Batteries down..jumping with charger

[OKIE9ERS]

Last time batteries went down I hooked up charger and bus started immediately...
Not so today...
Should the charger be hooked up to only one battery, or both?
Thanks

[buswarrior]

What voltage charger?

You just got lucky last time?

12 volt charger on 24 volt system, you have to charge one battery at a time.

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

[OKIE9ERS]

Old as dirt(it looks) 24 volt charger...came with the bus...wasnt even sure what it was at first...thought a portable heater...tried to post a pic but forgot how at the moment...

[OKIE9ERS]

Old charger

[OKIE9ERS]

Just took a little patience...
Hooked to both batteries...
Charger dont look like much but still works...
20 minutes and fired right up...
Thanks

[buswarrior]

length of charge is related to depth of discharge.

Nothing wrong with an old charger, does the job, keep it around.

Better find what is murdering your batteries before damage is done.

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[windtrader]

length of charge is related to depth of discharge.

Nothing wrong with an old charger, does the job, keep it around.

Better find what is murdering your batteries before damage is done.

happy coaching!
buswarrior

And rate of charge.
Also, learned recently the hard way what damage is done by low batteries. My car starter went out. Turned out the contacts get burned when used with low voltage. Not a big deal to change. Then the starter in the bus went out. Same damn thing. Started too many times on low voltage. Lot bigger deal to swap out. Lesson learned = keep batteries fully charged and water levels up.

[DrPattyCakes]

Curious...is it better to get a dual bank 12V charger or get a 24V charger for keeping batteries topped off?

[richard5933]

I'm using a dedicated 24v charger for the coach batteries.

https://www.ltdrvparts.com/PROGRESSIVE-DYNAMICS-25-AMP-24-VOLT-CONVERTER-CHARGER-PD9225-24-PD9225-24.htm

Puts out 25 amps at 24v. Multi-stage charging. I keep it on all the time when I've got shore power to keep the batteries topped off. Last year I kept them charged using a single 12v charger, but that required too much involvement. The single 24v charger was simple to wire, easy to use, and I wouldn't go back.

This charger is in addition to the one that charges the house batteries.

[chessie4905]

Since dedicated chargers for 24 volt aren't as plentiful, they tend to be more expensive than Automatic 12 volt ones. You can usually buy 2 12 volt cheaper.
There have been many starters burned out from mostly newbie owners here from trying to start a coach with bad batteries or poor connections or in cold weather with no block heater.

[richard5933]

Since dedicated chargers for 24 volt aren't as plentiful, they tend to be more expensive than Automatic 12 volt ones. You can usually buy 2 12 volt cheaper...

If you're talking about multi-stage/smart chargers, I'm not sure that this is true. Especially if you are looking for chargers designed to be hardwired and permanently installed. The 24v charger I posted was under $200, good quality, and meant for full-time use. Not sure if you'll find two 12v chargers for much less, especially if the low-quality imports are excluded.

[luvrbus]

Amazon sells a 12/24 volt pulse charger for 35 bucks fully automatic that will keep the batteries topped off I got sick of the Battery Tenders @ 100 bucks each and so far the Amazon charger is working good,Like Walter posted a cheap 24 v scooter charger will work too   

[chessie4905]

I was referring to something like this. Or one with higher amperage.

https://www.amazon.com/Schumacher-SC1305-Automatic-Battery-Charger/dp/B0756MDZ1L?ref=silk_at_search

I use a roll around 12 volt for quick boost/charge for all my batteries and vehicles if needed. The coach uses pulse chargers to keep them maintained. I have found the batteries will consume water even with a pulse charger. I check and add water, if needed,every 3 months. I currently use a distribution box that charges each of 4 house batteries in order for 15 minutes per. When the inverter is on,it does the maintaining,then the distribution box is connected to the two start batteries instead.
Its tough for new owners to shell out $200 bucks for a 24 volt charger. That is usually one of the later items they consider.

I use this to maintain, although originally purchased for cycles.
https://www.amazon.com/PulseTech-4-Station-QuadLink-Battery-Charger/dp/B00J4VTC4G/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1541421503&sr=8-6&keywords=pulse+charger&dpID=515cbtZ1U-L&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

[richard5933]

Those are good options, but in reality are not saving that much money. By the time you buy two of the Schumacher 12v units you're already in for $130, and that's the price for buying used from Amazon. And you still don't have a built-in charger. For $60 more you can have a keeper charger that will be built-in and provide convenience.

To me, I'd rather spend the extra few bucks up front and not have to buy it twice.

[chessie4905]

This was an example. There are others out there at similiar prices. Or a single higher amp version with the flexibility to use on other vehicles. Your dedicated charger is a fine idea. Good inverters can take care of batteries also.