Need Some help with my battery system

[mrad]

Last fall we purchased a used toy hauler with an onboard Onan 5500. It also has a residential fridge. We had the dealer install two golf cart batteries in place of the 12-volt batteries. The tech guy didn't tell us anything about the Xantrex pro display or its purpose.

Yesterday I wanted to get an idea of how long the batteries could power the fridge. At 9:00 am I unplugged from shore power. My Xantrex Pro digital display showed 12.8 volts. When I came back 5 hours later, the display was showing an E05 code. I plugged back into shore power. This morning before I left for work, I checked the display again and it was still showing the E05 code.

Does anyone know what that code means?
Shouldn't 6-month-old golf cart batteries be last longer than 5 hours when powering a residential fridge?

[dougrainer]

wa8yxm wrote:
Which Xantrex?
On the Prosine 2000 the on/off on the inverter is a true on/off OFF is OFF and I mean OFF no power passes through it not 120-120 not 12-120 or 120-12 NOTHING moves and the remote is dead

On the remote it is an Operate/Standby switch (Does not turn it off just disables it) leave it on.. Why. When on shore power automatic switches do the same job and if shore power is lost.... My TV's did not blink

Freedom 2000 is a bit different (no "Big" switch) but effectively the same Leave on

If you would READ the posts you would know which Xantrex. He posted below 24 hours before your post.

My model is the Xantrex Pro XM1000. I just unplugged it from shore power and hit the disconnect switch

[wa8yxm]

Which Xantrex?
On the Prosine 2000 the on/off on the inverter is a true on/off OFF is OFF and I mean OFF no power passes through it not 120-120 not 12-120 or 120-12 NOTHING moves and the remote is dead

On the remote it is an Operate/Standby switch (Does not turn it off just disables it) leave it on.. Why. When on shore power automatic switches do the same job and if shore power is lost.... My TV's did not blink

Freedom 2000 is a bit different (no "Big" switch) but effectively the same Leave on

[dougrainer]

1. If you want LONGER Refer run time, install 4 to 6 Batteries. A larger Inverter yields no extra run time.
2. The ON/Off switch is to turn the INVERTER On and OFF. Your Inverter has a Pass thru 120 relay. When the Genset or Shore Connected and the Inverter OFF, the 120 pass thru and powers the refer. When ON and you are connected to Shore or Genset, the 120 still passes thru, BUT, disconnect the Shore or Genset and the Inverter now comes alive and Powers the refer. Doug

PS, Jayco and a lot of other Large 5th wheel makers have battery compartments that will hold up to 6 batteries when you have the residential refer.

[BFL13]

mrad wrote:
Sooooo....Do I need a bigger inverter/converter or more batteries. I should state the only time I will be using battery power would be if I brought the rig to work to leave from there.

Also, why does the Xantrex have an on/off button on the readout gauge? When should it be on, and when should it be off????

You are saying once the RV is on the road, your "alternator charging " will keep the voltage up enough for the inverter to handle the surge and load until you get back on shore power.

True if the inverter to batt wiring is fat enough--that is an issue.

For the rest, you don't need to buy anything or do anything if the time at work can be without opening the door of the already cold fridge. You can get ice to put in the fridge. You can wait till you get there and then buy foodstuff that needs to go in the fridge.

Or just don't take it to work and suffer the extra time from going back home to get the rig. What is worse?

Turn off the display when you are in storage with no shore power and want less draw from the batteries.

[StirCrazy]

mrad wrote:
Sooooo....Do I need a bigger inverter/converter or more batteries. I should state the only time I will be using battery power would be if I brought the rig to work to leave from there.

Also, why does the Xantrex have an on/off button on the readout gauge? When should it be on, and when should it be off????

I would say both. a 2000watt inverter and two more batteries. an average fridge will use up to 8 amps on start up and a 1000 watt inverter just doesn't cut it.

Steve

[mrad]

Sooooo....Do I need a bigger inverter/converter or more batteries. I should state the only time I will be using battery power would be if I brought the rig to work to leave from there.

Also, why does the Xantrex have an on/off button on the readout gauge? When should it be on, and when should it be off????

[MEXICOWANDERER]

There will be other hotel loads. My 24 volt freezer consumes 121 amp hours 24 hours, x2 when thinking energy in 12 volts.

[BFL13]

mrad wrote:
My model is the Xantrex Pro XM1000. I just unplugged it from shore power and hit the disconnect switch

Might have been knocked out by the "surge" amps on start-up and each time the fridge cycles on. 1000w should be ok , but does need fat DC wiring to the batts for that surge not to cause low-voltage shut-down.

[mrad]

The disconnect worked. The Xantrex is not reading 13.7v

[mrad]

My model is the Xantrex Pro XM1000. I just unplugged it from shore power and hit the disconnect switch

[MNRon]

1. Disconnect switches usually leave a few parasitics connected (like LP detector and maybe some other sensors). Neither disconnect, nor physically disconnecting, will solve the self-discharge issue (5-10% per month on FLA)
2. Agree with others that with a residential fridge: 2 FLA batteries should be minimum for campground to campground camping; 4 FLA batteries, preferably GC, is minimum if you want to do an overnight without external power; equivalent of 6 FLA batteries (600AHr) is minimum if you want to dry camp much and have a larger inverter to run other things.

We have a residential fridge and I’ve measured it several times: it draws ~160AHr over a 24hr period. That would suck two std Interstage 85AHr batteries dry in a day, and barely make 12hrs between external power without dropping below 50% SOC

[2oldman]

mrad wrote:
I have a disconnect switch right at the batteries, and another in the storage area. would turning off the disconnect at the batteries work the same a physically disconnecting them?

Hard to say without a monitor. I see reports all the time that it doesn't disconnect as completely has removing a battery cable leaving no other wires attached.

After years of RVing I found that 4 6v batteries work much better than 2 with an inverter. I'm sure you'll be running other things besides that refer, and you don't want to have to turn it off when you do.

[dougrainer]

mrad wrote:

dougrainer wrote:
E05 Red Overload shutdown
Short circuit
Reduce or disconnect the load. Make sure the load does not
exceed the XM 1800’s output rating.
Check connection to the load.

The best way to remove the code is to disconnect from Shore Power and disconnect the Coach batteries for 5 minutes and then reconnect the Coach Batteries and plug into shore Power. Hopefully the code goes away. The Xantrex Pro---Can you tell us the Model? Your refer pulls minimal AC current, less than 300 watts, and almost any Xantrex Pro will power the refer OK. Did they install 2-6 volt Golf Cart batteries or 2-12 volt Golf Cart Batteries? Doug

Two six-volt golf cart batteries.
I will check the model number when I get home.

I have a disconnect switch right at the batteries, and another in the storage area. would turning off the disconnect at the batteries work the same a physically disconnecting them?

Use the disconnect at the Batteries. That will make sure no power to the RV. Doug

[mrad]

Gdetrailer wrote:

2oldman wrote:
Sounds like you need a battery monitor, and 2 more batteries. Resi fridges get hungry.

Not all residential fridges are "hungry", mine can easily operate off one pair of GC2 6V batteries for 24 hrs before needing recharged.

Granted, my home fridge conversion I spent a lot of time weeding out heavy power user fridges and opted for a 10 CuFt apartment size fridge which sips power.. Something that most RV manufacturers will ignore..

OP got less than 5 hrs of operation, either batteries were not fully charged before the test or they have additional 12V loads not accounted for..

At the rate the OP is going adding 2 more GC2s would only get them 10 hrs tops so throwing more batteries at the problem doesn't solve the problem..

I'm wondering if one or both of the batteries is bad. they are only six months old. They had been plugged in to shore power for three weeks. They should have been fully charged.