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Old 02-09-2020, 02:59 PM   #1
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Coach batteries not charging

I have a 2105 Winnebago Vista and I have charged the coach batteries with a car charger and all the lights worked great. Then I plugged into shore power and flipped the 110 volt converter switch on panel and I assumed the batteries were charging but when I unplugged the shore power my batteries were dead but the interior lights were working when the shore power was plugged in so figured the coach batteries should be charged.

Is there some sort of a switch I need to flip so it charges the coach batteries.

I did notice I could not make the light go of on the coach battery switch next to the panel when the shore power was plugged in.

Any feedback much appreciated.
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Old 02-09-2020, 09:01 PM   #2
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I used to own a 2013 Vista 26'. As you walk into the RV, are the coach and chassis battery switches on the left side, on and green? Those switches disconnect your batteries from the rest of the chassis and coach systems. If they are off, your converter will not charge them. If your interior lights are on with shore power, your converter is supplying the power to your lights. Sounds to me like your battery is dead. Make sure all your C/B's on switched on. Lead acid wet batteries typically have a 4-5 year life. I'm no expert but if you have a 2015, maybe it's time to try one last car charger charge, and if they don't hold a charge of about 12.6 volts, then they are on their way out. Do your research on battery replacement. Coach batteries should be deep cycle batteries and are rated in amp-hours. I think in my newer 2017, I have 2 125 amp hour Lifeline deep cycle AGM batteries. The chassis battery for starting the engine primarily and is rated in Cold Cranking Amps (CCA). The more the better but for both batteries the limitation is pretty much on battery size so that it fits in the battery compartment. Good luck.
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Old 02-10-2020, 04:21 AM   #3
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Lambo64-

First off, welcome to winnieowners!

Second, you should add a signature to your user profile. It usually includes the year, make and model of your coach, but can include other information. A signature is appended to each post. To create/edit a signature, click on the "User CP" link in the orange bar at the top, then click on "Edit Signature."

Wiring diagrams for your coach are available at this link.

If you know how to use a voltmeter you can check the system, starting at the batteries, to see what is preventing them from getting or holding a charge.
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Old 02-10-2020, 04:56 AM   #4
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As navnaz said, you must have the coach switch in the on position for shore power to charge the batteries.
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Old 02-11-2020, 06:01 AM   #5
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I will have to check on this, as soon as I plug the shore power in the coach battery switch light comes on so I figured it was on.
Even if I try as disconnect it with the shore power on it will not go out. Thanks
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Old 02-11-2020, 07:21 AM   #6
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Maybe you could clarify what this 110 volt power converter switch is that you speak of?

The coach battery switch light remaining on when switch is off and plugged in is correct. To charge the chassis battery you must turn that switch on when plugged in.

You may have an issue with the Battery Isolation Manager. Try cycling the battery disconnect switches in the stair well and listen for the solenoid to engage. The BIM can be finicky at times and discharge the batteries even when plugged in. You need a battery monitor to understand what is happening with your system. When I installed the Victron battery monitor I discovered that the BIM did not always function after generator use, or unplugging sometimes the batteries continued to discharge after switching off the battery disconnect switches in the stairwell. Cycling the switches always corrects this. Without a battery monitor you will always be wondering what is going on with your batts and charging systems. The lights that show the battery state of charge are woefully inadequate and will not alert you to a discharge in your system. Hope this helps.....again where is this switch you speak of?
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Old 02-11-2020, 09:29 AM   #7
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I will check that, the 110 switch is the breaker on panel inside the door.
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Old 02-13-2020, 05:40 AM   #8
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When the Vista is on shore power, the coach switch light turns on regardless of the position of the coach switch. However, the light being on does not mean the batteries are charging. For that to happen the switch must be in the on position.
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Old 02-16-2020, 04:07 PM   #9
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Lambo64
With a new coach, your best friend is your owners manual. Even if you have had an RV from another manufacturer, you still need to understand how the Winnebago is configured. When you encounter an issue, go to the appropriate section in the manual and you will find the solution 99% of the time. It is also a wise idea to fully read and understand critical functions in the coach such as the battery, heating and AC power as they are critical to and will greatly enhance your enjoyment of your coach. Good luck,
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Old 02-16-2020, 04:35 PM   #10
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I have a 2014 vista 31ke and might guess that they will be quite close to the same. On my unit, the breaker for 110 is in the panel just inside the door and it feeds the other fuses and breakers in that panel. Do you have a converter breaker just below the 110 breaker? If there are breakers or fuses in this panel and they are off or blown, some portion of the electrical will be dead. I would first check for seeing the same as mine, but then look for the converter switch as we do not have a battery management system as some have mentioned.
I "believe" this is true but check before trusting!!! Lots of different options on different RV.
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Old 02-16-2020, 05:10 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Morich View Post
I have a 2014 vista 31ke and might guess that they will be quite close to the same. On my unit, the breaker for 110 is in the panel just inside the door and it feeds the other fuses and breakers in that panel. Do you have a converter breaker just below the 110 breaker? If there are breakers or fuses in this panel and they are off or blown, some portion of the electrical will be dead. I would first check for seeing the same as mine, but then look for the converter switch as we do not have a battery management system as some have mentioned.
I "believe" this is true but check before trusting!!! Lots of different options on different RV.
Morich
The switches inside the front door for the battery and AC power are not breakers. These switches activate solenoids inside the coach which connect the circuit breaker panels for the battery and AC power panel(s) that provide the service in the coach. These solenoid can also fail over time but are fairly robust. You will find multiple circuit breakers for the battery circuits elsewhere in the coach - mine are in the rear cabinet. Likewise, you should find an AC breaker panel somewhere in the coach. Generally the DC breakers are the push button type which pop out if the circuit is overloaded and the AC breakers are the switch type similar to those used in homes. Good luck,
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Old 02-16-2020, 05:32 PM   #12
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Originally Posted by bobmac View Post
Morich
The switches inside the front door for the battery and AC power are not breakers. These switches activate solenoids inside the coach which connect the circuit breaker panels for the battery and AC power panel(s) that provide the service in the coach. These solenoid can also fail over time but are fairly robust. You will find multiple circuit breakers for the battery circuits elsewhere in the coach - mine are in the rear cabinet. Likewise, you should find an AC breaker panel somewhere in the coach. Generally the DC breakers are the push button type which pop out if the circuit is overloaded and the AC breakers are the switch type similar to those used in homes. Good luck,
This is not what we have on our 2014 vista. We do not have any AC switch inside the door, only switches for the other options like step, awning , etc. The vista, being a somewhat lower cost RV, does not have some of the items larger or more expensive units have. The breaker panel inside the door has breakers for the various AC items like microwave, frig and outlets as well as the auto type fuses for various DC functions, all in the same small panel. The chassis fuse panel is located down by the drivers left foot and then there is a small panel on the left side with the solenoid located behind it.
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Old 02-16-2020, 05:53 PM   #13
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Interesting ..... guess Winnebago found a way to save a couple of bucks!
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Old 02-16-2020, 07:34 PM   #14
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Morich
Interesting ..... guess Winnebago found a way to save a couple of bucks!
That's almost always part of the thinking but then it also makes for a smaller and lighter RV. We had the bigger ones and found it hard to get into some of the really nicer places we liked so this time went with smaller. But this time we had a much better idea of what we wanted and looked pretty carefully at what were "needed" and what was more "nice but not needed" for a short term tripper like us.
They dropped a number of things that were things I might have liked but do without. No battery disconnect switch but that is just a $4-5 part to add. No trickle charging but easy to add for around $60. Just have to decide what we each really want and use and go from there.
I have to use a shoe spoon nearly to get this in beside the house and if it was a foot longer, it would require a storage unit and that is a real pain for us as we tend to jump up and go ----sometimes in the middle of the day!
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Old 02-17-2020, 03:42 AM   #15
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Due to illness, I haven't been out in over two years. I still do PM to it on a monthly basis and recently installed Solar trickle chargers to both chassis and coach batteries. I also have a Charger set up with cables leading to the batteries on a strip outlet and pulu them in when either running the genny or when I have it up at the house for the PM work.
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Old 02-17-2020, 07:26 AM   #16
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There is no circuit on most Winnebago's that will charge the coach batteries only the RV batteries. I installed a Trick l Start from amazon for about $70 and it keeps the coach batteries well charged. Easy install
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Old 03-02-2020, 03:33 PM   #17
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Battery Maintenance

Our MW 25B does not charge from shore power unless the battery switch is turned on. If I am not mistaken the coach batteries have to be turned on to be charged while driving down the road as well. I was going to buy a Victron battery monitor to prevent the batteries from going below 50%. Not being a full timer $200+ is hard to swallow. I looked at the Chinese alternatives but shied away from cutting a hole in a cabinet for something that may not work in a month. I installed an QUICKLYNKS Auto Battery Monitor which is Bluetooth. We set an alarm for 80% and another for 60%. It's no Victron but at $30 it seems like it does the job.
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Old 03-02-2020, 03:57 PM   #18
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Your best bet for keeping your batteries charged is to install solar on the roof. I have had 400 watts (4 panels) since 2013. My last set of 4 Grp 31 AGMs lasted 7 years - before solar, most lasted 3 years. I reviewed the electrical connections for my coach and found a point that was electrically common to both house and chassis batteries and before the shutoff switches for both banks. I turn both banks off when the coach is not in use and both battery banks remain topped up literally all the time in storage. From an economics standpoint ...... a dumb perspective with an RV ......, the solar has paid for itself keeping my house set for 7 years that I likely would have had to replace after 3+ years. I am sure others can share similar experiences. My point is Solar is very much worth the initial cost.
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Old 03-02-2020, 04:56 PM   #19
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Battery Maintenance

bobmac,

I agree we have a Renogy 200 watt solar suitcase that we use for charging. We do a lot of boon-docking and generally use solar 1st, the Yamaha 2000 inverter/generator 2nd and then the on board generator 3rd. We also use a Bluetti solar inverter/generator to run our TV, DVR and charging computers/phones at night. Love the solar.
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