Community Forums

Ed & Caroline · 08-29-2007, 09:20 AM

I have a 2006 Dolphin LX 6342 and I have a leak in the front corner of the bedroom slide. Has anyone had a similar problem? It leaks if slide is in or out.

On a recent trip to Bristol, TN for a Nascar Race we were running the generator going down the road so we could use the air conditioner. We had a terrible battery odor coming from the chassis battery which must have been the result of an overcharging of the battery. I contacted National RV and they said they do not recommend running the generator while going down the road as you have two sources of charging and this will overcharge the chassis battery. I would think that there should be something in the system that would not allow this to happen. Has anyone else had this problem? I don't have very good dealer support here in Wisconsin as I did not buy the coach from them but from a dealer in AZ where we spend 6 months of our time. We feel like we are caught between a rock & a hard spot. All I can do at this time is put up with my slide leaking, battery overcharging National RV until I can find someone to fix our problems. Sorry to say we are not happy campers.

Ed & Caroline · 08-29-2007, 09:20 AM

I have a 2006 Dolphin LX 6342 and I have a leak in the front corner of the bedroom slide. Has anyone had a similar problem? It leaks if slide is in or out.

On a recent trip to Bristol, TN for a Nascar Race we were running the generator going down the road so we could use the air conditioner. We had a terrible battery odor coming from the chassis battery which must have been the result of an overcharging of the battery. I contacted National RV and they said they do not recommend running the generator while going down the road as you have two sources of charging and this will overcharge the chassis battery. I would think that there should be something in the system that would not allow this to happen. Has anyone else had this problem? I don't have very good dealer support here in Wisconsin as I did not buy the coach from them but from a dealer in AZ where we spend 6 months of our time. We feel like we are caught between a rock & a hard spot. All I can do at this time is put up with my slide leaking, battery overcharging National RV until I can find someone to fix our problems. Sorry to say we are not happy campers.

"007" · 08-29-2007, 02:45 PM

Ed & Caroline welcome to irv2 and the National forum. Sorry your not happy campers.

Most chassis batteries are charged by the alternator not the Gen. Your house batteries will be charged by Gen, alternator and converter. There should be a isolator to keep the two paths, house and chassis, from crossing one another.
Your slide leak, does the slide just lap the side wall or recess into the wall and is the slide tight against the sidewall. Your leak could be coming from the seam at top of slide where the face of slide inside meets the roof of slide. If the roof and bazel face of slide is not sealed the water will run down the interior of the finished bazel to floor. If you have fabric on bazel it could become stained.
You could try placing a bulb weather strip, can buy in auto store, on slide top rubber seal run just below the slide seal thats there now.

Dependant how you level your coach just tilt the bedroom slide side slitely lower so water will run out from the interior of coach, the bottom of the slide may cause the water to run inside, if you peel back rubber seal at the bottom of slide corner there should be some buildup of sealent to block any water from entering into coach.

Jestme13 · 08-29-2007, 03:58 PM

Welcome to our NRV thread ed & caroline, feel free to vent your problems with us, we have plenty to vent back, lol, Has NRV addressed your dealer issue for you? I would also ck with workhorse, they may be of some help. I know for a fact my genny does not charge my chassis batts, nor do to many other manufacturers. Lots of people run their gennys on the road for added AC. Call your selling dealer also. And last but not least, if you local dealer will not help, find an independant RV service center and have them contact NRV about doing your warrenty repairs. NRV is obligated to provide timely repairs under warrenty.

Ed & Caroline · 08-29-2007, 04:43 PM

The coach is past the one year so this isn't a warranty issue and my local NRV dealer didn't say he wouldn't work on it, but because I didn't buy from him they would take my name and number and call me if they get a opening in the next two months. I did check chassis battery and said it did need replacing so I did replace this evening. I did check alt. output and that was fine. Then I had coach running and plugged in to shore power and it didn't change. But when I have coach shut off and disconnect - lead it doesn't spark, then when I plug in to shore power or have gen running I get a spark so that makes me think it must be sending charge to chassis battery. I'll keep searching. Thanks for responds.

Jestme13 · 08-29-2007, 05:17 PM

Ed I don't know where yer from, but I would suspect there has to be a good independant RV service guy somewhere near you, ask around. You may have to drive a distance but I think it will be better then checking with sparks,

RV Wizard · 08-30-2007, 12:59 AM

Ed & Caroline, welcome to iRV2.com. Sorry to hear of the problem getting service on your coach. You should be able to run the generator and drive down the road at the same time. The problem could be as simple as the chassis battery itself is bad. I would have it tested and if so install a new one and check things out again. As for the leak I would have to be there to see why and then could tell you how to fix it. Good luck and hope you find a service person or dealer close to you. Ask around for a good repair shop and I bet you will find one.

"007" · 08-30-2007, 09:23 AM

Mike he said he replaced his chassis battery when he hooks up his battery lead after disconnecting to chassis battery with GEN running or connected to shore power he gets spark across chassis batt term. Sounds to me like a defective isolator.

ED be careful with sparking around batteries.

Ed & Caroline · 08-30-2007, 12:21 PM

I have called around to some other dealerships here in Wiconsin and haven't found anyone yet that is willing to work on a different brand coach. I guess they all are to busy and have to much money. I guess we have been pretty lucky over the years that I haven't had to depend on service. The few times I have I haven't had very many positive experiences. I know my methods of test are not right and I'm taking a chance. I'm sure that there must be and isolator if I knew were to look. I will try to live with leak until my return to AZ this fall. I did buy this unit from Beaudry and they were good to me with some of the small things.

"007" · 08-30-2007, 01:05 PM

Some isolators are on your fire wall with maybe some heavy buss bars from batteries and connected to them. Mine are all inclosed within a box with a clear plastic cover.

Jestme13 · 08-30-2007, 08:15 PM

Ed, have you tried a regular Workhorse or Medium duty truck garage. Your issue with the batteries doesn't sound like rocket science. Just a good garage can handle it.

RV Wizard · 08-30-2007, 11:59 PM

Sorry, I missed the one sentance of your thoughts of it overcharging due to spark on gen. power. Make sure your battery boost solenoid is not stuck. It could keep the two batteries tied together as well as an isolator or charging controller and solenoids.

Ed & Caroline · 08-31-2007, 05:50 AM

My thought is that the solenoid is stuck because it is always hot to touch when plugged in or generator running, but National service center tells me that it will be open if it sees 11.2 volts on either the coach or chassis side of solenoid.

M&EM · 09-01-2007, 09:25 AM

The solenoid is always on on my rig as long as one side or the other(coach or chassis) is above some critical voltage, probably greater then 13 something. I have a third source to charge coach batteries which is solar. Whenever the solar source achieves greater then the threshold volts, the transfer solenoid connects the battery systems together and gets warm.

I believe this is the design intent of the system--to allow any charging source to provide both systems a source of recharge once either system has recharged to that critical voltage.
My system has been working this way since new and still has original batteries and none have ever been below 12.7 volts without heavy usage.

If the lowest battery system is very low such as below some critical low side voltage (perhaps less then 11 something volts)then the two systems may not allow the lowest side to get recharged. Depends on whether both system get pulled below low side critical voltage as the solenoid attempts to keep the systems connected.This too may be dependent on how stiff the charging source is.(maybe)(guessing)

The above is what I have observed my system to do.

Marty