House batteries

[poppytoymaker]

My house batteries go to one light while in storage. I start my truck to get the generator running and it starts right a way and the house batteries go to 4 lights. I came off a 2 week trip 2 weeks ago everything fine hooked up to shore power and refridge ran while on the road and batteries kept 4 lights at all times except when left in storage. Do I have a problem or am I all right with the batteries the way they are?

[CHICKDOE]

i'll be guessing a lot as one light and four lights is not a very exact description of the problem. voltages would be better. but I take it things run ok when you are hooked up or running the generator frequently but when not it looks like the batteries are getting discharged to the point where they will not start the generator. that is why you hook up the truck to start it. to me it looks like your batteries are getting drained when in storage. I had this problem also. I even used the factory installed battery disconnect switch to disconnect the batteries but they still got drained in under two weeks. I did some tracing and found many devices that were still connected to the batteries even with the disconnect switch supposedly disconnecting them. things like co monitor, propane monitor, level up and slide controller, inverter, and some others. I installed a battery disconnect right on the batteries to disconnect all loads. ever since then I can leave it in storage for a couple of months and when I go over to exercise the generator the batteries have only lost .1 volts or so and the generator starts right up.

[bubbles]

4 lights illuminated is not indicative of your battery condition rather it is an indication that charging is taking place.

[dragon60732000]

I had a solar panel installed on my class C to charge the house battery and I also have a battery watering system installed so I can add water on all batteries every 6 months

[poppytoymaker]

Four lights may not indicate the state of charge but it allows me to crank the generator until it starts where I don't get anything until the engine is running. I tried a battery disconnect at the main neg terminal and juice still flowing so what am I doing wrong?

[CHICKDOE]

i'm trying to read into what you have posted. it looks like you have a trailer that you connect to a truck. everything seems to work when hooked to either shore power or to the tow truck. but when disconnected the trailer batteries get discharged. my first thought that there were still loads on the batteries when in storage. but then you say you put a disconnect switch on the negative battery terminal and they still go low. at this point I can only think of two things. do you have multiple batteries? if so are they wired so that the disconnect switch you installed removes all possible loads? sometimes they are wired with different cables going to the different batteries such that you can disconnect one but there is still a path out the other battery. look at th other batteries and see if they have a battery cable attached to the negative terminal that leaves the battery (not the jumper between the two batteries). if this is the case the disconnect switch is not installed properly (some rewiring of batteries cables is required). or, the batteries are shot and are simply not holding a charge. can you take them out and take them to an auto parts store to have them tested?

[poppytoymaker]

Class C, 2 batteries in a series. I put cut off switch on neg terminal of first battery with both negative cables attached to one end of switch and with knob removed still had juice to my awning strip lights that's how i test if there is still power, short reach from switch