I'm going to do a thorough background on this post. Usually I am told I don't give enough information to answer my question. I'm a total newbie, so I'm learning. My questions are at the end of the post.
I've never owned an RV before, but I've been researching online for about 7 months. I thought I'd be good to go - but researching and doing seem to be two very different experiences!
Three weeks ago I bought and picked up my new-to-me 2000 Newmar Dutch Star DP 3351 RV in Green Bay WI, bought 6 new Michelin x line energy z tires, and drove it to Madison to take a day at the RV school that my inspector runs.
Then I parked the RV a few days at the Days Inn Madison while I started picking up supplies.
On the second day parked, when I went out to the RV to start her, she wouldn't start. I hadn't known to turn the battery switch down by the inverter off. I got it started finally - thank you Coach-Net. The guys that came to jump it got it started, but told me that the starter had been frozen and they'd needed to hammer it to get it to go.
I got a front end alignment - the guys at Madison Springs told me they couldn't do rear alignments - turned off the battery shutoff when I parked at the motel that night, and the next morning everything started just fine (after I remembered to turn the batteries back on).
On my way home, I stopped off at a Spartan/Cummins Service Center and got my fuel filter and water separator replaced (I had a red light on the dash that the previous owner said was fuel filter). Then I drove her home to Minnetonka, MN.
10 days ago I dropped her off at my local Cummins Service Center, where I had the engine, transmission, and generator fully serviced, replaced the 4 cracking air bags and I replaced the 2 old wet batteries with 2 AGM chassis batteries. I also took care of a recall on the air compressor - now she has a new air compressor. While it was there I asked them to check the starter to make sure it was in good working order, given it's previous frozen and hammered event. They said it was ok.
So the RV should be in tip-top shape mechanically as well as inside she's beautiful.
I did a run through with the tech before I left to refresh my memory of where everything is (and had my Son video it this time) and to make sure all the fluids were topped up (I drove away from a car service once and they hadn't added the fluids - it was bone dry).
I got her home on Thursday night, 4 days ago. I turned off the battery shutoff. I didn't think I needed to plug it in if it had full batteries, even in frozen weather.
Saturday I wanted to charge my batteries because cold weather was coming and I wanted to plug her in with full batteries. So I tried to start the generator. When I tried to turn the generator on, it cranked over chugging massively for about two seconds, then stopped turning over. Subsequent tries had it almost turning over less and less frequently and had that running-down ur ur ur sound. I had used the bottom half of the button to warm it, I heard the fuel pump pumping, but it only came close to starting one other time before I gave up.
So, being a newbie and not knowing for sure that the generator
should start without the engine, I tried to start the engine. The gauges flip flopped, but when I turned the key, it was just the ur ur ur sound, never turned over. Tried several more times, but then I went over to the wall battery monitor and checked the batteries' statuses, and it said the batteries were only half full.
With some assistance from this forum, I plugged the RV into my home garage's 15amp outlet (gfi checked) via a 50' 10-gauge extension cord, thru a 15 to 30amp adapter, a 30 to 50amp adapter, the Progressive Ind Smart Surge Protector (green and blue lights) to the 50amp service cord, and in the end I did hear the transfer switch in the electric bay whirring.
I didn't want to leave the dogbones and surge protector on the ground since they didn't reach the electrical bay, so I opened my car rear door, and all the adapters and the connector to the RV are on the back seat.
Oh, and I plugged-in the cord hanging next to an outlet marked 'engine block' located in the electrical bay. I hope it was the engine block heater.
Outside Conditions:
*During the last week Highs: low single digits, Lows: -2 to -12 F
*The next two days are going to be record breaking cold: Highs: -6s, Lows: -30 to -50s, yes actual temps F.
I have 2 brand new AGM chassis batteries. My 4 house batteries are older 6Volt golf cart batteries. I have a 2000 watt original Freedom 458 Series Combi Inverter/Charger.
I didn't try to start the RV today, it's just too cold.
Questions (finally):
1) Does this sound like the starter is frozen again and hence the gen and the engine won't start? or Batteries? Or something else?
2) If it's the starter, what do I do to keep it from freezing? Is a starter supposed to freeze?
3) If it's the batteries, why would they be low, since I drove it straight home from the shop and turned the battery shutoff off? In addition, I thought I don't have to have my RV plugged in even in frigid weather if the batteries were topped up. Am I correct in this?
4) I substituted the 2 new AGM batteries for the old wet ones. I didn't change any charging profile anywhere. Could this be why the batteries were low?
and,
5) I'm getting Front&Rear alignment done soon. I will be getting new house batteries as soon as I figure out what system I want to use (I want it to 'plug and play' with solar panels at some point in the near future). Other than that, is there any Service I
haven't done, that I should? I want to start out with a mechanically well-maintained RV.
6) what do I do that I am not doing to protect the RV from the extreme cold? She is fully winterized as far as the normal process goes. I'm unsure what I have to do other than plug it in for the engine block heater to work, and what exact systems does it heat? Just the injectors?
I feel like I'm missing somethings really obvious.
Thanks in advance, help is deeply appreciated!
Cindy
Linear Mode
