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pipepro said:
The steps going in and out every time we decide to put something in the rig drains the Chassis Battery.
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Yeah, though probably not much. We always left our steps out (there is a switch that defeats the automatic retract), but maybe that's not appropriate for your storage location. You should lubricate the step mechanism too - the pivot points can get corroded enough to substantially increase the motor load. I've seen more than a few steps that were gnarly enough they couldn't fully extend or retract.
 
pipepro said:
I am going to take it to a battery dealer and have them check my batteries, because the house batteries could be old.
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As Mark says, the standard auto shop test is for cranking amps, so not a great measure of deep cycle capacity. In my opinion, if the battery tests poorly on the cranking amps test, it is also going to be poor on deep cycling. But even though it passes the cranking amp test, it may or may not have good sustained deep cycle performance. It's maybe OK for occasional deep cycle use, but may be well short of its original amp-hour capacity.

The common marine/RV deep cycle is a hybrid type derived from an engine cranking battery. It's enough like a cranking battery that it tests reasonably accurately on a cranking amp load tester.
 
pipepro said:
The deeper I get into this problem the more I find out. The steps going in and out every time we decide to put something in the rig drains the Chassis Battery. The chassis battery is only charged by the alternator. I checked my panel levels and it showed 100% 12 volt power. So I guess the shore power is keeping those batteries charged. I am going to take it to a battery dealer and have them check my batteries, because the house batteries could be old.
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Your Kwikee steps should stay extended when the ignition key is off and the step switch is also off. Kwikee Product Service Training Manual
As to testing a deep-cycle battery: Crown Battery, deep-cycle battery troubleshooting
 
Been camped for almost a month and the chassis battery is dead again. I just charged it in order to fire it up and retract my levelers (another problem one of the levelers is leaking fluid). Back to the chassis battery, I have the step override in the on position so steps will stay out, and my Ultra Security system runs 24/7. I'm plugged into shore power and the house batteries are 100% charged but the Chassis battery I guess isn't being charged except when the engine is running, and the alternator does its job. I tried using Aux start but that didn't work. Suggestions please.
 
Not uncommon for the converter to not charge the chassis battery. IN my first coach, I installed a small battery tender that was plugged in to a 110v outlet in the coach and just left it. Any time I was plugged in to shore power, that tender was keeping the chassis battery up.
Thank goodness my new(er)coach charges all the batteries when I'm plugged in to shore power.
 
Old_Crow said:
Not uncommon for the converter to not charge the chassis battery.
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Very simple fix. Use a battery maintainer inside the RV. Plug it in to any AC outlet and on the DC side, plug it into a cigarette lighter outlet (be sure it is always hot with the key out--or change it as I had to do in my Y2K RV).

My Y2K RV keeps the engine battery charged anytime I run the genny or have shore power and I don't even have to think about it. Just leave it all plugged in as I do with my Y2K RV and forget about it.

My new RV charges the engine battery. I already checked for that by simply using a voltmeter and watch the voltage raise with the genny running.

-Don- DeRidder, LA
 
Old_Crow said:
Not uncommon for the converter to not charge the chassis battery. IN my first coach, I installed a small battery tender that was plugged in to a 110v outlet in the coach and just left it. Any time I was plugged in to shore power, that tender was keeping the chassis battery up.
Thank goodness my new(er)coach charges all the batteries when I'm plugged in to shore power.
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will this do the trick or should I go with more amps

like this one
 
I'd go with the second because of the ability to permanently connect it to the battery. But don't go above 2 amps. The purpose is to offset long term discharge, not charge the battery and possibly boil off the electrolyte.
 
I actually split the difference. This is the one I used, but I already had it for my motorcycles. It's a true 4 stage charger, so you can basically hook it up and forget about it.
 
I have had it hooked up almost 24 hours and it still is charging. Just wondering how much juice the security/remote start uses, it must be a lot. Also use a dome light that gets its power from the battery.
 
You have what hooked up, a 2A charger? If so, and your battery was "dead" a typical group 78 battery is about 60Ah, so at 2A charge rate it would be at least 30 hours to recharge, likely a bit longer until it will actually switch to float at 100%. 48 hours would not be an unreasonable duration for a low current charger to bring up a dead starting battery. If you still have loads running it will obviously take longer and if those loads add up to near the capacity of the charger, it could take a very long time for the battery to recover. Might be worthwhile to measure what the parasitic loads are and see what your battery and charger are up against.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
 
Mark_K5LXP said:
You have what hooked up, a 2A charger? If so, and your battery was "dead" a typical group 78 battery is about 60Ah, so at 2A charge rate it would be at least 30 hours to recharge, likely a bit longer until it will actually switch to float at 100%. 48 hours would not be an unreasonable duration for a low current charger to bring up a dead starting battery. If you still have loads running it will obviously take longer and if those loads add up to near the capacity of the charger, it could take a very long time for the battery to recover. Might be worthwhile to measure what the parasitic loads are and see what your battery and charger are up against.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
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When I get on the road the alternator does the job for me but this winter trip is almost 4 months long and the summer trips are usually 4 days max. Then the storage time is 6-7 months. Glad I'm not boondocking. Yes, it is a 2amp charger.
 
Kirk said:
That dome light probably draws at least 1a and some need as much as 2a. Your 2a charger is only intended to maintain a battery while in storage.
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The Dome light is only on in the early morning, the step override is on 24/7 though.
 
The Battery tender I bought seems to be working fine now, so hopefully that is the end of the Battery problem. Thanks, as usual to everybody.
 
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