Community Forums

TheArnolds · 07-27-2013, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Butte64

Palazzos are getting more populous. Just saw two at Pride RV Park and we are next door at Creekwood, near Waynesville, NC.

Passed another Palazzo, same color as mine, on I77 headed into Charleston, WV at 10 AM on Friday. I was wondering if it was someone on this thread...

TheArnolds · 07-27-2013, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by audigger

Went to check on the coach today and the house batteries were DEAD...
I am sure that I set the switch to store. This is the second time in a row that this has happened. The generator will not start. Diesel will start just fine but does not seem to charge the house batteries. Any suggestions as to what to check that might be draining the house batteries? Do you think the "emergency start" switch will allow the gen to start so that I can charge the house batteries?

Bob

If you are sure that you switched to "store" then I would check all of the lights in the various storage bays. A couple of mine are easy to bump to the "on" position and during the day and you would not notice. Other then this I have no suggestions.

My understanding of the emergency start switch has to do with starting the engine but I would give it a try just he same. I would have the engine running first then I would use the emergency start switch to see if the generator will prime. If so, I would give it a try. Let us know what happens?

Redridge · 07-27-2013, 09:42 PM

check the levels in your batteries, they maybe low on water.

photoguy1313 · 07-28-2013, 02:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by audigger

Went to check on the coach today and the house batteries were DEAD...
I am sure that I set the switch to store. This is the second time in a row that this has happened. The generator will not start. Diesel will start just fine but does not seem to charge the house batteries. Any suggestions as to what to check that might be draining the house batteries? Do you think the "emergency start" switch will allow the gen to start so that I can charge the house batteries?

Bob

Bob - I have found that when in store mode, but with the large switch in line with the chassis battery NOT switched off, the paralleling solenoid in the inverter compartment is energized. This solenoid appears to be powered by the coach batteries, and definitely places a constant drain on the coach batteries. You can confirm this scenario by checking for energizing voltage being present on the small terminals to the solenoid. This solenoid is located just to the left of the inverter housing, in the last compartment on the passenger side towards the rear of the coach (on my 33.2). For me, discovering this peculiarity on mine prevented the situation you have found yourself in. By always switching off the chassis batteries when storing the coach, I've avoided the problem. One downside to this practice is losing the date & time setting on the ECM display on the dash.

Norb

Ridinbear · 07-28-2013, 04:50 AM

I have had many problems with battery disconnect switches on past RV models. When you activate the switch you can hear the solenoid if not you could be stuck in the on (closed mode) position. After checking you battery fluids as mentioned charge your house (auxiliary) batteries, then try your on/off battery switch. One dry cell can bring down the battery efficiency.

TheArnolds · 07-28-2013, 05:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by photoguy1313

Bob - I have found that when in store mode, but with the large switch in line with the chassis battery NOT switched off, the paralleling solenoid in the inverter compartment is energized. This solenoid appears to be powered by the coach batteries, and definitely places a constant drain on the coach batteries. You can confirm this scenario by checking for energizing voltage being present on the small terminals to the solenoid. This solenoid is located just to the left of the inverter housing, in the last compartment on the passenger side towards the rear of the coach (on my 33.2). For me, discovering this peculiarity on mine prevented the situation you have found yourself in. By always switching off the chassis batteries when storing the coach, I've avoided the problem. One downside to this practice is losing the date & time setting on the ECM display on the dash.

Norb

Norb,

I agree what you had to say but I wonder how long his coach was left unattended? I have left my coach for 2-3 weeks with the chassis batteries powered up with no problem. I would think that the coach should not drain the batteries in this time unless something else is going on...

Jack

Gingerela · 07-28-2013, 07:09 AM

For those of you with the Palazzo 36.1 floorplan, I am curious as to the queen bed. Is it a short or regular queen size mattress? We have a short queen in our Hurricane and my husband's feet stick out.

audigger · 07-28-2013, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by photoguy1313

Bob - I have found that when in store mode, but with the large switch in line with the chassis battery NOT switched off, the paralleling solenoid in the inverter compartment is energized. This solenoid appears to be powered by the coach batteries, and definitely places a constant drain on the coach batteries. You can confirm this scenario by checking for energizing voltage being present on the small terminals to the solenoid. This solenoid is located just to the left of the inverter housing, in the last compartment on the passenger side towards the rear of the coach (on my 33.2). For me, discovering this peculiarity on mine prevented the situation you have found yourself in. By always switching off the chassis batteries when storing the coach, I've avoided the problem. One downside to this practice is losing the date & time setting on the ECM display on the dash.

Norb

Norb, Jack, and Dale,

Guys I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your input on this. When I store the coach for more then a few days I always turn the chassis batteries off. I usually leave a light on in the bed room and as I leave the coach I hit the store switch, verify that the light goes out, then exit the coach, lock the door, go to the inverter bay and start checking that the bays are locked ending up at the battery bay. I turn the chassis battery switch off, lock that bay and then head to the house....

I'm headed out this morning to check the water level and try the "emergency start" on the gen.

Thanks again

Bob

J Walker · 07-28-2013, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by audigger

Went to check on the coach today and the house batteries were DEAD...
I am sure that I set the switch to store. This is the second time in a row that this has happened. The generator will not start. Diesel will start just fine but does not seem to charge the house batteries. Any suggestions as to what to check that might be draining the house batteries? Do you think the "emergency start" switch will allow the gen to start so that I can charge the house batteries?

Bob

The alternator should charge both the chassis and house batteries, and the converter should charge both the house and chassis batteries. There is a bi-direction relay that controls this. When the primary batteries become charged to 13.2V the bi-direction switch connects the secondary batteries. When running the alternator the primary is the chassis batteries and the secondary is the house batteries. You can tell if charging is taking place by a voltage increase in the batteries. My Damon Ultrasport had this feature and I confirmed with Thor tech support that my 2014 33.2 Palazzo has the same thing.

tcopeland · 07-28-2013, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gingerela

For those of you with the Palazzo 36.1 floorplan, I am curious as to the queen bed. Is it a short or regular queen size mattress? We have a short queen in our Hurricane and my husband's feet stick out.

It's a regular queen.

photoguy1313 · 07-28-2013, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J Walker

The alternator should charge both the chassis and house batteries, and the converter should charge both the house and chassis batteries. There is a bi-direction relay that controls this. When the primary batteries become charged to 13.2V the bi-direction switch connects the secondary batteries. When running the alternator the primary is the chassis batteries and the secondary is the house batteries. You can tell if charging is taking place by a voltage increase in the batteries. My Damon Ultrasport had this feature and I confirmed with Thor tech support that my 2014 33.2 Palazzo has the same thing.

The "bi-direction relay" J Walker mentions is what I referred to as a solenoid in my post. I believe the activation of this relay is driven from multiple sources, as he mentions. As an experiment, I temporarily disconnected the positive activation connection on the relay and drove the coach back to my storage facility. The voltmeter on the inverter display did not register a charging voltage. Reconnecting it activated that relay and restored the charging to the coach batteries while the engine was running. With my coach in "store", engine off, the relay stays activated until I turn off the main disconnect for the chassis batteries.

Norb

audigger · 07-28-2013, 10:44 AM

Well I just checked the water in the coach batteries and it was fine. Tried the "emergency start" switch to use the chassis batteries to start the gen and it didn't start...coach has been in storage for 13 days...off to CW(ugh) to make an appointment...

J Walker · 07-28-2013, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by photoguy1313

The "bi-direction relay" J Walker mentions is what I referred to as a solenoid in my post. I believe the activation of this relay is driven from multiple sources, as he mentions. As an experiment, I temporarily disconnected the positive activation connection on the relay and drove the coach back to my storage facility. The voltmeter on the inverter display did not register a charging voltage. Reconnecting it activated that relay and restored the charging to the coach batteries while the engine was running. With my coach in "store", engine off, the relay stays activated until I turn off the main disconnect for the chassis batteries.

Norb

That is the relay or solenoid. I can't imagine that it draws current when charging is not going on. On my Ultrasport which is supposedly the same design I could park for a month without the batteries going dead or even close to it. If it is drawing current with no charging then it may heat up enough for you to feel it.

photoguy1313 · 07-28-2013, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J Walker

That is the relay or solenoid. I can't imagine that it draws current when charging is not going on. On my Ultrasport which is supposedly the same design I could park for a month without the batteries going dead or even close to it. If it is drawing current with no charging then it may heat up enough for you to feel it.

On my 33.2 with no shore power connected, in "store" mode and with chassis batteries switch enabled my relay is active. To make sure, I disconnected the positive coil connection and the relay dropped. Somehow I don't believe this is normal operation, but haven't pursued as a problem yet (need to get large slide issues resolved first! -- currently being serviced at dealer)