valhalla360
No paticular place.
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Joined: 08/19/2009
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deltabravo wrote:valhalla360 wrote:10min to add water a couple times per year...ehhh. Should be checking on connections etc anyway.
Never spilled acid or had fumes do any damage, so...ehhh.
Fumes will corrode things when the batteries gas when charging.
It's more like 30+ minutes to check batter fluid level in an AF camper.
You can't get access to the inner battery, even though they are on a useless sliding tray that most AF owners despise.
The tray only slides half way out.
The only time I was able to check the water was when I took the camper off the truck for the winter and was able to disconnect the batteries and removed them to check fluid.
Checking water when the camper was on the truck was an impossible feat because getting them out required the use of a ladder. Carrying them down a ladder isn't fun (or safe)
They make battery filling systems to address access problems. They are pretty simple and not expensive.
If your charger is causing large amounts of gassing, fix/replace the charger.
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3 tons
NV.
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Joined: 03/13/2009
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deltabravo wrote:valhalla360 wrote:10min to add water a couple times per year...ehhh. Should be checking on connections etc anyway.
Never spilled acid or had fumes do any damage, so...ehhh.
Fumes will corrode things when the batteries gas when charging.
It's more like 30+ minutes to check batter fluid level in an AF camper.
You can't get access to the inner battery, even though they are on a useless sliding tray that most AF owners despise.
The tray only slides half way out.
The only time I was able to check the water was when I took the camper off the truck for the winter and was able to disconnect the batteries and removed them to check fluid.
Checking water when the camper was on the truck was an impossible feat because getting them out required the use of a ladder. Carrying them down a ladder isn't fun (or safe)
I had the same tight battery box… My solution for watering the two GC’s was to remove the tray and add an automatic watering system - worked perfectly for 15 years ![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/smile.gif "smile")
https://www.amazon.com/Flow-Rite-RV2000-Pro-Fill-Battery-Kit/dp/B001FCAXT0/ref=sr_1_9?crid=377F0J7WNJ1XS&keywords=flo+rite+battery+watering+system&qid=1689773861&sprefix=Flo+rite+%2Caps%2C159&sr=8-9
Also, for the sake of testing for corrosive off gassing, I’m not saying they don’t off-gas, but for ad hoc testing purposes I’d flattened out and taped a strip of silver solder inside the roof of the vented battery box as a improvised sorta coal miner’s canary idea, but over the years I never saw any signs of silver discoloration whatsoever, or on the terminals! - this may be due to the compartment door’s venting…
At least that was my own experience, however I’ve since switched to LiFePo4 lithium and have been extremely pleased…
3 tons
* This post was
edited 07/19/23 07:59am by 3 tons *
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Grit dog
Black Diamond, WA
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deltabravo wrote:The problem with 6v lead acid wet cell batteries in an AF camper is the height of them, and the pointless battery slideout tray, and the inaccessibility of checking the fluid levels due to the height. That tray doesn't allow access to the inner battery either.
Your best bet is to ditch the tray and go with two group 031 AGM batteries, so you never have to check fluid levels or deal with acide puking wet cells ever again.
A lot of AF owners in the FB group have done the switch to AGM.
Here's how I did it on my AF 811
Wow that’s a pretty matter of fact recommendation for a very mid grade solution.
There’s no problem getting a couple 200ah SLA 6v batteries in that tray or a 200ah 12v AGM.
Both of which provide the same power for less $ and actually fit with not modifications.
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deltabravo
Spokane, WA
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valhalla360 wrote:If your charger is causing large amounts of gassing, fix/replace the charger.
High quality chargers (3 stage units) that I use do cause some gassing of flooded wet call batteries.
Every RV I've owned, I disable the stock converter and use an inverter/charger for my charging needs.
With the minimal space in an AF truck camper battery compartment above the batteries, a "filling system" isn't going to solve the issue of not being able to check/fill the batteries.
* This post was
edited 07/20/23 08:51am by deltabravo *
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deltabravo
Spokane, WA
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Grit dog wrote:Wow that’s a pretty matter of fact recommendation for a very mid grade solution.
This wasn't a "mid grade" solution in 2015 when I did that upgrade.
That upgrade was long before Lithium batteries became commonplace for RV systems.
At the time I installed the AGMs, no one have ever mentioned Lithium batteries.
My current AF camper (a 992) uses a pair of Battleborns that I took out of a Nash 17K I installed them in a year earlier, when I still had the 811.
Battleborn batteries in my AF 992
Grit dog wrote:There’s no problem getting a couple 200ah SLA 6v batteries in that tray or a 200ah 12v AGM.
Two group 31 AGMs were the easiest to install when I did the upgrade in my 811. Two smaller batteries are a lot easier to lift into the compartment that's at eye level than one large 200ah battery (which I never found when I was searching for battery upgrades 8 years ago)
Grit dog wrote:...and actually fit with not modifications.
No mods were necessary to fit the group 31 AGMs.
I jettisoned the useless, "weight adding" tray which serves no practical purpose other than adding weight and taking up footprint space that prevents larger batteries from being used, and reduces vertical height making it more difficult to make my battery connections.
* This post was
edited 07/20/23 09:00am by deltabravo *
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