Starting/Chassis Batteries

[Edward Buker]

When I purchased our 2002 Marquis in 2009 they had a pair of group 31 off brand batteries that were a year old. Within several months on the road they failed. I purchased the best NAPA commercial group 31 batteries that were offered (1200CA/1000CCA). They had an 18 month replacement warranty and they just failed at 20 months. NAPA offerd to pro rate them and would allow me just a $10 credit per battery. Not too happy with that so I took my business elsewhere today. I ended up getting a pair of Energizer Brand at Sam's Club that said distributed by Johnson Controls on them. (950CC). i assume Johnson made them, but it is hard to know for sure.

A little info that may help others. The coach would barely crank this morning and would not start. With the Echo Charger on, the batteries were sitting at 12 volts, and the fuses to the Echo Charger were hot to the touch. That is a good telltale that something is wrong. I disconnected the batteries from the coach wiring and charged them while isolated and they would pull a lot of current but not hold a charge. While checking things out I did test the chassis current draw with all switches/accessories off. It was 1.1 amp. There has been some questions about the draw on the chassis batteries while sitting with everything off.

Seems like I'm not getting the life out of my starting batteries that I thought I would. They sit on Echo charge with the coach plugged in when not in use. Charge voltages are good while on Echo Charge, no blinking light.

As a survey, I was wondering what battery brands are being used? Also if any bands are giving a longer life, or is this 14 to 20 months typical in our application.

Later Ed

[Gerald Farris]

Ed,
One of the original group 31 Interstate batteries that came in my coach failed in 2005. Since the other battery tested good in all test, I only replaced the bad battery with a Continental Battery then. The other original Interstate battery failed last year at the age of 10 and I replaced it then.

So I have bought 2 chassis batteries in the 7 1/2 years that I have owned the 11 year old coach. I now have one chassis battery that is 6 years old and one that is 1 year old. Either I have been very lucky with batteries or you have been very unlucky.

Gerald

[Keith Oliver]

Ed:

I haven't owned my 98 Beaver long enough for my experience to give you much, but:  two gp31s 950cca, that came with the coach failed right away.  I repalced with the same NAPA as you quote, 1150CCA.  They failed right away too, so I went on the hunt for the problem.  Eventually I have discovered that the echo charger wasn't. I now have a knife switch on the neg of the combined start bank, so nothing comes out while stored.  I also have a small smart charger on the bank, so if I am plugged in, stored or not, they are getting a charge.  I expect no further problems with that bank.
I checked my echo charger with an AVO meter and found it dead.  A replacement from Xantrex, from their head office in Burnaby (close to where I live) was over 3x the price of a smart charger from a local auto supply store, hence the smart charger, which I think is a better choice anyway.  I presently have it plugged into a 110 outlet in the bedroom above the battery bay, but I plan to hard wire it down below when I get the chance.
Keith

[Bill Sprague]

Opinions usually vary, but mine is that the battery world is low tech and few real manufactures survive.  Johnson Controls shows up in discussions as one of the few left that really make them.  

A couple of months ago, the Cummins was cranking slow.  I pushed the relay button and got started.  I had the original 6 or 7 year old Interstate starting/chassis batteries still in place.  I didn't bother testing them as I figured they were on borrowed time, no matter what!

I was near an RV shop that sold Interstates and got a quote.  Shocked, I got on the phone and called Budget Batteries and got a much better quote.  I don't know about you guys, but putting anything in our Beaver that says "Budget" on it is going against the grain and accepting extraordinary risk.  I did it anyway.

Having waisted my career as a salesman (including truck parts for awhile) I couldn't resist engaging in the manager in conversation.  I wanted to know where my new Budget Batteries came from.  The answer was sort of like "Where everyone else gets them".  He further stated that he frequently supplied Interstate with batteries himself.  None of the batteries on the shelf in his large warehouse had labels until sold or installed.  When I asked about warranty on the road he remembered to put a brand sticker on my new batteries that had a 800 number to call for service.   Happy with my new purchase and knowledge I started up the Cummins and pointed the nose to the chain link gate to get on Old 99.  I had to stop and make way for the Interstate Battery panel van that was inbound to Budget Batteries to slap some labels on and load up!

So maybe most batteries really are all the same!

[Gerald Farris]

Bill,
I certainly agree with you that there are a lot more battery marketers than manufactures. However there are a few manufactures left that excel in their specialized area, like Trojan lead/acid golf cart batteries or Lifeline AGM batteries.

I would not go to the trouble or extra expense to by a Trojan chassis battery, but their house batteries are great.

Gerald  

[Joel Ashley]

Your chassis batteries should certainly last more than a couple of years, regardless of who made them.  As Gerald implied, properly cared for batteries, whether house or chassis, can live 6-7 or even 10 years;  that was what we expected on our farm vehicles years ago.  The battery on our old '62 Chev half ton pickup didn't give up until 1974.  The original battery in my '97 F-150 finally quit in 2009, and might have lasted longer if I hadn't stopped driving it much after retiring;  the regular use of a Battery Minder maintenance device probably helped the last couple of years, and I'd advise it for any stored or irregularly used/alternator-charged battery.

Everyone wants to blame the batteries when they don't last, but the fault is usually 90% circuitry problems or lack of a master cutoff switch (or neglect of its use), and 10% neglect of at least twice a year cleaning and care.

-Joel

[Edward Buker]

Gerald, Joel, and Keith,

Keith, my Echo charger is working as it should. It just did not have the capacity to fight a shorted battery cell and the old batteries had it maxed out current wise (15amps) at 11.8 to 12V and no higher. With the new set of batteries, the fuse holder is nice and cool now, voltage is up where it should be, and the coach fired up quickly this AM when I turned the key, so all is well again.

Seems like your smart charger will do the job also. The Xantrex Echo Charger is a smart charger in a sense that it tapers the charge current down when the battery banks have less than a one volt offset. The closer in voltage the two battery sets are the less charge current is provided.

Gerald, sounds like you have had good luck with the Interstate batteries and all my golf cart house batteries are Interstate (maybe original) and I have no complaints regarding those. I Echo charge like you do. With the normal voltage levels maintained on the house battery side, the output of the Xantrex seems to do a good job of keeping the chassis batteries up without over charging them. So if this battery current set does not give me 4-5 years we will try Interstate next.

Joel... I'm afraid that not all batteries are built like they used to be. With the profit motive and the drive to make everything cheaper, some of us are getting early fails. My battery maintenance has been more than adequate and the charge system is automated. Can't find a reason these should have failed....other than them not being well made. The house battery side can be more abused....

Thanks Ed

[Edward Buker]

Bill,

Interesting input from Budget batteries. There really are not many manufacturers left for a lot of things including appliances. Many brand names coming from the same source. Cost model just works better that way....

I was at our local Ward International dealer yesterday scoping out what they had for stock. There was a $79 special group 31 by "American". It was indeed just another stuck on label brand. They had a pallet of them. I did not buy any because they had no CCA rating on the label and the parts guy did not seem to know for sure what the rating was....it can be a jungle out there. The week before I had stopped in to Wards for a another part and noticed that they had a special on Caterpillar Group 31s at $99. Those flew out of there and at that point I did not need any...probably would have gone for the Cat batteries for sure but they were history.

later Ed

[Bill Sprague]

Bill,
I certainly agree with you that there are a lot more battery marketers than manufactures. However there are a few manufactures left that excel in their specialized area, like Trojan lead/acid golf cart batteries or Lifeline AGM batteries.

I would not go to the trouble or extra expense to by a Trojan chassis battery, but their house batteries are great.

Gerald  

I did buy Trojans for the house batteries a couple years ago.  They replaced the Beaver supplied batteries.   And, they are working without flaw at about 4 years.  I'm enjoying seeing how long they work well.