Dead batteries

[Poppy2003]

winter stored RV for 6 months, no shore power, now batteries are dead, can I jump start with my car battery?, my Generator also not starting, thank you.

[wa8yxm]

Oh for 90 bucks Horrible Freight (Might even be cheaper) has a nice small 450 Amp Lithium battery
Click here to see it

And for 75 NAPA has a 1,000 amp lead acid (heavy) one
Again click here

Fully charge the battery

Go to the generator. the actual generator Find the RED lug with the 12 volt line hook the RED cable to it.

Hook the Black cable to any handy Generator FRAME part

Start the Generator

Leave the battery hooked up for at least 1 minute or till you hear the Transfer switch or the Generator load down as the Transfer switch engages.

Make sure the Generator breaker does not trip.. then unhook the battery

Wait a while

Try to start it

Oh you will likely need a new Chassis battery.. House batteries depends GC-2 MIGHT recover.. MARINE/deep cycle will need replacement.

[dedmiston]

You should be able to jump your generator too. Don't connect to the batteries though, connect to the gen itself. Pos to the pos input on the gen and neg to the gen's chassis. At least that's what I've done on my Onan.

[mfinnerty]

If your Sunova is like my 2003, you won't be able to start the generator until you have a charge on the house batteries. I should also ask if you checked the house batteries disconnect switch. It should be on the left of the entry door. If the batteries are disconnected it will seem like they are dead.

[Matt_Colie]

Poppy,

As said, try to jump start it, but don't plan to idle the main engine long enough to recharge either the chassis or the house banks. Nothing good happens to an idling engine.

As soon as you can, start the APU (on board generator) and use that to charge the house bank. While that is happening, find out how to cross link the house to the main engine battery and use your existing converter/charger to charge that as well. Be ready, as dead as they may be, they may take a day to recover. They also may not recover. I have some dead AGMs in my shop right now that have not recovered. I have been trying for a while. It's a total **** shoot.

You will have to do the full diagnostic to know what you have to replace.

Matt

[phillyg]

Don't give up on your batteries. I've successfully brought mine back from near dead twice now. Since then, I keep them up with a small solar panel while in storage.

[Poppy2003]

navigator2346 wrote:
Yes to the jump start. After you get the coach running, you might be able to start the generator after a few minutes. It would be best to get a stand alone battery charger and make an attempt to charge the batteries instead of trying to use te generator and on board charger. Your batteries could be toast

Thanks, will try that first, if not have to change all the batteries, keep it AGM, as Lithium is very expensive for a retired old man.

[Poppy2003]

garym114 wrote:
probably not, use a 110v battery charger. This may not work because the batteries sat a long time with no charge, totally dead, may have to be replaced.
Next time move the negative cable from all batteries.

see my signature

Thanks, I'm a new RVer, bought it in last october and winterized and stored, shop never told me to disconnect - pole, I guess you live and learn, batteries are 4 years old. Planned a trip to all the National Parks this July on.

[Poppy2003]

jdc1 wrote:
If it's a diesel, you'll need more than a car to jump start it.

no its gas, ford v10, 2003 Itasca sunova 30b, thanks,

[jdc1]

If it's a diesel, you'll need more than a car to jump start it.

[valhalla360]

Are they completely dead or just weak (turns over real slow)?
Also, what is the motor? A gas V10 probably. A big diesel...less likely.

If you have access to shore power, better to get a charger on it

If you do jump start, make sure the car engine is left running, so you don't kill the car battery. Also, if you get the MH engine running, operate under the assumption the battery won't restart it, so don't shut it off unless it's somewhere you can leave it.

Removing the battery terminal (or putting in a disconnect switch) is a good idea but doesn't help you now.

If you are lucky, the battery will be OK but plan on replacement.

[ArchHoagland]

I'd put the jumper cables on and let it charge the starting battery for about 20 to 30 minutes before I try to start it.

Friend of mine just had the exact situation at his storage location, we let the car charge the battery and got it going.

[navigator2346]

Yes to the jump start. After you get the coach running, you might be able to start the generator after a few minutes. It would be best to get a stand alone battery charger and make an attempt to charge the batteries instead of trying to use te generator and on board charger. Your batteries could be toast

[garym114]

probably not, use a 110v battery charger. This may not work because the batteries sat a long time with no charge, totally dead, may have to be replaced.
Next time move the negative cable from all batteries.

see my signature