I am a new member to the forum, brand new to RV'ing and now the owner of a 2008 Nimbus M338. As I am a complete "newby" please bear with me. We picked up our Foretravel and put it in storage for 10 days. I tried to ensure that everything was shut down (including the refrigerator). The last thing I did as I left the RV was to hit the Battery Disconnect button. When I returned the house batteries were completely dead. I started the generator and recharged the batteries. Shut the unit down again and when I returned 3 days later the house batteries were again dead. The batteries are less than a year old and the largest batteries that will fit in the unit. Can anyone think of something obvious that I am not doing properly when shutting the unit down for a few days? Thanks for your assistance.
This is different with the house batteries as it is usually the coach batteries. The thing I would check is to see if the disconnect is working and is shutting off the power. You can always take off a terminal connection too if it is not working.
Crowen,
Could you give us some more info so we may be able to narrow things down.
How did you determine your "house batteries were completely dead"?
Did you check voltage at batteries with a Volt/Ohm meter? If so what was the reading?
Did you have to turn on the boost to get the generator to start or did it fire right up?
Pamela & Mike
Hi Crowen
Similar questions:
With dead house batteries you probably needed the boost switch to start the generator, correct? If the generator started without boost, the house batteries actually had a significant charge remaining.
How long did you run the generator, with completely dead house batteries it will take several hours (assuming you are charging at say 80 - 100 amps).
Crowen,
In the meantime you may want to just disconnect the batteries until you get it figured out. When you disconnect be sure to wear safety glasses and gloves when working on the battery. If there is a big draw on them you may get some healthy sparks. Disconnect the NEG first. Not sure of your skill set so this is just a reminder. If you can get a clamp-on ammeter (or put an ammeter in-line) on one of the lines you can get an idea how much is being drained. Here is a link to the ammeter I have, almost a must have if you plan on doing any troubleshooting yourself. Sears.com (http://www.sears.com/craftsman-digital-clamp-on-ammeter/p-03482369000P)
Good luck,
Disconnect the negative cable (ground) and check for sparks when removing the clamp. Then touch and remove the clamp from
the battery post a few times in the shade so you can see if there is a spark. Don't do this if you have just charged the batteries.
If there is no spark you aren't loosing charge to the coach. You may have a bad battery
I have had several events were the FT did not start even with boost on, turned out to be top post of the battery cable tying the 2 batteries together. Ordered new cables and in the mean time put a cotter pin between the top post and connector.
Everyone - Thank you for your assistance and quick responses, comforting to know that there are people out there willing to assist a novice.
Some additional info based on the questions/suggestions below:
1. "How did you determine your "house batteries were completely dead"? " - When I return to the RV there is no house power at all, the fob will not even open the door, have to use the key. The generator will not start on its own I have to run the engine for 15-20 minutes to generate enough juice for the generator to kick in. Once the generator has run for 15-20 minutes I am able to activate the house lights, air, etc.
2. "Did you check voltage at batteries with a Volt/Ohm meter? If so what was the reading?" - No, I do not have a volt/ohm meter at this time but will pick one up today.
3. "Did you have to turn on the boost to get the generator to start or did it fire right up?" - I did not try the Boost, started generator as per #1 above, will try the boost when I go back today (packing RV for a 3 week trip starting this Thursday).
Rick and "Oldguy" - thanks for the suggestions, I will give them a try.
PS: Rick - Not sure of your skill set so... - At this point I am not sure of my skill either. Electrical has never been my forte. :-[
Youtube has a lot of instruction on batteries. Here is one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COJr7OB23Hw
A VOM should be part of your tool kit. Learning to use the basic functions can save you a lot of grief in looking for problems.
Discharging a battery numerous times will shorten its life real quickly, A battery should never be completely discharged, battery life is rated in number of discharge cycles.
Please give us more info on your coach year and model and it is easier to help you out as the guys with similar coaches have probably had the same problems.
Good Luck
Gary B
One of the things I did in my old coach I stored without power was to put spade connectors on the two detectors that are connected to the house batteries hard wired. This means I just have to pull the wire off and it is dead and I do not have the draw. Also make sure your inverter is off when you leave.
Thanks, this was very helpful.
Just like my dad taught me when I was about 14... ^.^d
Don
When I was still at home, probable 16, I was using a car battery to power some gadget I was working on, and it exploded. Luckily the only result was my jeans were full of holes after my mom washed them. I have a habit of always blowing across the top of a battery right before connecting or disconnecting to disperse any hydrogen gas, and I wear safety glasses.
By the way, the (VOM) digital multimeter shown in the photo is one from Harbor Freight. I always look for coupons where you get one free with purchase, I have about five of them now (one in each car, the RV, the house). They work well enough for most purposes.