Another Trouble

[Chevelle427]

1998 36 bounder f53

Took coach out for test dump run before a overnighter this weekend.
Trying to get bugs worked out on what's what .

My house batteries keep dying pretty quick doesn't seem like we have a lot running I changed half lights to led.

What are some items that might use 12v I'm not noticing?


Does the refrigerator while running on LP use 12v for the igniter?

I can't seem to find an excess amount of 12-volt draw being used to justify the golf cart batteries dying within say 6 hours going down the road.
There 4 years old also
Think 20 amp hr ?

I went to the start the generator ,course it wouldn't crank so in past i use the emergency power and it cranked up .but not today

(Fyi My coach) (main battery) was weak once and I pushed emergency power and it cranked up I was thinking power only flowed One Direction)

my coach battery was fully charged today house batteries were low

try to use the emergency start and it wouldn't do anything I also found out Jacks don't work either without those house batteries or generator running.


Had to use a jump box to get power to generator.

Hope this doesn't sound like it's just rambling on but I'm using my phone with talk to text and sometimes it doesn't work real well

Anyways I have been researching past post and YouTube with not much help[emoji57]

Guessing batteries are wired correctly

[Mr_D]

Shouldn't go dead that soon.

[Skip426]

Fridge control board uses 12 volt constantly, to keep the gas flow solenoid open, and even when in 120 volt mode uses 12 volts to control the 120 volt side. .

Electrolyte level good in the batteries ?
Have they been load tested?
How are you charging the batteries ? On-board converter/charger ?
Has that unit's output been tested ?
EDIT: If the batteries are going dead while driving , there's a problem there , engine alternator should charge all the batteries.

[Gary RVRoamer]

Lots of things use 12v for control boards, but not very much amperage is involved. Lighting is a big consumer, and so is the furnace fan if it is running. There are some other biggies, but few of them run for more than a few seconds now and then. They just don't consume much power overall.

If there are no obvious big draws, start by checking the batteries themselves. Old or abused batteries can look fine but hold very little charge (amp-hours). Low on electrolyte is a common cause in flooded cell batteries. Four years isn't "old" for a well-maintained 6v deep cycle battery, but a few episodes of excessive discharge or a poor quality charging system can make it old before its time.

[Skip426]

A lot of info on RV systems and batteries on the site below.

www.marxrv.com/12volt/12volt.htm

[Jim_HiTek]

What was the voltage across those batts when the engine is running?

If it's not 13.x volts after a couple minutes after starting, then there's a problem. Either the alternator is bad, or it's wiring, or the EMS system isn't switching on the solenoid that allows alternator charging to the house batts AFTER the chassis batts have come up to nominal. Or that solenoid has dirty contacts. And the chassis batts need to be checked too, if one is bad and won't come up with the alternator pumping current into it, the EMS won't even try to charge the house batts. And there's the battery maintenance stuff mentioned above to consider as well. Especially the water levels.

[Chevelle427]

Ok quick reply on some questions asked.

Internet is in and out here in sticks..

Last night
Lf house 6v battery was at 2v
Rt house bat @ 6.9v
Both 6v together was like 6.1v
Main bat 13.4

This morning after being on shore power all night.
Lf house bat 6.6
Rt house bat 6.9
Main bat 12.4
Today both 6v bat together 13.37

Both house bat where low on fluid.letting them charge
For a while

Still working/watching what the power does during the day

The green light in pic was blinking sorta fast last night tiday it is steady on

[Jim_HiTek]

The battery that you measured the 2 volts across it is now ruined, no good, kaput. You may be able to struggle along with it for a while, but I'd replace it quickly. And you'd be best off buying two, and selling the other one. A set of two from Costco is around $160.

[Chevelle427]

Reading rt now
Before running motor 13.35
Running motor
13.36

Main bat 14.14

We started looking into batteries last night thinking to replace both

[lenkerb]

our jensen radio sucks the life out of our house batteries....no way to just turn the radio off. The time is on all the time....

[Chevelle427]

Finding a few LDM
(Lack Dailey maintenance)

Items from past owner
But nothing too bad
Hope it stays minor

[Chevelle427]

Originally Posted by lenkerb

our jensen radio sucks the life out of our house batteries....no way to just turn the radio off. The time is on all the time....

Radio has a switch
Travel
Park
Thinking it controls speakers only
I think it runs on couch all time also

[ThePowells]

Originally Posted by Skip426

A lot of info on RV systems and batteries on the site below.

www.marxrv.com/12volt/12volt.htm

What he said X2

[Jim_HiTek]

Originally Posted by lenkerb

our jensen radio sucks the life out of our house batteries....no way to just turn the radio off. The time is on all the time....

On the Thor's dash there will be, or at least should be, a switch that says 'Radio'. It'll likely be a rocker switch and if you throw it one way, it will have 'AUX' power from the house batts for when you are parked at a RV park and have shore power. Flip it over to 'Main' and it will behave just like a car's dash radio, getting it's power from the chassis batts. It will go dark when you shut off the engine. It is still using some power though, just not much.

I've never seen a recent RV where the dash radio was powered by the house batts exclusively.

That switch would have nothing to do with the speakers directly.