Hey all, I've got a 2008 Ford E 450 V-10, We had a cold winter here in Michigan, my battery died, no biggy went and got a brand new, put it in, the unit has been sitting, nothing running and the new battery is dead, put it on a tester Dead.So I come here and see if I can resolve this motor home killing battery monster. I've had 0 problems with this until now.Please serious answers only, I have a a trip planned in a week with it and sure would like to go. Appreciate the answers.

Seriously, if you are talking a house battery you have to disconnect it at the battery to ensure it's not powering parasitic things. If you are talking chassis battery, it should last OK, but really... in a winter like you had in Michigan you have to charge those batteries to ensure they stay charged. One cold snap with a bad battery and it can easily be ruined.And you should be able to take the new battery back for a new one. Sometimes they are just bad and leak, fail, fault or just go flat dead.

Right! We need to know if it's the Chassis Battery (under the hood) or the Coach (aka House) Battery somewhere else. Our E450 Chassis will start after being parked for a month or more. But the House Battery will go dead in a few days if I don't turn the Battery Disconnect Switch OFF. In our coach, older but probably similar to yours, the switch is by the entry door. It operates a Latching Relay (that looks like a solenoid) close to the House Battery. Common culprits for running the House Battery down are LPGas and Carbon Monoxide Detectors. If your Radio runs on House Battery, the Display will run it down.

1. Which battery?2. Have it load tested. 3. Measure the current. A DC clampon ammeter is ideal for this and determine what is drawing down the battery.

We have a 2003 Itasca on a 2002 E-350 chassis. And the chassis has parasitic things that will drain the engine battery over a few weeks.

Thank's all for the replies, It's the main battery under the hood and yes it's been tested, show's dead, I'm going later this am to get it and get a 2nd replacement (new) battery from Advanced Auto parts.I might have left the house switch on, could that kill the main battery? If so that's a problem as well because I put 2 new house batteries in it last year, plus also ive got a camping trip coming where there are 0 services (I can run the generator for a few times during the day) Again Thank for the quick responses back.

Battery dieing! | Good Sam Community

14 Replies

Dusty_R
Explorer
May 10, 2014
We have a 2003 Itasca on a 2002 E-350 chassis. And the chassis has parasitic things that will drain the engine battery over a few weeks.
CA_Traveler
Explorer III
May 10, 2014
1. Which battery?
2. Have it load tested.
3. Measure the current. A DC clampon ammeter is ideal for this and determine what is drawing down the battery.
j-d
Explorer II
May 10, 2014
Right! We need to know if it's the Chassis Battery (under the hood) or the Coach (aka House) Battery somewhere else. Our E450 Chassis will start after being parked for a month or more. But the House Battery will go dead in a few days if I don't turn the Battery Disconnect Switch OFF. In our coach, older but probably similar to yours, the switch is by the entry door. It operates a Latching Relay (that looks like a solenoid) close to the House Battery. Common culprits for running the House Battery down are LPGas and Carbon Monoxide Detectors. If your Radio runs on House Battery, the Display will run it down.
Artum_Snowbird
Explorer
May 10, 2014
Seriously, if you are talking a house battery you have to disconnect it at the battery to ensure it's not powering parasitic things. If you are talking chassis battery, it should last OK, but really... in a winter like you had in Michigan you have to charge those batteries to ensure they stay charged.

One cold snap with a bad battery and it can easily be ruined.

And you should be able to take the new battery back for a new one. Sometimes they are just bad and leak, fail, fault or just go flat dead.

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Battery dieing!

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