Battery Bank in Kimberley Kamper

I have found that due to their mounting arrangement and gap to the bed, there aren't really many options than the original Exides ED10S. I did the search and couldn't find any decent AGMs that would fit.

You should aim to get them for $150 each for comparison of pricing. (i have been quoted this price in NQ)

To check the batteries, look for bulges in them, especially in the centre ones, a sign they are stuffed.

Disconnect the postive terminals and check voltages across each. Not all of them will be low voltage as a guess, however it is safer to replace ALL of them at the same time.

Hope that helps.

Andrew

Tim, not sure what charger you have but Karavans use a Xantrex 20 or 40 amphour charger. There is a capability to do a desulphation with the Xantrex, but I am not sure what capacity you have. In saying all that, by seeing the monitoring at 9v the batteries are FLAT and I don't know it would help!

I agree with Andrew above. I hope to be able to use a heavier battery bank when we get around to upgrading. I haven't measured all the dimensions - but am hoping.......

We actually keep ours charged with solar panels - 2x80w and keep the fridge going too.

The other Post is correct that you wont have much luck trying to get another brand of battery to fit in that space. I bought a 2005 platinum in April last year only to find that the batteries were stuffed. Two of the six were still in good condition but based on previous advice from many others. Dont mix old batteries with new so I replaced the whole bank.

One thing I have learnt since buying the trailer.
As a general rule dont run your batteries below 50% capacity as this shortens their life.

Check your charger to ensure correct operation.

Has your battery monitor worked correctly all the time? I found after doing the first couple of trips with mine that the battery monitor would work fine for a while then start giving incorrect readings. After closer inspection found that the incorrect cable had been run from monitor to the shunt causing the issues. It needs to be a shielded 2 core twisted pair. Once this was replaced all was good again. Unsure why Kimberley would not run the correct wire but thats what I found.

do not replace them with the exide batteries they are useless & fail on a regular basis use the full river dc35 for a lot longer life & once fitted have the ah metre recalibrated to make sure it is working properly after being disconected
& the batteries fit straight in

What I find dissapointing (on your behalf) is that you are stuck without many options! Can't you modify the battery trays to have a wider choice of battery?

AGM's are the way to go for any camper, even if some disagree at leats one should have a choice on what to fit

Thanks all for the replies.

I'll individually check the voltages (it's been on charge again since yesterday) to see if only one battery is cactus before getting them load tested if required.

I'll also price the Fullriver -vs- Exide and see who wins :-)

.....now to find that charger manual....



Thanks again.


Tim

Hi Tim,
If you replace the batteries then try and get a brand that is available nation wide. Warranties ain't worth anything if you can only deal with an agent 1,000 km away.
If you need to replace one faulty battery in a bank then by using a commonly available brand you will be able to replace it with one with the same dimensions and not have to try and fit in some odd size. Batteries are a consumable item and do need regular replacement so best to go for a reliable brand mid price range. You will not be quite so upset then when your $$$$$ batteries give up in 5 years time.

KK