Community Forums

ecp3031 · 03-07-2008, 04:20 AM

The other morning I went to start my coach and found the chassis battery's dead. Fortunately it started with a jump off my pickup truck. Later in the day ,as I was closing up the coach,I shut off the house battery's with the front step-well switch, and then went back into the coach to get something. The CO2 ( or was it propane?) detector mounted on the top of the panel near the bathroom (containing heating/AC controls-slide out switch- tank monitor,etc) was still on. Are these detectors connected to the chassis battery? Since my coach is parked at covered storage, the solar panels aren't charging the battery's and is this draining my chassis battery's?
This is a 2002 Tradewinds LTC, purchased last week, and I'm just finding my way around. Thanks for any help.

ecp3031 · 03-07-2008, 04:20 AM

The other morning I went to start my coach and found the chassis battery's dead. Fortunately it started with a jump off my pickup truck. Later in the day ,as I was closing up the coach,I shut off the house battery's with the front step-well switch, and then went back into the coach to get something. The CO2 ( or was it propane?) detector mounted on the top of the panel near the bathroom (containing heating/AC controls-slide out switch- tank monitor,etc) was still on. Are these detectors connected to the chassis battery? Since my coach is parked at covered storage, the solar panels aren't charging the battery's and is this draining my chassis battery's?
This is a 2002 Tradewinds LTC, purchased last week, and I'm just finding my way around. Thanks for any help.

kennersonf · 03-07-2008, 05:35 AM

The detector you're talking about is connected to the chassis battery. The panel with all the a/c and heater controls is hinged on one end. You should be able to pull on it to open it. You'll see the wires connecting the detector to the electrical system on the back side. It has a quick disconnect. I always disconnect mine when parked for an extended time.

Jeepster47 · 03-07-2008, 07:03 AM

I do the same procdure as Fred K when I store our MH. There are still some electrical parasitic drains that exist to the chassis battery/batteries. The only way to minimize drain to the battery is to disconnect or install a terminal disconnect. The solar panel
(10 watt) is not enough to keep the battery/batteries charged.

Ed

Fred and Bonnie · 03-07-2008, 04:40 PM

Other than the C02 detector, there must be other phantom power drains. My solar panel looks like it was in WWIII, however it still keeps the house and chassis batteries at around 12.4V, as long as we have good sunshine.

Fred

KentM · 03-20-2008, 09:03 AM

I recently had a bout with these two devices that was resolved only by replacing them. I first started getting a random propane alarm and in the middle of the night, this is not fun. I could find no evidence of propane in the coach and it is doubly troubling due the fact that my wife has completely lost her sense of smell. I had actually had a bonafide propane alarm a couple of years ago when I discovered that one of the stove controls was not fully turned off. But this time I could find no evidence of that. After it happened the third time in two days, I decided to just replace the unit. Removing the unit proved to be the worst part of the problem. The device had been installed and then after it was installed, some idiot completely loaded the area behind it with that black expandable foam used to seal the wiring going below the floor. So I carefully picked away the foam until I could get the unit out and then find the connector. I had quite a pile of foam before I got to the connector. To make matters more interesting, the CO monitor started beeping as well. This is the upper unit. I have had this unit beep at me on occasion when the generator exhaust would blow back into the coach due to the wind conditions. But now the generator was not running but the CO monitor was beeping. So I just decided to replace them both. There is not much choice when it comes to the propane monitor so I bought one just like it. Of course, you have to cut the connector from the old one and solder the wires to the new one unless of course you have access to the pins and tools to replace the connector. However, for the CO monitor, I bought a battery powered unit from Home Depot. Then all I have to do is change the battery when you change the clocks twice a year. At least, that removed one of the parasitic loads from the battery.
It's a great life if you don't weaken.....

jerseyjim · 03-29-2008, 02:15 AM

The first year of ownership (2001) we had the Dolphin parked during the winter. BIG snowstorm, couldn't get to the rig for about 3 weeks. Finally did and found my chassis battery needed a jump. From SOMEWHERE...I heard that the O2 and propane sensors were BIG power eaters. I contacted (e-mail) NRV and they told me that due to "legal"...they were required to hard wire these sensors in...and hard-wired them to the chassis battery.
So..."LEGALLY", they could not tell me how to disconnect them, but if I wanted to, I could take the rig to my dealer and have him install a toggle switch. OK....
I went to the local hardware store, bought a gottle switch and a spool of 16ga wire and did the deed myself. The absoulte worst part was fishing the wire thru...up and down...but afterwords, I had a very neat install and now, when the rig is not being used, I flip the toggle switch off, the sensors go off, and all is well.
However, this summer we're not traveling much and have reserved a campsite at the Jersey Shore...May 2 to Sept. 2nd..
Knowing that while plugged into shore power, the chassis battery does not get charged or maintained...I bought a "Trik-L-Start" thing and will install that in the next two weeks. Hope it works as advertised...or I just threw away 48 bucks. But...that wouldn't be the first time.

Belgian · 03-29-2008, 08:31 PM

KentM, I also bought one of the CO detectors from Home Depot, but I remembered someone saying the detectors had to be RV certified. I called Kidee, the CO mfgr and they said the detector must have a RV certification in order to work in a RV because of the vibration. I bought the exact replacement for the one in the RV, only a few $'s more. Just a suggestion.