109 replies to this topic

[dharte]

I just ordered the Blue Sky SB3000i. It's flush mount and fully programmable to set the exact voltages for absorption and float charging.

[Wallowa]

seems to be overcharging them.  

 

 

VIc,

 

Let me re-visit the possibility of the FWC batteries being over-charged.  With the FWC  Q4 contoller and plugged into an external 110v source what voltage should the OEM FWC status screen display?  Mine shows a steady 13.6 v.  I store my '16 Hawk in my shop with external power plugged in.

 

Not saying that there is not a potential issue but honestly how many stock/OEM FWC systems cause battery failure or premature draw down?  Is it indeed a highly probable weakness or is this an infrequent issue?  

 

I appreciate all the thought and expertise that has been demonstrated on the possible problems with the FWC charging/battery system as delivered.  But is a battery related issue that prevalent? 

 

For the lay person, me, deducing if my electrical systems need upgrading has been very confusing and just replacing a plethora of components that may or may not be needed just further muddies the water for me.

 

Anyway thanks to all for this discussion.  Just wish there was a more definitive "cookbook" of how to diagnose any impending issues and then the steps to alleviate them.

 

Phil

 

'16 Hawk

w/full FWC Zamp solar roof and portable panels

Edited by Wallowa, 10 July 2018 - 06:38 PM.

[PaulT]

Phil,

 

Not Vic here, but I have similar to your set up. Zamp controller, and Iota with IQ4.  13.5v or 13.6v is float voltage for the AGM batteries. After batteries are fully charged, I see 13.5 or 13.6 indicated on the Zamp display with either full sun on the solar panels or with the camper plugged into shore power.

 

There will be higher voltages displayed for some time after sun comes up or after plugging into shore power but there will be a return to 13.5 or 13.6 after batteries reach full charge and either charger decides that full charge has happened.

 

After a week or two on float, both the Zamp and the IQ4 will revert to bulk, then absorption and back to float to ensure that the batteries are kept fully charged.

 

Paul

[smlobx]

I had a similar fast draw down last week while camping in the GWNF.
The thermostat in my fridge was accidentally set to the lowest setting and my solar panels were mostly shaded due to where I parked. Almost everything in the fridge was frozen solid the next morning...
I saw voltage (on my Zamp Controler) as low as 9.7V.

I'm afraid I cooked my 6 volt batteries. Right now I'm trying to revive them with my NOCO charger but it may be a mute point.

Edited by smlobx, 10 July 2018 - 11:49 PM.

[Vic Harder]

13.6 is a reasonable float voltage for some batteries what do your specific batteries need? and is this after several days so we can expect that this is the float voltage?

[Wallowa]

13.6 is a reasonable float voltage for some batteries what do your specific batteries need? and is this after several days so we can expect that this is the float voltage?

 

 

Float charge for certain....seen when plugged into 110 and no real draw sitting in my shop...as to what my specific AGM batteries "need", I have not a clue...OEM FWC  dual 12v..

 

So far never a hick-up with our Hawk...fingers crossed...solar [160 +80] and then when changing locations Tundra alternator ifitis needed.

 

Phil

[PaulT]

See http://www2.exide.co... FP-AGM24DP.pdf

Assuming you have the Exide group 24 Edge AGM marine dual purpose

Float voltage is 13.5v to 13.8v

Paul

[Wandering Sagebrush]

See http://www2.exide.co... FP-AGM24DP.pdf
Assuming you have the Exide group 24 Edge AGM marine dual purpose
Float voltage is 13.5v to 13.8v
Paul

Perhaps an aside... I had an interesting conversation with an RV builder about batteries. They bought a somewhat large number of batteries from Exide to put in their new units. I was told that Exide, rather than shipping their in house manufactured AGMs from their East Coast US plant, imports batteries from China for the West Coast, and that they (the builder) had to warranty a very high percentage of the batteries.

[RajaZoie]

We were / are having a similar issue where our batteries were going "empty" overnight with just the fridge running. We replaced our 2 1/2 yr old Exides and I just got the Victron BMV 700 battery monitor to see if we have something else going on as well (although it appears we are back to normal with the new batteries). We have a 2015 Hawk which we got in December of 2015 so I wonder if we all got a bad batch of Exide batteries. 

Great info up here. 

[radarcontact]

Apparently I'm having a similar problem, wanted to bounce it off you guys.   I have a 2014 Hawk with Zamp controller, 160W panel, 2-way Dometic frig, and 2 12V 85ah Fiamm batteries that came from the factory.   I leave the camper parked in my garage, plugged into shore power when I'm not using it.  Every time I go camping, the frig will run normally for an hour or so, then it starts cycling on and off.  The compressor would start, but only run for 10-15 sec, then click off.  I happened to look at my Zamp controller when this was happening, and my voltage would drop, from, say, 12.6V down to below 11V in 10 sec, which would cause the frig compressor to shut off, as it wasn't receiving enough voltage to continue to run.   This has been going on for awhile now....when I was camping in California last fall I had a shop test the batteries, and they said they were ok, but I don't think they put a load on them.  As it stands right now, the frig is useless for camping on battery power.  When I first got the camper in 2014, we camped remotely on some BLM land in Arizona for over a week - never started the truck, and the frig and other electrical stuff ran perpetually, with the charge the solar panel would give it during the day.  Besides the frig, we're not really using a lot of juice...just a light, and a ceiling fan at times.  I'm going to pull both batteries out of the camper and take them to a shop and have them tested again....any other ideas?  If the batteries check out ok, I guess the next thing is to replace the solar controller, from what I'm reading on this thread.  If the batteries are bad, maybe I should replace the controller as well....?   Overcharging?  It's pretty confusing, and frustrating.