Coach batteries not charging

[Gunny]

ok, I have been trying to figure this out for some time but have been on the road.  I am finally stationary now and can start troubleshooting this problem about my coach batteries not charging.
I have a 2004, Fleetwood Tioga, 29v, Class C.  As long as I am driving or plugged into shore power everything works fine and my control center shows that my battery charges are fully charged.  When I am disconnected from shore or not driving the initial battery check on the control center shows full and then drops to nothing.  Everything starts dimming out and I cannot use anything.  I cannot start my gen unless I turn the engine on or plug into AC power.
I have new batteries for both coach (2) and engine (1).  I checked all fuses with an idiot light.  I picked up my RV in TX about 4 weeks ago and replaced all the batteries.  I drove to Wyoming and now I am in NM.  I was told that my batteries were bad in Colorado.  When I got to NM I had the batteries checked and one of them was bad and I hoped that fixed the problem but it did not.
Any help is greatly appreciated. 

 

[Water Dog]

First thing on my list would be to check the voltages at the house batteries after plugging into shore power and see if they are being charged by the charger. If voltage is low there, check it at the charger itself.

 

[Gunny]

I don't have a volt meter handy.  I will go get one from autozone or somewhere and check it.  Do you know what it should be if it is charging? 

 

[Marsha/CA]

This is just a thought, but did you buy 12 volt or 6 volt deep cell batteries for the coach?  Sometimes folks think that the starting batteries used in engines will work in coaches.

I second Water Dog's suggestion, making sure your converter/battery charger is actually doing it's job and charging.  For your monitoring system to be showing fully charged while driving, then having the batteries plunge to low voltage might mean the converter/battery charger is not working.  I would also check all your connections as well as clean them.

Marsha~

 

[Conquest aka Robert]

Battery should read 13.2 to 13.4 fully charged with the charger just float charging. 13.6-13.8 would be a good charging rate they might even be a little higher anything over 14.8 would be considered over charge by some manufactures. Also check the water level in the batteries as well if they are dry they won't hold a charge. It sounds like it could be the charger. You could also try putting a small charger on them after you check voltage it will get you by for a while at least until you can get a new one ordered.

 

[Gunny]

Well, I purchased the multi meter and low and behold the batteries that Oreilly's gave me were 2-6v batteries instead of 12v.  The batteries both showed me they were at about 6.3 volts.  Why I believed they gave me the right voltage battery and knew what they were doing...So, a lesson learned here to always ask the question to people who know is supposed to know even if it seems stupid...

I will talk to the manager in the morning and see if she can upgrade them for me.  I hope she will but I know she does not have to.  Thank you for your help.  I will post tomorrow what happens.
Cheers

 

[Ray D]

Consider hooking them up in series. Someone here will come along and explain how two 6 v batteries add up to one 12 v battery, in two pieces. I have two 6s, hooked in series in my MH, (12 volt, in two pieces) and prefer it that way as I get a few more amp hours.

Ray D   

 

[Marsha/CA]

There is nothing wrong with 6 volt batteries, as long as they are deep cell and are hooked up in series, which as Ray says makes then act as 12volt.  The key here is that they are deep cell and connected properly.

Marsha~