2015 CC 38rd Inverter

[ttanous]

Batteries are aligned just like the diagram first thing I verified to make sure all positives together and all negatives together.

[Sterlingsilver]

ttanous don't hook up any load to any battery posts where you have more than about 13.5 volts. Make sure all connection are tight. If you are desperate, post a clear photo. I can't see how Cedar Creek can make this any easier. I am assuming that you have no load or ground wires attached yet when you make your measurements on your battery pack.

[spock123]

Originally Posted by Sterlingsilver

spock123
You guys are scaring me. Can I be there when you hook things up. I want to see the big flash and smell the melting insulation. Seriously, I think you mean volts (not amps). What you quoted if as volts would be correct. Voltage should be well above 12 when freshly charged. As the battery charge is used up, the voltage will drop to as little as 10. Keep sucking it down and you damage the battery. You wall get the warranted years (a couple) if you regularly hog down the battery each cycle. You will get as many as 10 years on the batteries if you don't draw them down below 1/2. Watch the indicator lights on your control panel inside.

You are right it's volts but you don't want to draw your batteries down below 11.9 volts, that's 40 percent
I am just very careful around batteries, I hook them up all the time I am just careful. Now electricity that's another matter, on that I am a danger to myself and those around me, when I mess with anything electric my wife gets her phone out to be ready to call 911 because I am a accident waiting to happen


Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

[ttanous]

Positive to coach and inverter are not hooked up. I had 12.6 before starting with the original diagram in battery department hooked up by dealer which matched the sticker in the battery compartment. My concern is the positive of battery #1 to positive of battery #2. The reading I took was from positive battery #1 and negative battery #4 which gave me the 26.1 volts. I am thinking since this is where the coach positive and negative connect this would be a issue at 26.1. I will try to take pictures Monday. I will relook at the connections but this will be like the 10th time and each time it matches the diagram.


Tom & Marilyn
2013 Chevrolet Duramax 3500 HD LTZ Crew Cab Long Bed Z71 4X4
2015 Cedar Creek 38RD Hathaway Edition

[ttanous]

One other item the reason I know these are right the negative to positive connections cables just fit and I had to purchase longer cables for the positive to positive and negative to negative to reach. Since the older diagram had a different configuration the dealer had supplied to cables and in this new configuration it requires 4 cables that is why I am confident in the connections matching the diagram.


Tom & Marilyn
2013 Chevrolet Duramax 3500 HD LTZ Crew Cab Long Bed Z71 4X4
2015 Cedar Creek 38RD Hathaway Edition

[spock123]

This is how I hook up the batteries, the first two batteries are hooked up plus to minus, then the second set is hooked up plus to minus, then I hook up the batteries on each side plus to plus, then last I hook up the minus to minus. Now the battery bank is not hooked up to the camper in any way, it's just one big 12 volt battery. Then you can unhook a plus cable and hook up the inverter and converter and last hook up a ground cable to the minus post, works for me. I just hook the four batteries up first to make one big battery. It may sound a little confusing but it's not. If it is confusing to you then just Google the 12 volt side of life and look at part one, there is two parts, it is great information


Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

[Sterlingsilver]

ttanous - if all the batteries are in the same orientation (+ is upper left) and are numbered 1 to 4, left to right; you want 1 & 2 (and 3 & 4) hooked negative to positive respectively (short cables). Then you want 1 & 3 hooked positive to positive and you want 2 & 4 hooked negative to negative (long cables). Measure either 1 or 3 positive to either 2 or 4 negative and you should have 12-13 volts.

It also matters not whether you hook your load (inverter and coach) wires to 1 or 3 positive and 2 or 4 negative, just don't mix up the polarities.

I replaced all the factory wires in the compartment with bigger ones to try and get rid of the random E04 codes on my Xantrex inverter. It didn't help. It looks like newer units are coming with the WLCO 5100 inverter which is a pure sign inverter and may handle the fridge starting surge better. That's an expensive inverter compared to the Xantrex.

[birdman77]

If you are following the diagram as you have attached then the only way to get the reading you mention would be if you have 12 volt batteries and not 6 volt.

[ttanous]

Ok I drove back to the RV. Driving me crazy with why. Well I think I figured out why on the voltage. Don't assume anything. I asked for when buying the new CC for 4 - 6 volt golf batteries. Well what I have is 4 - 12 volt deep cycle golf batteries hence 25.7 when configured per the 6 volt diagram. Battery 1 & 2 original connected to the converter was 12.6 each. Battery 3 & 4 original connected to inverter was 11.7 each. Guess that is why the inverter shut down after a couple of hours traveling. So now I either have to configure for 4 -12 volts or go back to the dealer for the original 4 - 6 volts that was in the purchase at the end of December 2014. The batteries appear to be good NAPA GC-2 batteries so they might be worth keeping just got to talk with the factory in the morning for a recommendation. It is all starting to clear up why the batteries would not hold the refrigerator past an hour or so.


Tom & Marilyn
2013 Chevrolet Duramax 3500 HD LTZ Crew Cab Long Bed Z71 4X4
2015 Cedar Creek 38RD Hathaway Edition

[Sterlingsilver]

That is really wild. What kind of dealer do you have? I think most dealers have 12 volt batteries around because that's what they put in most trailers, but to set you up like that is pretty bad. Go back and demand what belongs in your rig.

[spock123]

Originally Posted by ttanous

Ok I drove back to the RV. Driving me crazy with why. Well I think I figured out why on the voltage. Don't assume anything. I asked for when buying the new CC for 4 - 6 volt golf batteries. Well what I have is 4 - 12 volt deep cycle golf batteries hence 25.7 when configured per the 6 volt diagram. Battery 1 & 2 original connected to the converter was 12.6 each. Battery 3 & 4 original connected to inverter was 11.7 each. Guess that is why the inverter shut down after a couple of hours traveling. So now I either have to configure for 4 -12 volts or go back to the dealer for the original 4 - 6 volts that was in the purchase at the end of December 2014. The batteries appear to be good NAPA GC-2 batteries so they might be worth keeping just got to talk with the factory in the morning for a recommendation. It is all starting to clear up why the batteries would not hold the refrigerator past an hour or so.


Tom & Marilyn
2013 Chevrolet Duramax 3500 HD LTZ Crew Cab Long Bed Z71 4X4
2015 Cedar Creek 38RD Hathaway Edition

Why not just keep the 12 volt batteries and hook all four together and still just one big 12 volt battery, the inverter is why your frig will not work but a hour, it's being charged with a trickle charge. If hooked all together your converter will charge all four batteries


Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

[spock123]

Originally Posted by Sterlingsilver

That is really wild. What kind of dealer do you have? I think most dealers have 12 volt batteries around because that's what they put in most trailers, but to set you up like that is pretty bad. Go back and demand what belongs in your rig.

Could I hook a 40 amp battery charger up to my batteries ? Would the conveyer have to be disconnected?


Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

[spock123]

That should say converter


Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

[Sterlingsilver]

Probably. But why? Most devices like charger's and converters simply send current out and are not affected by each other. They charge in accordance with the voltage they see, namely that of the battery. The converter on my 38CK puts out up to 65 amps. What's not being used by the coach is available for charging the battery. That's a lot of juice. The converter also is quite sophisticated in managing the battery by not over charging and boiling off the water. To me, leaving the converter on all the time is the best bet. When not using my rig I open all the other AC breakers and leave the converter breaker on. If not leaving power to the rig for storage, I'd still use just the converter to bring the batteries back up. At least make sure you don't charge the batteries with too much current.

[Sterlingsilver]

I meant that you probably wouldn't hurt the converter by using a charger. I would not have them both powered on at the same time though.

[ttanous]

Ok problem solved. First let me say thanks to everyone for your replies. I had a cheap volt meter which I had in the RV. The setting I was using was incorrect. I took my high end volt meter which has a setting for just DC voltage. When checking batteries nothing connected was 6.65 which verified the batteries are 6 volt. So we have 4 good 6 volt batteries. The setting on the cheap meter stated 12.87 after setting it correctly then it showed the 6.65 volts DC. Bottom line make sure you are using the right setting. After hooking up all batteries to the diagram then checking for entire bank it is 12.87 volts with the correct setting instead of the 25.7 volts on the cheap meter with the wrong selection. Bottom line is the entire bank configured to the diagram is verified at12.87 volts so will be hooking up the inverter / converter positive and negative leads then final review tonight.

[brycliff]

Trying not to flame the dealer I purchased mine from. I have a 3 page list of problems with this new Forest River Cedar Creek Hathaway Edition. Some should have been caught and fixed by the dealer but I think the main trouble is the things, like this wiring of the inverter, that were wrong from the factory. The flames for the dealer will be posted in other threads where they are more appropriate!

[ttanous]

So here is the update. Just got back from the RV and connected the 2 positive cables and the 2 negative cables as shown in the diagram. Total of 12.87 reading across the battery bank opposite ends. Turned on inverter with refrigerator on and had been open since last trip always open after trip and turned off to make sure no mildew build up. Voltage at inverter dropped from 115 to 112 with no low voltage reading on display ran refrigerator for about one hour and started to cool. Turned off and will charge battery bank this weekend. So looks like problem solved. Appreciate everyone's comments! Now on to the next project.


Tom & Marilyn
2013 Chevrolet Duramax 3500 HD LTZ Crew Cab Long Bed Z71 4X4
2015 Cedar Creek 38RD Hathaway Edition

[Davidg]

This is a great thread with useful data....thanks

Where can I find the battery specifications for a 2015 Silverback 29RE ? Just bought a new one, and the dealer installed 2 Exide 24MS 525 Marine Reserve Amp batteries, which does not seem adequate for a fifth wheel with level up, and the inverter/fridge options.
There is enough room for one more battery, and I'm considering removing one of the Exides, and installing two 6 volt golf cart batteries to be wired in series. But I don't know if the high amp capacity golf cart batteries should power the main coach/level up, or the 1000 watt inverter for the fridge. I'm leaning toward the level up side.

The dealer obviously doesn't know or care, and it's hard to get data from FR.

[ttanous]

David do you not have room for four 6 volts? That is the recommended for the ref option.