I have done a search still not sure so I will ask. We travel on the road full time, about 85% of the time connected to power. Just had van serviced and sola and charger cheek all fine. So definitely battery. This battery's are only 16 months old Giant power 140 AGM glass going to change to Fullriver battery. Am I missing some thing as this is the second lot of baters in 5 years or is it because we are in the van full time should expect to get much more out of batters.
Thanks for reading
Mackayak said
11:46 AM Jul 29, 2023
We are in WA near Geraldton
Kebbin said
12:04 PM Jul 29, 2023
What is the warranty on the Giant Battery? If it is 12 months you should be fine with a warranted replacement as whatever the warranty is it must be fair under Australian Consumer Law, look it up and contact Giant batteries or the place of purchase, do not budge if the say the warranty is out just quote Australian Consumer Law all States @ Territories are covered under this law.
I have used this method twice once with a iphone that was 4 months past warranty period & a LCD TV, you will find the Original supplier/manufacturer is the best method (in your case Giant Batteries) as the retailer will not want to honour the warranty but they will in the end just more stuffing around.
-- Edited by Kebbin on Saturday 29th of July 2023 12:13:13 PM
TimTim said
10:23 PM Jul 29, 2023
There is no easy answer but it can be just the roll of the dice, but with AGMs you want to keep the the batteries fully charged as much as possible when free camping. I have at home a AGM from Aussie batteries which I have used and abused for about 10 years and it is still going strong. On the other hand I had 2 calcium batteries that have just decided to die on my trip to Cape York that are only 22 months old. The one and was overheating and I took it out and survived a couple of weeks on the other until it died two days ago. Luckily I have 560Ah of Lithium on a seperate system which I can utilise.
As suggested contact the battery supplier and claim under Australian Consumer Law. The thing is with postage sending them back and only pro rata refunds it my not be worth the effort. In my case I decided not to bother and will build 2 x 100 Ah lithiums.
You may need to look at how you are using them and what you are charging them with. What solar controller do you have as a number of the cheaper ones are known to put out too high a voltage.
Tim
Whenarewethere said
12:05 PM Jul 30, 2023
If worried about battery life, go with 2 volt cell lead acid & buy 6 cells. Per AH, longevity & price, it's a no brainer. If a cell fails, most unlikely, buy a replacement 2v cell.
Jaahn said
12:36 PM Jul 30, 2023
Mackayak wrote:
Hi all
I have done a search still not sure so I will ask. We travel on the road full time, about 85% of the time connected to power. Just had van serviced and sola and charger cheek all fine. So definitely battery. This battery's are only 16 months old Giant power 140 AGM glass going to change to Fullriver battery. Am I missing some thing as this is the second lot of baters in 5 years or is it because we are in the van full time should expect to get much more out of batters.
Thanks for reading
Hi Macka I have one 140Ah Giant power battery and 190W solar and alternator input when driving. My battery must be about 7 years old now and going perfectly. We do not live in the van now but have in past years. 12 V fridge too.
We do not know what your setup for solar is so cannot comment there, but the secret to LA batteries is to regularly, every day if possible, get them charged up, fully if possible. It has been found in times past that having enough solar to get the batteries up to absorb voltage by lunch time is good as they have plenty of absorb time and on bad solar days you have some leeway. You can also use the extra power available in the afternoon for other uses, charging devices, doing washing up etc. You need to be able to charge them when the weather is bad and we use the engine alternator.
Regularly letting the batteries get to low charge state and not recharging them quickly will kill them. Better to have too much solar than just enough which just causes worry. Get some portable panels to put out too or if there is shade. I always select my parking spot with regard for the sun location and shade !
Jaahn
I have battery the same to fit as a second one and will fit another same solar panel too as we plan on getting out again. But I do also have 2x 50W portable panels also to use if needed now.
-- Edited by Jaahn on Sunday 30th of July 2023 12:46:11 PM
Whenarewethere said
03:02 PM Jul 30, 2023
Can't really add anything to the abve comments.
Will reiterate, it's when there is inclement weather & if you can't charge lead acid batteries up they will suffer in the long term if repeating the lack of charging often enough.
So you really need to be able to charge reasonably well one way or another in inclement weather. Adding more AH will allow you to burn through your AH capacity at a slower rate. Together with more solar options will save the system short & long term.
In the meantime use as little power as you can on cloudy days, at least no more than what you can put back into the batteries.
Mackayak said
04:16 PM Jul 30, 2023
Thanks for the replies. It appears we are doing every thing that has been recommended. 240w of sola and it has been cheeked and working fine. batteries are normally fully charged. So my be just one of those things so as we are traveling and it would be difficulted to try warranty. Just wear it and put new ones in and enjoy the journey and hopefully this will last to we are home or they will last.
Whenarewethere said
04:30 PM Jul 30, 2023
Do you know how many amps are actually going into the batteries or a good day & bad day.
If you have a few panels it would be good to turn off the panels & test them one by one. One panel could be affecting the overall setup.
Could be as simple as a dirty panel or message from a bird.
Dick0 said
05:15 PM Jul 30, 2023
Hi David,
Keep the AGM battery(s) fully charged as possible and do not let the battery(s) deplete below 50%. A golden rule about AGM flooded batteries.
Jaahn said
07:12 PM Jul 30, 2023
Mackayak wrote:
Thanks for the replies. It appears we are doing every thing that has been recommended. 240w of sola and it has been cheeked and working fine. batteries are normally fully charged. So my be just one of those things so as we are traveling and it would be difficulted to try warranty. Just wear it and put new ones in and enjoy the journey and hopefully this will last to we are home or they will last.
I can only say to measure what is actually going in and out. How do you judge that they are fully charged, they do need absorbtion time at "full" voltage ? Some panels including those sold by well known retailers are crap and put out a lot less than specs. EG 300W panels that put out only 100. The same goes for MPPT regulators that are just rebadged cheap rubbish. I have helped to sort out a couple of setup using items like that.
The answer is to measure what is happening on a day to day basis. I have bought 7 of those batteries over the years and all did good service and I have just bought another secondhand one to fit as a second battery. It is 4 years old and tests very good under a load but was replaced by lithium.
Jaahn
-- Edited by Jaahn on Sunday 30th of July 2023 07:15:49 PM
Mackayak said
11:48 AM Jul 31, 2023
Hi Whenarewethere and Jaahn I am not very good at 12 volt so not sure on testing. So knowing the batteries where playing up and the caravan need a service I got them to test the set up they tested the sola separately and said it is putting out plenty and regulator was working fine. So will just replace batteries and hope this last to we are back home next year.
-- Edited by Mackayak on Monday 31st of July 2023 11:49:09 AM
-- Edited by Mackayak on Monday 31st of July 2023 11:49:29 AM
-- Edited by Mackayak on Monday 31st of July 2023 11:56:11 AM
Whenarewethere said
12:43 PM Jul 31, 2023
I knew nothing about solar & batteries in 2018.
But the way I learnt was to measure things. Bought a DC clamp meter & put various amp & voltage meters in the system. Because of the built up knowledge of the system I can pinpoint an issue in the outback & maintain cold beer, or more to the point Wifey has faith (worth it's weight in platinum)!
If you don't know what is going into the controller from each solar panel & can't isolate things, & know what is going into each batteries from the controller. It is the blind, leading the blind, leading the blind!
Any set-up, part of the cost of any system is tools for measuring. You may as well put some masking tape over your car's fuel tank's remaining fuel. Simple as that.
It will cost you far more money in the long run if you are wandering around day to day with a blindfold. Like buying new components when one can't measure anything.
Buy some measuring instruments, makes life so much easier. Saves money in the long run & is an awful lot of peace of mind.
woolman said
09:24 AM Aug 1, 2023
I solved short battery life by getting a larger capacity battery and only be using 25% to 30% overnight.
Hi all
I have done a search still not sure so I will ask. We travel on the road full time, about 85% of the time connected to power. Just had van serviced and sola and charger cheek all fine. So definitely battery. This battery's are only 16 months old Giant power 140 AGM glass going to change to Fullriver battery. Am I missing some thing as this is the second lot of baters in 5 years or is it because we are in the van full time should expect to get much more out of batters.
Thanks for reading
What is the warranty on the Giant Battery? If it is 12 months you should be fine with a warranted replacement as whatever the warranty is it must be fair under Australian Consumer Law, look it up and contact Giant batteries or the place of purchase, do not budge if the say the warranty is out just quote Australian Consumer Law all States @ Territories are covered under this law.
I have used this method twice once with a iphone that was 4 months past warranty period & a LCD TV, you will find the Original supplier/manufacturer is the best method (in your case Giant Batteries) as the retailer will not want to honour the warranty but they will in the end just more stuffing around.
-- Edited by Kebbin on Saturday 29th of July 2023 12:13:13 PM
There is no easy answer but it can be just the roll of the dice, but with AGMs you want to keep the the batteries fully charged as much as possible when free camping. I have at home a AGM from Aussie batteries which I have used and abused for about 10 years and it is still going strong. On the other hand I had 2 calcium batteries that have just decided to die on my trip to Cape York that are only 22 months old. The one and was overheating and I took it out and survived a couple of weeks on the other until it died two days ago. Luckily I have 560Ah of Lithium on a seperate system which I can utilise.
As suggested contact the battery supplier and claim under Australian Consumer Law. The thing is with postage sending them back and only pro rata refunds it my not be worth the effort. In my case I decided not to bother and will build 2 x 100 Ah lithiums.
You may need to look at how you are using them and what you are charging them with. What solar controller do you have as a number of the cheaper ones are known to put out too high a voltage.
Tim
If worried about battery life, go with 2 volt cell lead acid & buy 6 cells. Per AH, longevity & price, it's a no brainer. If a cell fails, most unlikely, buy a replacement 2v cell.
Hi Macka I have one 140Ah Giant power battery and 190W solar and alternator input when driving. My battery must be about 7 years old now and going perfectly. We do not live in the van now but have in past years. 12 V fridge too.
We do not know what your setup for solar is so cannot comment there, but the secret to LA batteries is to regularly, every day if possible, get them charged up, fully if possible. It has been found in times past that having enough solar to get the batteries up to absorb voltage by lunch time is good as they have plenty of absorb time and on bad solar days you have some leeway. You can also use the extra power available in the afternoon for other uses, charging devices, doing washing up etc. You need to be able to charge them when the weather is bad and we use the engine alternator.
Regularly letting the batteries get to low charge state and not recharging them quickly will kill them. Better to have too much solar than just enough which just causes worry. Get some portable panels to put out too or if there is shade. I always select my parking spot with regard for the sun location and shade !
Jaahn
I have battery the same to fit as a second one and will fit another same solar panel too as we plan on getting out again. But I do also have 2x 50W portable panels also to use if needed now.
-- Edited by Jaahn on Sunday 30th of July 2023 12:46:11 PM
Can't really add anything to the abve comments.
Will reiterate, it's when there is inclement weather & if you can't charge lead acid batteries up they will suffer in the long term if repeating the lack of charging often enough.
So you really need to be able to charge reasonably well one way or another in inclement weather. Adding more AH will allow you to burn through your AH capacity at a slower rate. Together with more solar options will save the system short & long term.
In the meantime use as little power as you can on cloudy days, at least no more than what you can put back into the batteries.
Do you know how many amps are actually going into the batteries or a good day & bad day.
If you have a few panels it would be good to turn off the panels & test them one by one. One panel could be affecting the overall setup.
Could be as simple as a dirty panel or message from a bird.
Hi David,
Keep the AGM battery(s) fully charged as possible and do not let the battery(s) deplete below 50%. A golden rule about AGM flooded batteries.
I can only say to measure what is actually going in and out. How do you judge that they are fully charged, they do need absorbtion time at "full" voltage ? Some panels including those sold by well known retailers are crap and put out a lot less than specs. EG 300W panels that put out only 100. The same goes for MPPT regulators that are just rebadged cheap rubbish. I have helped to sort out a couple of setup using items like that.
The answer is to measure what is happening on a day to day basis. I have bought 7 of those batteries over the years and all did good service and I have just bought another secondhand one to fit as a second battery. It is 4 years old and tests very good under a load but was replaced by lithium.
Jaahn
-- Edited by Jaahn on Sunday 30th of July 2023 07:15:49 PM
Hi Whenarewethere and Jaahn I am not very good at 12 volt so not sure on testing. So knowing the batteries where playing up and the caravan need a service I got them to test the set up they tested the sola separately and said it is putting out plenty and regulator was working fine. So will just replace batteries and hope this last to we are back home next year.
-- Edited by Mackayak on Monday 31st of July 2023 11:49:09 AM
-- Edited by Mackayak on Monday 31st of July 2023 11:49:29 AM
-- Edited by Mackayak on Monday 31st of July 2023 11:56:11 AM
I knew nothing about solar & batteries in 2018.
But the way I learnt was to measure things. Bought a DC clamp meter & put various amp & voltage meters in the system. Because of the built up knowledge of the system I can pinpoint an issue in the outback & maintain cold beer, or more to the point Wifey has faith (worth it's weight in platinum)!
If you don't know what is going into the controller from each solar panel & can't isolate things, & know what is going into each batteries from the controller. It is the blind, leading the blind, leading the blind!
Any set-up, part of the cost of any system is tools for measuring. You may as well put some masking tape over your car's fuel tank's remaining fuel. Simple as that.
It will cost you far more money in the long run if you are wandering around day to day with a blindfold. Like buying new components when one can't measure anything.
Buy some measuring instruments, makes life so much easier. Saves money in the long run & is an awful lot of peace of mind.
I solved short battery life by getting a larger capacity battery and only be using 25% to 30% overnight.
Neil