HELP-Auxiliary battery switch

[Rendon]

I have an 04 Itasca Sunrise that I have been having problems with the Norcold Fridge losing power. I spoke to a Winnebago tech and was told that while I am plugged into 110, I should have the auxiliary battery switch OFF. Then I had an RV service guy come to my lot and tell me that while I am plugged into 110, I MUST have the auxiliary battery switch ON. Now here's what was happened to me 3 or 4 times so far. With the switch off, I ran the vacuum and had a fan on and it knocked the power off to my fridge. I had a hard time getting the fridge to come back on but it did. The RV guy told me that my converter was working overtime to supply the power to the fridge to keep the light on inside and the panel buttons on the outside of the door which he said ran on 12v. When I lost the power, neither of these worked. While I had the auxiliary switch on for over 4 weeks, it drained the engine battery so to start it I had to use the power boost button on the dash. I asked him "how do I keep the auxiliary batteries from draining the engine battery if I leave the switch on?". He said to start the engine every two weeks and let it run for 20 minutes. None of this makes sense to me. If I'm plugged into 110, the fridge senses this and adjusts accordingly, so why do I need to supply the fridge with the auxiliary batteries. I don't need them for anything else. I'm hoping someone who also owns an Itasca Sunrise reads this and has some advice as well as anyone else!

["007"]

When ever you are using coach and plugged in always have the BCO switch on, it needs to be on to charge your house batteries.
Your refrigerator on AUTO, the controller will decide if 120 or LP Gas will be used.
Here is information to read for functions of your appliances in your RV.
Here is another post that will lead you to more information.
Some coach's have a Bird System to keep all their batteries charged but I do not think yours has that to keep your chassis " engine" battery charged so people have added a Trik-L- Start to keep the chassis fully charged.

[Tony Lee]

The RV guy told me that my converter was working overtime to supply the power to the fridge to keep the light on inside and the panel buttons on the outside of the door which he said ran on 12v.

Would be very interesting to hear "the RV guy" explain this.

[mel s]

Originally Posted by Rendon

If I'm plugged into 110, the fridge senses this and adjusts accordingly, so why do I need to supply the fridge with the auxiliary batteries.

Rendon
The electronic control board of a "propane/electric RV refrigerator" needs 12VDC to operate, (on either120VAC or propane),
Mel
'96 Safari

[Clay L]

There is enough parasitic keep alive current required for the engine computer, transmission computer and other stuff to discharge your engine battery in three to four weeks. It has nothing to do with the AUX BAT switch. I use a Battery Minder Plus float charger to keep the engine battery up while parked and connected to shore power. The house batteries can be disconnected with the AUX BAT switch (Winnebago's term for battery disconnect switch) and this is recommended by Winnebago. Unless you are using an extraordinary amount of dc current everything will work fine with the house batteries disconnected. The converter will supply enough current for the 12 vdc items in the motor home. Winnebago recommends using the AUX BAT switch to disconnect the house batteries because the Parallax converter is a dumb converter and will cause water use. If you leave it connected you will need to check the electrolyte level in the house batteries monthly. At one time I did keep the house batteries disconnected most of the time when we were parked for the winter and connected to shore power. The batteries will self-discharge some each month so I installed a digital voltmeter to keep an eye on them and switched them back on for a week or so when necessary. Then I started leaving them on and checking the electrolyte level often. A while back I replaced the Parallax converter with a Progressive Dynamics PD9245. It has a Charge Wizard that puts it into float mode (13.2 volts) which will not cause much water usage. When the batteries are discharged some it goes back into charge mode and brings them back up.

[Rendon]

Originally Posted by 007";2023346]When ever you are using coach and plugged in always have the [B][URL="http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Frvpowerpartsplus.net%2F images%2Fproducts%2FBD1%25252001-00066-001.jpg&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Frvpowerpartsplus.ne t%2Findex.php%3Fmain_page%3Dindex%26cPath%3D14&h=3 69&w=443&tbnid=l8yyT_NUn8pIHM%3A&zoom=1&docid=DBX u xmEECmOItM&hl=en&ei=HipZU7a7NI6YyAS_24GgDQ&tbm=isc h&ved=0CGYQMygSMBI&iact=rc&uact=3&dur=3172&page= 2& start=17&ndsp=21

BCO switch[/URL][/B] on, it needs to be on to charge your house batteries.
Your refrigerator on AUTO, the controller will decide if 120 or LP Gas will be used.
Here is information to read for functions of your appliances in your RV.
Here is another post that will lead you to more information.
Some coach's have a Bird System to keep all their batteries charged but I do not think yours has that to keep your chassis " engine" battery charged so people have added a Trik-L- Start to keep the chassis fully charged.

What is the "bird system"? Some of the replys are telling me to keep the auxiliary switch on and another is telling me to keep it off which is what the Winnebago tech told me. I have it on and also the fan and ran the vacuum like I did the last two times I lost the power to the fridge and this time everything stayed on! I'm inclined to believe those of you are right about leaving it on. Should I get that tricle battery charge and put on my engine battery?

[Clay L]

The "bird" system is used by Fleetwood and maybe some other companies. Winnebago used it on the Ultimate Advantage in the early 2000s and as far as I know they haven't used it since. It charges both the house batteries and the engine battery. They did start installing the TrickleStart on diesel pushers after 2005 and maybe on gassers in later model years. As I explained above I would use one or the Battery Minder Plus to keep the engine battery topped off. Whether you leave the house batteries connected is up to you. The system will work fine either way unless you have a problem of some sort that will need to be fixed. IF you leave them connected you will need to check the battery electrolyte level at least monthly.

[wa8yxm]

Depending on the converter (Magnetek 6300 Aux battery MUST BE ON)

It should not matter to the fridge.. It does matter for some things though.

On my coach I have some radios that connect directly to the house batteries, Do not go through the switch, so they care cause if the batteries are not connected they run down.

As for the rest of the house (Factory stuff like the fridge) the converter I have (PDI 9180 with wizard) has no problem supplying power. Even my ham radio can not tell the difference between batteries connected or not (And that is a sensitive device)

I would thin that Connected is better because if Mains power is lost. the Fridge continues on Propane for days

[Clay L]

Winnebago used the 7500 series Parallax/Magnetek converter in 2004 so the battery does not have to be connected and as stated above Winnebago recommends that the batteries be disconnected when the motor home is connected to shore power for extended periods of time.