Cooked Battery

Plus 1 to all, best solution is a digital voltmeter, I also applied it to a spare circuit in fuse box. I can monitor the charge phases. I have a 178 and mounted the DVM and USB/cig lighter 12v charge adapter, in panel at front of right hand dinette seat. I can see it thru the screen door. I also agree battery monitoring and maintenance is important.

Originally posted by CharlieM I have said this before but it’s worth repeating: The four LED battery monitor is worse than worthless. No kidding, I’ve seen articles where the bottom LED illuminates with as little as 6 volts! So my interpretation of the four lights is: 4 lights: The battery is being charged but no indication of charge or battery condition 3 lights: The battery is not being charged but has some usable charge 2 lights: Caution, battery is close to being exhausted 1 light: Either I left the battery at home or the one I have is toast

Funny but, actually very true. I suspect no two panels are the same, either.

The electric "lights" are, at the very least, as accurate as the tank level sensors. Mankind has yet to find a productive use for those. I suspect that they are relics from the early Mercury space program...back when they were training monkeys to "fly" the capsule. If the monkey pressed the correct button, a light would light and then, he would get a banana. I go into my camper, press a button, a light comes on but, I don't get a banana. I think it is broken.

I installed an Amazon voltmeter in the lower pantry of our 179.  Directly over the power panel, so it was easy to hook up directly to an open circuit and install.  The only issue is that I have to open the pantry door to get a reading, but it's not like you need to stare at it all day.  Charlie M, would you please define "rest".  Should I flip my battery cutoff switch, or just make sure the pod has been idle?   For how long?

Sorry if this is a stupid question but how do you measure battery level if you do not use 4 light system on monitoring panel inside rpod?  We were out in our 179 recently and monitor showed 2 lights after 4 nights out so I plugged into running TV and ran it for 15 to 20 minutes and monitor showed 3 lights.  We got home 2 days later and plugged into house electric and it recharged to 4 lights pretty quickly.  Is there a better way to measure?  I am researching generators now (Honda 2000)

Thanks Furpod, I suspected that I may have taken it down below 50% a few times more than just the last 2 times out camping.  With the RPod 171 I used the LED battery indicator, and if it shows 1/3 left that is below 50%.