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05-18-2014, 12:37 PM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 3
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House Batteries
I learned in March from the dealership where I store my 2011 Berkshire 390BH that my batteries froze even though they had started and run my RV in December. I live in Chicago and store my RV outdoors in Indiana where temperatures in January and February dipped down to -20 below zero. All four Crown batteries either burst or bulged. I had just installed these house batteries in July 2014. Is this typical? The dealership is telling me that it is although they sold me the batteries in the first place so I'm a bit skeptical. Can't get anyone from Crown Battery to return my phone calls. Thoughts? Advice? Anyone else experience this at all?
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05-18-2014, 04:37 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Home is where I park it
Posts: 1,503
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dbalys
I learned in March from the dealership where I store my 2011 Berkshire 390BH that my batteries froze even though they had started and run my RV in December. I live in Chicago and store my RV outdoors in Indiana where temperatures in January and February dipped down to -20 below zero. All four Crown batteries either burst or bulged. I had just installed these house batteries in July 2014. Is this typical? The dealership is telling me that it is although they sold me the batteries in the first place so I'm a bit skeptical. Can't get anyone from Crown Battery to return my phone calls. Thoughts? Advice? Anyone else experience this at all?
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I was raised in Iowa where the temps can easily hit -30 at times. Our batts NEVER froze UNLESS they were not fully charged. Just my $02 worth.
Perhaps yours were dead, even though they said they started the coach at least once??
Boowho??
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05-19-2014, 07:55 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Mount Laurel, NJ
Posts: 1,024
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dbalys
It does not matter how new your batteries are, it matters what the charge state is (the Specific Gravity). When buying new batteries, they are not new; they have been setting around for six months or more.
You need to have a full charge when storing and then disconnect them from the motorhome; either by the disconnect switch at the front door or better yet, by the manual disconnect switch in the battery compartment (if you have one).
It would be nice to have a trickle charge running while in storage, but if not possible, I would suggest you to periodically visit the storage facility in cold weather and run your generator for about and hour. to charge the batteries.
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05-19-2014, 09:19 PM
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#4
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Live to Travel!
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 18
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House Batteries
I have a 2014 390BH and had the same failure this winter. I am in ND and temps were -20 to -30 for a few periods this winter. It was a frustrating $550 lesson to learn. Just the house batteries failed. The engine batteries were fine. I properly filled fluids just before storage and fully charged, I set the internal disconnect switch to store and turned the disconnect at the battery to off. After discovering four burst batteries this spring, I got to the root cause. There is a connection to the inverter which causes a parasitic drag on the battery. It is not part of the disconnect - a less than ideal design - the mechanical disconnect should be a true and total disconnect. Under severe enough conditions the discharge from the inverter computer, although minimal, will cause even the freshest battery to fail given enough time in cold enough temps. Next winter I will either remove the batteries or set a trickle charger on them, or better yet, store it in the south and get the heck out of here.
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05-20-2014, 09:38 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Long Island (Nassau County), NY
Posts: 4,352
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Quote:
Originally Posted by swaslaski
Next winter I will either remove the batteries or set a trickle charger on them, or better yet, store it in the south and get the heck out of here.
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swaslaski,
Now your talking!!! Head to Key West!!
Welcome to the Forums and congrats on your new coach!!! Your in the right place to get great info and help with your coach. Lots of nice people with plenty of good experience and knowledge to help with problems.
Good luck and many fun, memorable, and trouble free trips with your coach!!
Tom
__________________
Tom and Margaret
2014 Berkshire 390bh-60
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05-20-2014, 01:47 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: West Michigan/Fort Myers
Posts: 3,927
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I had my batteries freeze the second year and the cure is quite simple. Sell the house and. Most of your "stuff" and only go to warm places. Our first year doing it and I will bet my batteries never freeze again.
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05-20-2014, 04:36 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Home is where I park it
Posts: 1,503
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil57
I had my batteries freeze the second year and the cure is quite simple. Sell the house and. Most of your "stuff" and only go to warm places. Our first year doing it and I will bet my batteries never freeze again.
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So where do you spend your winters??
For me it's AZ, but I LOVE the desert SW in general. When you first come here you think "my God, who could like this god-forsaken place"? Then it starts to grow on you!!!
Boowho??
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05-20-2014, 07:34 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: West Michigan/Fort Myers
Posts: 3,927
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Bill we spent last year at Silver Palms in Okeechobee FL. We will be there this year from Nov until the end of February. We are thinking of leaving FL and following the Gulf around to south TX some place. From there who knows. I have a brother in Flagstaff I haven't seen in several years so depending on the weather we might head there. I would as soon spend the bulk if next spring in the NM AZ area.
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05-20-2014, 07:59 PM
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#9
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2011 Berkshire 390BH
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Lancaster, NY
Posts: 1,063
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Phil, Flagstaff is cold during the winter and does get snow. Not a place I would think of heading in the winter. Now Yuma, that is the place! Craig
__________________
Craig
Finally completed all State visits in August 2011 with a trip to North Dakota.
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05-20-2014, 08:17 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: West Michigan/Fort Myers
Posts: 3,927
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Craig it snows like a SOB there. If we can't talk my brother into meeting us south we will check the weather around April and see if it will work. Not heading into cold snow or ice if I can help it.
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05-21-2014, 04:17 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: East Stroudsburg, PA
Posts: 108
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I had the same problem this year in northeast PA. Bitterly cold winter. 5 years of motorhoming and never had an issue with my house batteries. Went out this spring to open her up and i find all 4 house batteries bulged and cracked. Not an easy pill to swallow. The cheapest I could find to replace was $290 each. You say you got all 4 for $550? Are they the huge 17" high ones? Mine are enormous and weigh 120 lbs each. From now on I will fully charge and disconnect them, then store them in my basement. Can't afford to do replace them every year!
__________________
Mike Hollar
2014 Berkshire 390BH-40
2012 Chevy Equinox - TOAD
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05-21-2014, 04:33 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 126
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Good thing you installed them in "July 2014". Now you know what's going to happen so perhaps you can prevent it this winter. Happens every time you drink the blue liquid from the "8" ball. You can see into the future.
__________________
2009 Rockwood 2701SS
2008 Tundra Crewmax 5.7
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05-21-2014, 04:54 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 1,748
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Do you get heartburn from the blue liquid?
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06-07-2014, 08:10 PM
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#14
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 3
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Thanks everyone for the advice (both on the batteries and spending winters someplace warm). My family loves our motor home, however, I am strongly considering selling it an getting a fifth wheel. At least with a pick-up, I would be driving it and since the chassis batteries didn't freeze, I'm thinking I'd have better luck. Any thoughts on where to list it or the best way to sell it? I'm not liking the price the dealership is suggesting or having to leave it with them and not use it this summer.
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06-07-2014, 08:20 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: West Michigan/Fort Myers
Posts: 3,927
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Good luck with the sale. As a suggestion I would find a better place to store what ever RV you buy. I thought your house batteries froze and you will have them in a 5th wheel. You need to have a place that you can put a trickle charger on. A charged battery will not freeze. Removing them is way to much work and is impossible for me to do myself. What every you buy is not a set and forget toy. They are all complicated and need to have maintenance and upkeep. MH verse 5th wheel is really more a what works better for me and my use not a question of what's easier to maintain.
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