Here''s the deal, I was going to hook up the toad and take it on an inaugural test run. 2008 Winnebago Destination 39 feet with two slidesFreightliner chassisCummins Diesel pusherGot it out of covered winter storage a week ago. They report having a difficult time getting it started after six months. But it was running fine for the trip home, even through a brief snow squall. Got home, full check out, all systems good.Take it for a check ride last week. No issues. Today, won't start. No chassis voltage anywhere. Coach power is fine. So I try the battery boost, after all, that is what it's there for. Hindsight says not the best idea, probably ever. Still not starting and suddenly wisps of smoke appears under the dashboard - left side. Immediate power down. Notify wife & son, position fire extinguishers at the ready. Start stage one troubleshooting- visual inspection. Wife is on iPad and googling symptoms, it seems that the battery boost feature can be irksome, and may smoke under load. Voltage checks show that the coach batteries are at 12.9 VDC. Chassis batteries are effectively dead at 1.70 VDC and show no charging voltage. This with shore power applied. What would you do next?Me, research in progress, theory of operation.

New chassis batteries..they're toast...now you could try and run generator and try to get a charge on them...but they are so dead that they are toast..note that if you use battery boost, start generator, then hold button boost down for a good 5 minutes to try and get something in there and try again..but with batteries that low, they are shorted out.

I guess the first question is was the batteries removed when in storage and did you guys recently re-install the batteries?The RV BATTERIES are SO EASY to get installed wrong mostly because of the BATTERY cable wire colors being different from Automotive wire colors...Something going to ground somewhere causing your smoking cables... If the START BATTERY has shorted core cells it should have tripped some fuse or 12VDC breaker somewhere before smoking wires????These are obvious comments here - MOTOHOMES and larger RV's have different symptoms than regular stand along trailers have.Roy Ken

First, I would try and remember what I left on that ran the engine batteries down once you got it home after the check ride. I would disconnect them if I cannot find the culprit and put a 10 amp charger on them for a couple days. They may not be toast, just lightly browned. Many MHs do not charge the engine batteries when on shore power... just the house batteries.

Something caused the chassis batteries to fry, you to need to check the coach charger output, as it also keeps a charge on the chassis batteries. Plug into shore power and measure the voltage out of the coach battery charger.

If you have another battery that you can use , Don't use a real good one. You can jump + to + and - to - and let set for a few hours, then put a charger on 2 amps charge for a few more hours, then take off the good battery and leave charger on the low battery, Let charge 12+ hours and then let rest for two and then check voltage. If it holding, then put back charger till fully charge up. 2 to 10 amps max till fully charged. new battery chargers will not charge a fully discharge battery, so that is why you need the good 12v battery to fib to the charger.

Chassis Batteries not charging. PERIOD | Good Sam Community

dan-nickie
Explorer
May 09, 2015
Chassis battery is dead. REplace it.
RoyB
Explorer II
May 09, 2015
Please verify the wiring of the batteries. Sometimes the new batteries have their terminals on the opposite sides of the battery case. Verify wiring by finding the words NEG or the symbol - and make sure the batteries are wired correctly using those stamped names and symbols...

Wiring 6VDC Batteries in series can get messed up real easy...

I definitely would verify the wiring first. Your smoking of cables just doesn't normally happen unless something is wired wrong...

Roy Ken
MountainAir05
Explorer II
May 09, 2015
If you have another battery that you can use , Don't use a real good one. You can jump + to + and - to - and let set for a few hours, then put a charger on 2 amps charge for a few more hours, then take off the good battery and leave charger on the low battery, Let charge 12+ hours and then let rest for two and then check voltage. If it holding, then put back charger till fully charge up. 2 to 10 amps max till fully charged. new battery chargers will not charge a fully discharge battery, so that is why you need the good 12v battery to fib to the charger.
1BryNelson
Explorer
May 09, 2015
Something caused the chassis batteries to fry, you to need to check the coach charger output, as it also keeps a charge on the chassis batteries. Plug into shore power and measure the voltage out of the coach battery charger.
Ivylog
Explorer III
May 09, 2015
First, I would try and remember what I left on that ran the engine batteries down once you got it home after the check ride. I would disconnect them if I cannot find the culprit and put a 10 amp charger on them for a couple days. They may not be toast, just lightly browned. Many MHs do not charge the engine batteries when on shore power... just the house batteries.
RoyB
Explorer II
May 09, 2015
I guess the first question is was the batteries removed when in storage and did you guys recently re-install the batteries?

The RV BATTERIES are SO EASY to get installed wrong mostly because of the BATTERY cable wire colors being different from Automotive wire colors...

Something going to ground somewhere causing your smoking cables... If the START BATTERY has shorted core cells it should have tripped some fuse or 12VDC breaker somewhere before smoking wires????

These are obvious comments here - MOTOHOMES and larger RV's have different symptoms than regular stand along trailers have.

Roy Ken
bullydogs1
Explorer
May 09, 2015
New chassis batteries..they're toast...now you could try and run generator and try to get a charge on them...but they are so dead that they are toast..note that if you use battery boost, start generator, then hold button boost down for a good 5 minutes to try and get something in there and try again..but with batteries that low, they are shorted out.

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Chassis Batteries not charging. PERIOD

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