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Old 04-24-2018, 12:41 AM   #1
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: 29.2 ACE
State: California
Posts: 71
THOR #11409
House batteries

Hello to all and I need some help with my house batteries.
I currently own a Thor ACE 29.2.
I have 2 house batteries run in parallel, I have the positive feed hooked on the positive post on the right battery and jumped to the left battery. The ground is connected to the rv frame and connected in the same order except on the negative side of the battery.
The problem started end of last summer, the first battery starts over heating and so I pull the battery and have it test and it always has already 1 cell that has gone bad.
This is the 3rd set of batteries I've replaced.
My voltage readings vary depending on charge level from 13.07- 14.5 volts DC. Any ideas

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Old 04-24-2018, 12:54 AM   #2
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THOR #6831
first check the batteries separate from each other, pull them both, bench charge, the check voltage 2 daily and see what happens after 7 days, some batteries will have a slow but steady discharge over many days, this will cause the good battery to overcharge
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Old 04-24-2018, 01:28 AM   #3
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THOR #11409
Are you saying even if I have purchased new batteries each time and the same thing happens each time on the same battery inline.
I can bench test both batteries to see what happens over a 7 day period. I just find it odd that this problem would arise 3 times over a 7 month period sitting in my backyard on shore power. Oh sorry I forgot to mention that. Another piece of the puzzle
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Old 04-24-2018, 12:19 PM   #4
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THOR #3761
Sounds like all things aren't equal in the charging circuit. With that consistent behavior, one battery is always going bad before the other? Which one is it, the battery directly attached to the leads or the jumper'd battery?
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Old 04-24-2018, 01:02 PM   #5
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Model: SOB 2014 Meridian 36M
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THOR #7205
Quote:
Originally Posted by jpmihalk View Post
Sounds like all things aren't equal in the charging circuit. With that consistent behavior, one battery is always going bad before the other? Which one is it, the battery directly attached to the leads or the jumper'd battery?
It sounds like the battery "directly attached to the leads". Over charging maybe, but why? Is the converter not dropping voltage output? (shrug)
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Old 04-24-2018, 01:08 PM   #6
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THOR #7205
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff van View Post
Hello to all and I need some help with my house batteries.
I currently own a Thor ACE 29.2.
I have 2 house batteries run in parallel, I have the positive feed hooked on the positive post on the right battery and jumped to the left battery. The ground is connected to the rv frame and connected in the same order except on the negative side of the battery.
The problem started end of last summer, the first battery starts over heating and so I pull the battery and have it test and it always has already 1 cell that has gone bad.
This is the 3rd set of batteries I've replaced.
My voltage readings vary depending on charge level from 13.07- 14.5 volts DC. Any ideas
You could always play "musical batteries". Just kidding, I hate that you have had to purchase 3 sets of batteries. Our old 1998 Thor cooked 2 batteries before I/RV shop discovered the converter was over charging.
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Old 04-24-2018, 02:01 PM   #7
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THOR #2829
While it certainly shouldn't cause issues to the extent you are seeing - having pos and neg of the 'load' attached to the same battery in a parallel arrangement will put more load on the first battery than its partner(s)..
Electricity will always follow the path of least resistance - which will be from the first battery - rather than the jumpers to the second battery.
Same logic on charging.

Ideally connect x batteries in parallel - connect the positive load to the far right battery - and the negative load to the far left battery - everything will stay balanced.

In your case though does sound like something more serious is wrong... it shouldn't get to the point of cooking batteries.
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Old 04-24-2018, 02:12 PM   #8
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Model: Four Winds 23U
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THOR #9748
Batteries in parallel is not a good idea because they need to be well matched and the match does not last as they age.

What you really need to do is to buy 2 6 volt batteries and put them in series. matching is no longer an issue. Suggest you buy real good deep cycle sealed batteries. It will cost you but will last for years.

Manufactures don't do this because 12 volt batteries are cheaper and easier for most owner to deal with.
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Old 04-24-2018, 07:00 PM   #9
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THOR #11409
It's the first battery in connected to the system not the jumpers battery
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Old 04-24-2018, 07:19 PM   #10
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THOR #7401
Quote:
Originally Posted by gmc View Post
While it certainly shouldn't cause issues to the extent you are seeing - having pos and neg of the 'load' attached to the same battery in a parallel arrangement will put more load on the first battery than its partner(s)..
Electricity will always follow the path of least resistance - which will be from the first battery - rather than the jumpers to the second battery.
Same logic on charging.

Ideally connect x batteries in parallel - connect the positive load to the far right battery - and the negative load to the far left battery - everything will stay balanced.

In your case though does sound like something more serious is wrong... it shouldn't get to the point of cooking batteries.
Ditto @ proper parallel setup. And insure batteries, when purchased are the same age.
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Old 04-25-2018, 01:33 AM   #11
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Model: 29.2 ACE
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THOR #11409
Update

While tracing the wiring back to the inverter I found the neutral leg from the shore power to the terminal block located at the inverter was loose. To be honest it looked like it had never been tightened from the factory.
After running on shore power all day my voltages on both batteries 13.608 volts. I did connect the ground to opposing battery as well.
My voltages have dropped down to a more respectable level and after 8 hours both batteries appear to be cool.
I will continue to monitor the system to see how it progresses.
I definitely like the 6 volt battery idea and will look in to it for our new Fleetwood MK-35H scheduled to pickup next month.
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