Battery Types And Charging; Monitor Panel; Tv Antenna And Cable Connections - Gulf Stream Travel Trailer Owner's Manual

BATTERY TYPES AND CHARGING

Only similar batteries should be connected together in one bank. Do not connect old and new batteries, or wet and
gel cell batteries together.
discharge rate. Therefore, a 100 amp-hour battery can deliver 5 amps for 20 hours. Deep-cycle batteries can be
discharged about 80% of capacity before damage occurs. Shallow cycling (50%-60% drain before recharge) will result
in much longer battery life. To find out how long your batteries will last when using various equipment in your coach,
research the amperage of the items in use, and use that number to gauge what size amp-hour battery you think you
need. Keep in mind that you should recharge your batteries when they are 50% discharged, so only half of the amp-
hour rating is actually used.
Completely charging wet cell deep-cycle batteries requires the battery voltage to be raised beyond what is known as
the gassing point. This is the voltage at which the battery begins to bubble and gas is given off. If charging stops
short of this point, sulfate is left on the plates and deterioration of the battery begins. The gassing point will vary with
battery temperature. At 77 degrees F, the gassing point of a 12-volt battery is about 14.0 volts.

MONITOR PANEL

Your vehicle has an electrical panel that can provide you with important information about various systems on the RV
including the condition of your batteries.
The panel is most often located above the stove or on the wall near the stove. The monitor panel will give you
information including:
•
How much potable (fresh) water remains.
•
How full your black (sewage) tank is.
•
How full your gray (waste water) tank is.
•
How much LP gas is in your LP tank.
•
How much charge your battery has.
The monitor panel can give a false reading on the waste tank (black and gray) levels if those tanks have not been
properly flushed or recently cleaned.

TV ANTENNA AND CABLE CONNECTIONS

The TV signal in your RV is controlled by a powered antenna switch. When the switch is turned on, you will have
antenna reception throughout the RV. When the switch is off, you will have cable reception. The diagrams below
show a typical switch and wiring setup for your RV.
(FIG. 9) ANTENNA POWER/WALL PLATE
Deep-cycle batteries are usually rated in Amp-hours, which is based on a 20-hour
(FIG. 10) ANTENNA HOOKUP (TYPICAL)
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