Battery Drain

cef2lion · 09-15-2010, 09:23 AM

New to me 2004 35 Winnebago Adventurer. I have noticed if I leave the coach sit for a day or two the coach batteries are down. I have check to make sure everything is off. I have tested it a couple times. I plug it in and have a good charge on the batteries. Then unplug for a few days and they are way down. I know I can shut the power down as you go in and there is a blade kill on the batteries but I figured I should be good for a few days.

It does have the rack of CB as you go in the door that seems to be powered all the time. Maybe I need to add a switch for the charger. I have to double check the inverter to see if I have that off. Pump is off and most everything I can think of is shutdown.

I guess I could have bad batteries but wonder if I'm missing something. It does have a solar panel and in the hallway the panel says its charging.

Craig

movin-on · 09-15-2010, 10:02 AM

There are phantom loads on house batteries that you should check...propane detector..co2 detector...clocks...radios...amplified antenna switch if left on...some refrigerators use power even though they are off..etc..Any one of these can kill batteries in a few days...Fully charge the batteries then turn your battery disconnect switch off and see what your reading is after a few days...12.6 volts is a fully charged battery...You should also check them with a hydrometer...Change them all if one is bad...

cef2lion · 09-15-2010, 11:25 AM

Thanks for the ideas. Will charge up and then do the battery disconnect. I wonder what side of the disconnects the solar charger is on? I have the entry rocker disconnect and then right at the batteries.

RickO · 09-15-2010, 11:31 AM

I'd vote for picking up a cheap battery specific gravity tester and taking a look at what it tells you. You could chase ghosts for a long time when you might just have worn out batteries.

rick

cef2lion · 09-15-2010, 11:37 AM

Batteries looked sealed. Not sure have to double check.

OneRVer · 09-15-2010, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cef2lion

Thanks for the ideas. Will charge up and then do the battery disconnect. I wonder what side of the disconnects the solar charger is on? I have the entry rocker disconnect and then right at the batteries.

Remove the batteries cables from the batteries. This way you have no confusion.

TomE · 09-16-2010, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cef2lion

Batteries looked sealed. Not sure have to double check.

Perhaps batteries are not true deep cycle house type unless they are "AGM's".
If not deep cycle they will drain much quicker.
Can you post more info (brand , model, quantity,etc.)?

RickO · 09-16-2010, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomE

Perhaps batteries are not true deep cycle house type unless they are "AGM's".
If not deep cycle they will drain much quicker.
Can you post more info (brand , model, quantity,etc.)?

Good catch! Isn't it unusual for non-AGM Deep Cycle batteries to be sealed?

Also, speaking from experience, "maintenance free" batteries aren't always maintenance free. My chassis batteries were supposed to be but.....

scotts_rv · 09-16-2010, 10:22 PM

I would do as movin-on suggests. I had a similar condition last winter with the batteries disconnected via the shutoff switch. They would go down to 12.2 after a week. What I did was charge them up and then disconnected them from each other and the coach. One went down and the other remained at 12.6. That quickly identified the bad battery that was pulling the pair down. I ended up replacing both and moved the good one to my boat as a second battery.

-Scott

cef2lion · 09-17-2010, 07:02 AM

The batteries are the same. They are labeled Autocraft Marine Starting deep cycle. There is nothing at all on the top to open them up.

I'm going to do as suggested after using it this weekend. I will charge the batteries. Isolate them and take voltage readings. Followed by voltage readings afterward.

Thanks,

Craig

lpasekof · 09-17-2010, 02:01 PM

So what does the battery cutoff switch NOT cut off? I've noticed the Propane detector - but what else? In my previous rig, a National, when I pushed that button EVERYTHING was dead. In my Winnebago my steps still work, as does the propane detector. Someone said the power antenna? Could the entertainment system items above the dash not be on the cutoff?

movin-on · 09-17-2010, 02:36 PM

The cutoff switch kills power to your house batteries not the chassis batteries if that is what you are asking...Items wired to your chassis batteries will still work...

azloafer · 09-17-2010, 02:37 PM

When I park the coach in storage. I put the switch at the entry on OFF and the same for the switch in the battery compartment. It appears that everything is off this way. No problems so far. Happy travels, Joe

scotts_rv · 09-17-2010, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lpasekof

So what does the battery cutoff switch NOT cut off? I've noticed the Propane detector - but what else? In my previous rig, a National, when I pushed that button EVERYTHING was dead. In my Winnebago my steps still work, as does the propane detector. Someone said the power antenna? Could the entertainment system items above the dash not be on the cutoff?

The cutoff switch kills everything 12V in the coach area including the propane detector on my RV with the exception of the stairs. Even the inverter in the entertainment center so none of that will work either.

The chassis battery powers everything in the dash area including the tuner memory presets on the radio. This and the stairs plus any other fantom loads I'm not aware of put a small drain on the chassis battery over time. The 5 Watt solar panel connected to it can't keep up with the drain in the winter months here in the Northwest

That is why I put a battery disconnect switch on the chassis battery.

I purchased it from my local Harbor Freight store.

Battery Disconnect Switch link

-Scott

movin-on · 09-18-2010, 05:42 AM

Phantom loads on the chassis batteries also include engine and trans computers...On mine the slides and jacks are also connected to the chassis batteries...

CaptPat · 09-19-2010, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OneRVer

Remove the batteries cables from the batteries. This way you have no confusion.

This is exactly what I do, even with the disconnect switch in the "OFF" position I was measuring a 2 - 5 A draw on the coach batteries. Schematics that came with the coach did not identify what loads were powered between the batteries and the disconnect.

hamguy · 09-19-2010, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by movin-on

Phantom loads on the chassis batteries also include engine and trans computers...On mine the slides and jacks are also connected to the chassis batteries...

IIRC, those loads are less than 1/2 amp.

movin-on · 09-19-2010, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hamguy

IIRC, those loads are less than 1/2 amp.

This is true but the point is they will kill your batteries over time...That's why trickle chargers are a good idea and Winnie now uses them for chassis batteries and I'm assuming that you didn't mean the slides and jacks draw only 1/2 amp...

movin-on · 09-20-2010, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptPat

This is exactly what I do, even with the disconnect switch in the "OFF" position I was measuring a 2 - 5 A draw on the coach batteries. Schematics that came with the coach did not identify what loads were powered between the batteries and the disconnect.

Just a thought...I would have someone trip your 12v house breakers one at a time while you watch your meter to try to isolate the circuit if you havn't done it already..

scotts_rv · 09-20-2010, 01:50 PM

If a disconnect switch doesn't disconnect all loads then that is unfortunate

I'm going to have to measure mine to see if this is the case.

Trickle chargers are great if you are plugged in but I have no electricity at the storage facility where my RV is parked.

That's why the disconnect switch on the chassis battery was my only choice.

-Scott