Yet another Battery/Power Question

[PictureTheSouth]

Seems like everyone is having power issues today. Lots of threads and historical threads that hit around the edge of my issue, but since my previous questions have already established me as a noob idiot, why not throw one more out there?

Due to lack of maintenance and poor charge/discharge discipline (see "noob idiot" above), I've got two stone cold dead coach batteries that wouldn't hold charge on our last outing; now won't take a charge at all. Pulling them out shortly and plan to replace with new AGM's. Now the other symptoms:


Even on shore power (15amp, 110); the use/store switch isn't giving me that comforting "click". Slide came in just fine albeit a little slowly. Even with SP, I get a low-voltage reading on automatic leveler - and jacks won't retract. Apparently not enough juice (again, even with SP) - to get the genny started to see if that helps. Doesn't even turn over.

So - are all of these symptoms related to my dead coach batteries and I'm going to be a "happy camper" after the swap, or is my issue deeper? (SP good, GCFI circuit good, no tripped relay on that little device in the coach battery bay whose name currently eludes me, the breakers and fuses "I know of" housed in the converter box seem ok)

2015 Windsport btw

Thanks,

[16ACE27]

Originally Posted by PictureTheSouth

So - are all of these symptoms related to my dead coach batteries and I'm going to be a "happy camper" after the swap, or is my issue deeper? (SP good, GCFI circuit good, no tripped relay on that little device in the coach battery bay whose name currently eludes me, the breakers and fuses "I know of" housed in the converter box seem ok)

2015 Windsport btw

Thanks,

Yes, power to close the relay comes from the battery side. Put the new batteries in (correctly) and you should be back to normal.

[Beau388]

Originally Posted by PictureTheSouth

Even on shore power (15amp, 110); the use/store switch isn't giving me that comforting "click". Slide came in just fine albeit a little slowly. Even with SP, I get a low-voltage reading on automatic leveler - and jacks won't retract. Apparently not enough juice (again, even with SP) - to get the genny started to see if that helps. Doesn't even turn over.
2015 Windsport btw

Thanks,

The generator's starter motor and the jack motor are powered by the house batteries. As for the jack controller, it is powered by the chassis battery, so the jack panel shows the lower of the voltages - chassis and house. If both battery banks are not above 13.1 volts (that why you need shore power, generator power or engine alternator charging), you will get a low voltage indication on the jack control panel. If the house battery voltage is below 11.0 volts, the jacks will not move. This is to keep from overheating the electric motor on the jack's hydraulic pump. The slide controller will operate with voltages down to 8.0 volts before disconnecting the motors. LCI recommends that the slides not be operated at house battery voltages below 12.0 volts, as one or both of the motors may overheat and shut down during hot weather. This could result in a cocked slide.

If you have a shorted cell (dead) in one of the house batteries, the cell will adsorb most of the current from the charger and heat that cell to the boiling point. This condition will leave little current to operate the 12 volt system even when on shore power.

[PictureTheSouth]

Got the batteries out at lunchtime, before rain moved in. As suspected, both metered out at 0.02v DC. They've been on shore power off and on for the past few weeks, so I believe the technical term is "door-nail".

Will pick up the AGM's tomorrow, and should have them installed before the weekend. I'll update on results after they fully charge.


Thanks all!

[Beau388]

Nice thing about having a Xantrex Freedom XI inverter is you can glance an the inverter panel and check the house battery/charger voltage. If the converter is charging the batteries the voltage will be between 13.1 and 13.5 volts depending on charger temperature (no remote battery temperature thermoresistor) or battery temperature. If the converter is not charging the batteries and the engine is not running, the battery voltage will be lower than 12.8 volts.

[PictureTheSouth]

UPDATE:

Picked up a pair of Duracell Ultra Platinum AGM deep cycles at lunchtime ($220/ea for 27m format at local Batteries Plus store btw). Got them seated in bay, double checked my wiring cheat-sheet, installed cables without blowing anything up, and cranked down the lug nuts.

Stepped over to door and heard that reassuring "thunk" when I flipped the Use/Store switch. All seems well and good in the world! Now I can get jacks up, move rig closer to house to fill water tank, and be ready for our next outing - or be prepared should we need the rig as a lifeboat. (Literally a lifesaver for us Sept 2018; when we evacuated while Hurricane Florence dumped over 3 feet of rain in our backyard over 4 days).