|
|
06-04-2016, 10:48 AM
|
#1
|
Registered User
National RV Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 69
|
Chassis Battery drain
Hello All.....We are having an issue with the chassis battery draining after about 3 days when in storage. We have turned everything off and doubled checked. My first thought is the step? Any ideas on what the problem could be? Thanks for any input much appreciated!
I guess I should add: 2003 Dolphin 5320
|
|
|
|
Join the #1 RV Forum Today - It's Totally Free!
iRV2.com RV Community - Are you about to start a new improvement on your RV or need some help with some maintenance? Do you need advice on what products to buy? Or maybe you can give others some advice? No matter where you fit in you'll find that iRV2 is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with other RV owners, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create an RV blog, send private messages and so much, much more!
|
06-04-2016, 11:10 AM
|
#2
|
Senior Member
Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 904
|
If you haven't already done so, turn off your inverter. When left on & not using your generator, it will drain your house batteries in about two days. Only turn it on when not connected to outside alternating current (AC) source or running generator AND needing alternating current (AC). I personally never turn mine on as we don't boondock.
Jim & Shirley & Abbie (Scottish Terrier)
2013 Newmar Canyon Star 3911
2005 Dodge Grand Caravan - Braun Accessibility Modified Toad
Remco Lube Pump
5 Star Tune
Progressive Industries EMS-HW50C
Coach Net Emergency Road Service
__________________
Jim & Shirley & Abbie (Scottish Terrier)
2013 Newmar Canyon Star 3911, 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan - Braun Accessibility Modified Toad, Remco Lube Pump, 5 Star Tune, Progressive Industries EMS-HW50C, Coach Net Emergency Road Service, FMCA 378968
|
|
|
06-04-2016, 11:13 AM
|
#3
|
Senior Member
Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 904
|
Sorry, reread your post after I submitted my response. I see that you're having a problem with your chassis battery, not your house batteries. I'll let someone else address your issue.
Jim & Shirley & Abbie (Scottish Terrier)
2013 Newmar Canyon Star 3911
2005 Dodge Grand Caravan - Braun Accessibility Modified Toad
Remco Lube Pump
5 Star Tune
Progressive Industries EMS-HW50C
Coach Net Emergency Road Service
__________________
Jim & Shirley & Abbie (Scottish Terrier)
2013 Newmar Canyon Star 3911, 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan - Braun Accessibility Modified Toad, Remco Lube Pump, 5 Star Tune, Progressive Industries EMS-HW50C, Coach Net Emergency Road Service, FMCA 378968
|
|
|
06-04-2016, 11:20 AM
|
#4
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 8,055
|
Could be a lot of things. Easiest answer is to put in a battery disconnect.
|
|
|
06-04-2016, 11:27 AM
|
#5
|
Senior Member
National RV Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Covington, GA
Posts: 785
|
In our '05 Dolphin, the BOMB (Box Of Many Buttons) was hard wired to the chassis battery. I have installed a (house stile) off/on switch and organized several of the DC circuits into a screw post buss connector that the switch controls. When I put the MH in storage, in addition to hitting the "Battery is connect" switch, I turn the (now) Dc power switch off so that the things associated with the BOMB are off. I usually have shore power to the MH at all times so I have a float charger on the chassis battery. Another equally isolating strategy is to use the chassis disconnect switch (red handle in horizontal "on" position in the picture) if you have one. If you do it will close to the chassis battery and connected to the positive cable.
__________________
J.J. Hayden (KN4SH)
Covington, GA
2005 National Dolphin 5342
|
|
|
06-04-2016, 11:40 AM
|
#6
|
Senior Member
Newmar Owners Club Coastal Campers Carolina Campers
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 560
|
I would be willing to bet it is your dash radio. There is a long history of that being the cause of chassis battery draining in several different brands. Takes about three days for the battery to die. Made us crazy for a good six months before the problem was diagnosed.
To test if this is causing your problem, fully charge your battery and then pull the fuse to the dash radio and see what happens.
In our case, we decided to leave the radio fuse out altogether since we never use the dash radio. It was suggested to us we could put a disconnect switch on the radio, but instead we also installed a battery disconnect switch on the chassis battery, and we still carry a trickle charger and battery cables (just in case).
__________________
2019 Newmar Bay Star 3626
(Replaced our 2014 Newmar Bay Star 3308)
|
|
|
06-04-2016, 12:56 PM
|
#7
|
Registered User
National RV Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 69
|
Thanks Everyone
Thanks for all your help. We are confident that your answers will solve our issue.
|
|
|
06-04-2016, 01:01 PM
|
#8
|
Member
Tiffin Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Craig, Colorado
Posts: 83
|
Put a disconnect switch on each battery and problem will be solved.. Step,radio and lp gas all can drain battery. I have a disconnect switches set up on all my batteries and also a battery minder hooked up each of them. If I have AC, the batteries are being desulfated and charging. I am getting around 11- 14 years on my Motorhome and boat batteries.
Wayne
__________________
2009 Tiffin Phaeton QTH
Toad 2015 JK Jeep Rubicon
|
|
|
08-24-2016, 05:00 PM
|
#9
|
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 15
|
2007 SeaBreeze LX Chassis Battery Drain
Our 2007 SeaBreeze LX came with a Xantrex Freedom 458 10 Inverter/Charger. With the Inverter off, this unit charges the house batteries when the coach is connected to AC power. As I recall, it also charged the chassis battery since we could leave it stored for 3 months with AC plugged in without house or chassis batteries running down. Just had to keep battery water up.
Now, with AC connected, the house batteries stay charged but the chassis battery goes down to less than 10 volts in about 2 weeks. And no, no radio, light, or other power user left on.
I'm now using a step trickle charger to keep chassis battery up but would like to do without that if possible.
Question? Maybe my recollection is bad and the Xantrex never did charge the chassis battery, or did something fail in the comparator circuitry? Do any of you have a SeaBreeze with a Xantrex that charges the chassis battery in addition to the house batteries? Any answer/suggestion much appreciated.
|
|
|
08-24-2016, 11:04 PM
|
#10
|
Senior Member
National RV Owners Club
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Manhattan Beach, CA
Posts: 695
|
How old is the battery? It's possible you just have an old battery.
__________________
Steve & Jeri
2004 Dolphin 5342
2000 Jeep Cherokee 4X4
|
|
|
08-25-2016, 09:56 AM
|
#11
|
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 15
|
Battery is 16 months old. Replaced both chassis and house batteries at the same time.
|
|
|
08-25-2016, 11:34 AM
|
#12
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Morgan Hill, CA
Posts: 183
|
bkb,
I had the same issue but in my case it took a bit longer. There is a phantom current draw somewhere and it's possible it is the computer for the chassis. I finally got tire of running battery dead as that will ruin the battery to a point where it will not recover. The simplest and best solution is to install a chassis battery disconnect. There are many different ones out there, here is the one I used.
https://www.amazon.com/Docooler-Batt...connect+switch
Very simple to install.
~Bill
|
|
|
08-28-2016, 03:35 PM
|
#13
|
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 15
|
Thanks. Will look into disconnect switch but need to figure out where to locate it. For now, I'm simply disconnecting the negative battery terminal. In the SeaBreeze there is very little room - batteries are located underneath the hinged entrance step as you come into the door and there is no room on top of the batteries when the hinged step is down.
|
|
|
08-28-2016, 08:40 PM
|
#14
|
Senior Member
Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Pacific Northwest or SoCal
Posts: 3,035
|
I attached a knife blade disconnect switch on the neg. post works great.
Amazon has this unit for side mount battery posts.
https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Disco...ery+disconnect
Fred
__________________
Fred and Bonnie
2005 Dolphin LX 6375
Abby, Ruffles & Scarlett, "The Cats"
|
|
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
Thread Tools |
Search this Thread |
|
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Recent Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|