Battey Maintainer

[SilverSunseeker]

Thinking about putting a maintainer on chassis battery due to extended periods of non-use.

I found this maintainer that would charge the chassis and two coach batteries.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003JSO1X2..._Erutvb1Y82MVZ
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003JSO1X2..._Erutvb1Y82MVZ

I am wondering if I need to maintain the coach batteries. Shouldn't the 110v I have it plugged into in storage do this? I thought so, but it appears the batteries are draining and not being recharged.

I have a 2012 Sunseeker 2450S.


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[MrJoe]

My 2014 keeps the coach and chassis batteries charged while on shore power.


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[Herk7769]

If shore power is available just use an adapter from your camper's cord to your 110 outlet. Just be careful not to use more than 15 amps of AC at once.

There is a battery control center that may be preventing the maintainer from charging the starting and coach batteries simultaneously.

However if your unit is wired like this, you must close (turn on) the battery disconnect to tie the coach batteries to the camper's battery control center.

Here is a generic schematic of how one works.

[SilverSunseeker]

I have looked at the manual and it says shore power will charge the batteries when the batteries are disconnected. The manual shows two options for a battery disconnect. One is a regular rocker switch. Another is a red key in a black box. This is the kind I am most used to seeing. I looked all over and can't find either of these types of switches.

In researching online someone said the switch I have attached a picture of is a battery disconnect. Is this true? If so, what position, On or Off, does it need to be in so the shore power will charge the batteries. If this isn't the switch I need where do I find the battery disconnect.






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[JLeising]

Yes, that is your battery disconnect. Doesn't disconnect everything though - on our 2012 Solera "S" the slide out, the awning, the steps still work with the switch "off". Suspect other stuff also. Believe Forest River recently changed to connect the converter before the switch so batteries get charged while connected to shore power whether switch is "on" or "off", but on our 2012 the switch must be "on" to charge the batteries with the converter from shore power.

[SilverSunseeker]

Great. Thanks for the help.


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[SilverSunseeker]

Still having problems with this. I have the switch in the On position and the batteries are not being charged. Any ideas?


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[JLeising]

Occasionally my 2012 has tripped the circuit breaker that supplies 120 volt AC to the converter. When the breaker is tripped, it does not charge the house batteries. The only other thing that is on that breaker (besides the converter) is the 120 volt outlet "above the driver's head" on the base of the cab over area. All the other 12 volt systems work fine (off the house batteries). Don't know why it occasionally trip when I connect to shore power - has done it since new and seems to work fine after resetting the breaker.

[ScottBrownstein]

Find the converter. I is usually somewhere very near where the shore power connector comes in. Sometimes it is under the bed. When you find it, put a voltmeter across the output and see if it is 13.4 or higher. Less than that and a fuse might be blown...or the whole converter might be blown. Check to see if the circuit breaker in the panel labelled "converter" is turned on.

[MNtraveler]

Also check the voltage at the battery terminals - both the wires and the terminals of the batteries themselves. Don't rule out something simple like a bad battery connection. It's amazing how often that can be the problem. If you are getting good voltage across the wires but not the same level on the battery terminals without touching the wires, then the juice isn't getting through.

Also check the water levels in the batteries.

[Herk7769]

Don't forget the circuit breakers in the battery control center.

Also check for something simple too ... See below.