thepartyhound
Christian Prepper
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2022
- Messages
- 94
I have recently installed a Victron Multiplus 12/3000(original, not Multiplus 2) and (2) 100Ah SOK batteries in a slide in camper. These batteries, AFAIK, were not offered with heaters in them. I installed a 25w reptile warming pad under the batteries. So, I'm pretty new to this and I'm trying to get a good handle on how these batteries are going to function under different conditions just so I know ahead of time.
The last time I was in my camper, 2 nights ago, after charging and balancing the batteries I shut everything down. Turned off the Multiplus, turned off the diesel heater, lights, etc. I came in here tonight and of course this blizzard of '24 is well under way. It is currently -25°F and -50°F windchill. It's cold! I sure wish this global warming I hear people talk about would hurry up!
I come in here expecting to fire up my diesel heater, but my batteries are completely off! No DC lights, no dc anything. I turn on the multiplus expecting the voltage would wake the batteries. Nope. Even with the Multiplus producing DC the diesel heater will not fire...although I guess that problem requires a different forum. I get the fire going, then start the built in propane furnace. After about an hour I notice that the SOKs are ready to speak to me via bluetooth. They finally woke up. Looks like the warmer is doing its thing, slowly but surely.
I was able to revive everything THIS time, but I was able to cheat with a 50' extension cord. I have built this camper with the sole intent of using it in the northern winter in remote locations. Hopefully I will always have a generator at the ready, but those can be difficult to start @ -25°F!
Why did my batteries stop supplying power and why did they take nearly an hour to wake up? I understand that I cannot charge them until they warm to above freezing, but I thought they were able to discharge at temps far colder than that.
Also, the SOK app tells me the heaters inside the batteries are on, but AFAIK there are not internal heaters.
Lastly, any suggestions on how to best deal with this situation? Tonight represents a real world use situation that I have planned for this camper. It will reside up in the mountains, I will snowmobile in to it, fire it up, and stay a few nights. How tonight went is not how I had anticipated this startup process happening! @HighTechLab
The last time I was in my camper, 2 nights ago, after charging and balancing the batteries I shut everything down. Turned off the Multiplus, turned off the diesel heater, lights, etc. I came in here tonight and of course this blizzard of '24 is well under way. It is currently -25°F and -50°F windchill. It's cold! I sure wish this global warming I hear people talk about would hurry up!
I come in here expecting to fire up my diesel heater, but my batteries are completely off! No DC lights, no dc anything. I turn on the multiplus expecting the voltage would wake the batteries. Nope. Even with the Multiplus producing DC the diesel heater will not fire...although I guess that problem requires a different forum. I get the fire going, then start the built in propane furnace. After about an hour I notice that the SOKs are ready to speak to me via bluetooth. They finally woke up. Looks like the warmer is doing its thing, slowly but surely.
I was able to revive everything THIS time, but I was able to cheat with a 50' extension cord. I have built this camper with the sole intent of using it in the northern winter in remote locations. Hopefully I will always have a generator at the ready, but those can be difficult to start @ -25°F!
Why did my batteries stop supplying power and why did they take nearly an hour to wake up? I understand that I cannot charge them until they warm to above freezing, but I thought they were able to discharge at temps far colder than that.
Also, the SOK app tells me the heaters inside the batteries are on, but AFAIK there are not internal heaters.
Lastly, any suggestions on how to best deal with this situation? Tonight represents a real world use situation that I have planned for this camper. It will reside up in the mountains, I will snowmobile in to it, fire it up, and stay a few nights. How tonight went is not how I had anticipated this startup process happening! @HighTechLab
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