coach batterys

[andy]

We have a 6v92 in our 85 Eagle with 3 12v batterys. They wont stay charged at 32 deg. 1140cca. I have a friend who gave me 2 dekas they are 960cca at 32deg. will this make much differance or do I need to say with the more powerful battery. I know I still need to get one more but wanted to know if the cca was sufficient.  THANKS in advance  Andy

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hi Andy,

They will work for a while but, it depends what your demand is from the start batteries.

Do you have your coach A/C and heat still hooked up?

Is your house power tied into your start batts?

A Standard 8-D is about 1800 cranking amps...

Good Luck-
Nick-

[andy]

Hey Nick, nothing is hooked in to the start batterys and where the batterys are located 8D's would not fit.

[Old4103]

Andy,

You have something drawing down your batteries.

Whether it is a light on in a bay or some other load.

You may also have a bad battery which will cause all the other batteries to discharge.

Disconnect any cables to the batteries and check each one with a refractometer or a good hydrometer.

When hooking the batteries back up watch for a spark of any kind. If there is one, you have a completed circuit somewhere drawing power.

Cold weather alone won't discharge a battery in most situations.

Good Luck!

Dallas

[TomC]

You should try disconnecting the batteries between use-they should stay able to start for several weeks.  I have a 8V-71N (high compression pistons) that two 950's start just fine.  If they are a little weak I can flip a switch to tie in the 2 8D deep cycles to help start also.
Nick-you're a bit high on the 8D cca at 0 degrees-that's usually 1200 to 1400.  Good Luck, TomC

[Tom Y]

Andy, I got 3 31s 12volt batteries from work.  I charged, them load tested, they looked good I let sit for a few weeks and they all showed bad. So you may or may not have a hidden load, I would check for that first.  Tom Y 

[Stan]

When people talk about cold weather effect on starting batteries, it is much lower than 32*. At 32* the self discharge rate is reduced so that the battery will stay charged longer.  A battery that does not produce at 32* will not do much better at 70*.

When a battery will not stay charged, the usual remedy is replacement with all new batteries in the set. Some people claim getting good service buying used batteries and some claim great results with various battery rejuvenators that are on the market.

Like everything else in this business, you pay your money and you take your chances. Any time you go cheap you have to factor in the cost of inconvenience, lost time, cost of service calls and with some items your life and the lives of others on the road.

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

When people talk about cold weather effect on starting batteries, it is much lower than 32*. At 32* the self discharge rate is reduced so that the battery will stay charged longer.  A battery that does not produce at 32* will not do much better at 70*.

When a battery will not stay charged, the usual remedy is replacement with all new batteries in the set. Some people claim getting good service buying used batteries and some claim great results with various battery rejuvenators that are on the market.

Like everything else in this business, you pay your money and you take your chances. Any time you go cheap you have to factor in the cost of inconvenience, lost time, cost of service calls and with some items your life and the lives of others on the road.

Hay Stan,
that kinda fits my modo of "CHEAP PAYS TWICE"  Lol
Nick-

[Stan]

Nick:  We just went through a very long thread on the hazards of using antiseize on wheel studs. My personal experience is that I have never seen a wheel separation for any reason but I have seen many semis sitting in the weeds with a blown front tire. My thinking on this is to use good tires (on the steering axle in particular), but we have lots of posts on the bus BBS from people who advise buying all your tires at the truck wrecking yard.  Sometimes the cost of cheap is very high!