engine battery dies

[the_silverback]

I have a 2007 Winnebago Adventurer. After a month or so storage the engine battery is very, very dead, even if it is pluged into shore power. So there must be a drain on it. The battery is new. One thing that came to mind is the light under the steps. I had the steps out.
I can start it using the battery boost after a while. It takes some time to get enough charge even using the battery boost. Any ideas? Thanks.

[the_silverback]

It looks like Trik-L-Start will solve my problem. Thanks

[vacuumbed]

accsys wrote:
Get you a Trik-L-Start or Amp-L-Start and your chassis battery will stay charged as long as you have shore power.

I'm putting an Amp-L-Start in my Monaco this weekend.

[jerseyjim]

When new, I had the same problem. Called "phantom drains"...it's the electronics, including the radio....even when "off" keeps the time and stations in memory. However, the BIG drain, at least in my coach was the carbon-monoxide sensor and the propane sensor. Required by law to me "hard-wired" in, my mfgr elected to hook these up to the 12V starter battery. I ran a toggle switch to both these sensors, and when not using the motorhome, I simply flip the switch to "off"...and the problem stopped.
What I also do, when not using the motorhome for, say, more than 3 weeks, is to dissonnect the 12V battery using a easily available blade switch...goes on either the pos or neg terminal.
Some might tell you that the computer, then, has to "re-learn" everything and that driving for about the first 5-10 miles might have "drivability problems" while the computer relearns....but I've had none of that.

Re: Trik-L-Start: I've had one for years. They ARE good and do work...until your 12V battery gets old and low...then it drains the coach battery (or batteries) and then you've got THAT problem to deal with. Now, the only time I use my Trik-L-Start is when I snowbird and don't use the coach for months at a time but still need the items powered by the start battery. (like the sensors mentioned above and the radio.)

[accsys]

Get you a Trik-L-Start or Amp-L-Start and your chassis battery will stay charged as long as you have shore power.

[MNtundraRet]

When you changed the chassis-battery were all the connections, grounds, checked and cleaned throughout the starting circuit (includes; solenoids, alternator, and starter)? Any poor connection or ground can reduce voltage needed for engine starting.

The above is mentioned when replacing chassis (starter) battery in a Ford chassis.

[rctour]

My Winnie has a complete shut off back by the engine, does yours? I just purchased 3 new house batteries that come with a 1 year warranty, old ones were three years. Is yours less than 1 year old, take it back? If past warranty, maybe that's all the energy she had!

[aztortuga]

What you have described is pretty common. First, there are some parasitic drains on most engine batteries when the rig is parked. Second, your engine battery is probably NOT charged when the rig is plugged into shore power. The chassis batteries are charged when plugged in but probably not the engine batteries. This is common on many motor homes and manufactured that way. The MH builder will most ofter use a small solar panel on the roof to keep the engine batteries charged but most don't offer much recharge power and die after a few years. There are several ways to remedy the lack of charge to the engine batteries while plugged in. One is install a separate battery charger for these batteries such as the BATTERY MINDER, BATTERY TENDER ETC. These are small chargers designed to maintain the battery charge level, not necessarily to charge a depleted battery. Another remedy is to install an electronic device that allows both chassis and engine batteries to be charged while plugged in. I think that relay is know as a BIRD relay. So---do some research and you will solve this common problem.