Veebyes
Bermuda & Maryland
Senior Member
Joined: 11/24/2003
View Profile
 Offline
|
Check that disconnect switch. As others have said those ghost draws can get you.
Disconnected, wet cell batterys should last the winter, 5 months or so, with no maintenance at all. The rule of thumb for wet cells is 10% charge loss per month. For AGMs the loss is about 5%.
My rig sits stored indoors for over 5 months each year. No battery tender. Nothing. No problems. Come back in spring & there is plenty power for the legs to get hitched up. Full charge restored in an hour or so. That was with wet cells. I have a single 4D, 220amp AGM now. The loss during storage is far less
Boat: 32' 1996 Albin 32+2, single Cummins 315hp
40+ night per year overnighter
2007 Alpenlite 34RLR
2006 Chevy 3500 LT, CC,LB 6.6L Diesel
Ham Radio: VP9KL, IRLP node 7995
|
chuggs
Florida
Senior Member
Joined: 06/16/2010
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
In addition to "wired" 12vdc detectors (LP alarm in my case)...there is a drain from circuit boards: Monitor Panel, Refrigerator Control Board, Furnace Control Board, Entertainment Centers...AM/FM Control Head and CLOCK. You might also check in the storage compartments for lights that were accidentally left ON. Thermostatically controlled 12v FANS (Fantastic Fan?)...
If you have the same type of load center that I have...with the little LEDs next to the 12v fuses...If you remove each fuse, and look at the LED...you'll see if there is a drain on the circuit --- the LED will glow. You can actually measure the amperage across the FUSE socket with the Fuse removed...to get an idea of these parasitic drains.
Installing a battery disconnect switch is the best course of action.
Enjoy 
|
More To See
San Diego Area
Senior Member
Joined: 06/12/2009
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
Lift off a cable and put an ammeter in line with the battery post and cable.
95 Winnebago Vectra 34 (P30/454)
|
Cedarhill
Deep South
Senior Member
Joined: 09/20/2011
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
One more source of parasitic current drain I stumbled across the other day is the amplifier on the television antenna. My unit is in storage but I always use the battery disconnect. I went in there the other day and briefly switched in the battery so I could see inside. I noticed this little green LED glowing next to the BNC connector going to the antenna. There was a tiny switch next to it which I turned off and the LED went out. I'm not sure how much current the amp draws, but I bet it is more than a CO2 detector, for example.
My unit stays in a covered storage area for about 4 months out of the year. During that time, I will go over and charge the batteries using the converter at least once during that time and the batteries have never dropped below 12.4V.
|
chuggs
Florida
Senior Member
Joined: 06/16/2010
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
Cedarhill wrote:One more source of parasitic current drain I stumbled across the other day is the amplifier on the television antenna.....
Bingo! Forgot to mention that one!
|
|
|
PawPaw_n_Gram
Wylie TX (NE Dallas Area)
New Member
Joined: 02/06/2012
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
One mistake I made was not turning the heater off at the termostat.
The propane/ actual heat was off.
I had not had trouble with the battery drain in our first couple months with a trailer. But after one trip found the twin 12v batteries completely dead two days after I parked the rig.
Took them out and charged them. After I put them back in, I was doing some winter storage cleanup, when suddenly the heater fan kicked on.
Now I disconnect the battery lead after parking the rig.
Old Bald and Fat (Me, not her)
|
