i am working my through our coach in order to minimize issues on the road. Our 97 U320 has three house batteries. Two are the MK sealed style and one is a Interstate lead/acid Commercial battery. Is there any issue with this combination of batteries. Thanks, Tracy
If the Interstae battery is a wet type, there will be issues with the charging system, since the two different types require differing charging voltage and rates. All of the house and coach batteries should be the same type because they are all charged by the alternator while running down the road. At least, that is how I understand it... I am sure someone with more knowlege on the subject will chime in soon.
Don
yes the 3 should be the same type. Find how old the gel are and if at end of life then get 3 AGM 8D
John H
There is nothing that causes parallel connect batteries to equally share loads due to internal resistance differences. The only hope of trying to equally drain all batteries is for them to be the same size, type and age. Using individual shunts and milli-volt meters is that only way to know how much each battery is contributing.
Different battery types each have their own battery charger profile and using a too high voltage will destroy a sealed GEL & AGM battery. And charging with too low voltages will damage wet batteries. Wet batteries benefit by periodic equalization and sealed batteries are damaged by equalization, but one could disconnect sealed batteries during an equalization cycle.
You could disconnect the wet battery and run on just two batteries. Several Foretravel models come from the factory with only two house batteries.
I'd bet the prior owner took the cheap way out and replaced only one failing gel cell battery with the lower cost wet cell. Now is probably the time to replace all three. Look at both gel and AGM technologies. Both have their proponents. I went with the former.
Thank y'all for all of your responses. Tracy