Wow, 3 yrs. passes so fast

[mcr1010]

My 3 yr. warranty chassis battery just died when trying to start today in the RV storage lot. Could not have had a better place to fail though.
It did last 3 yrs, 6 mos., so no complaints. Must make a note to change it out before the next one craps out in 3yrs or so.

I had forgotten how many screws are involved in removing the desk top and panel to get to the "Black Hole of Calcutta" (shown below) where the battery is located. I found that the battery hold-down screw had loosen and I would guess the battery had be moving around which may or may not have hastened its demise.

[Bob Denman]

At least it died in a place where you could work on it...

[Scubawise]

You are fortunate

[JamieGeek]

I don't want to post this in fear I may jinx myself LOL.

My chassis battery is still the original....7 years later.

I've noticed the + getting a bit of corrosion on it. Been thinking of replacing it at some point anyway since its been so long (this past spring I replaced the 1 house battery with 2--already the 2nd house battery replacement).

[taylorbob1]

Originally Posted by JamieGeek

I don't want to post this in fear I may jinx myself LOL.

My chassis battery is still the original....7 years later.

I've noticed the + getting a bit of corrosion on it. Been thinking of replacing it at some point anyway since its been so long (this past spring I replaced the 1 house battery with 2--already the 2nd house battery replacement).

Interesting…
So you’ve been running the house with just 1 battery all this time?

[JamieGeek]

Originally Posted by taylorbob1

Interesting…
So you’ve been running the house with just 1 battery all this time?

Yup. Up until this summer we rarely boondocked. When we did it was overnight somewhere en route. All other times we were plugged in somewhere.

This summer we had several stops w/o any electric with multiple nights so I elected to double the house battery capacity.

[mcr1010]

Originally Posted by Bob Denman

At least it died in a place where you could work on it...

At my age, since I will be well into my 80's on the next 3 yrs., the battery may outlast me and I may die in the same place.

[mcr1010]

Originally Posted by JamieGeek

I don't want to post this in fear I may jinx myself LOL.

My chassis battery is still the original....7 years later.

I've noticed the + getting a bit of corrosion on it. Been thinking of replacing it at some point anyway since its been so long (this past spring I replaced the 1 house battery with 2--already the 2nd house battery replacement).

Must be cold winters that keep those batteries long lived. Course you may have just jinxed it.

[Beau388]

Yep my 3 year old chassis battery (Motorcraft) quit the first night out on a trip to Florida. I used the emergency start switch for two days until I could go by Walmart for a new battery. I was able to make the Walmart service center change the battery out. I had to plead ignorance to get then to violate company policy. I also learned the step doesn't work unless the generator or engine is running when the chassis battery quits.

[mcr1010]

Originally Posted by Beau388

Yep my 3 year old chassis battery (Motorcraft) quit the first night out on a trip to Florida. I used the emergency start switch for two days until I could go by Walmart for a new battery. I was able to make the Walmart service center change the battery out. I had to plead ignorance to get then to violate company policy. I also learned the step doesn't work unless the generator or engine is running when the chassis battery quits.

Your coach battery must be located in a better place than the Axis and Vegas. I'm not sure Walmart would take on a eng. battery change in a Vegas and if they did, you may not drive out the same day.

[macdaddy1111]

I left a signed 20 dollar bill when I did the same on Vegas we had owned!

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by Beau388

Yep my 3 year old chassis battery (Motorcraft) quit the first night out on a trip to Florida. I used the emergency start switch for two days until I could go by Walmart for a new battery. I was able to make the Walmart service center change the battery out. I had to plead ignorance to get then to violate company policy. I also learned the step doesn't work unless the generator or engine is running when the chassis battery quits.

For some reason, Motorcraft is my favorite OEM battery, when it is on sale or paid for otherwise, but for cars you just can't go wrong with the Wal Mart batteries, especially since they will put them in.

We just completed a 6 day trip and not once did I pull the shorepower card out. I only have a 1000 watt inverter and until last week, I had never tripped the breaker on the inverter. Still not sure how or why it tripped? But it was related to me manually turning off my generator at the time. I had 2 TVs on, the 12vdc power to the Norcold fridge, and maybe a few lights. I usually never see the inverter over 420 watts based on running all of the TVs.

[MLP]

There is a warning sometimes with chassis batteries. When idling at night with the lights on and then stepping on the gas peddle, the lights will brighten with more output from the alternator. That usually means a battery going south. Put a load tester on it to make sure after fully charging it.

[Beau388]

Originally Posted by dkoldman

For some reason, Motorcraft is my favorite OEM battery, when it is on sale or paid for otherwise, but for cars you just can't go wrong with the Wal Mart batteries, especially since they will put them in.

We just completed a 6 day trip and not once did I pull the shorepower card out. I only have a 1000 watt inverter and until last week, I had never tripped the breaker on the inverter. Still not sure how or why it tripped? But it was related to me manually turning off my generator at the time. I had 2 TVs on, the 12vdc power to the Norcold fridge, and maybe a few lights. I usually never see the inverter over 420 watts based on running all of the TVs.

Best guess is when the inverter is working the ATR is in shore power mode . After the generator starts, the ATR waits 60 to 90 seconds the flips to generator power. The inverter sees this power spike and trips to the voltage spike. My inverter does the same when the inverter is working and I plug into shore power I usually get a E03 . I just trip the 15 amp 120 volt CB in the power center and the 200 amp CB in the house battery compartment, then reset the 200 and then the 15 amp CBs and all is well.

[Scubawise]

Originally Posted by mcr1010

Your coach battery must be located in a better place than the Axis and Vegas. I'm not sure Walmart would take on a eng. battery change in a Vegas and if they did, you may not drive out the same day.

Not sure if true thor said for axis vegas turn the front tires inward and reach up to access the battery

[Bill Johnson]

Originally Posted by mcr1010

My 3 yr. warranty chassis battery just died when trying to start today in the RV storage lot. Could not have had a better place to fail though.
It did last 3 yrs, 6 mos., so no complaints. Must make a note to change it out before the next one craps out in 3yrs or so.

I had forgotten how many screws are involved in removing the desk top and panel to get to the "Black Hole of Calcutta" (shown below) where the battery is located. I found that the battery hold-down screw had loosen and I would guess the battery had be moving around which may or may not have hastened its demise.

Attachment 34333

I was reading on a battery manufacture website and I don't remember which one that not to get the most cranking amps in a battery because they don't last as long. Do you ever notice when you buy a car the first battery lasts 7 to 10 years and that 850 CCA battery only makes around 3 years. They said something about the number of plates crammed into a small place and less electrolyte

[petef]

I am not quite over you cutting hole in the top to get to the battery...

[Scubawise]

I heard if you turn wheels inwards we could get to it

[JamieGeek]

Originally Posted by petef

I am not quite over you cutting hole in the top to get to the battery...

Every Axis/Vegas unit has that access hole with perforations in the wood to make cutting through the dash to get to the battery easier.

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by JamieGeek

Every Axis/Vegas unit has that access hole with perforations in the wood to make cutting through the dash to get to the battery easier.

Most anybody else that makes that statement but you, I would be kind of smiling with that look on my face of.... I don't believe it

I just assume from picture he took the desk top off and presto the hole was already there. But to punch out or cut wood