Community Forums

dlvgolf · 01-28-2020, 04:56 AM

Background: We have been parked in an RV park with electrical hooked up for about 5 weeks. I went to start the RV and the battery was dead. I hit the boost switch and it didn’t help. I ended up jumping the RV with the Toad with no issue.
I had left both battery switches on during this 5 week period. Figuring that since we were plugged in, there wouldn’t be a drain on the batteries. I did not have the inverter on during this timeframe.
I was discussing this with a fellow RV’er and he said he left his inverter on all the time as it was needed to keep the batteries charged, even while plugged in.
I looked in my manual and it indicates there are two types of inverters. An inverter or an inverter/charger. I have the inverter only model. The manual indicates that I shouldn’t leave my inverter on as it will drain the batteries.

With all of that said, when plugged into a site: 1. Should my inverter be on? 2. Should either set of batteries go dead when I’m plugged in full time? 3. Should I need to turn my chassis battery switch off when I’m plugged in, to keep the engine battery from going dead?

Thanks for the help, the electrical is the weakest part of my knowledge base.

timjet · 01-28-2020, 05:08 AM

Since no one has replied yet (you'll get plenty eventually) I'll take a stab at this. I have a inverter charger but regardless you must have a battery charger and it is apparently not on or is broken.

Determine the status of your battery charger. Until you do your engine alternator is the only way you can charge the batteries, unless you buy one and manually charge the batts.

**Spdracr39** · 01-28-2020, 05:14 AM

As said above your converter is not working. It either has no power to it or is broken. The stand alone inverter will have no effect on your batteries if you are on shore power. It will not do anything but allow 120v power to pass through it. You need to check the voltage going into and coming out of the converter to see which side is losing power. If you have 120v going in and 12v coming out then follow the leads to the batteries and check the fuses between the converter and the batteries. If you have no 120v power coming in check the breaker that supplies it. If you have no12v power coming out check the fuses on the converter itself. If they are good the converter has failed.

richard5933 · 01-28-2020, 05:30 AM

Not all coaches are set up to charge the chassis batteries while plugged in. You need to confirm your system is designed to do this before spending time troubleshooting.

timjet · 01-28-2020, 05:37 AM

I believe he said both chassis and house batts are dead.
I suggest you call Winnie tech support and explain the issue. Have your VIN number ready.
PS: Thanks for your service.

cavie · 01-28-2020, 05:40 AM

a stand alone Inverter does not charge batteries. It uses battery voltage. It is connected the the house battery. You can leave it on or off. The converter will charge the house battery. But I would just turn it off while on shore power. Converter/inverter combo charges batteries. It knows when to turn the inverter on and off.

Not all coaches charge the chassis battery while on shore power. If you can't determine if your's does, just buy a cheap maintainer at HF and hook it to the chassis battery while on shore power. Problem solved on the cheap.

I see you are in Cortez. I'll pray for you and your Toad.

69 years on the west coast.

dlvgolf · 01-28-2020, 05:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by timjet

I believe he said both chassis and house batts are dead.
I suggest you call Winnie tech support and explain the issue. Have your VIN number ready.
PS: Thanks for your service.

Only chassis batteries were dead. Coach batteries were fine.

timjet · 01-28-2020, 05:48 AM

When you hit the boost switch I believe you parallel the chassis and house batteries. If the house batteries are charged this action should allow you to start the chassis engine.

No?

dlvgolf · 01-28-2020, 05:50 AM

I tried. It didn’t help. Perhaps chassis battery was “too” dead.

Domo · 01-28-2020, 06:22 AM

On my Tiffin with a Xantrex Inverter/charger/transfer...

Two sets of batteries; one for chassis, one for coach.

Xantrex will charge the coach batteries any time there is 120 VAC connected to it - either shore power or from generator.

The chassis batteries are NOT charged by the Xantrex - my MH has a separate trickle charger that plugs into an available 120 VAC outlet in the basement of the rig. If there is no 120 VAC, the chassis batteries do not charge.

Freightliner and Tiffin recommend turning OFF the chassis batteries when you are sitting still for several days. The separate battery trickle charge is connected to the chassis batteries on the battery-side of the the disconnect switch so that they will continue to charge.

I suspect OP's rig may not have a trickle charger AND parasitic loads on the chassis drained the battery. OR, if OP does have a chassis trickle charger, it's outlet was turned off/breaker tripped.
YMMV

twinboat · 01-28-2020, 06:32 AM

Plugged in, with switchs on, all batteries should have stayed charged.

If you had lights inside, your converter/charger was working, otherwise the house battery would have gone dead.

With all charged now, push the boost switch and listen for a clunk. It should.

If not, that is the same solenoid that keeps the chassis battery charged. Could be a loose wire on it.

The solenoids do fail, but your in a 2019 RV that would be rare.

Let us know if it clunks.

Park Super · 01-28-2020, 07:30 AM

With all of that said, when plugged into a site: 1. Should my inverter be on? No, your inverter should only be on when you are using your batteries to run ac devices and you are not plugged in2. Should either set of batteries go dead when I’m plugged in full time? No, Your converter charges both sets of batteries when plugged in 3. Should I need to turn my chassis battery switch off when I’m plugged in, to keep the engine battery from going dead? No

Most likely it is as twinboat mentions. You have a BMI (Battery Management Isolation) switch that uses solenoids. These sometimes can stick and cause a no charge situation or even deplete your batteries with the battery disconnect switches in the off position. I discovered this after installing a battery monitor and discovered the issues stated above, no charge or amp draw with switches off. Loose wires may be the issue. I found that cycling the battery disconnect switches would resolve the no charge or amp draw situation. I can verify this by looking at my battery monitor. Your rig came with idiot lights to monitor your battery SOC (state of charge) of your house batteries but not your starting battery. Same as mine. To really know what is going on with your batteries you need to install a battery monitor as I did or monitor your SOC with a volt meter at the batteries. Try cycling the switches and testing batteries with volt meter for now.

marjoa · 01-28-2020, 08:14 AM

We are FTers and this is our procedure....

On our Winniebago we ALWAYS turn OFF the chassis battery switch when we arrive at our destination and set up to park for awhile. No need to have it ON.

Our house battery switch is ALWAYS left ON, therefore house batteries are always being charged. Here's the thing though you need to remember...when you're plugged into shore power the light on the chassis battery switch will light up and give you the impression that the switch is ON...but that doesn't necessarily mean the switch is ON. Be sure to always with your hand push that switch to the ON position to insure that your house batteries will be charging when plugged into shore power.

There's also no need to have the inverter ON while parked if you're plugged into shore power. You have a separate inverter on your coach. Not a combo unit. When you turn ON your inverter the inverter takes house battery power—12V—and turns it into 110V so it only needs to be turned ON when you don't have shore power but you want 110V in the coach. This is how you "Boon dock". But beware, using your inverter will draw your house batteries down quickly depending on the load you put on them and how your house battery bay is setup. This is a whole nother story that you'll have to get knowed up on if you ever want to boon dock.

But for now, while plugged in no need to turn ON inverter.

pete5016 · 01-28-2020, 08:27 AM

I had a similar issue where my batteries would die when I was plugged into shore power.

My inverter had to be removed from the Coach and sent back to the factory for a repair. Your inverter does multiple functions, it converts 120VAC to 12DC (for charging) and it also converts 12VDC into 120.