Yahoo Message Number: 80432 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/80432)
We will travel July and August the New England States. Want to ask this wunderful group for nice RV-Resorts with elbow room for our 4 slides in that area.
Bert
08 Magna 6909
Yahoo Message Number: 80437 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/80437)
Can you be more specific about your route and what states you will be visiting? For example, we skirted DC because of the traffic and because we had been there before.
Lonny & Diane Livingston
'04 Allure #31065
Yahoo Message Number: 80459 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/80459)
Lonny and Diane, we plan to go to from Niagara Falls through New York State to Mass and RI, than Mass again, up the coast NH and ME.
Bert
08 Magna 6909
Yahoo Message Number: 80464 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/80464)
Bert,
We stayed in a Mohegan Sun Casino in CT it was dry camping but free, several good restaurants in the casino. We stayed in one in PA also. Google then and if they are close to your route a good place to stay.
Vick Welsh
99 Intrigue 10714
Yahoo Message Number: 80466 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/80466)
Crazy Horse Campground, Littletown, NH - fine place. Great access to fine New England bluegrass music. In D.C., Cherry Hill RV Park, College Park, MD (only RV park in the DC area with close proximity to DC sights & sounds). EASY access to the metro DC area via sub & bus and/or driving if you prefer.
Bill, #11881 Intrigue
Yahoo Message Number: 80467 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/80467)
If you find yourself on the Maine coast try a small CG called Greenlaws family CG in Stonington onDeer Isle. Its the only place in that area. Yo can go right down to the docks to pick out your lobster. A clamming liceince for $2
Steve & Jane
1998 Intrigue
#10557
______
Yahoo Message Number: 80468 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/80468)
We stayed at Pumpkin Patch RV park in Bangor ME and then The Narrows Too Campground in Bar Harbor. The LLBean Shuttle picks up at the Narrows.
We stayed at Aces High RV Park in East Lyme, CT.
In New Hampshire, Quechee Pine Valley KOA ask for longest pull thru in the newer, lower section.
In Vermont, in your toad, go to Cabot Cheese factory (a bit of a drive but worth it) and Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream! Yum!
Enjoy your trip!
Lonny & Diane
'04 Allure #31065
Yahoo Message Number: 80475 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/80475)
I have been boondocking for a couple of weeks and tonight, the inverter has quit charging my house batteries. I have full power to all outlets, etc. with the generator and on inverter before I got a LO DC notice on the fridge. When I turned on the genset the panel indicates the battery state is in the red and instead of showing 14.5 volts indicating it is charging it stays at 12.0 volts. I do not have a voltmeter to check the batteries. I have checked the following: at the inverter the green light is on and it sounds like it is running, I pushed on the breaker/fuse (?) on the inverter and nothing happened, the breaker on the genset is ok, the echo charger is blinking green, all breakers are not tripped, the charge light is on on the panel.
I have a charger and am wondering if I can run the genset, hook up the charger to the house batteries and get them up until I can get help. Is there anything I need to do to protect anything like turning off the house battery switch by the entry door?
FYI I have 4 AGM batteries that are going on their third year.
Of course this had to happen at 10:00 at night and I am out of cell phone range. Luckily I have internet satellite to communicate.
Would appreciate any insight on this situation.
Judy,
with dimming lights in Duck Creek Village, UT 2006 Inspire
57160 (I think)
Yahoo Message Number: 80477 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/80477)
Hook up your charger. Hope it is a big output not a 10 amp. Run as needed. Morning will bring on line those more familiar with your unit.
Leonard.
97 magna
Yahoo Message Number: 80478 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/80478)
Make sure you do not have a tripped GFI unit.
Yahoo Message Number: 80479 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/80479)
I can't help on the no charge problem from your converter, but I can't see why you can't plug the portable battery charger into an AC outlet when the gen is running. On my coach, the generator is started from the house batteries. In a pinch, you might be able to charge with engine alternator?
Larry, 03 Allure, 30856
- In Country-Coach-Owners@yahoogroups.com (Country-Coach-Owners@yahoogroups.com), "Judy" wrote:
Yahoo Message Number: 80484 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/80484)
I had the same problem a few months ago.
Our inverter has a temperature sensor that will shut down the charger if the batteries get too hot. If the sensor fails the inverter will quit charging.
I just disconnected the sensor from where it plugs into the inverter. Our inverter has two RJ11 jacks (phone jacks) next to the on/off switch. One is the sensor and the other is the remote panel.
After disconnecting the sensor I reset the inverter by turning it off and back on.
Hope this helps.
Norm
2004 Intrigue #11773
Yahoo Message Number: 80488 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/80488)
Your echo charger is working properly. It is protecting your engine start battery as it should. When the Echocharger sees a voltage less than 13.0vdc the echo charger turns off and blinks green. It confirms your house batteries are discharged. Just putting an external charger on the batteries may not resolve anything if you have a bad battery amongst you house batteries. I would first verify that the charger/inverter has any output at the batteries. You will need a voltmeter to check that. If you decide to put an external charger on the house batteries, for safety, make sure they are isolated from the system and the charger is setup to charger AGM batteries.
Jim Hughes
2000 Allure #30511
Yahoo Message Number: 80490 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/80490)
Jim, thanks for the response. Where do I put the voltmeter, at the inverter or batteries or both? I don't have a voltmeter but will get one today.
Assuming I check at the inverter, does the inverter have to be on, generator on? This is something I have never dealt with before so would like to go into this project with some semblance of confidence. Is there a chance the 300 amp fuse could be bad?
Judy
2006 Inspire 51760
Xantrex Freedom 458 Inverter/charger
--------------
Yahoo Message Number: 80491 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/80491)
Hooking the battery charger to the house batteries and using a generator to power the battery charger is fine, no need to disconnect any of your 12 volt circuits. The battery charger will put out same voltage as other charging sources. I know someone who recently had an alternator failure so nothing was being charged while going down the road, I advised them to start their generator and hook their battery charger to the chassis battery so they could continue to their destination. They did this and arrived safe and sound where they then had the alternator replaced, had it been their house batteries giving them problems I would have advised the same as a temporary emergency procedure to get them to a service facility.
Ray
2000 Intrigue 11040
Yahoo Message Number: 80500 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/80500)
Judy,
I am not sure what control panel you have for your 458 inverter/charger, but is it possible that during your using the inverter and making changes at the control panel, you have actually turned off the charger portion of the 458?
If not let's try this......
The 458 is both an inverter and a charger. Make sure the charger is turned off at your control panel. Check the house battery voltage at any of the battery terminals that have the red and black cables from the inverter/charger. Checking there will give you the overall voltage of the entire bank of house batteries. Red lead on red and black lead on black. At rest, if your batteries are less than 12.6vdc your batteries are not fully charged. Here is and rough table of charge levels:
Voltage=State of Charge
12.6+ =100%
12.5 =90%
12.42 =80%
12.32 =70%
12.20 =60%
12.06 =50%
11.9 =40%
11.75 =30%
11.58 =20%
11.31 =10%
Now, turn on your charger at your control panel and check the voltage again with the meter as you did above. If your inverter/charger is charging, you should get a higher voltage of somewhere between 13.0 to 14.2vdc depending on what mode the charger is in. Even if it is in the "Float" mode, you should see about 13.2vdc.
I hope this helps.
Jim Hughes
2000 Allure #30511
Yahoo Message Number: 80504 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/80504)
Jim, with the charger off, I get 11.7. I also checked the voltage at the 300 amp fuse both incoming and outgoing and get 11.7 both ways with the charger on. With the genset on I get 12.0 on the batteries and the 300 amp fuse. I also checked each battery and get 6.3 volts with the charger off.
This tells me the 300 amp fuse is okay which was a concern. It also tells me that I am getting a small charge from the inverter to the batteries with the genset on. Right now I have a 25 amp charger hooked up, the charge on the inverter panel off. I will check in a couple of hours to see if anything is happening.
Having never used a voltmeter before I feel like I just graduated to some upper level of knowledge..........heck, I didn't even know where to put the batteries for the voltmeter!
And yes, the first thing I checked when I noticed the problem was if the charge light was on on the panel.
Chris Snyder had the circuit board fixed around December but the symptoms were totally different, no power to any of the outlets the inverter provides power to. I have full power of everything when the inverter is on and when the genset is on.
I also pressed the button on the inverter that has 25 on it, no luck.
Figured this is a reset button..........
Judy
2006 Inspire 51760
Xantrex Freedom 458 with the el cheapo panel inside the rig
--------------
Yahoo Message Number: 80508 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/80508)
Check transfer switch by making sure you have voltage at meters in coach with gen running. Then make sure you have voltage into the inverter. Voltage in nothing out of inverter maybe inverter gone bad.
Leonard
97 magna 5418
Yahoo Message Number: 80511 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/80511)
Leonard, I definitely have power to the coach whether on inverter or generator. In other words, when I turn the genset on, I can hear the transfer case click in, then everything powers up like it normally does, Microwave comes on, computer modem, etc. The same thing happens when I turn on the inverter, I get full power to all outlets, etc. that are connected through the inverter.
I'm not sure what you mean "make sure you have voltage into the inverter." Where do I test this? If I test it at those big connections at the outside of the inverter, do I use AC or DC to test? This is a real learning curve for me and I don't want to screw anything else up!! Thanks for any help.
Judy
2006 Inspire 51760
Xantrex Freedom 458 inverter/charger
From:Leonard Kerns (leonardk12@...)
Sent: Monday, June 25, 2012 5:30 PM To:Country-Coach-Owners@yahoogroups.com (Country-Coach-Owners@yahoogroups.com) Subject: Re: [Country-Coach-Owners] Re: Batteries are not getting Charged
Check transfer switch by making sure you have voltage at meters in coach with gen running. Then make sure you have voltage into the inverter. Voltage in nothing out of inverter maybe inverter gone bad.
Leonard
97 magna 5418
Yahoo Message Number: 80514 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/80514)
Then everything works but the batteries are not charging. Suspect there is a relay not closing. Look in same bay as inverter is in. Look for round thing with batt cables on both sides. Small wire on small studs. Check voltage both sides on batt cables. Batt cables should go to inverter on one side.
Leonard
Yahoo Message Number: 80519 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/80519)
Leonard if you mean the 300 amp fuse that is in the inverter compartment, I got the same voltage on both sides, 11.7 with the inverter on, 12.0 or so with the genset on.
Judy
2006 Inspire 51760
Xantrex Freedom 458
From:Leonard Kerns (leonardk12@...)
Sent: Monday, June 25, 2012 6:14 PM To:Country-Coach-Owners@yahoogroups.com (Country-Coach-Owners@yahoogroups.com) Subject: Re: [Country-Coach-Owners] Re: Batteries are not getting Charged
Then everything works but the batteries are not charging. Suspect there is a relay not closing. Look in same bay as inverter is in. Look for round thing with batt cables on both sides. Small wire on small studs. Check voltage both sides on batt cables. Batt cables should go to inverter on one side.
Leonard
Yahoo Message Number: 80521 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/80521)
Not the fuse, a solenoid. The cable from the fuse should go to it. I have no first hand experience with your year coach, so this is guess work. Hoped some with more knowledge would jump in. This is what I understand. All systems work but the battery charger. It is part of the inverter. Do you have the manuel for the inverter, check the troubleshooting part and look for your problem. If the inverter is putting out then it is lost before batteries. There are several solenoids in the system to act as switch for the battery loads. Suspect one is not closing. Do you have the CC manuel with the wiring diagrams? Look for one that shows the batteries and the wiring from them to the inverter and look at what else is in the system. Assume you have done a visual check of all the 12 volt fuse panels and made sure all the leds are green.
Follow the battery cable from the 300 amp fuse, the 12.0 volt side and see where it goes, maybe to a solenoid? These problems are general very simple, just hard to find.
Leonard
97' Magna 5418
Yahoo Message Number: 80522 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/80522)
Have the batteries come up at all with the 25 amp charger on them? If not, possible you have a dead battery. You can use your volt meter to check the battery bank and each battery. See if all are the same voltage, just over 6 are over 12 for each one. Any thing under 6 or 12 is suspect.
Another thing you can try, run the diesel and let the engine alt charge for awhile and see what the batteries do in voltage. Watch the dash amp meter and see what output it has. Place engine on high idle for a hr at least and watch the amp gauge. Will start very low and should go up.
Leonard
Yahoo Message Number: 80532 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/80532)
Yes the batteries are slowly coming up. I am going to put a call into xantrex today then make an appointment in Gunnison to have it looked at when we leave Utah. Thanks for your help, will report back when it is fixed. BTW saw the solenoid you are talking about. Don't want to go there!
Yahoo Message Number: 80537 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/80537)
First thing is to make sure all the batteries are indeed taking a charge and do not have bad cell(s). The charger on the inverter drops out at a certain low voltage. The solenoid looks intimadating but really are not bad, just dealing with 12 v. It could so easy be the solenoid or the circuit to it. You have done will with your trouble shooting. You will be better informed to deal with the shop checking it out. Good luck. Will be looking forward to your report.
Leonard
Yahoo Message Number: 80538 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/80538)
If you are unable to get charging voltage at the batteries and both 300A T Fuses (if you have two) are ok, then the problem is either the generator, the transfer switch, or the inverter/charger unit.
Does the inverter power the 110v circuits in the coach without the generator running? If so, the inverter is ok, but the batteries will be really dead in a short while.
Does the generator, with the inverter off, power the 110V outlets? If so the generator is producing usable 110vac power to the internal battery charger and is ok.
That would leave the onboard battery charger as the culprit. Your measurements of 12.0 vdc at the first 300A fuse is the first indication that the desired output of the charger is too low.
I would guess your onboard battery charger is not working properly.
This would be confirmed by the resulting increased charge in the batteries by your 25A external charger after some time elapsed. Or after running the coach engine for a couple of hours to see if the battery voltage increased.
As someone else asked, does your control panel offer a way to turn off battery charging? If so, is charging switched on?
Dean
95 Magna 5280
Yahoo Message Number: 80539 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/80539)
Judy,
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. We were busy taking care of stuff here at home with all the rain we are getting here in Jacksonville, FL. Sun shining right now, but have a lot of standing water around and expecting more rain later tooday.
Anyway....at 11.7 your batteries are dead. If you turned on the charger and then checked the voltage at the battery terminals where the inverter/charger cables are connected, you should have seen a voltage higher than 12.0. With the batteries being at 11.7 at rest should have caused the charger to immdeiately go into the bulk charge mode which should be somewhere areound 13.8vdc. I think you may have problems with the 458 charger/inverter.
There is one thing you can try that has been posted several times in this forum......hit the inverter/charger with a broom handle or some other device and see if it will begin charging the batteries at a higher bulk mode voltage. Also, I found on my coach that the RJ control cable contacts would get dirty and would not make contact. The cable is like that of a telephone. With the inverter/charger off, take the plug out and back in several times at the inverter/charger. Then turn on the inverter/charger and see if the bulk charge voltage returns. Hopefully, this will be your problem.
Your fuse is good.
I see from other posts in this chain you are charging the batteries. If you check the battery voltage after charging, it should be done after you remove the charger and the batteries rest for about an hour. Otherwise, your readings will not be valid.
Also, when you have everything checked, have your batteries load tested. You may find that you have some bad batteries with them being completely discharged like they were. Recommend even if only one battery in the bank is bad, replace all of them as a set.
Jim Hughes
2000 Allure #30511
Yahoo Message Number: 80540 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/80540)
Thanks for the advice. I ran the genset for about 5 hours last night with the external charger on and then again this morning. The volts on the charger read around 13 and the same on the panel. For some unknown reason i pressed the charge button on the panel and the voltage jumped up to 14.5 and the same on the external charger. I have unplugged the external charger and the voltage on the panel is between 14 and 14.5. I will leave the genset on until voltage gets down to 13.5, float charge, then will wait an hour to check at batteries several times to see if they are holding a charge. Will report back this evening. Just in case have located the broom handle and it is ready to jump into action!
Yahoo Message Number: 80541 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/80541)
Judy, you have all the signs of bad batteries. Or they just got to low for the inverter to charge them.
Leonard
97' Magna 5418
Yahoo Message Number: 80547 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/80547)
For those who have been following this thread and those that have helped me, a big thanks! After four hours of batteries sitting idle with no chargers the voltage at the batteries is a little over 12.7. I will check them again tomorrow morning. Hopefully everything has returned to normal. I am usually so attentive to usage and have never run the batteries below 12 but I will admit I was a little negligent in monitoring them the last few days. I just naturally assumed I was running the genset enough.
Judy, a happy camper
2006 Inspire 51760
Judy, you have all the signs of bad batteries. Or they just got to low for the inverter to charge them.
Yahoo Message Number: 80548 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/80548)
Judy, does your coach have the "Auto" start feature that will start the gen set at a certain battery voltage? If not, is is available as an add on? If you are a big dry camp fan, you might want to add solar back up to help. With a gen set, I find it best to be sure and charge every day. If the batteries get to low, it takes forever to recharge to full. We love dry camping and have solar, plus carry a 3500 Honda portable gas gen set to finish off charging the batteries. The Honda is very quite and a little gas goes a long way. Just do not try and use the 2000 Honda, just not enough output for our bigger coaches. If its cold and we need to run the heat at night then it is the diesel gen for breakfast to put the big charge back in, then switch over to the Honda until batteries are fully charged. Just added more solar panels so will see how much they can take run time away from the Honda. What a new battery bank cost is no small investment. They will not take to many below 12volt discharges. Think as some kind of back up as a investment to get the investment back from the battery bank.
Some things to think on.
Leonard
97' Magna
Glad you are back up.
Yahoo Message Number: 80549 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/80549)
Thanks for the advice Leonard. I have dry camped for 6 years now for about 5 months at a time and have never encountered a problem like I just did. We camp far enough away from anyone that I can use my generator at will. I usually have it on 2-3 hours in the evening to watch TV and get on the computer. The autostart feature is a great idea and I may look into it when in Oregon in August. I did have a Honda with my previous motorhome mainly because the generator was propane and used it to keep the batteries topped off. I never use heat at night, love getting under those blankets, jumping up in the morning and getting a campfire started. Of course that is out the window now that the entire southwest is under fire restrictions.
Thanks again,
Judy
2006 Inspire 51760
Judy, does your coach have the "Auto" start feature that will start the gen set at a certain battery voltage? If not, is is available as an add on? If you are a big dry camp fan, you might want to add solar back up to help.
Yahoo Message Number: 80472 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/80472)
Marshalltown VT is a good place to stop for day trips to northern and central VT. Mountain View RV Campground is a very nice place to stay.
George James, wb5ldn
08 affinity 6877
Sent from my HTC Inspire™ 4G on AT&T
Yahoo Message Number: 80473 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/80473)
Sorry, Morrisville VT is the town.
George James, wb5ldn
08 Affinity 6877
Sent from my HTC Inspire™ 4G on AT&T