House Batteries only lasts 2 hrs.

[Mathd]

We have a 2023 Jayco Precept bought new. 01/05/2024
The inverter has been moved to the storage bay close to the battery’s.
The electric refrigerator now works when unhooked from shore power.

With 12 volt lights and tv on.
The stock batteries only last about 2 hrs.
Is this normal? Should I replace the batteries. Original Dated 10/22. Unit was in dealer inventory over a year.

 

[Jayhawk 29]

There is a lot to unpack here. Of course you need a way to continue to charge your batteries when unplugged and your inverter running. So lets start there. The year of the batteries may or may not be an issue here. So tell us more about the combination of total battery AH rating and the ability to recharge them with possibly solar capacity. If lead acid batteries have been sitting without being recharged, then its possible that they were drained way down and bringing them back to up to full capacity and being good may indeed be the main problem with them going dead and not providing enough power to operate the inverter.

 

[AlexG.]

Are the batteries the (2) 6vdc batteries that came standard with the 36C?
If so, they are crap batteries and I'm surprised that your getting 2 hours out of them.
You stated that the fridge "now" works when off of shore power.
Did it not work when the inverter was making 120v?
Why did you move the inverter?
Regardless, the fridge pulls a bit of power somewhere between 300 and 800 watts.
TV will depend on the TV of course, plus the inverter has some inherent usage(loss).
But if you know the size of the batteries that you currently have installed you can figure out (estimate) how long they should last.
But 2 hours... if the 2 6v batteries sounds about right.

 

[Mathd]

Are the batteries the (2) 6vdc batteries that came standard with the 36C?
If so, they are crap batteries and I'm surprised that your getting 2 hours out of them.
You stated that the fridge "now" works when off of shore power.
Did it not work when the inverter was making 120v?
Why did you move the inverter?
Regardless, the fridge pulls a bit of power somewhere between 300 and 800 watts.
TV will depend on the TV of course, plus the inverter has some inherent usage(loss).
But if you know the size of the batteries that you currently have installed you can figure out (estimate) how long they should last.
But 2 hours... if the 2 6v batteries sounds about right.

 

[Mathd]

I have 200 watt solar power. Works well according to my screen.
2 6 volt agm 225 ah wired in series. This unit was built 10/22.

Inverter moved per tsp on 34b. Tsp completed by Jayco dealer.
Before tsp was compled. Fridge would not stay running. Too much voltage Drop.
Now inverter works fine powering fridge. With motor running and also with generator running.

There is a lot to unpack here. Of course you need a way to continue to charge your batteries when unplugged and your inverter running. So lets start there. The year of the batteries may or may not be an issue here. So tell us more about the combination of total battery AH rating and the ability to recharge them with possibly solar capacity. If lead acid batteries have been sitting without being recharged, then its possible that they were drained way down and bringing them back to up to full capacity and being good may indeed be the main problem with them going dead and not providing enough power to operate the inverter.

Please see my reply to Alex.

 

[Jayhawk 29]

I have a similar battery setup with similar 6 volt 232 AH GC 2 batteries. But I have 600 watts of solar. I run a 10 cu. ft. residential fridge on a 2000 watt Renogy inverter. I have found in three different TTs with a similar setup, but with a propane fridge that my 600 watt solar and inverter and full sun I never needed the generator boost or would use my generator unless I wanted to run my AC.

Even with good batteries, your 200 watts will not do the job when completely off the grid and running on your inverter. It is my opinion, even with good batteries that they will not stay fully charged.

Start out by getting a good hydrometer and check all your cells. Even take them to a battery outlet and have them load checked. This is an elementary direction that I personally start with, over time and see what your results are showing. But over time you will need to upgrade your solar if you plan to do completely off the grid camping for any extended time frame.

And I understand completely moving the inverter as close as possible to your batteries. And of course its important that your wire gauge is large enough to maintain a decent flow from the batteries for proper operation.

 

[Mathd]

I have a similar battery setup with similar 6 volt 232 AH GC 2 batteries. But I have 600 watts of solar. I run a 10 cu. ft. residential fridge on a 2000 watt Renogy inverter. I have found in three different TTs with a similar setup, but with a propane fridge that my 600 watt solar and inverter and full sun I never needed the generator boost or would use my generator unless I wanted to run my AC.

Even with good batteries, your 200 watts will not do the job when completely off the grid and running on your inverter. It is my opinion, even with good batteries that they will not stay fully charged.

Start out by getting a good hydrometer and check all your cells. Even take them to a battery outlet and have them load checked. This is an elementary direction that I personally start with, over time and see what your results are showing. But over time you will need to upgrade your solar if you plan to do completely off the grid camping for any extended time frame.

And I understand completely moving the inverter as close as possible to your batteries. And of course its important that your wire gauge is large enough to maintain a decent flow from the batteries for proper operation.

Thank you for your information.
I may be expecting to much out of my factory setup.
I did not want to spend $800 on the same size batteries and in up with the same result.
These are agm so I would have to remove to get them load tested.

 

[Jayhawk 29]

Okay, if you have an electrical meter and have the ability to connect to your ac power, then turn off your converter breaker and your inverter . Let it sit for a few minutes. Then check your battery voltage. Then turn on your inverter, even without a load on it and then check your battery voltage on standby mode.

Then turn on your fridge and again check your voltage in your batteries. Let it run for a little and see if you have an increase or decrease in your battery voltage. Keep tabs, if you do this middle of the day and watch closely what your voltage is late afternoon. This will show you how the solar panel does on your setup.

FWIW, the factory and if your unit was ordered with just one panel , to keep the costs down , the 200 watt is fairly standard. Most people need to increase their solar capacity if they favor fewer campgrounds for being independent in remote areas.

 

[Mathd]

Okay, if you have an electrical meter and have the ability to connect to your ac power, then turn off your converter breaker and your inverter . Let it sit for a few minutes. Then check your battery voltage. Then turn on your inverter, even without a load on it and then check your battery voltage on standby mode.

Then turn on your fridge and again check your voltage in your batteries. Let it run for a little and see if you have an increase or decrease in your battery voltage. Keep tabs, if you do this middle of the day and watch closely what your voltage is late afternoon. This will show you how the solar panel does on your setup.

FWIW, the factory and if your unit was ordered with just one panel , to keep the costs down , the 200 watt is fairly standard. Most people need to increase their solar capacity if they favor fewer campgrounds for being independent in remote areas.

Thank you I will try this before I buy new batteries.
Also I have not set my generator to start on low battery voltage.
I only use when stopping at walmart /Cracker Barrel overnight.

 

[AlexG.]

search for lithium upgrades. I recently upgraded mine. GAME CHANGER for approx $500

 

[Jayhawk 29]

search for lithium upgrades. I recently upgraded mine. GAME CHANGER for approx $500

The 270 AH, a similar setup costs 2,149 .00 , which is a long ways from $500.

 

[Kevin Cooper]

When your batteries ran down in 2 hours, did you start the refrigerator cooling at the same time, or was it already cold from running on shore power?
Let’s assume that the refrigerator, the TV, and the lights total 475 watts, should be close. If the refrigerator was not cold, it would run continuously. So, 475/12=39.583 amps. So , 40AH in one hour. You have 2 6 volt 225 ah batteries. The AH do not add since you are using 12 volts. 225/40=5.625hours of use if you could get them all out. But you cannot. You can only reduce your 12.6 volts to 10.3 volts, and the inverter will shut down. Let’s call that 50%. So, the maximum you can get with that load is 2.75 hours. Sound about right?

 

[AlexG.]

The 270 AH, a similar setup costs 2,149 .00 , which is a long ways from $500.

Okay..

 

[FloHauler]

The 270 AH, a similar setup costs 2,149 .00 , which is a long ways from $

The 270 AH, a similar setup costs 2,149 .00 , which is a long ways from $500.

What batteries are you looking at for $2,149? You can get basic LiTime 200ah for around $479. Or you can get smaller sized 100ah for around $300. No heat, BT, etc - but a lot more usable capacity than the AGM any way you look at it.

Maths - I’d be looking at the current draw of what you want to run and the amount of time you want to run it. That will give you a ballpark of battery capacity needed. 200 watts of solar is not much. You need to consider effieciency losses, less than ideal conditions, etc. I have 1,000 watts of panels laid flat. Over the past couple days, the max I’ve seen is 796 watts. I also have 400ah of batteries. That will run everything, except when the AC needs to run constantly to get the temps down.

 

[Jayhawk 29]

@FloHauler You highlighted the Game Changer , which is comparable to the 225 AH that we were discussing with the two 6 volt batteries.

270Ah 12V LiFePO4 Deep Cycle GC3 Battery

We're changing the game with our 270Ah 12V LiFePO4 deep cycle battery. With its unique shape, you can mount this battery anywhere!

battlebornbatteries.com

Built for rugged adventures, the 270Ah 12V LiFePO4 Deep Cycle GC3 Gamechanger

I certainly understand the numerous labeled brands built in China , which has provided mixed results for people switching over the Lithium batteries. Its a good policy to read the worse reviews first and mainly the service after the sell. Shipping back batteries purchased online, if they quit or even get someone that represents the particular brand name has created a lot of undue stress for people after they have gone the cheap and unpredictable direction. YMMV

 

[FloHauler]

@FloHauler You highlighted the Game Changer , which is comparable to the 225 AH that we were discussing with the two 6 volt batteries.

270Ah 12V LiFePO4 Deep Cycle GC3 Battery

We're changing the game with our 270Ah 12V LiFePO4 deep cycle battery. With its unique shape, you can mount this battery anywhere!

battlebornbatteries.com

I certainly understand the numerous labeled brands built in China , which has provided mixed results for people switching over the Lithium batteries. Its a good policy to read the worse reviews first and mainly the service after the sell. Shipping back batteries purchased online, if they quit or even get someone that represents the particular brand name has created a lot of undue stress for people after they have gone the cheap and unpredictable direction. YMMV

I’m using Renogy 100ah. I got a close out on a basic for $309. Right now they have a 200ah mini for under $600+tax.

And since the effective capacity of AGM is about half the rated capacity, the move up to Lithium will provide so much more than they stock batteries.

 

[Jayhawk 29]

That's a bit better than the Game Changer. I have dealt with Renogy over the years and currently have their panels and inverters, two of them with the thought that I may need a back up to operate my residential fridge in particular. When I purchased the new TT I automatically purchased the inverter. When it finally came directly from Renogy, two weeks later it did not work.

I called them and they ask me to do all sorts or readings and send pictures. That went no where. I ordered another one from Amazon and installed it. The next week I decided to order another back up since Amazon put them on sale , with the thirty day return policy with no questions asked.

But I digress. Dependable batteries for me starts with outlets that I can walk into with a problem. I have gone back and forth on the changeover from lead acid, explored many cheaper brands and read personal experiences all over the net for a long time. Few open door outfits deal with Lithium batteries in remote areas, either

. Renogy used to be happy to talk to you and listen to your concerns, if you have a problem. But the past two years has been worse than the worse service. We put up with some discomfort when buying specialty products such as solar parts.

But batteries are the heart of our rvs. So when they quit, early on in the product's life now, I find myself short of the outlay of funds and really short on customer service when you really need something to get you back up and operational when buying online.

Amazon.com

 

[FloHauler]

That's a bit better than the Game Changer. I have dealt with Renogy over the years and currently have their panels and inverters, two of them with the thought that I may need a back up to operate my residential fridge in particular. When I purchased the new TT I automatically purchased the inverter. When it finally came directly from Renogy, two weeks later it did not work.

I called them and they ask me to do all sorts or readings and send pictures. That went no where. I ordered another one from Amazon and installed it. The next week I decided to order another back up since Amazon put them on sale , with the thirty day return policy with no questions asked.

But I digress. Dependable batteries for me starts with outlets that I can walk into with a problem. I have gone back and forth on the changeover from lead acid, explored many cheaper brands and read personal experiences all over the net for a long time. Few open door outfits deal with Lithium batteries in remote areas, either

. Renogy used to be happy to talk to you and listen to your concerns, if you have a problem. But the past two years has been worse than the worse service. We put up with some discomfort when buying specialty products such as solar parts.

But batteries are the heart of our rvs. So when they quit, early on in the product's life now, I find myself short of the outlay of funds and really short on customer service when you really need something to get you back up and operational when buying online.

Amazon.com

My experience with Renogy has been quite different. It sometimes takes a couple contacts to resolve my question, but I have gotten them answered. Their products have performed as expected for me. It’s why I keep going back to them. I pay a little more, but the quality and support have been a differentiator.

 

[Retired mountain folk]

There is a lot to unpack here. Of course you need a way to continue to charge your batteries when unplugged and your inverter running. So lets start there. The year of the batteries may or may not be an issue here. So tell us more about the combination of total battery AH rating and the ability to recharge them with possibly solar capacity. If lead acid batteries have been sitting without being recharged, then its possible that they were drained way down and bringing them back to up to full capacity and being good may indeed be the main problem with them going dead and not providing enough power to operate the inverter.

Hi

We have a 2023 Jayco Precept bought new. 01/05/2024
The inverter has been moved to the storage bay close to the battery’s.
The electric refrigerator now works when unhooked from shore power.

With 12 volt lights and tv on.
The stock batteries only last about 2 hrs.
Is this normal? Should I replace the batteries. Original Dated 10/22. Unit was in dealer inventory over a year.

I’d never have a refrigerator that runs on batteries. Give me good old propane/120 any day. Way too many coaches starting their generators every two hours during the night because their refrigerator went dead. We have tv, dvd player or dish programming going from 5-11. Heater on, lights on, 2nd tv on, charging our cell phones off the inverter and we go down from 12.8 to 12.5 on the batteries. In morning either heat on all night and my being up half the night watching tv while not sleeping at 8 am we are still around 12.3. Usually higher. Just make sure everything is LED. Including tv, we have 2-6 volt interstate batteries. We have 300 watts of solar which charges all day. We hardly ever turn on generator. Basically just to clean out the carburetor. Good luck.

 

[DKC-Roadtrippers]

We have a 2023 Jayco Precept bought new. 01/05/2024
The inverter has been moved to the storage bay close to the battery’s.
The electric refrigerator now works when unhooked from shore power.

With 12 volt lights and tv on.
The stock batteries only last about 2 hrs.
Is this normal? Should I replace the batteries. Original Dated 10/22. Unit was in dealer inventory over a year.

We had the same issue on our 2022 Precept. The stock batteries drained fast—just a 1-2 hours when running the inverter for the fridge alone Here’s what I did to fix it:

• Upgraded to lithium batteries (LiTime 280Ah, 2 in parallel)
• Relocated the batteries near the inverter (under bed) to reduce voltage drop and maximize efficiency
• Swapped the factory inverter for a Victron MultiPlus-II 12/3000 (pure sine wave + integrated charger)
• Installed a Victron Cerbo GX and SmartShunt for full system monitoring
• Replaced the BiM with a Victron Orion 12|12-30 DC-DC charger to safely charge lithium from the alternator
• Installed 2nd 200w solar panel (Renogy)

Now we can run the fridge, lights, TV, and charge devices for days without shore power can also run one of the 2 AC's for a couple of hrs. if/when needed. Major upgrade—but totally worth it.