Community Forums

knugent · 05-07-2015, 04:26 PM

I am restoring a 1989 Winnie Chieftain. The battery selector switch in the battery compartment has 4 positions: Off, 1, both, and 2. I cannot see that the chassis battery is being charged by my converter in any of these positions. Can anyone tell me which position is correct, then I can troubleshoot from there. The house batteries are charging just fine, but not the chassis. Using a tester, I don't show that I am getting any voltage to the terminals of the chassis battery from the converter in any position. When I use the "mom" switch, that part works. Thanks for any help

BFlinn181 · 05-07-2015, 05:19 PM

I don't think that switch was standard in a '89 Chieftain. I believe it might have been installed by a previous owner, perhaps to clear up or replace some original equipment.
There's no mention of it in the owner's manual:

http://www.winnebagoind.com/resource...ago-Itasca.pdf

chboone · 05-07-2015, 06:10 PM

The battery switch you describe sounds like a standard marine battery switch. As BFlinn posted, was probably add by a previous owner. If the Battery Control Center was not designed for the converter to charge your chassis, it won't. If it was there is a problem, either in the BBC or interconnect relay. Best way to find out is contact Winnebago and ask them.

TQ60 · 05-08-2015, 08:27 AM

That sounds like switches used in boats and ambulances.

Hard disconnect of batteries to allow storage without loads.

Great for storage.

Add maintainers and your could be good.

knugent · 05-09-2015, 05:16 PM

Thank ya'll for the replies. Bflinn, you are right. I was not able to find it in the owner's manual either. And TQ60, you are right. It works great for storage.

ahicks · 05-09-2015, 05:27 PM

If a switch like that were wired properly, when on the "both" position, if one is getting charged, they both are.

nothermark · 05-09-2015, 05:40 PM

FWIW there are a lot of units out there that *do not* charge the chassis battery off the House AC system. It's easy enough to check with a voltmeter and to address with a supplemental charger. If you are not sitting for many days at a time it is probably not an issue.

Pat Ward · 05-18-2015, 08:24 PM

I have had some battery issues. Not sure this is the correct site to post this ( new to this). Battery would not hold a charge. I replaced the battery and did a draw test on it and it shows a .079 draw.
I have the unit plugged into shore power but I'm not sure how the charging system works..How can I tell if it is over charging.

BFlinn181 · 05-18-2015, 09:07 PM

A fully charged battery should read 12.7 v after sitting for about an hour to let surface charge get absorbed. When you plug in to shore power, the voltage will read higher. If the battery is fully charged, the charger's voltage should drop to about 13.4 v after 10-15 minutes. If it stays higher, you could be overcharging the battery. If you have to add water to the battery too often, it's another sign of too high a charge rate.