House Batteries
We have a 2007 Winnebago Outlook 29B class C. The generator quit working so we took it to a mechanic who told us the house batteries are dead (don't hold a charge) and have to be replaced. I was surpr...
Forum Discussion
How was your Outlook used during those 17 months that the batteries went dead? Was it sitting most of the time in storage, or being driven to/from camping spots, or being driven a lot between different camping spots while on RV trips?
Our 2005 Itasca Spirit could have had the same thing happen if I hadn't hit upon something that would have caused our situation to be the same as yours:
Your Outlook has a "solenoid" (big switch) that - whenever you turn the key on and start the main engine - automatically connects your main engine's alternator to the coach batteries so as to charge them strongly as you drive along.
This solenoid has failed twice in our motorhome since we bought it new in early 2006. The first (orignal) one failed about 2 years after we bought our motorhome new and the second one failed last fall. We are now on our third solenoid.
Finding out if this solenoid has failed, or is failing, is tricky ... as it can fail in two different ways ... and one of the ways it can fail is very subtle and tough to determine.
When this solenoid no longer is doing what it's supposed to do, your RV's batteries are not charged correctly - or at all - as you drive along between camping spots, so your batteries can get more and more run down as you move from camp to camp. This running down of your batteries is not fully corrected by the stock built-in battery charger ("converter") when camping with full hookups, either. Full charging of your batteries on camping trips in a Class C motorhome (unless someone has had a better charger installed to replace the stock converter for better charging when on full hookups) can best be done by the main engine alternator when driving between camping spots - if this solenoid is operating correctly and in good condition.
Since your motohome is a 2007, I recommend that you have it's alternator-to-coach battery interconnect solenoid replaced, just in case. You might get much better battery performance on camping trips if you do! It is not a large expense to have it replaced.
Our 2005 Itasca Spirit could have had the same thing happen if I hadn't hit upon something that would have caused our situation to be the same as yours:
Your Outlook has a "solenoid" (big switch) that - whenever you turn the key on and start the main engine - automatically connects your main engine's alternator to the coach batteries so as to charge them strongly as you drive along.
This solenoid has failed twice in our motorhome since we bought it new in early 2006. The first (orignal) one failed about 2 years after we bought our motorhome new and the second one failed last fall. We are now on our third solenoid.
Finding out if this solenoid has failed, or is failing, is tricky ... as it can fail in two different ways ... and one of the ways it can fail is very subtle and tough to determine.
When this solenoid no longer is doing what it's supposed to do, your RV's batteries are not charged correctly - or at all - as you drive along between camping spots, so your batteries can get more and more run down as you move from camp to camp. This running down of your batteries is not fully corrected by the stock built-in battery charger ("converter") when camping with full hookups, either. Full charging of your batteries on camping trips in a Class C motorhome (unless someone has had a better charger installed to replace the stock converter for better charging when on full hookups) can best be done by the main engine alternator when driving between camping spots - if this solenoid is operating correctly and in good condition.
Since your motohome is a 2007, I recommend that you have it's alternator-to-coach battery interconnect solenoid replaced, just in case. You might get much better battery performance on camping trips if you do! It is not a large expense to have it replaced.
