Weird Electrical Problem

[TallPaul]

The coach 12 volt power has been fine since I bought this motorhome 3 weeks ago. Tonight I went out and turned on a light and it just glowed. The monitor panel would not even light up. I immediately thought a light was left on and the battery drained because I hadn't used the lights in 2 days. But I could not find any lights that had been left on.

I hooked up the land line and the lights were then full brighness and battery read full charge (reading the 12 volt from the converter of course).

After it was plugged in about an hour, I unplugged it to see how much it had recovered figuring I might get one light on the battery. Turned on a light and it was full brightness. Monitor panel lit up and showed fully charged battery.

I can't believe it could go from dead (no lights on the monitor panel) to full charge with one hour on the land line. Something else must be wrong. But what could it be?

Am especially concerned because we are supposed to take off on a 2 week trip on Monday.

[TallPaul]

The coach 12 volt power has been fine since I bought this motorhome 3 weeks ago. Tonight I went out and turned on a light and it just glowed. The monitor panel would not even light up. I immediately thought a light was left on and the battery drained because I hadn't used the lights in 2 days. But I could not find any lights that had been left on.

I hooked up the land line and the lights were then full brighness and battery read full charge (reading the 12 volt from the converter of course).

After it was plugged in about an hour, I unplugged it to see how much it had recovered figuring I might get one light on the battery. Turned on a light and it was full brightness. Monitor panel lit up and showed fully charged battery.

I can't believe it could go from dead (no lights on the monitor panel) to full charge with one hour on the land line. Something else must be wrong. But what could it be?

Am especially concerned because we are supposed to take off on a 2 week trip on Monday.

["007"]

Have you checked all lights below in compartments make sure they are off. Also the other side of your battery GROUND make sure you have good cable connections to frame of coach from house batt and good grounds for converter to frame, maybe #6 bare wire, its a good idea to check all grounds to frame from GEN, CHASSIS BATT, ENGINE BLOCK TO FRAME.
If you find any loose use a star washer it will hold better and clean any paint or rust under that cable connection.
97 coach how old are your batteries?

[TallPaul]

Thanks. No lights in basement compartments. I'll have to check the grounds. I suppose a poor ground could prevent battery power to coach and then when 110 is hooked up the connection may improve. A weak battery would not help.

I don't know the battery age. It is a single battery though. Actually the coach is 2000. I forgot to update my profile.

[RV Wizard]

If the battery were dead, there is no way it will be completely recharged in an hour. Here are some links to help with battery issues:
http://www.dcbattery.com/faq.html#1
http://www.usbattery.com/care.htm
http://www.windsun.com/Batteries/Bat...ery%20Charging

[NeilV]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by TallPaul:
Thanks. No lights in basement compartments. I'll have to check the grounds. I suppose a poor ground could prevent battery power to coach and then when 110 is hooked up the connection may improve. A weak battery would not help.

I don't know the battery age. It is a single battery though. Actually the coach is 2000. I forgot to update my profile. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

It is not uncommon for the contacts on the battery bypass switch to start acting up at that age either. I had to start cycling mine on and off a few times to get it to seat on my last long trip and had to replace it when I got home.

[TallPaul]

Thanks, In my mind the bypass switch seems most likely the culprit. Still should look at the grounds and chase those links RV Wizard posted, but first a question:

What does the bypass switch look like?
Is it easily replaced or can the contacts be cleaned?
If it is easily replaced and not expensive, I would do it just to eliminate one possibility. I don't know what kind of power center I have, but looks like typical RV unit that I have seen with upper half opens to expose fuses and breakers.

Thanks.

[Ray,IN]

Have your battery load tested first, walmart, pep boys, among many other places do it free.

[TallPaul]

good advice Ray. My RV dealer service man said he same thing. It's free. I did a mini test tonight. It had been plugged in from 9 pm to 7 am, then unplugged the rest of the day. Battery voltage was about 12.85. Turned on three double lights for 15 minutes or so. Battery tested 12.45 volts after the 15 min with lights on. Turned off the lights and it tested 12.65. Battery looks pretty new, but no way to know age as they did not punch out the date circles. Load test will tell. Will do.

[TallPaul]

According to my RV dealer, there is not battery bypass switch. When unplugged the battery feeds the electricity, when plugged in the same conntections charge the battery.

The battery connections were slightly loose. That is, I could turn the wing nut a little bit. Would not think that would be enough to cause the apparent dead battery though.

Took the battery in for a load test. They used the marine battery test, entered the battery's MCA (which is 750), and ran the load which was for about 100 seconds. Then it said charging for 11 minute but actually recharged in 5 minutes, which is better than expected, and so the battery is very good.

I'll figure it was the connections and not worry about it anymore for now.

Thanks again.

[NeilV]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by TallPaul:
According to my RV dealer, there is not battery bypass switch. When unplugged the battery feeds the electricity, when plugged in the same conntections charge the battery.

The battery connections were slightly loose. That is, I could turn the wing nut a little bit. Would not think that would be enough to cause the apparent dead battery though.

Took the battery in for a load test. They used the marine battery test, entered the battery's MCA (which is 750), and ran the load which was for about 100 seconds. Then it said charging for 11 minute but actually recharged in 5 minutes, which is better than expected, and so the battery is very good.

I'll figure it was the connections and not worry about it anymore for now.

Thanks again. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Paul,

You have a 2000 GulfStream Conquest Sport. Just about everything made over the past decade has a battery bypass or disconnect for use during storage so parasitic loads don't kill your house batteries during storage.

[Bob (WA0MQE)]

TallPaul said:<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> After it was plugged in about an hour, I unplugged it to see how much it had recovered figuring I might get one light on the battery. Turned on a light and it was full brightness. Monitor panel lit up and showed fully charged battery.

I can't believe it could go from dead (no lights on the monitor panel) to full charge with one hour on the land line. Something else must be wrong. But what could it be? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

The battery could easily look like it was fully recharged in one hour, at least in respect to lights glowing full brightness, but in reality it's not fully recharged. Had you left it on for awhile and checked it, it would have dropped off rather quickly. Those Monitor Panels are not that accurate they only light up according to the voltage appearing at the battery/s terminals. They don't show the batteries capacity condition.

[TallPaul]

My 1990 Damon Class C did not have a disconnect switch. My '97 Itasca Sunrise Class A did. This coach does not that I am aware of and if it does I have never used it. The only switch inside the door is the porch light. There is a breaker inside the battery box, which is under the step.

Other thing, but unrelated. I just found a red battery cable sized cable hanging next to the engine battery. No power on it even if I plug in the land line. Not sure what it is. Will ask the dealer.

["007"]

A loose and dirty battery connection if its the plus or neg will give you problems just clean them up on house battery posts and the neg to frame of coach from battery. I had a battery cell freeze up last winter when I added water to batteries, did not have plugged in to 110 as I usally do because I wanted to see how long they would hold their charge after I replugged them in battery returned to normal good batteries can take some abuse just make sure they have good clean connections.