Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
RV Trip Planning Discussions

Go Back   iRV2 Forums > THE OWNER'S CORNER FORUMS > Country Coach Owners Forum
Click Here to Login
Join iRV2 Today

Mission Statement: Supporting thoughtful exchange of knowledge, values and experience among RV enthusiasts.
Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on iRV2
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 05-19-2014, 05:31 AM   #1
Senior Member
 
Country Coach Owners Club
Retired Fire Service RVer's
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Ocala, Florida
Posts: 6,295
Temp. Storage. What to turn off

Due to my mom's recent death, we have put our coach into storage for hopefully no more than a month or so to allow us to move in with dad. Since we are the only ones of the family with the freedom to do so (everyone else has SB homes and jobs of sorts) this fell on us.

To shut down I did the following:
1) Shut off chassis disconnect switch.
2) Shut off 12 v switch for lights.
3) Opened both mains from inverters.

Did I miss anything?

It is warm enough (still getting into high 30's at night in upstate NY, ain't this weather a b **** this year) to allow not winterizing the coach.

I plan on starting the coach and generator at least once per week to charge everything and warm coach as needed.

Do I have to do anything else?

Thanks for any advice. Since we are FT, this is a first for us.
__________________
FMCA #F431170, GS #822128658, Escapees SKP #112655
2012 Airstream Mercedes Interstate Class B
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Medico is offline   Reply With Quote
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!

Old 05-19-2014, 05:58 AM   #2
Senior Member
 
Country Coach Owners Club
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,204
shut off the house batteries too. After ours sits for a month or so we also disinfect the fresh water tank before we hit the road again. You might also want to shut off the hot water heater at the breaker until you have flushed and refilled the water system. Before you shut everything down plug it in for a couple of days and let the batteries get a nice full charge. It is also a good time to have things like carpet cleaning done and getting those little thing that need fixing fixed. Unless you are storing it inside you might want to close all the curtains shut down the refig, empty it and leave the doors open to dry it out.
pumper9x9 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2014, 07:02 AM   #3
Senior Member
 
CoCoDave's Avatar
 
Country Coach Owners Club
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Sequim, WA
Posts: 1,419
Being new to Country Coach, I'm not yet familiar with how much, if any, parasitic load is still on the batteries when everything is turned "off". On my Monaco Windsor, turning off the battery disconnect switch for the "house" batteries did truly isolate the batteries. There was zero current flow.

The chassis batteries were another matter. Even with the disconnect switch turned to the "off" position the engine and transmission control units were still energized and together drew a little over one tenth of an amp (112 milliamps) which would discharge the batteries enough to prevent cranking the engine after a week or so. So I would remover the negative cable from the chassis battery-pair when storing for an extended period.

How are Country Coach batteries and disconnects configured? Do either or both of the battery banks have to have a cable physically disconnected to eliminate any current flow even after everything is turned off?

Sorry to hear of your mom's passing, Medico.

With regard to starting your engine - most advice I have received and followed is to routinely start and run the generator under load. Monthly for about 1/2 hour was what the Onan rep said at a rally we attended.

The main engine however, should not be started unless it is going to be driven long and far enough to completely warm to operating temperature. Idling, even fast idle, is not enough to get it there. Time and distance vary depending on outside temperature.

Letting the main engine sit for extended periods does it no harm. The generator needs to be exercised to keep the electrical windings dry.

FWIW
__________________
Dave & Cathy, 2002 Country Coach Affinity, 42', #6103, CAT C12, Sold - Retired From RV'ing, Linux Mint
CoCoDave is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2014, 03:44 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
Country Coach Owners Club
Retired Fire Service RVer's
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Ocala, Florida
Posts: 6,295
I am unaware of a disconnect from the house batteries. That is why I switched off the 12 V switch inside the door and the inverter main disconnects.

Unfortunately there is no way to run any power to the coach. It was plugged in for a week prior to driving it to the storage area.

When I attempted to start the coach after a week of sitting, I did need to use the battery boost switch so I let the coach run at idle for almost an hour with the generator also running under load during this time frame. I also ran the diesel hydro hot to warm the coach since, as I said, the weather here is COLD for the middle of May. I guess the lousy winter is extending into a lousy spring as well.

I will switch off the electric water heater, although I believe it might already be off. Perhaps I will just shut off most the circuit breakers. I do need the door locks to continue working and the steps to come out when I open the door.
__________________
FMCA #F431170, GS #822128658, Escapees SKP #112655
2012 Airstream Mercedes Interstate Class B
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Medico is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2014, 04:19 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
BFlinn181's Avatar
 
Gulf Streamers Club
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Cincinnati
Posts: 19,925
The electric steps and door lock are very likely parasitic loads that are drawing the batteries down. In addition, the ECU and transmission controller are also drawing on the batteries. If it was down that far in a week, I imagine in a month you'll have VERY dead batteries, perhaps needing replacement, not just a charge.
If you don't have a chassis batteries shut off, you should remove the cable from the ground post in storage.
__________________

Bob & Donna
'98 Gulf Stream Sun Voyager DP being pushed by a '00 Beetle TDI
BFlinn181 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2014, 04:28 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
deandec's Avatar
 
Country Coach Owners Club
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Northern California
Posts: 5,847
On my vintage CC the chassis battery disconnect is in the battery compartment.

The house battery disconnect is in the coach.

I would turn both off. You could even disconnect the negative cable from the house battery to extinguish the phantoms.

My inverter's Link 2000 remains powered even though the house battery switch is off.
__________________
Dean
1995 38' CC Magna #5280 **** Sold after 21 years of enjoyment.
deandec is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-20-2014, 04:11 AM   #7
Senior Member
 
Country Coach Owners Club
Retired Fire Service RVer's
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Ocala, Florida
Posts: 6,295
I have turned off the chassis batteries at the disconnect switch in the rear compartment. I am staying about 3 miles from the coach and regularly visit to check it out and at least once per week to start both the coach and the generator to let them run for a while to ensure full charge. I expect this situation will only last a month or so, perhaps up to 2 months (we certainly hope not).

The steps are deactivated with the chassis shutoff, so each time I need to get in the coach I have to turn on the shutoff. The door locks do appear to be a parasitic drain. I have to check today, so I will look for a disconnect on the house batteries.
__________________
FMCA #F431170, GS #822128658, Escapees SKP #112655
2012 Airstream Mercedes Interstate Class B
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Medico is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-20-2014, 11:15 AM   #8
Senior Member
 
dons2346's Avatar
 
Country Coach Owners Club
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 7,736
If you can't drive the coach and get the main engine up to full operating temps, you will do more harm than good. Let the coach sit and only run the generator to charge the batteries, Your coach has a Echo charger that will charge the chassis batteries from the house batteries.

You should be able to let the coach sit for a months without any ill effects.

Sorry to hear about your mom, I went through the same thing and it isn't easy.
dons2346 is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 05-20-2014, 03:56 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
Country Coach Owners Club
Retired Fire Service RVer's
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Ocala, Florida
Posts: 6,295
This was such a swift and unexpected occurrence that it really caught us all by surprise. Thank you for the condolences and thoughts.

I will take your recommendations on starting the generator rather than the engine. That does indeed sound like sound advice.

All else seems fine. We will get through this and head home to Florida sometime in the next couple of months. Unfortunately our trip to Colorado had to be cancelled. We no longer have the time or money to go this year. We will take our time heading south when the time comes to get some sight seeing in.

Thanks for all your answers and thoughts.
__________________
FMCA #F431170, GS #822128658, Escapees SKP #112655
2012 Airstream Mercedes Interstate Class B
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Medico is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
storage



Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
2012 Discovery 36J A/C Temp Sensor Location pagosajoe Fleetwood Owner's Forum 29 11-14-2014 09:48 AM
When to turn on your H2O heater Rockyroad MH-General Discussions & Problems 19 02-12-2014 12:16 PM
Bounder: Bounder 35K - no turn or brake lights at trailer connection Bruadair Fleetwood Owner's Forum 4 01-23-2014 03:39 PM
No turn signals rockwrangler Monaco Owner's Forum 7 01-13-2014 09:19 AM
LED side turn signals deSanford Monaco Owner's Forum 15 12-19-2013 11:35 AM

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 09:19 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.