House Batteries Gone Goofy! (Or it is me?)

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conradps

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Aug 13, 2009
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Heading home from a long trip, we noticed the house batteries were starting to fade fast.  These are high end gel batteries bought in Jan '08---and the readings have always been in the 12 & 13 range.  They went dead as a doornail within 12 hours--this includes time on the road of about 6 hours where ZERO charging was occurring. 

As background, the batteries seemed to begin their mysterious discharge during a 2-day period where we  simply had the RV parked while we were visiting relatives.  1 day in, I made sure everything was turned off, but the discharging continued...

Since that time, the RV has been parked for 10 days, during this time, no shore power, only solar charging has occurred., Right now, everything seems to be working again.  Any ideas on what could have caused this??

Today I ran the generator for a few minutes.  When the generator is running the house batteries read at 13.4; when the generator is off, the read at 11.4--is this normal?? 

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.  My unit is a 2004 Itasca Suncruiser--34 foot.
 
11.4v is not normal. In fact, it is very nearly a dead battery.

With your generator running, you really aren't reading battery voltage - you are reading the output of the converter/charger. Obviously as soon as the charger shuts down (generator or shore power off), you see battery voltage only and it is VERY low. A fully charged battery should be at least 12.6v and right after charging it will normally show the chargers last voltage (13.4 in your case) for some time after the charger is shut off or removed.

These are truly gel cell batteries? Or just a "maintenance free" type? What brand?
 
conradps said:
-this includes time on the road of about 6 hours where ZERO charging was occurring.
Click to expand...

Not sure about your chassis, but I have a solenoid that energizes when either the engine is running or the 'Battery Boost' switch is operated.  With the engine running and the solenoid operated (and a working alternator) the house and chassis batteries are charged.  They should read about 13.6 volts or so give a tenth or two while charging.  I have had three solenoid failures, so this part is a key suspect with no charging with the engine running.

Be certain all of your cable ends are tight on the battery.

Are you talking about the house batteries, or chassis batteries?
 
Okay, I'm learning something here--e.g. 11.4 is "nearly dead" and what I'm shooting for is 12.6. What's the solution?  Do I run the generator for a specific amount of time or drive it for a while, plug into shore power, or charge the batteries, or ??

As far as I know,these are true "gel" batteries, but I can't quote the brand right now (because I don't know it and the RV is not parked close by..)  All of the connections to my batteries are rock solid.  And yes, these are the "house batteries" I am referring to.
 
With your engine running, your batteries should be charging at about 13.5 - 14 volts or so.  Maybe another Suncruiser owner will chime in to verify that your battery banks are both charged with the engine running, or you can call owner relations at Winnebago and ask them.

Battery voltage is just a general indicator of their state of charge.  You really need to measure the specific gravity for accuracy which of course is impossible in a gel or AGM battery.

Battery voltage and state of charge (measured with the battery at rest for 24 hours and no load):

12.9 volts - about 100% charged
12.3 volts - about 50% charged
11.?? - fully discharged (don't remember)

Keep in mind not every battery expert will agree on the above voltages - I've seen charts varying a tenth of a volt or two.

As I see it, the first problem for you to tackle is to determine if your battery banks are being charged with the engine running.  Let us know what you find out.
 
Sounds like you are the victim of the infamous solenoid failure.
Check your charging solenoid located behind the entrance steps, remove the circuit breaker panel and you will see 2 solenoids mounted with heavy wires. The one on the left is the one in question. With the engine running check the voltage across the main terminals. If not in the high 13 to 14 area it is not working. A replacement must be greater then 100 amp, and be continuous duty. Parts stores carry a 160 amp, which is used on emergency vehicles and will work for you.
Careful when removing the panel it is energized and could arc if it touches any metal
 
It does sound like the isolator solenoid as they didn't charge while driving.  You could run the generator or plug into shore power to charge the batteries.  It will take several hours to re-charge them.
 
depchief said:
Sounds like you are the victim of the infamous solenoid failure.
Click to expand...

Looks like our fourth solenoid failed - I looked at the house bank voltage today (we were on the road all day) and it read 12.6 volts  :mad: - not good.  Winnie claims the solenoid is suitable for its application, but I beg to differ.  Our multiple failures speak for themselves.
 
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