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Old 11-28-2014, 02:47 PM   #1
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Battery Issues

So, the new Sightseer I have owned for a month now has dead chassis and coach batteries. It has been sitting indoors in dry storage for 8 days. All switches were OFF. The only thing running was the CO detector. Any ideas why all batteries would be dead? I have been taking it out once a week for a short drive while the weather is good.

What is the best way to recharge the batteries? Can I jump start it with my small Toyota truck? Or will I need to get a tow company out to get it jumped? Once I get it started, if I start the generator, won't that recharge the coach batteries? Do I have another issue here? Seems they should hold a charge for a week being BRAND NEW BATTERIES.

Any suggestions for a GOOD battery charger for the coach BATTERIES? I'm a newb, and appreciate all the wisdom on this board. Thanks in advance.
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Old 11-28-2014, 02:52 PM   #2
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Battery Issues

If all switches were off how was the co detector on ?

Were your battery disconnects switched to off ?

If not even with everything off you will have small drains on the batteries.
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Old 11-28-2014, 03:05 PM   #3
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In my Winnebago motorhomes the propane detector is powered even if the battery switch is off. I had to find the fuse, under the dash, and remove it. It draws very little power but well drain your batteries.
Also if the radio switch is in the Engine position that can drain the engine battery.
It might be worth it to buy a solar battery maintainer for your house and engine battery.
Good luck.
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Old 11-28-2014, 03:16 PM   #4
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Sorry, I meant to say propane detector. The part that gets me, is if the chassis and coach batteries are separate systems, why would ALL the batteries be dead in a week, if the only thing "on" was the propane detector?
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Old 11-28-2014, 03:19 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by mtnfan View Post
Sorry, I meant to say propane detector. The part that gets me, is if the chassis and coach batteries are separate systems, why would ALL the batteries be dead in a week, if the only thing "on" was the propane detector?
I know you don't want to hear it but something must be on to drain the batteries in that many days.

Do you have battery disconnects ? Were they turned to the off position ?
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Old 11-28-2014, 03:19 PM   #6
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If all switches were off how was the co detector on ?

Were your battery disconnects switched to off ?

If not even with everything off you will have small drains on the batteries.
Did NOT turn off disconnects. I was told by the Stealer that it was only necessary if I was going to store it for a long time. I did not know 8 days was considered a long time.

I would appreciate any other wisdom you might have.
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Old 11-28-2014, 03:27 PM   #7
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Well if you are handy with 12 volts and have 12 volt incandescent (not LED) test light.

Remove the negative battery cable and place the test light in-between the battery and the cable you removed. If the light illuminates then you have a significant draw on the battery.

Then you can pull fuses one at a time and see if the light goes out, if it does then you have found your draw. Remember it could be more then one circuit that could be causing the issue.

This procedure is the same for the coach and engine batteries.

Can you store it with the motorhome plugged in ?
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Old 11-28-2014, 03:57 PM   #8
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Well if you are handy with 12 volts and have 12 volt incandescent (not LED) test light.

Remove the negative battery cable and place the test light in-between the battery and the cable you removed. If the light illuminates then you have a significant draw on the battery.

Then you can pull fuses one at a time and see if the light goes out, if it does then you have found your draw. Remember it could be more then one circuit that could be causing the issue.

This procedure is the same for the coach and engine batteries.

Can you store it with the motorhome plugged in ?
Thanks for the suggestions, Gene. No, I can't store it plugged in. I'm not 12V savvy, so I plan to take all three batteries to a battery shop in Durango which has agreed to charge them up, and test them for me next week. As a newb, I have learned a very valuable lesson: Even if I stop OVERNIGHT, I plan to hit the battery disconnect switch unless I'm boondocking and running the generator.

Sound like a good plan?
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Old 11-28-2014, 04:02 PM   #9
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Well no, you will need 12 volts to run your refrigerator electronics, furnace, propane detector, water pump and lights. You should be fine to operate for a couple of days (being conservative) without running the generator.

Puzzles me why all the batteries (coach and engine) are going dead.

Might want to swing by the dealer where you purchased it from to get it checked out.
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Old 11-28-2014, 07:21 PM   #10
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Greg, Welcome aboard.
You said that you take your rig for short drives. Are you getting everything warmed up to normal operating temperature? If not, you're doing more harm than good. Furthermore, starting your engine probably takes more energy from the batteries than you are putting back by driving it. In the cold temperatures you have in CO, it's going to require a lot more amps to start your engine and it's going to take longer to put those amps back.
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Old 11-29-2014, 07:08 PM   #11
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Please remember to take digital photo's on how exactly your battery wires are attached. You wouldn't believe how many folks just disconnect them without documenting their configuration and then come on here looking for assistance in getting things to work correctly.
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Old 11-29-2014, 07:29 PM   #12
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You shouldn't have to switch the batteries off. I have never done it on any of my motor homes and have let them go 2 to 3 weeks without having dead batteries. Perhaps the batteries haven't been maintained and are low on water. How long have you had it and how long was it on the dealers lot?
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Old 11-30-2014, 07:23 AM   #13
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I have had it one month. I don't know how long it sat on the lot, but its a 2015, but doubt it was there very long
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Old 11-30-2014, 09:48 AM   #14
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There should be a manufacturing date on the batteries. Check to see what it is. Those batteries could have been at Winnebago for awhile and not rotated properly.
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Old 12-03-2014, 04:00 PM   #15
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All three were manufactured in March 2014. Batteries are in the shop getting charged. We'll see what happens.
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Old 12-06-2014, 08:21 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mtnfan View Post
So, the new Sightseer I have owned for a month now has dead chassis and coach batteries. It has been sitting indoors in dry storage for 8 days. All switches were OFF. The only thing running was the CO detector. Any ideas why all batteries would be dead? I have been taking it out once a week for a short drive while the weather is good.

What is the best way to recharge the batteries? Can I jump start it with my small Toyota truck? Or will I need to get a tow company out to get it jumped? Once I get it started, if I start the generator, won't that recharge the coach batteries? Do I have another issue here? Seems they should hold a charge for a week being BRAND NEW BATTERIES.

Any suggestions for a GOOD battery charger for the coach BATTERIES? I'm a newb, and appreciate all the wisdom on this board. Thanks in advance.
You are under warranty.

With that said, what does it say in the owners manual about storage? After understanding that as best as you can, call the factory support line. For the most part these folks are great.

You may have to adapt your power cord to a 20A 120V service to keep your batteries up. Your battery supply is small for the house. Only 2 deep cycle batteries, and the start battery? I didn't find that info in my quick search.

You don't want to leave the batteries "dead" for long. Disconnect the ground lead to the chassis and measure the voltage on each battery. For those tied together you will have to separate them by disconnecting the negative lead from one terminal between them. If any battery has fallen below 10.5V it may be damaged beyond recovery.

You should be able to start your coach from a jump. Let the battery absorb the jump voltage for a while before trying to start the coach.

Safety first. Because of the explosive gasses given off by the discharged batteries be careful with making sparks. It is recommended to connect the positive of the dead battery to the positive of the jump battery and then find a solid ground on the coach to connect the black lead to. Once connected to the coach connect the other end to the jump vehicle engine ground, not the battery.

Keep us posted. I hope we are all contributing to helping you find the correct answer to your problem.

Many happy trails.

Rick Y
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