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LSC9901 · 10-27-2014, 05:54 PM

Hopefully someone can give me the straight scoop on charging my batteries during the winter. We have a 2001 31W Bounder. It has the normal 12 V chassis battery and 2 6V house batteries. My question revolves around the house and chassis switches inside the MH. If I shut those both off and have the MH plugged in will it charge my batteries? My reasoning for shutting the switches into the off position is because the LP detector does not have a shut off on it so it will constantly be drawing on the system if the batteries are left on. Since it will sit for a minimum of five months, and probably more, I hate to have the batteries run down because of the LP detector.

Any thoughtful advice would be most appreciated.

Mentor · 10-27-2014, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LSC9901

Hopefully someone can give me the straight scoop on charging my batteries during the winter. We have a 2001 31W Bounder. It has the normal 12 V chassis battery and 2 6V house batteries. My question revolves around the house and chassis switches inside the MH. If I shut those both off and have the MH plugged in will it charge my batteries? My reasoning for shutting the switches into the off position is because the LP detector does not have a shut off on it so it will constantly be drawing on the system if the batteries are left on. Since it will sit for a minimum of five months, and probably more, I hate to have the batteries run down because of the LP detector.

Any thoughtful advice would be most appreciated.

On my unit both the house and chassis bats are charged with both switched to the off position and I just checked them today, perfect!

**pasdad1** · 10-27-2014, 06:14 PM

I think to be 100% sure, you need to take a digital voltmeter and measure the voltage at the batteries with the switches off and the coach plugged in.....that's the only way to be sure. If they are getting a charge you will read 13.2 volts or higher...if not, then turn the battery switches on and then check again.

okgc · 10-27-2014, 06:55 PM

IF you will have the MH plugged into 110v while stored why would you want the LP detector turned off? It wont run down your batteries.

If my MH had AC power and there is an LP leak I certainly would want to know. I want all the safety devices operating.

Mentor · 10-28-2014, 08:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by okgc

IF you will have the MH plugged into 110v while stored why would you want the LP detector turned off? It wont run down your batteries.

If my MH had AC power and there is an LP leak I certainly would want to know. I want all the safety devices operating.

I always close my tank valve when stored and do not rely solely on the solenoid valve and therefore no leaks and no detector turned on. If the tank itself leaks the detector will not see that as the tank is outside.

Actually in my system the detector keeps the solenoid open unless a leak is detected and so when parked it keeps the solenoid energized unless power is cut to the LPG/CO detector.

LSC9901 · 10-28-2014, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by okgc

IF you will have the MH plugged into 110v while stored why would you want the LP detector turned off? It wont run down your batteries.

If my MH had AC power and there is an LP leak I certainly would want to know. I want all the safety devices operating.

As I now know with the power plugged in but the switches in the off position, there is power to the detector along with the entire vehicle. It seems that you can only kill the power when you are NOT connected to shore power. This will work just fine for me. My plan is to power up the vehicle once a week just to insure that when spring arrives I can just get in and it should fire right up and the batteries will be fully charged.

I also close the valve at the LP tank to reduce the chance of any leaks. For me that only makes sense .... But that's just me.

csrrsr · 10-28-2014, 11:09 AM

I have two switches, AUX and MAIN. When I turn them off there is no power to the coach even if it's plugged in and the propane is also turned off. I usually let the coach sit in storage for a few weeks at a time and then turn the juice back on for 24 hours and then turn the switches off again. The time in between the on/off depends on how cold it is inside the shop. It's not a heated shop so if it's freezing I'll let it sit without electricity for only a few days and then turn the switches back on. I do this so I don't boil the water out of the batteries over 5 months of storage.

LSC9901 · 10-28-2014, 12:08 PM

I will be checking this once more before I close it up for good. There may be a difference in our units also. I am an '01 gasser. Not sure if that makes a difference. My other situation is that I cover my MH so getting in and out of it isn't an ordeal I want to go through on a weekly basis. If I can just turn on a breaker in my stick & brick home and let it charge for a few hours I'll be a (2015) happy camper.

wildmanbaker · 10-28-2014, 01:13 PM

Instead of flipping a breaker, why not get a HD timer that can be programmed for days of the week and let this happen automatically?

LSC9901 · 10-28-2014, 01:25 PM

I am connected to a 30 AMP service outside my garage. The breaker is in my garage next to my car. Very convenient for me to turn it on at a predetermined time and shut it off at a predetermined time. Not sure they make timers for a 30 AMP service and even if they did it would mean that it would not be under cover. Your idea is great but the implementation just doesn't seem plausible for me.

wildmanbaker · 10-29-2014, 08:10 PM

Since the only user of power would be the converter, I would run a #12 or #14 20 amp extension cord to the MH, and use an adapter to the 30 amp shore power cord.

Flipping a breaker seems easy enough, but I was doing the with a folding trailer we once had. Forgot to turn it off once for about 2 months. Battery water levels were good, but it had an unregulated converter in it, and it cooked the battery. Did not realize it until our first trip of the season. Seem to work OK for the 4 days we were dry camped, but when we got hooked-up and left, we stopped to wait for another party and shut off the T.V. When they caught-up an went by, our TV would not start. In just a little while, the battery in the T.V. would not even cause the starter solenoid to click. Found the plug for the trailer was very warm, and so was the battery in the trailer. Disconnected the trailer battery, and got a jump from a city truck what went by. The cooked Trailer battery completely drained the truck battery in a very short time. Sometimes lessons are learned the hard way.