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Kudos to Country Coach

Yahoo Message Number: 4105
Two weeks of storage and my '01 Intrigue house batteries were dead - totally discharged so that even propane alarm would not activate. This was with the battery switches in the off position next to the battery bay. This has never happened to me before. Got it started and ready to back out and no back up camera. Most discontering to drive with a towd with no backup camera when one is used to it. Kept want to stop and check the towd.
Remembered something about having to re-program the VA707weuc Panasonic stero/gps/camera if the batteries were ever disconnected, so called and left a message seeking electronic help. Thirty minutes later Gentry Alexander is on the line to me (arent cell phones wonderful) and listened to my sad story and advised me he'd get back to me as soon as he could locate the book(that was one book we did not receive on purchase) and determine the procedure, as he remembered something about that also.
Twenty minutes later Gentry was again on the phone and walked me through the programming procedure - and I now have my back up camera working. Such service was totally unheard of with my experiences with Winabago and especially Fleetweed, with my SouthWind Lemon that lost its bay doors due to electrolysis. Thank you and Bob Lee and Country Coach for the team of experts on call. They are a Godsend for us neophytes learning the ropes while on the road.

Now for the second reason for my e-mail. The net has been swamped recently with owners experiencing the same problem. House batteries going dead with the master battery switch in the off position after a couple of weeks. This does not seem right, with my experiences with 8D batteries on my boat. I could go a couple of months and never in 12 years had this happen to me on the house batteies on the boat.

From all the reports on the owners net, there appears to still be a drain on the house batteries when the battery master switch is off. Could one of your electronics guru's possibly address this subject to the net members and advise us of what is still drawing off the battery and how to "turn off" everything when we go into storage for a month or two with no shore power available to us. I don't think that it is a homotron causing this, and the information would be greatly appreciated by those frustrated owners experiencing this same problem.

best regards

Ron and Molly, '01 Intrigue # 11262, San Diego

Re: Kudos to Country Coach

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 4107
I have read... and written myself... about battery problems. Has anyone with other than Country Coach provided batteries had this or similar problems? Could it be that we should not expect anything better out of these batteries?

I'm fortunate enough to have a 30 amp outlet at my house so I never have the problem at home. But trying to dry camp is a test of conservation living.
One of these days I'll resolve this.

Dick May

2002 Intrigue, #11438
Dick May
2002 Intrigue, #11438, towing a
2014 Jeep Gr Cherokee ecoDiesel

Re: Kudos to Country Coach

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 4111
Dick,

Hope this is helpful in finding your problem(s) with the battery.
I have a '98 Intrigue. Batteries were installed at the factory in June of 1998. When I store my coach I shut off both master switches and experience NO battery drain. I check the battery voltage weekly.
It is still above 13 volts and I haven't had to charge the batteries since I parked it in mid November. I replaced one of the house batteries in April of 2001. The other two batteries are original-about 5 years old. Yes they are all the 8Ds. Other than replacing the one battery, I have had no battery problems & no battery drain.

My approach with CC would be to use '98 as a starting point & find out what wiring changes have been made. Good luck!

Feeling lucky..............Steve Intrigue #10673

Re: Kudos to Country Coach

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 4112
Dick it is not the batteries alone. I think we have all agreed that the original CC supplied batteries are not too good and are not deep cycle batteries. I replaced the originals last summer with one Interstate 8d chassis battery and 4 Interstate 6v (U2200) deep cycle batteries. As I have been relating recently my batteries have gone dead. Being up north, having a very cold winter, and having no access to power does not help.
My one solar panel was iced over for 2 months but I have gotten that cleared up. It is still too cold to try to trace amps in outside wires.
However, do turn off the inverter power switch in the rear bedroom panel as that uses 6 amps doing nothing. As soon as it warms up enough so that my hands do not freeze in 5 minutes I will start tracing amps in wires and report back.

BTW, I recently questioned how the battery disconnect switches could even be working properly when only one cable from the switch goes to the pos post of the battery...CCC claims that this is correct...I do not understand wire diagrams but could someone having the battery drain problem check out the cables going from the disc switches and check the layout against the battery diagrams and report back? Chiefly does only one cable run from your switch to the pos post? There are many other cables running out to who knows where from both the disc switches and the pos post at the battery...

On Tue, 11 Feb 2003 23:08:46 -0500 "Dick May" maymr@...> writes:

Re: Kudos to Country Coach

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 4113
It is still too cold here in western Mass to try to trace amps in outdoor wires. I did clear off the ice from my solar panel and that seems to be helping (but it is snowing again now). One item that does seem to draw much current is the inverter. Turn that off both above the entry door and at the rear power box in the bedroom. That inverter draws 6 amps or so even doing nothing. In the meantime I am using the genset every 4 or 5 days to use the charger. Of course, I do have to remember to turn on the rear panel switch so that the battery charger can work.
BTW, what were the steps to get your back up camera working again.
Mike 2000 Allure #30493.

On Tue, 11 Feb 2003 22:00:44 EST Bodie6413@... writes:

Re: Kudos to Country Coach

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 4114
You do not state how you store your coach. Do you just park it or do you plug it in to power??? Also, where do you park it (what part of the country)? Up north in cold wintry conditions seems to make a difference.
Mike 2000 Allure 30493

On Wed, 12 Feb 2003 12:39:33 -0000 "rheavn ssfarms1@...>" ssfarms1@...> writes:

Re: Kudos to Country Coach

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 4115
Ron--this will not be the last time you have to reprogram your backup camera (I know from experience) . For future reference, you need to ask CC to mail/fax you the instructions--it covers a full page. If they cannot do it, I could fax you a copy of mine.
Dale/Dede Loop
Intrigue 11240

Re: Kudos to Country Coach

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 4116
Mike,

My coach is parked inside a non insulated building. I have power available but do not plug it in unless I'm going to charge batteries.
I'm in s/w Missouri. Had many single digit nights.
So you can compare apples to apples............Steve Intrigue #10673

Re: Kudos to Country Coach

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 4123
Thanks, Steve.

Even if my batteries stayed at full power when stored with the switches off it would not solve the dry camping problem. It's good to know that there is no 'phantom' drain with the switches off, though. That seems to be a concern with many of the members of the group.
I just started a little test on my coach. I unplugged my shore power. After 24 hours with the inverter turned off the voltage read 12.4 VDC. I turned the inverter on today with nothing on except the memories, clocks, etc. I'll see how the reading changes over the next few days.

Dick May

2002 Intrigue, #11438
Dick May
2002 Intrigue, #11438, towing a
2014 Jeep Gr Cherokee ecoDiesel

Re: Kudos to Country Coach

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 4135
I don't have the cold that you have to contend with but it's cold enough here in Atlanta that it's too uncomfortable to do much maintenance or troubleshooting. I find it very disappointing that you batteries are draining.... I can only imagine how you must feel.
I'm visiting my dealer next week and hope to come away with some solutions and answers.

Dick May

2002 Intrigue, #11438
Dick May
2002 Intrigue, #11438, towing a
2014 Jeep Gr Cherokee ecoDiesel

Re: Kudos to Country Coach

Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 4137
Dick, why do you write below that it is good to know that there is no phantom drain with the switches off...I am assuming that we do have phantom loads...I think there definitely are phantom drains from the radio memory and the ECM computer...These should be small loads but I am assuming that there is a larger loss from something that is draining the battery. I hope that is what the ammeter tells me once it gets warm enough to make the tests. BTW, I enjoy boondocking too and once I get this drainage situation straightened out I plan on adding a second solar panel. That should hopefully help in keeping the batteries charged too.
Good luck at your dealer next week and I hope you find something that will explain these losses. Mike 2000 Allure #30493 freezing in the Berkshires of MA.

On Wed, 12 Feb 2003 14:15:58 -0500 "Dick May" maymr@...> writes:

Re: Kudos to Country Coach

Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 4138
Could you somehow share those instructions with all of us online?

On Wed, 12 Feb 2003 21:34:09 -0800 "buttonwd" buttonwd@...> writes:

Re: Kudos to Country Coach

Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 4147
Dick:

Where in Atlanta do you live and which dealer did you buy from?

Thanks

Steve Bloom

00 Ultimate advantage

Re: Kudos to Country Coach

Reply #13 –
Yahoo Message Number: 4148
We live in Dunwoody..... (N33.96 W84.30) ...
I bought from Bill Plemmons RV in NC. They were not the closest and I tried to do business with Buddy Gregg in Knoxville, TN but they must not have liked the way I looked. They just didn't want my money.

Dick May

2002 Intrigue, #11438
Dick May
2002 Intrigue, #11438, towing a
2014 Jeep Gr Cherokee ecoDiesel

Re: Kudos to Country Coach

Reply #15 –
Yahoo Message Number: 4153
Mike.... Sorry for the confusion. I was responding to Steve (see the threads below).

You are correct about the ECM and radio memory but I'm pretty sure that those items draw from the chassis battery. So if that is true is there a bleed over from the house to the chassis battery? And if there is it still should not be enough to draw the house batteries down.

It's all too much for my pea-brain!

Dick May

2002 Intrigue, #11438
Dick May
2002 Intrigue, #11438, towing a
2014 Jeep Gr Cherokee ecoDiesel

Re: Kudos to Country Coach

Reply #16 –
Yahoo Message Number: 4156
Thanks Dick, I appreciate the info. I plan on shopping both next summer as well as our friend on the left coast :-) I'm about 30 miles North in South Forsyth.

Steve Bloom

Re: Kudos to Country Coach

Reply #17 –
Yahoo Message Number: 4157
Ditto for me too but do not give up! On Thu, 13 Feb 2003 10:56:02 -0500 "Dick May" maymr@...> writes:

Re: Kudos to Country Coach

Reply #18 –
Yahoo Message Number: 4158
Dick,

There is a trickle charger (0-15Amp) in my Magna that keeps the chassis batteries charged from the house batteries.
The charger will yield more Amperage when the voltage difference between the house and chassis batteries increases. Thus when the chassis batteries drain for whatever reason, they'll take the house batteries down with them.

This isn't true the other way around, thus when the house batteries are draining the chassis batteries remain untapped (except for whatever chassis load is applied).

I must assume that all CC units have the equivalent functions regarding chassis and house batteries. Plus they mostly all seem to suffer from as of yet unexplained drainage. I keep my unit plugged in a 15Amp circuit just to maintain the batteries, as if I don't they are drained in maybe 2-3 weeks (with disconnect switches off).

What I know to be on when the disconnect switches are off: - The EMC

- Security alarm

- Link 2000 control panel (to monitor batteries, etc)

I see less than 2Amp draw from the house batteries and less than 0.5Amp from the chassis batteries.

Quote from: Dick May
Mike.... Sorry for the confusion. I was responding to Steve (see the

threads

Quote
below).
> You are correct about the ECM and radio memory but I'm pretty sure that > those items draw from the chassis battery. So if that is true is there a > bleed over from the house to the chassis battery? And if there is it

still

Re: Kudos to Country Coach

Reply #19 –
Yahoo Message Number: 4163
Henk, are you referring to the Echo Charger below? My batteries are draining equally as voltage readings have remained very constant...albeit very low! You also write that you "see less than 2 amp draw from the house batteries and less than 0.5amp from the chassis battery". Yet if not plugged in to 15amps your batteries drain in 2-3 weeks...You are obviously testing with a multimeter...have you tested for leaks that are draining the batteries? When you disconnect your battery charger are you turning off the inverter? We are again having temps in the single digits with strong icy winds so testing here in western Mass will have to wait...Mike 2000 Allure 30493.

On Fri, 14 Feb 2003 01:21:39 -0000 "Henk J. Bots hbots@...>" hbots@...> writes:
 

Re: Batteries

Reply #20 –
Yahoo Message Number: 4168
Mike,

Yes, I am referring to the Echo charger (calling it a trickle charger).
I have a monitor panel in my Magna (think it's called Link2000) that can display Voltage, Amperage, consumed AmpHours and do other things like equalizing the house batteries.
Doing Amp readings with a multimeter isn't a lot of fun, as you'd have to disconnect either the plus or minus side and put the multimeter in series with the batteries. Most of the simple ones can only read a couple of 100 MilliAmps, not enough to look for a 2 Amp drain. The Link2000 system uses ground-shunts to "read" the Amperage and those are capable of reading 100s of Amps.
When I disconnect the house batteries, the Link2000 remains on, thus it is still capable of reading the battery voltage and usage. That's when I see the less than 2 Amp house consumption (inverter off). This means less than 48 AmpHours/day, thus you would expect the batteries to drain in a couple of weeks (if they are of good quality).
Unfortunately, batteries have a much lowered AmpHour capacity when they are at low temperatures, so yours will be empty sooner.
Here is a web side with lots of info regarding batteries (both car and deep cycle) in case you're interested:
http://uuhome.de/william.darden/
The FAQ sections are usually not too technical. But in case you'd like to know about the Peukert Factor, you can also find it there.