Can the batteries be overcharged?

[Bigjohnk99]

I may be staying in my 83 Holiday Rambler for the next few months. During this time it will be parked at an RV park. Any forseeable problems with the batteries with the MH being plugged in that long?  Any other problems I should look into when parking and living long-term in a rig like mine?
Does this make me a fulltimer?  Always wanted to be.

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Hey John,

You shouldn't have any problems with your batteries at all.  You converter is only going to put out a maintenance charge, like around 13.2 volts, which won't hurt your batteries no matter how long you have them on that low of a charge.

Just check the battery water levels once a month and top them off if necessary with distilled water.

The two things that hurt batteries the most are draining them too far and too often, and of course not keeping the cells covered completely with electrolite, which of course is why you add the distilled water when you check them.

You shouldn't have any other problems if you are parked in an RV park.  You'll have water and sewer and power, so you should be all set...as an honorary fulltimer...lol!

Kev

[gadgetman]

Being a 83 I would check the converters float voltage. Some of those old ones it was way too high and would cook batteries. 13.2 is ideal. Those old converters were more of a power supply than a battery charger maintainer and thats why you have the over charging issue with them. You have to really watch the battery fluid levels with the old converters.

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

Like Gadgetman said

Some of those old ones it was way too high and would cook batteries. 13.2 is ideal.

Many of the old ones put out a constant 13.6 - 13.9 VDC which can boil a battery dry.  This is why fancy 3 stage converters were developed.  You know, like the Powermax Boondocker one so many people have bought   

Dave

[ClydesdaleKevin]

LOL!  I forgot that the really old converters can put out too high a charge.  Late 80s had the problem of not putting out enough of a charge, like the one we replaced with the Powermax Boondocker.

Oops!

Check your voltage at your batteries when plugged into shore power.  If its reading more than 13.2, especially if its much higher like 13.9, then check your battery water level at least once a week...every few days is even better if your voltage output is high.

I check ours once a week even with the Powermax Boondocker installed.  With our solar panel setup, it isn't unusual to see 15+ volts on the digital volt meter I installed near the battery compartment, even hooked up to shore power (The Morningstar Tristar monitor panel always reads lower for some reason).  So far so good, and the water level stays pretty constant.  I just topped them up for the first time after the solar panel install, and the cells were barely low at all.

Thanks guys for checking me on that, and correcting me.  Would hate to have steered someone the wrong way and caused them battery damage!

Kev

[Bigjohnk99]

Thanks for the help.  I'm going to have to get a good volt meter.

[Froggy1936]

Sears has a very good one that will do everything automotive and household  even has a A/C  or furnace temp reading probe  Frank