Greyhawk Original Battery

Jaytalk · 07-31-2018, 03:46 PM

This is a question for Greyhawk owners who only use their originally installed 12V battery. How have you found traveling with only one house battery? How has it impacted you're use of your RV? Has any impact been negligible because of the fact that you have a generator?

Camper_bob · 07-31-2018, 03:59 PM

Our Greyhawk still has the original battery and I'm almost positive it has been completely discharged at least once. The first time we looked at it and test drove it, I'm pretty sure the house battery was completely dead.

As far as how that has affected our usage, it has not. At least not yet. We almost exclusively camp where we have access to shore power. When we are running down the road, we are running the generator to keep the ACs running. When we are without shore power, we are running the ACs on the generator.

So, here's my caveat: we haven't owned our MH long enough to get an idea of how we'll travel in the cooler months. It is entirely possible that we will depend more on the 12V system when it gets cold, to avoid running the generator if nothing else. We used almost a half tank of fuel last time we were out at the beach, and the generator ran non-stop the entire weekend (2 nights, and about 2-1/2 days of actual camping).

FWIW, I measured my house as well as my chassis battery after the MH had been sitting in storage for about two weeks and I got 12.54V on the house, and 12.30V on the chassis. I took the measurements the moment I walked up to the unit. We store it with the master 12V switch in the off position, but that's all we do to store it. I don't have any access to power, including solar float chargers, in storage, so those measurements are from the unit just sitting dead in the lot for about 2 weeks.

I will be replacing both batteries with AGM units in the near future. One reason for that is that I will now need to run 2 CPAP machines each night...

Bullitt6283 · 07-31-2018, 05:25 PM

Dry camping at NASCAR races and running the generator to charge up the single size 27 battery before retiring at night....

When either running the propane heat at night, or after running the water pump (and water heater) for 2 showers in the morning, I get an error code on the reefer (which was running on propane) complaining that the DC voltage is too low. Part of the problem, I think, is that the DC wiring in the coach is a bit small and the voltage drop is causing the reefer error code.

I'd like to mount a 2nd battery, but I need to figure out how/where to put it.
My main worry is that the battery may get too low to start the genny.

Jaytalk · 07-31-2018, 06:08 PM

Camper_bob,

Thanks for your comprehensive response. Just one question, why would you replace the car battery with a AGM battery? I understand replacing the house battery with the AGM; I will probably do that too after years worth of use.

Steveii · 07-31-2018, 06:14 PM

My battery is pretty much dead all the time. If you needed to soley use the battery as your only power option it would be an issue. You would probably need to add an additional battery and have some solar to keep them charged. Even with that I don't think they would last very long running heat or AC. Just drawing too much power for these batteries to keep up. Just lights you might be okay.

Jaytalk · 07-31-2018, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bullitt6283

Dry camping at NASCAR races and running the generator to charge up the single size 27 battery before retiring at night....

When either running the propane heat at night, or after running the water pump (and water heater) for 2 showers in the morning, I get an error code on the reefer (which was running on propane) complaining that the DC voltage is too low. Part of the problem, I think, is that the DC wiring in the coach is a bit small and the voltage drop is causing the reefer error code.

I'd like to mount a 2nd battery, but I need to figure out how/where to put it.
My main worry is that the battery may get too low to start the genny.

That's an interesting thought! So are you saying that if the house battery is completely dead the generator will not start? Does anyone else know if that is in fact the case?

Steveii · 07-31-2018, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaytalk

That's an interesting thought! So are you saying that if the house battery is completely dead the generator will not start? Does anyone else know if that is in fact the case?

Mine won't start up if it's dead. Have to start the motor up then the generator will start.

cabinetmaker · 07-31-2018, 07:27 PM

Running down the road the alternator from the chassis will keep the coach battery charging.

Your slides, jacks and awning use the coach battery. Those draw a lot of juice. Greyhawk manual recommends shore power be connected or generator be running when slides are used so converter can supplement the battery.

AGM is on my list!

Bullitt6283 · 08-01-2018, 06:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaytalk

That's an interesting thought! So are you saying that if the house battery is completely dead the generator will not start? Does anyone else know if that is in fact the case?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steveii

Mine won't start up if it's dead. Have to start the motor up then the generator will start.

More on point, when you start up the vehicle engine the battery isolation solenoid kicks in and connects the coach battery to the chassis battery via a heavy-gauge wire.
I am assuming that the aux start switch, which is used to help start the vehicle engine using the coach battery, could also be used to start the generator by borrowing power from the chassis battery.

Bullitt6283 · 08-01-2018, 06:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaytalk

....why would you replace the car battery with a AGM battery? I understand replacing the house battery with the AGM; I will probably do that too after years worth of use.

When the vehicle is running, the chassis battery and the coach battery are connected together thru the isolation solenoid and heavy wire. There are varying opinions whether it is good to tie different types of batteries together.

https://www.optimabatteries.com/en-u...eries-parallel

.

in the wind · 08-01-2018, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bullitt6283

More on point, when you start up the vehicle engine the battery isolation solenoid kicks in and connects the coach battery to the chassis battery via a heavy-gauge wire.
I am assuming that the aux start switch, which is used to help start the vehicle engine using the coach battery, could also be used to start the generator by borrowing power from the chassis battery.

From my owners manual:

• If the auxiliary battery has been drained of power, start the chassis engine to supply

12-volt DC power to the auxiliary battery and then start the generator.

• If both the auxiliary battery and the chassis battery are low on power, it is best to

obtain assistance from another motorist and use jumper cables.

• If you are in a situation with no assistance available and both the auxiliary and

chassis battery have a small amount of voltage, it is possible to start the generator if

two people are present. One person will need to hold the auxiliary start button on the

dash and the other person will need to press the start button on the generator.

Camper_bob · 08-01-2018, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaytalk

Camper_bob,

Thanks for your comprehensive response. Just one question, why would you replace the car battery with a AGM battery? I understand replacing the house battery with the AGM; I will probably do that too after years worth of use.

I started running AGMs in my vehicles a few years ago. Even in regular starting batteries, AGMs are superior. They can handle deeper discharge, higher heat tolerances (remember, I pretty much live ON the sun), they can hold a charge longer between cycles, etc.

For the last 5-7 years, if I replace a battery in a vehicle, it's getting an AGM.

ETA: I've gotten to be that way with age. If I'm going to replace something on my vehicle, I'm going to replace it with something better. Batteries, tires, brakes ... whatever. It's a safety issue for me as well as the desire to spread the time between replacements. In TX you could easily go through a standard flooded cell car battery in 3 years because of the extreme heat. My AGMs last no less than 5 easily, and that includes routinely leaving a vehicle in the garage and only running it every couple weeks.

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