2008 Journey 39Z Batteries

[Liv4weekends]

I need to replace all (4) batteries. All are old, dead and my repair tech has told me "by end of the week" for over a month. Would greatly appreciate recommendations on batteries brand and if it is a change-out I could do myself. There are cables everywhere, I don't want to create another problem but also don't want motorhome just sitting. Too dead to start generator.

[Morich]

This is one of those times when the answer will depend a lot on the person asking!
We all have different levels of lots of what it takes to dIY things like this. So can I ask a few questions that may lead to better answers, and do it without looking like a jerk for wondering if you can do it?

Some things that need to be asked are just simple things like how you feel about lifting the batteries in and out? That is one that is beginning to get tough for a number of us more "experienced" folks who tend to regret lifting 50-60 pounds!

Then have you done some mechanical work and have some basic tools on hand, so that the main question is more HOW and what to do than WHETHER it is a DIY job?

So maybe give us some ideas of where you are on those things and meanwhile we can begin to talk about what you should find in doing it---if you decide it is something you want to do. Normally changing the batteries is not a big tech issue but more carefully thought out plan for doing the work without creating a ny problems.

And that does bring up one big first question. You mention four batteries but the original drawings for your RV show it might be five?? Looks like two for starting the engine and three for running the RV coach items like lights, fans, furnace,etc.
Maybe things have been changed over the years, so a place to start the discussion might be finding out what you have.
Good idea not to take things apart until we know for sure what each part does as it makes it easier to get it back together!

Looking at this drawing sheet 2 :
https://www.winnebago.com/Files/File...ire_163666.pdf

I did a snip of part of this drawing and did some changes to make it look better for my eye. Seems like they drew the picture with it turned around from what we will see if we look at the batteries, so I turned it over to show more what it looks like if you walk up to the side of the RV. Hope that makes sense for the way you will expect to find it.

Click these snips to get a better view of them.

What they show but this would be if you could stand inside and look at the batteries!


But I turned it around and I think this is what you might see if looking from the outside and things have not been changed over the years?


I think it came with two batteries on the left where I marked in blue and those are to start the chassis engine and run those things like starter. then on the right are three batteries for running the coach things when not plugged in.
Do you have a battery disconnect switch where this shows?
Maybe take a look and see how things may or may not match up as a first step on figuring what you want to do.
RV might be thought of as having three sets of electronics that tie together at times and are seperated at other times. With that in mind, you may want to change out some of the batteries, while other batteries may be good enough for some time yet.
Just trying to get a feel for where you are now before jumping into telling you what needs to be done! And those big decsions are always a personal choice with me!

[Liv4weekends]

Wow, I truly appreciate your concise information! I will go out during daylight tomorrow and verify the number of batteries present. I am the second owner and assume the batteries are original, given their appearance. Back tomorrow!

[Morich]

Something to look over if this drawing seems to match is the way cables connect the two groups. On the left pair, there should be cables from one positve to the other positive post of those two and also a cable connecting the negative of those same batteris. from one of those batteries then a cable from negative to the frame graound and also a cable from positive going forward to the starter.

The coach batteries also connect much the same way. All positive posts and all negative posts connected to the same on other batteries in that group.

I believe the battery cutoff shown will be in one of the cable sets on the coach battery group but this is a pretty messy drawing to sort out without doing some major guessing, so maybe verify any of that before trusting!
I "think" the cutoff will be designed to cut off most of the battery drains in the coach while we store the RV.
My guesses do need checking before trusting, though!!!!

If there are tape wrapped at the ends of the battery cables, this chart may help ID them?

[be happy]

Richard gave you great information and drawings to help with change over.
Let me add a couple things that may take the afraid out of the equation.

No matter how many batteries before you start take a picture of the batteries and the wires. As you disconnect each terminal us a zip tie to connect the wires together. Then label each I used different color zip ties and wrote down which color went to which battery post, i.e. purple , neg post , front battery.

Good Luck

[Liv4weekends]

Thanks again for the information and diagrams, which I printed out for reference. As I said, my knowledge of system is limited. The repair tech came out today and discovered all 4 were starting batteries,swollen and degraded. He will replace with correct batteries and install a cut off switch for house batteries. I am going to watch!

[Morich]

No harm in not knowing all the small points. We all start somewhere and we all know different things!
So some added thoughts on the batteris may help.
There are two different sets of batteries and different number in each set from one RV to the next.
Lots of smaller RV have one battery to start the engine just like many trucks then there are different numbers of coach batteries which handle the added things to make the truck an RV.

If you have a small engine, usually gas, it starts easier so takes less power. But when we get into the larger rV and diesel engines we often find it takes much more to start them, so the plan for your RV as built would have two start and three coach.

That is where we can get into really hard choices and much of it depends on what we each may do with the RV. For starting that is often just using the battery size that is came with and does okay.
Cold cranking amps (CCA) is the way that type battery is rated. In other words how many amps or power can we get suddenly when starting cold. Higher CCA for bigger engines that are harder to start. Higher price when going for higher CCA is normal!

But then we get into a different situation on the coach battery where we don't need a big burst of power all at once but more likely to want it to put out a reasonable amount of power over a much longer time while we are camped and not plugged into power.

Instead of looking at CCA, we are more inclined to look at how many amp hours we might expect. Theory get into things then as they build batteries different for this use. Often called "deep cycle" as we tend to use them down further before recharging so they make them with thicker lead plates and small points like that. True deep cycle are often used for things like golf carts! Again more lead means more expense!

Somewhere in the middle is a hybrid that was likely built for fishing boats that use them to start but then also to run trolling motors. There are tons of new design battereis now like lithium but that doesn't sound right if you are doing okay with the normal lead acid as the new are much better but also much more expensive and take lots of changes to make them the best.

We don't camp without electricity and water very much so have never needed more than one start battery and the hybrid type deep cycle as we only use the battteries as we travel and not plugged in so their more limited run time is okay with us.
Run down and get a couple simple ones from Wal-mart and not worry the issue is fine with us!

So if you have no real problems with the coach batteries running down while camped, you may be fine with just two start and two coach but the OEM plan was for three coach. Maybe ask the mech and show him what the drawings show and discuss the options for going back to three. At some point somebody may have felt better about putting two that were larger instead of three smaller as built?

Not at all hard to swap and change if the batteries are the right size to fit the tray!

Decisions, decisions!!!

[neub]

Your tech is mistaken...you only have two start (chassis batteries) which are in the bottom tray. The rest of the batteries in the top tray are the house batteries. Also your unit has a house battery disconnect which is on your dash.

[creativepart]

Originally Posted by Liv4weekends

The repair tech came out today and discovered all 4 were starting batteries,swollen and degraded. He will replace with correct batteries and install a cut off switch for house batteries.

Hummm, so much depends on what your tech thinks are "correct batteries" but I realize you have to trust someone if you are not comfortable self-directing or self-installing these important items.

[Morich]

Originally Posted by neub

Your tech is mistaken...you only have two start (chassis batteries) which are in the bottom tray. The rest of the batteries in the top tray are the house batteries. Also your unit has a house battery disconnect which is on your dash.

I hesitate to tell folks that the people looking at the RV are wrong as so much of our info comes from drawings and knowledge of what is "normal".
What is normal is often changed over the years since this RV was built!

My first thought is to try to find what they actually have and then move toward what they may want.

When the tech says they have start batteries, does that mean he doesn't know what he is talking about? Or does it mean that a former owner replaced the coach battteries with batteries normally used for starting engines?
I find it quite easy to think that the tech who is looking at the batteries might know things we don't and one of those certainly seems to be what type and number of batteries they are using for coach batteries!

And then if we do look closer, is there anything to indicate that their RV has batteries on two shelves rather than one?
I keep coming back to the obvious idea that not all RV are built the same!

That there would be lots of difference in the 2008 Journey at 39 foot and an older 36 foot Rv seems like an obvious point!
I'm not into telling them what they have as I can't see it at all but I try to tell them what the drawings and specs say was there when built and let them tell me if it still matches!

[neub]

That there would be lots of difference in the 2008 Journey at 39 foot and an older 36 foot Rv seems like an obvious point!
[/QUOTE]

Except when someone knows that the 2008 journey 39 has the exact same battery trays as my 2005 journey 36....my brother has a 2008 journey 39 and I have a 2005 journey 36 and I perform service work on both

[neub]

That there would be lots of difference in the 2008 Journey at 39 foot and an older 36 foot Rv seems like an obvious point!
[/QUOTE]

Except when someone knows that the 2008 journey 39 has the exact same battery trays as 2005 journey 36....my brother has a 2008 journey 39 and I have a 2005 journey 36 and I perform service work on both

[Morich]

Originally Posted by neub

That there would be lots of difference in the 2008 Journey at 39 foot and an older 36 foot Rv seems like an obvious point!

Except when someone knows that the 2008 journey 39 has the exact same battery trays as 2005 journey 36....my brother has a 2008 journey 39 and I have a 2005 journey 36 and I perform service work on both[/QUOTE]

If you are right, you're right. No big deal if I get it wrong. If this was the big deal of the day it would matter but I just try to get it right when I can.
If the drawings show one tray and the OP does not state clearly that they have different, I have to assume the drawings were correct.

So with two different build dates on portions of the battery setup, I will still go with thinking the OP has it right , no matter which is correct?

We havn't even begun to ask which options his RV has or what changes have been made on something that's nearly old enough to get a driver's license!

[KE4YIE]

I have a 2008 Journey 39Z and battery tray is exactly as Morich picture posted above. 2 start batteries on the left and 3 house batteries on the right as you are looking into the compartment.

[tim myers]

Maybe a picture from the OP is in order. You know what they sat a picture is worth a thousand words!!!!