Cab battery dead instantly

[rizz321]

Hey everyone,

I am a new member to the forum and a first time RV owner. My wife and I purchased a 2019 Winnebago Vita 24F and love it so far. However, we have one problem.

The cab battery is constantly dead. Fortunately enough our model has solar panels and we have the option to use the coach batteries to turn the vehicle on, but it's becoming quite annoying.

Battery connections look fine. I'm assuming maybe I have an alternator issue? Just seems weird on a brand new model.

Has anyone experienced this or have some troubleshooting steps I might be able to perform to diagnose/repair the issue?

Thank you in advance.

[hank857]

could be a dead cell causing the issue. Is the unit still under warranty, if so take to dealer for repair/replacement. If not under warranty take to an auto store and have them test it. needs to be charged up 1st.

[Goodspike]

The simple test would be a multimeter--testing voltage before and after starting. Note some modern systems don't always charge to 14+ volts, but if your battery is that bad I would imagine it would try, and in any case it should be above whatever your not running voltage is.

If it's an AGM battery it may be too low for your system to charge it.

[Winterbagoal]

Originally Posted by rizz321

Hey everyone,

I am a new member to the forum and a first time RV owner. My wife and I purchased a 2019 Winnebago Vita 24F and love it so far. However, we have one problem.

The cab battery is constantly dead. Fortunately enough our model has solar panels and we have the option to use the coach batteries to turn the vehicle on, but it's becoming quite annoying.

Battery connections look fine. I'm assuming maybe I have an alternator issue? Just seems weird on a brand new model.

Has anyone experienced this or have some troubleshooting steps I might be able to perform to diagnose/repair the issue?

Thank you in advance.

The alternator should keep the chassis battery charged with regular driving, say every few days, or weekly.
How long between taking it out for drives does it sit, when you notice the chassis battery is dead problem?
If it sits for more than 2 weeks, is your chassis battery unable to start the vehicle?
There are probably some of the usual parasitic draws on it, that are there constantly, and very few motorhomes are configured to charge both the coach and chassis batteries from the solar panels, while the unit just sits in the driveway.

[Morich]

Thought to check some wiring for potential fuses, etc. but not able to find a 19 vita, possible Vista? But not finding that 24 F? Possible to be different year?
With more info, there are a number of things that I would want to check as batteries tend to be confusingly simple! Alternator is one option but there may be a big fuse before it reaches the battery or there is also a "mode solenoid" which may have a problem. Also a totally bad battery may be getting the charge voltage to it but not in good enough shape to hold the charge.

[lenore]

Originally Posted by Morich

Thought to check some wiring for potential fuses, etc. but not able to find a 19 vita, possible Vista? But not finding that 24 F? Possible to be different year?
With more info, there are a number of things that I would want to check as batteries tend to be confusingly simple! Alternator is one option but there may be a big fuse before it reaches the battery or there is also a "mode solenoid" which may have a problem. Also a totally bad battery may be getting the charge voltage to it but not in good enough shape to hold the charge.

Vita makes a 24F and a 24 P The sPRINTER battery needs to be checked at Mercedes dealership.

[Morich]

Originally Posted by lenore

Vita makes a 24F and a 24 P The sPRINTER battery needs to be checked at Mercedes dealership.

So it would be a 2020, not 2019 as posted? No 2019 Via listed was causing my confusion.

[Winterbagoal]

Coach a 2020, chassis a 2019? As per the usual level of confusion?

[McLee]

The Sprinter chassis batteries drain pretty quickly when the coach sits idle. I assume that the Vita is pretty much the same as the View electrically. Plugging in the rig to shore power charges only the coach battery, not the chassis battery. You have two choices. First, there is a disconnect under the dash. Second, the better choice is to buy and install a Trick-L-Start under the passenger seat. It takes a bit of current from the coach battery to keep the chassis battery charged. So shore power keeps both batteries charged. At least that is how it works on a View.

[JoeC]

Shunt battery monitor systems are priceless in cases like this and overall knowledge of what's going on with your electrical system. Along with a Trick (or Amp)-L-Start you can see if your chassis battery is taking current and some monitors, like the Victron BMV-712, have a lead for the chassis battery voltage. Knowledge is power. So take charge over your RV's electrical system.

[71_340]

If you have a solar get a TRIK-L-START to keep your chassis battery charged. By the way, your MB manual will tell you to disconnect the chassis battery above the accelerator pedal. It's a PIA because you loose all your radio and dash settings.

[AlanO]

For under $20 you can buy a 12v float charger that will maintain the chassis battery while plugged into shore power. The Sprinter chassis has convenient + and - quick connect terminals under the hood that allow for easy hookup. I’ve been using this setup for over a year with no issues.

[Dave-Oh]

I'm sure it's been mentioned, but the new Mercedes Benz chassis cannot be hooked together with the house system. Winnebago is not allowed to do so as a Mercedes Benz approved upfitter.

The MB chassis battery should be plugged in if it is going to sit for more than 2 weeks (as per owner's manual). I had asked my dealer to install a amp-l-start system, but they said it would cause problems with the MB warranty. others have done it, so it's probably fine.

I simply plug a Battery Tender into my View if we're not planning a trip soon and have had no issues. The solar keeps the coach batteries topped off nicely, so I can plug in the coach or not, depending on if I need to be inside and have to run the AC or an electric heater.

Your MB chassis is warranted for 3 years, so you may want to check with your local MB or Freightliner Sprinter dealer to see if you do have a charging issue or a defective battery.

Also, get out your Winnebago owner's kit and see what it says about the chassis battery charging options on your unit. Earlier winnebagos did have the emergency start bypass and coach to starting battery charging (at least my friend's 2016 View did).

Good luck, and enjoy!

best,

dave

[DeltaRome]

Originally Posted by 71_340

If you have a solar get a TRIK-L-START to keep your chassis battery charged. By the way, your MB manual will tell you to disconnect the chassis battery above the accelerator pedal. It's a PIA because you loose all your radio and dash settings.

Yes, that is the nature of the safety systems MB installed. It was meant for daily use as a delivery or commercial van and if not being used, you need to utilize the under dash ground wire disconnect from the the start battery to engine systems. Once you disconnect, the parasitic losses end and start battery will stay charged but door locks won’t work. I installed “Amp-L-Start” system connected to under passenger seat where wiring coach and chassis battery cables are conveniently located.

[JerryP]

Originally Posted by DeltaRome

Yes, that is the nature of the safety systems MB installed. It was meant for daily use as a delivery or commercial van and if not being used, you need to utilize the under dash ground wire disconnect from the the start battery to engine systems. Once you disconnect, the parasitic losses end and start battery will stay charged but door locks won’t work. I installed “Amp-L-Start” system connected to under passenger seat where wiring coach and chassis battery cables are conveniently located.

I have installed Trik-L-Start on my 2017 View. It works great. My RV storage has 120V shore power available.

Regards,
Jerry

[AZ Okies]

Did you ever find the drain on the battery? If you did, please let me know!!! We have a 2019 View and the chassis battery won’t last more than 3-4 days without draining. It’s been in and out of Mercedes for 6 months. It will charge from the coach batteries, but we shouldn’t have to do that. Mercedes can’t find the drain. We took a ten day trip in March and it was fine because we were starting it every few days. We are thinking of just unhooking the battery every time we store it for more than a few days. Pain.

[JoeC]

Originally Posted by AZ Okies

Did you ever find the drain on the battery? If you did, please let me know!!! We have a 2019 View and the chassis battery won’t last more than 3-4 days without draining.

Sorry to say, auto mechanics are not very adept at electrical problems. First - Get a quality meter that will measure amperage up to at least 10 amps. Pull the ground wire on the battery and connect the amp meter in series with the battery ground cable and measure the current that is draining out with EVERYTHING using DC shut off. You probably have a gas/CO detector hardwired to the distribution panel, isolated only by removing its fuse, but it draws only milliamps, maybe a tenth of an amp or so, and on your coach battery. This is not likely your problem. Readings over one half amp should be of concern.

Second - If you are over a 1/2 amp reading, start pulling your DC fuses on your chassis distribution center, one at a time, taking amp readings as you go. Write down on paper what each fuse is drawing (total draw minus pulled fuse reading). Hopefully the fuse panel has everything labeled in your chassis manual. If not, this is a great time to document your DC distribution system, chassis and coach.

Third - If the current draw is not over an amp, you likely have a damaged/defective battery bank. Have it or them load tested with a proper battery load tester by a qualified person. Just because you have 12 plus volts with no load, it doesn't mean your batteries are good to go. ONLY a load tester will be able to tell if they can handle a real load and maintain their voltage for a period of time (amp hour capacity).

Note: The engine's computers will draw power at a high rate when the engine is first shut off but then drops the current drain after several minutes to under 1/2 amp.

Fourth - If you have a single fuse with over a 1/2 amp draw, track it down. If you have an inverter running off your battery and you don't turn if OFF when not in use, THIS is could be your problem. They can and will consume several amps while waiting for something to supply power to. The inverter fuse will not likely be located with your other DC fuses in the distribution panel as it draws hundreds of amps when in use and requires a very large fuse and SHOULD be a coach load, when not cross-connected with your chassis battery through an isolation relay, which could be another problem if it doesn't disconnect. The weakest battery will always try to supply all of the power and be a minor load on the others.

This should be enough to get you started in finding your "phantom load(s)". Let me know if you need more assistance.

[AZ Okies]

Update on battery issue: we found the best way to solve the battery drain on the 2019 View is to just unhook it at the quick disconnect below the steering column. I guess that’s why they put it there on newer models. Since we started disconnecting it if it’s going to sit for more than 3 days, no problems. Actually, the manual recommends it.