test the voltage level with a big amp draw on it.

If the load test comes back OK, then your battery is good.

These tests are simple, don't require you to tear anything apart, and will give you an idea if it's the battery, charging system or something in the coach drawing the voltage down
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