I just bought a new MH, Winnebago Adventurer 35A. This is a gas MH and is my first trek into RVing. I have several questions, but will start with the most pressing. When I run my engine or my generator, I can press the volt meter on my control panel. The engine battery shows 13 volts. The house battery shows 13 volts (all plus or minus a few). If I shut off the engine or turn off the generator, the house battery shows zero and engine shows 13 volts. The batteries are brand new, but the house batteries (2 each) are dead. I have a dash switch labeled "battery boost" and a switch near the battery bank at the step labeled "auxiliary battery" on/off. I have never used batt boost because I am not sure what it does, and have turned aux batt switch to off when we park the MH at the storage place. Also, I have one solar panel on the roof that shows the house batteries are charging in sunlight, even when they are showing zero on the control panel. Any ideas what I am doing wrong?

Battery Boost will cross connect your house batteries to the engine to provide a jump start in the event the engine battery is dead. It may also permit you to use the engine battery bank to fire the generator. The Auxiliary on/off disconnects most of your draws from the house batteries when it is off - note MOST. To totally eliminate phantom draws you may need to disconnect the batteries at the terminal. As for showing 0 v on the house batteries. you should start with something simple like taking a volt meter and checking across the battery terminals. If that shows 0 you have a serious problem. If that shows reasonable voltage it indicates your gauge or some other item is the problem. Obviously if you don't have lights in the coach with the switch on it is also a sure sign there is no power coming from the battery bank to the system, but it still might be something other than the batteries.

Battery boost will help jump start your engine battery if it is dead. Hold the bat boost down and then turn the key to start the engine.zero on your house batteries.. have you turned the auxiliary battery back to "on" when checking the voltage? Cannot answer the solar panel questions, no experience with that.

donnyB7 wrote: The batteries are brand new, but the house batteries (2 each) are dead. and have turned aux batt switch to off when we park the MH at the storage place. YOu need a multi-meter.First try putting that switch in the OTHER position and see if you get a reading on the panel. Even "dead" batteries seldom read ZERO.If the batteries really are dead, then charging them with an external charger probably is needed.

If they were discharged too low over and over it may have damaged the batteries.

Put a meter on the battery itself. If under 12volt then either shore power or generator on and check again. Should be close to 13.4 volts. Let run for 30 minutes . Turn off shore/generator which ever power and check voltage, if still at or below 12 volt, then bad or very discharge batter. If battery voltage is below 12 or less they will not charge. They must be charge a different way to see if bad. Watch this and try it. Works if your battery has any life left in it. If you gets voltage then put on a charge at no more than 10 amps and let charge. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMPuzmhYCQc

New MH - battery drain question | Good Sam Community

Chum_lee
Explorer
Aug 22, 2017
darsben1 wrote:
It should be under warranty take it back to the dealer. We are guessing from hundreds of miles away.

X2, except do it ASAP. If you mess with it yourself and it's under warranty, depending on what you do to fix it, it wouldn't be out of the norm to have the selling dealer BLAME YOU for messing it up and refuse to fix it under warranty. Time is not your friend on this.

Chum lee
tatest
Explorer II
Aug 22, 2017
When plugged in or running the generator, the control panel is showing output voltage from the converter/charger. If the engine is running it could be showing voltage being supplied to the house from the engine alternator.

When not plugged in or running engine, it should show house battery voltage, but only if the house batteries are connected to the house 12V system. They are not connected when the "auxiliary battery" switch is off, or if the fuse or circuit breaker for those batteries is open. The place to measure battery voltage is at the battery posts, ideally disconnected because when connected together in parallel the reading you will get is from the battery with the better charge.

I don't know how your solar is wired, my Winnebago doesn't have solar. It might also be disconnected when the batteries are disconnected.
jyrostng
Explorer
Aug 22, 2017
Just a tip, unless you have enough money to take your rv to a shop for every little thing, buy a cheap Meter for measuring voltage and continuity and learn how to use it, Buy a cheap one so when you accidentally connect it on the wrong setting and burn it up, it's no tragedy. After you learn how to use it, you can buy a better one.

It's likely a switch is in the wrong position or the battery connection is bad. A meter can really help you identify problems.
donnyB7
Explorer
Aug 22, 2017
Thanks for all the responses. I spent the day cleaning and troubleshooting a few things. I think my battery drain problem is just beginners error. I think I must have left the aux battery in the off position. I checked the house batteries and they are 12.6 volts. When I turned the aux batt to the on position, everything was working.
Doin_it
Explorer
Aug 22, 2017
Donny, this group is wonderful! They have helped me through numerous problems and questions. I had your same issue when first starting out. Couldn't figure out why I had no lights! Switch had been flipped off! It is how you learn - from here on you will know. Happy travels!
xctraveler
Explorer
Sep 10, 2017
I remember coming into the coach sometime in the last year and finding no 12v where I expected. First stop was panic, "Now What!" next was some trouble shooting as suggested in my first post. Finally I remembered there is a 12v on off switch called a "Salesman's Switch" by the door. It has no use to me as one who lives on his coach. It cuts off a lot of 12v - lights and refrigerator mostly so when a salesman leaves the coach on the lot he doesn't have to go through and find all the light switches to turn them off to save the battery for the next walk through. Still don't know how it got turned off.
time2roll
Nomad
Sep 10, 2017
Batteries are dead? Turn the switch on and plug in or run the generator 48+ hours and then check again.

That solar panel is apparently inadequate. Need 100+ watts and controller.
Sam_Spade
Explorer
Sep 11, 2017
time2roll wrote:
run the generator 48+ hours and then check again.

Four hours should be enough to put a usable charge in them.

If it takes 48 hours, either your converter/charger is broken or the batteries need to be replaced.

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