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battery status

Here's a thought...thru the years i've owned several way lesser motorhomes...2 class A and 1 class C....Each one had a basic way to check your house batteries...seems like there was a switch to push for a row of lights to tell you the status of batteries....As nice and equipped as my Grand Villa is,I miss that capability..Is that somewhere on my coach and maybe i have overlooked...
Dale Gass
1993 U240 36                                                             

cat 3116 allison 3060

Re: battery status

Reply #1 –
You can install something to get the same effect.
1994 U225
build #4514

Re: battery status

Reply #2 –
Quote from: dalegass –
Here's a thought...thru the years i've owned several way lesser motorhomes...2 class A and 1 class C....Each one had a basic way to check your house batteries...seems like there was a switch to push for a row of lights to tell you the status of batteries....As nice and equipped as my Grand Villa is,I miss that capability..Is that somewhere on my coach and maybe i have overlooked...

My 1993 U225 has a "battery voltage" reading on the video screen in front of the driver. A switch lets you choose between the rear camera and the readouts for battery voltage, fresh water, black water and gray water, and propane. The reading on my coach for batteries is generally 13.4 volts (which would correspond to "full lights" on the SOB you had before). Anything less than about 12.2vdc would mean you need to charge the batteries.

Craig
1993 U225 36' Unihome GV with PACBRAKE exhaust retarder, Banks Stinger and Solar Panels.
Toad: 1999 Jeep Wrangler 2-door soft-top.

"No one has ever had to evacuate a city because the solar panels broke."

Re: battery status

Reply #3 –
duhhhh.what was I thinkin? There it is...just like you said craig...I guess being Christmas I wanted more lights...LOL...I'll sleep better tonight knowing the Grand Villa is equipped.thanks!
Dale Gass
1993 U240 36                                                             

cat 3116 allison 3060

Re: battery status

Reply #4 –
Quote from: dalegass –
duhhhh.what was I thinkin? There it is...just like you said craig...I guess being Christmas I wanted more lights...LOL...I'll sleep better tonight knowing the Grand Villa is equipped.thanks!

LOL... well as soon as you mentioned the "lights" I knew exactly what you meant since we've had a couple RVs (trailers and 5th wheels) that had that as a battery status indicator. It does take a bit more work as you have to turn the video monitor on, wait for it to "warm up" (who has to do *that* nowadays?), switch it to the monitor function and then actually read the voltage. And then, of course, you have to understand what the reading means. The lights, while not being anywhere nearly as accurate (what exact voltage corresponds to "5 lights lit up"?) were quick and dirty. Just push the button and, "Viola!".

Sleep tight. :)

Craig
1993 U225 36' Unihome GV with PACBRAKE exhaust retarder, Banks Stinger and Solar Panels.
Toad: 1999 Jeep Wrangler 2-door soft-top.

"No one has ever had to evacuate a city because the solar panels broke."

Re: battery status

Reply #5 –
Dale,
While you're at it you should take some readings with your multimeter to establish a baseline for your coach.  Note the display reading for the house batteries and note the actual reading taken at the house batteries.  Do the same for the volts display on the dash and the start batteries as well.  Also, with the engine off, note the voltage difference at the start batteries with the boost switch on and then off.  This will better familiarize you with the voltage drops actual to gauge and also indicate that the boost circuit is working as designed.  I think that with the boost switch on (engine off and not plugged to shore power), both sets of batteries should have the same voltage readings.  Others should confirm this.
Peter & Beth Martin
No Forrest? What have you done?
MC# 15890 until Dec 2016; FMCA #F329677
Cincinnati, OH

Re: battery status

Reply #6 –
Thanks Peter,makes sense to me...though i probably would not have thought to proceed in that procedure. That's what makes this forum so great....I doubt that info is in the owners manual.
Dale Gass
1993 U240 36                                                             

cat 3116 allison 3060
 

Re: battery status

Reply #7 –
Correcto mundo, my dash voltmeters read the same with the boost switch on. It is an excellent way of checking if the boost solenoid is working. Knowing your voltages during all phases of coach operation can head off trouble, both electrical and ultimately getting stuck somewhere kinds of trouble.

Pierce
Pierce and Gaylie Stewart
'93 U300/36 WTBI
Detroit 6V-92TA Jake
1140 watts on the roof
SBFD (ret)