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Extended stay question

Yahoo Message Number: 11480
I didn't get a response the first time I asked this question, but perhaps I wasn't clear in my phrasing....so I'll try again. We are staying in Yellowstone for a month. This is our longest stay by far in one place. I was wondering what I need to do to ensure that the chassis battery doesn't run down to the point it won't start the MH when we are ready to leave. Even when I turn the chassis battery cutoff switch to off, the radio/cd player is drawing current...perhaps other things with memories to maintain are also drawing current. After a while I would expect that it would drain the battery. Should I remove the negative ground on the battery? What do others do to maintain their chassis batteries over long stays? When I examined the electrical schematics, I didn't see anything to indicate that the chassis body is being trickle charged when connected to shore power. Thanks for any information about this issure.

Tony Ferrara

'04 Inspire #51172

Re: Extended stay question

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 11482
I spoke to Russell at CC yesterday and here is what he said about battery charging.
The engine alternator charges both batteries when running.
The generator charges both batteries when running.
The shore power charges the house batteries and when the house batteries voltage rises 1 volt above the chassis batteries ( or the chassis batteries fall 1 volt below the house) the house batteries will trickle charge the chassis batteries to keep them up. That will not happen in reverse as not to drain the chassis batteries when the house batteries are low.
Bottom line is that your batteries should stay charged while connected to shore power.

Hope this helps.

Tammy

Magna 5605

Intrigue 10250 (still for sale)

Re: Extended stay question

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 11484
I can't tell from your note but I assume that you will be near Yellowstone at a commercial campground where you will be plugged in.
Check your owners manual to see if the Inspire has the Xantrex Echo Charger. That is a device that routes 15 amps from your fully charged house batteries to the chassis battery for maintenance purposes. The other CC coaches have that function so I assume that the Inspire does as well.

George Sanders
'04 Allure 31038
Mountain Brook, AL

Quote from: Tony Ferrara\[br\
]
I didn't get a response the first time I asked this question, but
perhaps I wasn't clear in my phrasing....so I'll try again. We are staying in Yellowstone for a month. This is our longest stay by far in one place. I was wondering what I need to do to ensure that the chassis battery doesn't run down to the point it won't start the MH when we are ready to leave. Even when I turn the chassis battery cutoff switch to off, the radio/cd player is drawing current...perhaps other things with memories to maintain are also drawing current. After a while I would expect that it would drain the battery. Should I remove the negative ground on the battery? What do others do to maintain their chassis batteries over long stays? When I examined the electrical schematics, I didn't see anything to indicate that the chassis body is being trickle charged when connected to shore power. Thanks for any information about this issure.
George in Birmingham
2003 Magna 6298

Re: Extended stay question

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 11486
When I am hooked up tto shore power my chassis battery is not being charged. And also, my jump switch used to help the chassis battery when starting is not working. Any suggestions???

Egon

'99 Allure #30321
"02 Tahoe Z71

Re: Extended stay question

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 11495
Will you be dry camping or plugged in at a campground? If plugged in you should not have any problems. I have an 00 Allure and there is an echo charger that charges the chassis battery. If you are dry camping that would be rough. I added a solar panel to help and you could look into that. Otherwise, monitor the batteries and run the genset daily or take some drives. Using your battery power judiciously will help. Go to bed early and wake up early! Use a down quilt or many blankets at night so that you do not need to use the furnace as that will drain your batteries very quickly. Have fun and enjoy Yellowstone. With all the kiddies back in school you should have the park to yourselves.
On Wed, 08 Sep 2004 09:50:11 -0700 Tony Ferrara tferrara@...> writes:

Re: Extended stay question

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 11498
Egon,

I had a similar problem with the chassis battery not charging while connected to shore power. In my case it was because the echo charge device leads for the house battery and chassis battery were reversed.
The problem was solved by swapping the leads to the correct position.
--

Tom Harsch 02 Allure #30791

Quote from: Egon Schlottmann\[br\
] > When I am hooked up tto shore power my chassis battery is not being
charged. And also, my jump switch used to help the chassis battery when starting is not working. Any suggestions???

Quote
Egon

'99 Allure #30321
"02 Tahoe Z71

Tammy wrote:

I spoke to Russell at CC yesterday and here is what he said about
battery charging.

Quote
The engine alternator charges both batteries when running.
The generator charges both batteries when running.
The shore power charges the house batteries and when the house
batteries voltage rises 1

Quote
volt above the chassis batteries ( or the chassis batteries fall 1
volt below the house) the

Quote
house batteries will trickle charge the chassis batteries to keep
them up. That will not

Quote
happen in reverse as not to drain the chassis batteries when the
house batteries are low.

Quote
>

Bottom line is that your batteries should stay charged while
connected to shore power.

Quote
>

Hope this helps.

Tammy

Magna 5605

Intrigue 10250 (still for sale)

Quote from: Tony Ferrara
> I didn't get a response the first time I asked this question, but
perhaps I wasn't clear in

Quote
my phrasing....so I'll try again. We are staying in Yellowstone for
a month. This is our

Quote
longest stay by far in one place. I was wondering what I need to do
to ensure that the

Quote
chassis battery doesn't run down to the point it won't start the MH
when we are ready to

Quote
leave. Even when I turn the chassis battery cutoff switch to off,
the radio/cd player is

Quote
drawing current...perhaps other things with memories to maintain are

also drawing

Quote
current. After a while I would expect that it would drain the
battery. Should I remove the

Quote
negative ground on the battery? What do others do to maintain their
chassis batteries

Quote
over long stays? When I examined the electrical schematics, I didn't
see anything to

Quote
indicate that the chassis body is being trickle charged when
connected to shore power.

Re: Extended stay question

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 11499
If you purchase an amp meter-- the kind that open up like tongs and just loop around a wire, when you charge your batteries you should get a reading on your meter of amps going in to your battery. Remember to use it on one wire at a time, not both "-" & "+" wires. If you have no amps going in or very little amps going in it is possible that you could have a bad ground, dirty battery connections or a bad charger. I don't own a newer coach so there could be more going on but this is could help you narrow the cause down.
I don't know how your coach is but the jump switches are usually hooked up to a relay of some sort and that could be out. Mine just plug in.
Good luck

Doug 1987 CC 4090

Tom & Maxine Harsch wrote:
 

Re: Extended stay question

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 11519
This may be a dumb question, but did you call Country Coach and ask them what is up with your battery issue? I would suggest you give them a call... that is what their tech phone support is all about.
If you are still under warranty this is from the Country Coach website:

"24 Hour Roadside Assistance

Rest assured that you and your Country Coach are in good hands throughout North America. Country Coach includes a free one-year membership for Country Coach Roadside Assistance with every new motorcoach purchase. Should a problem arise, you are only a toll free call away from expert assistance. For more information, call (877) 797-7160 (toll free).

Here are some of the benefits you can expect:

Emergency Roadside Assistance
Operation Assistance
Technical Advice

Service Appointment Scheduling
Emergency Messaging Service
Trip Routing with Maps"

If you are not under warranty try technical support:

"Technical Support

Technical support is available 7 days per week during the following times (excluding holidays*):
6am to 5pm PST (Monday - Friday)

7am to 4pm PST (Saturday and Sunday; Limited Service) If you have a technical issue and would like to contact Technical Support:

Call Toll-Free - (800) 452-8015

Email Technical Support - Technical Support Fax - (541) 998-3204

*Phone lines will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year's Day, July 4th, Memorial Day, and Labor Day"

Good Luck!

I hope you are able to enjoy Yellowstone. I was just there a few weeks ago and took some fabulous pictures!

Quote from: Tony Ferrara\[br\
]
I didn't get a response the first time I asked this question, but
perhaps I wasn't clear in my phrasing....so I'll try again. We are staying in Yellowstone for a month. This is our longest stay by far in one place. I was wondering what I need to do to ensure that the chassis battery doesn't run down to the point it won't start the MH when we are ready to leave. Even when I turn the chassis battery cutoff switch to off, the radio/cd player is drawing current...perhaps other things with memories to maintain are also drawing current. After a while I would expect that it would drain the battery. Should I remove the negative ground on the battery? What do others do to maintain their chassis batteries over long stays? When I examined the electrical schematics, I didn't see anything to indicate that the chassis body is being trickle charged when connected to shore power. Thanks for any information about this issure.