Need help! On the road and house battery stopped charging

[MarinBlaine]

Originally Posted by ShuttlePilot

Greetings Blaine,

Based on what your describing here I agree that it's likely a dead battery. I've had flooded and AGM batteries go from what seems like fine to worthless in a few days. I'm 4-5 hours away from the San Juans, although what I feel is a beautiful drive if you decide to take it.

Sending you a PM

- Eric

Thanks for the offer Eric, where are you? And do you have a quick source for replacement batteries? And a mechanic with a floor Jack wiling to work weekends?

[E-350]

Any way to let the engine run, turn it off, disconnect the house and measure it?
If so you should have high voltage immediately after disconnecting and lower voltage 12h later or so.

This way you’d make sure the battery is dead. If the battery keeps the charge over longer time you know you got to look for a battery drainer.

[MarinBlaine]

Originally Posted by E-350

Any way to let the engine run, turn it off, disconnect the house and measure it?
If so you should have high voltage immediately after disconnecting and lower voltage 12h later or so.

This way you’d make sure the battery is dead. If the battery keeps the charge over longer time you know you got to look for a battery drainer.

Hi E-350, thanks for chiming in. House battery won’t take any charge, we drove around for half a day yesterday after identifying the problem and the charge didn’t go up.

[ShuttlePilot]

Originally Posted by MarinBlaine

Thanks for the offer Eric, where are you? And do you have a quick source for replacement batteries? And a mechanic with a floor Jack wiling to work weekends?

I don't have source for a 4D battery in my head. Last two I've bought were shipped in by one of the large online battery companies. Those were the UPG Chinese AGM types that seem to be everywhere these days. If your thinking of calling around Colorado for one available today I would ask for any 4D size but expect it to be a UPG, which is fine. There is a bunch of Van builders around the Denver area that may sell one or have a lead on who to call for one in stock. Just a thought.

Another route is to ratchet strap say two Napa group 24 batteries to the trey temporarily. Caution - I have done this in other vehicles, but know that the 4D size are shorter than many other sizes. It depends on the SMB trey weather there is enough room in height for other options including the top posts.

[E-350]

Just checked NAPA AUTO and they state 2 different (commercial and marine) 4D is available in 30min at

NAPA Auto Parts CJB Auto Supply
360A N Mountain View Dr
Bayfield, CO 81122
(970) 884-9526

[MarinBlaine]

Thank you everyone! Emergency resolved, will share the outcome shortly, gotta drive now. Thank you Saline for hooking me up with Lee at Leisure Solar in Grand Junction

[doublevan2]

Maybe try ordering one from Renogy - Amazon - and have it shipped to you C/O the closest FEDEX or UPS Express package drop off - or a FEDEX Kinko ? Or a local repair garage - after clearing it with them ? Hope it all works out !

[REF]

There’s a batteries plus in Grand Junction, they carry Duracell branded Deka/East Penn AGM batteries, call ahead to see if they have a 4D or if they can get one.

[86Scotty]

Any farm store, Tractor Supply, Northern Tool, etc. etc. should have a 4D in stock but it will be lead acid most likely. I prefer Batteries Plus/Batteries n Bulbs, and they are pretty much everywhere now.

Blaine, you don't need a specific battery shop. Any side of the road mechanic should be able to swap out a battery on a SMB with a floor jack.

[MarinBlaine]

Ok, to close the loop on this…

I’m going to start off by acknowledging the absolutely amazing community of this forum. Just amazing. I told my wife on Thursday night when I started this thread that the cavalry would come to save us.

The second thing I will acknowledge is my thick-headedness of the fact that my battery was shot, simple as that. I was convinced it was some mystery deep within my rig’s electrical system, but the clear problem was that we were off-road on some rough terrain most of the day Thursday and something gave in my battery that caused the immediate failure of my house battery. Totally fine one day, completely dead the next. Didn’t compute but it was as simple as that. Occam’s Razor. Period.

And some major thank-yous: first to Saline for suggesting Lee Stauffer with Leisure Solar and his cohort Tyler Godby at Tyler Battery in Grand Junction

Thank you to Ray/1der for immediately reaching out via text (digging up my contact info from 4 years ago) and texting and then offering to talk me live and go through the scenarios…and taking my call, and offering to have me come visit in Loveland.

And thank you to Eric the Shuttlepilot for offering his driveway and air conditioning and expertise and labor to fix me up at his house, PM-ing me lots of info.

And thanks to everyone else for your advice and support, I am humbled by the velocity of my solution.

Anyway, I reached Lee at Leisure Solar in Grand Junction early yesterday…Friday morning. We were camped on BLM land just north of Ridgway about 80 miles away, and he confirmed that Tyler had a couple of batteries that would fit, and they could help me that day. We set off and arrived in Grand Junction mid-morning and they got me right in. Let us wait inside and welcomed our large German Shepherd too…with treats.

Lee gave me a thorough explanation of my options, and Tyler’s team got to work, with a couple of guys right on it. And it wasn’t a super easy swap, frozen bolts, older hardware etc.

Lee also took me through some update options I had been considering, but time just didn’t allow for some solar upgrades…but he did recommend an awesome waterproof Bluetooth battery monitoring setup that sends info to an app on my phone, so we added the Thornwave system, BT-DCPM. It will take a lot of guesswork out of “how’s the battery?” and a very affordable investment.

Ultimately it was tricky to find the right fit but Tyler’s guys wrestled in a Deka 8A4D battery and installed the monitor. Lee took me through the phone app. And we were out of there by 2 and back on the road.

Again, the timeline is absurd given that it was Friday and I was facing a long weekend without our fridge. Posting my first message well into Thurs evening, everyone blowing up the thread, several phone calls early Friday and on my way by 2.

I can’t recommend Lee and Tyler more. Lee was amazing for shepherding me through the process and Tyler and team made it happen in a flash. All for an extremely fair price for a broken-down guy on the road on a Friday.

Yes, I know a lot of gushing about a battery, but the SMB Forum community really blew me away.

Lee Stauffer at Leisure Solar is at 970-216-0701
Tyler Godby at Tyler Batteries is at 970-243-6323
They are in the same building!

Now…humbly back to the road trip, now day 10 of 21! Hope to see you out there!

Blaine