Batteries and starting generator

[Gator_38]

Georgetown 341ds in shop for about a month, then two more weeks. The tv booster was left on so the batteries were in pretty poor shape. Ran generator a couple of hours and everything seemed fine - generator started from the dash switch (this was after being run a couple of hours). Checked today and I could not start generator with the dash switch or with the engine battery boost. It started right off from the generator panel. Before starting generator, house batteries read 12.2V, after 13.1. When I shut the generator off after about an hour, still could not start from dash switch. Anyone have any ideas? Pretty well put out with the dealer - they've had MH more than we have since we bought it.

[kvtaylor]

Originally Posted by Gator_38

Georgetown 341ds in shop for about a month, then two more weeks. The tv booster was left on so the batteries were in pretty poor shape. Ran generator a couple of hours and everything seemed fine - generator started from the dash switch (this was after being run a couple of hours). Checked today and I could not start generator with the dash switch or with the engine battery boost. It started right off from the generator panel. Before starting generator, house batteries read 12.2V, after 13.1. When I shut the generator off after about an hour, still could not start from dash switch. Anyone have any ideas? Pretty well put out with the dealer - they've had MH more than we have since we bought it.

Plug it in to outside power for a couple of days to recharge the house batteries. Mine sat for a while and I left the gas dector on and discharged my batteries. I got nothing. recharged the batteries and everything else worked.

[NWJeeper]

The nature of chargers is that they pump out full amperage at around 13.2 volts if the batteries are really dead. As the charge comes up in the batteries the amperage drops and the voltage increases until full charge is achieved. For the 2-stage charger in most Georgetowns the top voltage will only be 13.6 while the amperage will drop of to about nothing. The problem is that the 2-stage chargers will never fully charge the bank to 100% because they will not put out the 14.4 volts "equalization" charge that is required to do so, that is why if you dry camp a lot (without hookups) it is very important to change out the 2-stage converter/charger with a good 3-stage converter/charger that will. This charging process can take a matter of DAYS not hours and therefore just running the genset for a couple of hours does little to bring a low bank back up to anything near what it should be.

[Gator_38]

Unfortunately can't hook up power yet since mh is in storage yard with no elec. I still can't understand why I can start the generator from the generator panel but can't start it from the dashboard switch, even with the battery boost on. When I checked, batteries read 12/6v so they would seem to be charged enough to start the generator. At one point when I drove it back from dealer (about 45 min trip) the generator started normally but is nogo now. I am waiting on 3-stage to install as soon as it gets here.