Forum Discussion

kemer's avatar
kemer
Explorer
May 24, 2020

Chassis battery issue

I have a 2014 Winnebago sightseer. During the summer I have it parked at my cabin and plugged into 50amp shore power 24x7. After being gone for a couple weeks, I came back up and my chassis battery level basically drained(It's less than a year old). I know that if I store it, I need to switch the coach and chassis batteries off. But I thought as long as I was plugged into shore power, the chassis should keep a charge. The coach battery is normal. I was hoping to start the unit using the battery boost switch and charge the chassis battery, but that wouldn't work either. SUGGESTIONS appreciated....

THANKS
Class A
  • Yankee_Clipper's avatar
    Yankee_Clipper
    Explorer
    May 24, 2020
    I did two things with mine: 1) I changed out the wet chassis battery for AGM, and 2) I bought a Coleman AGM charger from Newegg for $20 and keep the chassis battery on it. The charger generally maintains about 12.8 volts on the battery.
    BTW - I stepped down from Group 31 house batteries for Group 29 with no degradation of power. HTH.
  • dougrainer's avatar
    dougrainer
    Nomad
    May 24, 2020
    kemer wrote:
    I have a 2014 Winnebago sightseer. During the summer I have it parked at my cabin and plugged into 50amp shore power 24x7. After being gone for a couple weeks, I came back up and my chassis battery level basically drained(It's less than a year old). I know that if I store it, I need to switch the coach and chassis batteries off. But I thought as long as I was plugged into shore power, the chassis should keep a charge. The coach battery is normal. I was hoping to start the unit using the battery boost switch and charge the chassis battery, but that wouldn't work either. SUGGESTIONS appreciated....

    THANKS


    The basic rule is IF you can be plugged into shore power, LEAVE the Battery disconnects ON. If you have a BI directional charging system(charges chassis also), by leaving the Battery disconnects OFF, you turn off the electronic monitor system that jumps the 2 battery banks together. Doug

    PS, Battery disconnects are for when you store without having shore power available.
  • Land_Yachters's avatar
    Land_Yachters
    Explorer
    May 24, 2020
    I just bought my first RV in the fall, a Tiffin 33aa used. I have lots of experience with sailboats and when plugged in, all my boats would charge both house and starting batteries. Wasn't I surprised when I learned shore power only charges the house, not chassis batteries. Simple fix I found on this forum is for a Trik-L-Start. Cheap, fast way to wire the 2 banks of batteries together and the chassis gets charged from the house.
  • 2oldman's avatar
    2oldman
    Explorer II
    May 24, 2020
    You made this same post 14 minutes earlier than this one.

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