Dead chassis battery after 2 days

[Fla2RI]

My chassis battery goes dead after a couple of days in storage, I have the coach batteries switch off, cause I need them to boost my chassis battery to get it started. I searched on this forum and the concensus was that it's probably a bad cell in the chassis battery. So, I made an appointment with a Workhorse dealer at they checked out the battery and siad it was fine. They said the chassis battery had a .16 amp draw off it and it must be coming from the coach, which is drawing it down. Workhorse dealer said it's a National RV issue. The only thing I can find that still works with the coach batteries turned off is: slideout motors, electric step, and carbon monoxide detectors; everything else seems dead. Any ideas what else could be bringing it down?

[Fla2RI]

My chassis battery goes dead after a couple of days in storage, I have the coach batteries switch off, cause I need them to boost my chassis battery to get it started. I searched on this forum and the concensus was that it's probably a bad cell in the chassis battery. So, I made an appointment with a Workhorse dealer at they checked out the battery and siad it was fine. They said the chassis battery had a .16 amp draw off it and it must be coming from the coach, which is drawing it down. Workhorse dealer said it's a National RV issue. The only thing I can find that still works with the coach batteries turned off is: slideout motors, electric step, and carbon monoxide detectors; everything else seems dead. Any ideas what else could be bringing it down?

[Erik S]

Fla2RI,

What about the dash radio??? I know on ours we have a Sony radio that at first caused us that problem (drain the battery). Even though it wasn't playing music, it wasn't off. It would scroll some type of message accross the screen. We found that we had to push the "off" buttone for several seconds until the radio went completly black. The other way is to remove the "Face Plate". Then it will be off, and won't draw anything from the battery.

I have talked to other people that have the same Sony radio, and they have all had the same problem...need to make sure it is completely turned off.

Hope this helps....

Erik

[Fla2RI]

Thanks for the reply, but it's not the radio. I have a switch to kill the power to the radio, it is off.

[rvten]

So the items that you mentioned. That are conn. to your chassis Batt. are they turned off. Are you going in/out of your MH with the step on? Made this mistake one time. Ran batt down fast. step draws a lot of power going in/out. Plus light on step will be on.

[Erik S]

Fla2RI,

The only other thing I can think of would be the leveling system..... or a CB.. something that uses a minor draw on the chassis battery and not the coach battery...

Your local service center should be able to diagnose it by un-hooking the grounds until the draw is gone. Once that is done they simply need to figure out what is on the ground that causes the draw...

My two cents....

Erik

[HD tech]

I can second the comment about the steps. They do indeed use a lot of power. If you can, try disconnecting them for a few days. If they don't retract all the way, and trigger the switch (to turn the motor off) they will run the battery down quite rapidly. good luck.
Ray

[Spiderman of Calgary]

FLA2RI and All -

We had the same problem with our 2002 Dolphin LX. We finally fixed it by rewiring the CO detector away from the chassis battery and to the coach battery. Problem solved! We've described the problem in detail at Epilogue - The CO Monitor.

Hope this helps. Best of luck!

[Fla2RI]

I suspect that Spiderman of Calgary might have to answer. Dolphin and Seabreeze LX are basically the same coach. My CO detetor stays on even when the coach batteries are disconnected. I'll give it a try. If that doesn't work I'll unplug the steps next.

Thanks all.

[Fred and Bonnie]

Sounds like something other than the CO unit is causing the problem. We go weeks without charging the batteries and the voltage only drops around .5vdc. Our last two Dolphins have had no problems with the CO unit remaining on.

Fred

[JB Driver]

I had the same issue not only in my current National RV coach, but also my 1999 National RV Sea View. Ford replaced a bunch of batteries, under warranty, saying in was a short in the battery. I put a battery disconnect switch on the chassis battery and no more problem. When I park the coach I shut down the chassis battery and have no further drain. I still do not know what the draw on the battery is caused by. In my humble opinion I think it has something to do with the electric step. Just my two cents worth to the discussion.

[rgrstndgby]

Fla2RI, do you have an outside entertainment system? If so, perhaps it turned on, with the volumn down. Had it happen on my last "Bago,kept losing the battery charge, just happened to hear a static pop as I walked past one day. Turned it off, and no more problem. ...rgr...

[wilanddij]

Is there some reason you need to leave the chassis battery connected when you have the coach in storage? I've had the same problem - actually ruined a chassis battery by letting it discharge completely. Since then, I use the disconnect switch for the house batteries and I've installed a knife switch to completely disconnect the chassis battery when I store the coach.

["007"]

wilanddij, A Bounder an all the Newmars that I have owned, have a 5 watt 12" square solar panel just for the chassis battery, never had a dead chassis batt. You could wire thru roof to cabinet below thru A channel to engine compartment. --"007"