How long should batterys last

[Picknmix]

In just two days from full my batteries are flat, I have only used a bit of light and the water pump etc. I have two batterys 85AH, how long should they last and how can I tell if they are kaput? ta

[Jim]

Hi there, have a good read here, the 12volt side of life. Its a great intro into RV electrics.

How long your battery lasts depends on how much energy is stored in the battery and how well you conserve it. There is no definite answer. It depends on the rating of the appliance you are using and the condition of your battery, cleverer people than me will be able to tell you how long you will get for a particular rated appliance with a particular battery,

Just a thought, did you have any heating on this weekend? Running your furnace whilst not on hook up will kill your battery really quickly.

[BrianJoJosh]

hi picknmix,we had the same problem on a (pardon me for swearing)autotrail cheiftain and discovered that we had never fully charged them.(i would only charge them for a couple of hours,then someone said when you get home hook up to the mains and charge them for a week which is wot we did and after that they were fine.i thought this would hav overcooked the batterys but it didnt. has any one else had same problem

[American Dream]

Originally Posted by Brian Evans

hi picknmix,we had the same problem on a (pardon me for swearing)autotrail cheiftain and discovered that we had never fully charged them.(i would only charge them for a couple of hours,then someone said when you get home hook up to the mains and charge them for a week which is wot we did and after that they were fine.i thought this would hav overcooked the batterys but it didnt. has any one else had same problem

So would I Brian,

I really hope these things regulate the charge the way they should.

[Chrisdy]

Originally Posted by Brian Evans

hi picknmix,we had the same problem on a (pardon me for swearing)autotrail cheiftain and discovered that we had never fully charged them.(i would only charge them for a couple of hours,then someone said when you get home hook up to the mains and charge them for a week which is wot we did and after that they were fine.i thought this would hav overcooked the batterys but it didnt. has any one else had same problem

Actually, that's really no different from being on a site for a week and having the EHU connected permanently. When we are out during the day the batteries are not being used, but are being charged all the time. Any decent modern charger will trickle charge only, once full capacity has been achieved. However, if an RV is more than about 15(?) years old then it might be worth checking the specs of the charger and, if there is any doubt, upgrading it, since the older ones could cook the batteries because they only had a fixed charge rate. However, those type of chargers have not been fitted in permanent installations, like an RV, for quite a while I suspect. I leave an 'intelligent charger' connected to my motorbike all year to ensure it remains charged between uses. It does these type of batteries no real harm, and much better than allowing them to become fully discharged, even for short periods.