House batteries dead after only 3 hours of use.
- Thread starter 99WinAdventurer37G
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I have a pace arrow that I drove from San Bernadino to WA. state and parked it four about two weeks went out and relocated it in the yard, and about three days later tried to start it up and had to jump start it with my car. Should I be connected by the electrical cord from the house plug in to the electrical plug in on the RV to charge up the batteries or use the generator to start it which also seems dead. help please.
SunriseSunset
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99WinAdventurer37G said:
My Itasca is a bit newer than your MH, but I replaced my Group 24 12V batteries with two 6V GC batteries (bought at NAPA because they were closest--approx 15 miles away). There are 2 mods, which I did. 1) Rewire for series connection and 2) bought and installed longer threaded rod to hold the batteries down. The batteries fit in the existing space, but were taller.
HTH, Fran
Alfa38User
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ghellocc said:
Plugging in will likely do nothing to help the engine battery. Most RV's of that era did not have the house system coupled to charge the chassis battery. An after market system (a Trik-L-Start unit is one such charger) can be installed to accomplish this though. The generator, in many cases, uses the house battery to start and not the engine (chassis) battery but....
Most motor homes have a switch that is used to temporarily couple the two systems together if one of the two is low, to either start the engine or to start the generator. Not of much value if both are low but might help perhaps.
OP
OP
99WinAdventurer37G
Well-known member
Alfa38User said:
I'm still busy with my trip, so I haven't gotten around to getting the golf cart batteries.
So last night it got down to 27 where I'm at, so I turned the generator and heat on at about 30 degrees, got it to 78 in the MH, then turned it off. It got down to 68, I used the heat only to get it to 72, used lights only after that, then in the morning the generator wouldn't start. The MH has always started, so then I can start the generator. Are you saying that I don't need to start the MH, but just push the MOM/Start assist button, and while holding in, push the generator start and that will work? I believed also that on my 99 Adventurer that the generator also charged my starting battery, as well as when I'm plugged in, it charges both house and starting batteries. Is that correct?
Alfa38User
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99WinAdventurer37G said:
a: Yes, that what I an saying in general terms, depends a lot on how well the batteries are charged though. Specific motor homes may differ.....
b: Winni gas models, I believe, did not have that possibility without an owner adding an aftermarket solution, later (recent) model year diesels did, AFIK, as Winni had installed the aftermarket chargers. If yours does, then perhaps a previous owner did do that....
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
However, Fleetwood coaches, including ghellocc's Pace Arrow, DO charge the chassis battery from the house system, so yes he should be plugging it in at home. He should also check the water in the cells in both house and chassis batteries, and probably should get them all load-tested as well.
muskoka guy
Well-known member
99 my 37g 2000 has a boost button on the dash which should link your house battery to the chassis battery. i have used it to start the mh when i left the radio on too long and wore down the chassis battery. i assume it should work the opposite way. unfortunately the switch that changes the radio from house to chassis batteries does not work on my coach. i have a small generator that i run in the mornings to help recharge the house batteries so that i dont have to run the big genny unless i need too. it burns next to nothing for gas compared to the coach genny.
OP
OP
99WinAdventurer37G
Well-known member
muskoka guy said:
I hadn't thought of that. I could use my small generator at the farm, instead of the on board unit during the winter to save lots of fuel.
OP
OP
99WinAdventurer37G
Well-known member
Once I get back home I think I'll be switching to new batteries. But yesterday morning when I left the MH the battery indicator glowed green when I checked it, showing fully charged. But, last night, when I got back to the MH, it showed Red, total discharge. The generator didn't even click. I pushed the MOM/Aux start button on the dash and the generator still would not start. I started the MH, then the generator started right up. This morning when I turned off the generator, the battery indicator light again glowed green showing full batteries. So I'm thinking that I have a peristaltic drain somewhere in the coach that is depleting my batteries during the day. I'm not in there during the day, just sleeping in it at night while the generator runs.
Any ideas?
The three batteries are all supposed to have 84ah each, and they tested good with a small eye dropper type battery tester I got from WM. (I'll get them load tested the next time I get by an Auto Zone) They appear to be 7 months old, so they may be covered under warranty. But I just need to see what will fit in the space I have, as I wantto put the highest ah possible in the space I have.
Any ideas?
The three batteries are all supposed to have 84ah each, and they tested good with a small eye dropper type battery tester I got from WM. (I'll get them load tested the next time I get by an Auto Zone) They appear to be 7 months old, so they may be covered under warranty. But I just need to see what will fit in the space I have, as I wantto put the highest ah possible in the space I have.
dave61
Well-known member
New batteries may or may not solve the problem, after all the batteries you have now are 7 months old. In one of your earlier posts you mentioned a 5 amp draw when everything is off. If that continues new batteries will not work much better that the ones you have now. It is possible though that the 7 month old batteries have been damaged by repeated heavy discharges. Getting your batteries load tested would be a good start, assuming you can fully charge them first. If they load test OK then you should methodically hunt down the current draw.
I continue to suspect that you are not achieving a full charge at least not often.
P.S. My battery indicator in the coach shows green (the best) even when the batteries are at 12.3 volts, basically useless.
I continue to suspect that you are not achieving a full charge at least not often.
P.S. My battery indicator in the coach shows green (the best) even when the batteries are at 12.3 volts, basically useless.
OP
OP
99WinAdventurer37G
Well-known member
My battery box under my step is 14 x 25 x 11 high. What batteries would you put in that space for the greatest boondocking time?
On the way home I was careful not to run the heater fan unless the generator was running and did not have any problem running lights, radio , and tv, with the battery always being strong enough to start the generator in the morning. This got me to thinking possibly the heater fan is drawing too much. Anyone know how much the fan should draw? It's a 40,000 btu heater.
On the way home I was careful not to run the heater fan unless the generator was running and did not have any problem running lights, radio , and tv, with the battery always being strong enough to start the generator in the morning. This got me to thinking possibly the heater fan is drawing too much. Anyone know how much the fan should draw? It's a 40,000 btu heater.
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
The fan in a 40,000 btu furnace, e.g. the Suburban NT-40, will draw about 9 amps. A 25,000 or 30,000 btu model would be a bit less, typically 6-7 amps. However, some large furnaces like the Atwood Excalibur XT have two-speed fans and run at low or high btu & fan speed settings.
SunriseSunset
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99WinAdventurer37G said:
I just went and measured my batt box. It's about the same size as your box, but mine is 14" high (to the base of the batteries). I have 2-6 volt CG2's coach and 1-12V chassis batteries in there. There's about a 3" step down to where the batteries actually sit. Did you measure to very bottom of the installed batteries? If you only have an 11" height, then 6 volt CG2 batteries won't fit (too tall). If you have more than 12 or 13" then CG2's will fit. If you don't have the extra height, you will be stuck with 2-12 volt Group 24 or 27 batteries for the coach side of the electrical system. You might be able to squeez 2-Gr 29 in there (length & height may be marginal). The higher the group number, the more amps that are available.
Fran
OP
OP
99WinAdventurer37G
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SunriseSunset said:
I measured from the bottom of the box to a post on the inside of the box (facing me as I measured from the door) that the ground wires connect. If I had to, I could cut off that bolt, then put another ground bolt in elsewhere, but that bolt pokes in to the box about an inch or so, and all the batteries ground to it. My concern is that if the batteries are higher than that, the bolt makes it difficult to install them and has a chance of rubbing into the batteries.
ChuckWmson
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If size of the battery box is keeping from upgrading, perhaps you should consider modifying the battery box. My coach came with 2- 12v and I changed to 4- 6v gc batteries. Lots of effort, but well worth it, except what I am experiencing now, something parasitic causing a draw down .
Chuck
Chuck
muskoka guy
Well-known member
i dont know about finding whats drawing down the batteries but my 37g has a switch inside the entry door that isolates the batteries completely from the motorhome. supposed to be for long term storage but at least it would help figure out if the batteries have a bad cell or if it is something draining them. a load test on your batteries or even better a cell test will tell you the condition of your batteries . goggle the procedure online if not sure how to do them. good luck i am following this one as it seems my batteries dont last as long as i would like them to either.
[quote author=muskoka guy]
i dont know about finding whats drawing down the batteries but my 37g has a switch inside the entry door that isolates the batteries completely from the motorhome.
[/quote]
Unfortunately these battery disconnects rarely remove all loads from the batteries. Your steps and certain sensors are usually still powered with these switches off. However, the kind of draw the OP describes, with the disconnect switches off, would certainly be unusual.
i dont know about finding whats drawing down the batteries but my 37g has a switch inside the entry door that isolates the batteries completely from the motorhome.
[/quote]
Unfortunately these battery disconnects rarely remove all loads from the batteries. Your steps and certain sensors are usually still powered with these switches off. However, the kind of draw the OP describes, with the disconnect switches off, would certainly be unusual.
OP
OP
99WinAdventurer37G
Well-known member
Just Lou said:
I have a knife switch on my house batteries that cuts off power to the house functions. But the steps, slide and jacks work off of the starting battery. I have not had a problem getting it out of storage. It's started every time, and when I put the knife switch back in the connected position, all the house systems are fully powered. This is all listed in the Manual so I would think all Winnebago MH's work in this way.
