Battery replacement in Excursion 33A

  • 01/05/2017 1:11 PM
    Message # 4509724
    Deleted user

    any tips on replacing house batteries in impossible location in my excursion 33A?

  • 01/05/2017 1:36 PM
    Reply # 4509834 on 4509724
    Deleted user

    No advice, but commiseration (spelling?).   I have the same problem in my 2015 Excursion 33D.  I can get to the bottom outboard house battery but I can't see any way to check the water on the inboard battery without removing it.  And that will involve hours of labor and sweat.  What the hell were these engineers thinking when they designed this arrangement?

  • 01/06/2017 10:06 AM
    Reply # 4512899 on 4509724
    Deleted user

    I have nightmares when I think about battery maintenance on our 33D. I don't have a solution for maintaining the inside battery, but when it's time to replace batteries, I'll either replace the four with two 12V lithium batteries or sell the 33D.

  • 03/12/2017 4:11 PM
    Reply # 4662252 on 4509724
    Anonymous

    I have had to replace batteries in my 16 Excursion 35 B. I feel your pain. Best bet is to use a mini socket wrench set to loosen the cables for replacements. To check water level to ensure its at least 1/4 inch above plates I use a plastic drinking straw with the flexible end. After your remove the battery cap you should be able to insert the short flexible end of the straw into each cell and check the measurement. When the straw stops at the top of the plates, that's the bottom of your measuring point. Another handy tip I discovered was that you can remove the inside battery a lot easier if (after loosening and disconnecting the cables) you slide a (4-5 foot length by 3-4 inch width) piece of thin plywood under the battery you can remove it relatively easily. Hope this helps.

  • 07/12/2019 11:44 AM
    Reply # 7776874 on 4509724
    Deleted user

    Lithium batteries sound interesting. Lithium batteries need to be kept cool so the location may need to be changed. Half of the house batteries in my 2017 Fleetwood Storm is so close to the exhaust pipe it scares me. This model uses 4 golf cart batteries in order to keep the residential fridge going when there's no shore power. Two of the batteries are under the steps and the other two are in the compartment by the steps. Has anyone tried to swap to a couple of 12 volt Lithium batteries? Will they fit under the steps? 

  • 07/29/2019 2:05 PM
    Reply # 7801681 on 4509724
    Deleted user

    in our 33D the house batteries would not hold a charge...checking the water was such a pita that I didn't and they were dry I discovered when they were removed....I bought 4 new ones along with a remote watering system (Flow Rite was the system, but google can show you others)....about $200 for the system and they plugged right into the batteries....now I can check the water levels in all batteries in under 60 seconds....removing the upper one is the bugger....I took a 1x4 board, screwed on a flat piece of metal at an angle on the end, and put the metal on the end of the battery mount box to slide the battery out....then a fried could get the carry strap on it to lift it out....reverse procedure for putting in the new one...taped an inner tube strip on a 1/2 inch box wrench for no shorting....unplug rig from shore power, turn off all battery switches in the house, and turn the inverter off at the unit....whoever designed the battery location was not looking our for maintenance or replacement...lol


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