May need a new battery?

[camper101]

Just realized my house battery is dead based on the Morningstar Sunsaver 20L showing a red light.

The battery is a 10 year old Deka Intimidator AGM. I have no idea how long those are supposed to last, but that seems like maybe it'd be the battery?

There is a solar panel on top, and it seems to charge (the "charging" green light comes on during daylight on the charge controller).

I also started the truck (hasn't been running much at all in recent months) and the isolator clicked a few times, and the green "battery power" light came on. It stayed green for a few minutes after I turned off the truck, then went to red flashing.

Does that sound to you like the battery is bad, please?

If so, can you get decent marine batteries in relatively small towns (AutoZone, Walmart, Harbor Freight, etc. are all I've got). I'd like to use the camper tomorrow night... but I might be able to park near an outlet and hook up a battery tender to get through the night with heat.

I'm open to suggestions on the next battery to get, as well.

Thank you.

 

[waltermitty]

It does sound as though the battery has aged to the point where it has built up high internal resistance (not unlike cholesterol). Best way to test this would be using a capacitor or resistance based LOAD TESTER. In many instances, your nearby auto parts store will have one and can test your battery for free if you bring it to them. The procedure only takes a couple minutes.

Insofar as battery selection, I personally would just pick one best suited for the intended use and has a good warranty from your local store. Many folks swear by Interstate battery which is rebranded so I would web search based on what your local store has. Being able to bring in an ailing battery, good warranty and quick swap can be a huge convenience.

 

[camper101]

Thank you. I didn't realize they can test your battery quickly at an AutoZone or similar. They also have some deep-cycle AGMs for around the price of a hotel room, so I might go with one of those for this imminent trip (and probably keep it for a while).

Now that it's mid-day and the frost is melted from the solar panels, the battery strength light is green, but we'll see what happens later.

 

[NatersXJ6]

Beware the quality and training of both the tester and the operator at a place like Autozone. You can get those that are very good, and those that are useless.
However, based on your description and battery age, I would just make the bet and buy a battery.

my experience has been that even with a high-quality conditioning charger, the battery will slowly lose capacity until it becomes useless. There are many on here that can explain the precise chemical and electrical reasons for this, but at 10+ years, just get a new battery. What you will see is the battery beginning to charge, then indicating “full” in a very short time period, after which it will discharge very quickly too.

All solved by a fresh battery.

 

[ThundahBeagle]

Do you have a volt-ohm meter (multimeter)? That should give you an idea, checking directly at the posts when the vehicle is off, and again when the vehicle is on to see if the charge is making it to the battery.

 

[camper101]

Thanks, all. I do have a volt meter, but couldn't find it by the time I went in to AutoZone so I just swapped out the battery. The test said "bad battery," but as noted, it probably depends on the operator. Either way, at 10+ years, it's sounding like it was time for a replacement anyway. Thanks again, and happy camping.