Coach Battery

Carl17 · 05-02-2019, 06:51 AM

Ok my rig sat in the driveway for two weeks went out today and house battery dead. Ever thing was off starting with battery switch. Any one have any Ideas ?
It has been in storage before sat 8 weeks no problems. This time two weeks they are dead ,were charge and are brand new. There is a small compartment to left of battery's it has a bunch of wires and looks like a solenoid/fuses. Well with the master switch in off position,these are still hot . Any one had a problem like this? Trying to get a Wiring Diagram. Six hours a way from dealer call them no help.

2018 311fs Leprechaun

Carl17 · 05-11-2019, 06:55 AM

Picture on left this wires are hot all the time.

jonwisconsin · 05-13-2019, 11:19 AM

Carl, I have your same unit. When I don't go by the storage for a few weeks the batteries go down. I have learned to go at least two week and turn the generator for 30 minutes. This takes care of keeping the batteries good.

It also takes care of exercising the generator. My generator's manual states that it needs to be warmed about I hour a month when not in regular use. I have divided this in two 30 minutes every two weeks.

I assuming what I am doing is correct as I am getting the results I want.

kenandterry · 05-13-2019, 11:32 AM

Carl.....

You mention that everything was ok with your rig when it sat for 8 weeks in storage, then house batteries go dead after only 2 weeks in your driveway.

What did you different since bringing it out of storage?
Have you been camping since coming out of storage?
I suspect something is running now since compared no out of storage.
Did you buy new batteries since coming out of storage?

Carl17 · 05-14-2019, 07:07 AM

Nothing has change other than dead battery's. All are new ,power switch off ,but some thing is draining them fast. Call dealer no help just bring it in 3 weeks and they will look at it when they get a chance. LOL 12 hour of driving.
Trying figure it out my self but weather not cooperating. Rain rain rain. Sent a Email to coachman but no response. One thing the leveler pump has power all time could be a glitch there. wiring diagram would help.

tomkatb · 05-14-2019, 07:43 AM

There was something wired goofy here.

Do a good inspection of the battery area. Something is still connected to the batteries when the switch is turned off.

On mine only the lift system is operable when the disconnect is turned off. Nothing else.

Try disconnecting the negative terminal of the battery. If they die you may have a defective battery. Autozone has a device to test cells. Cheap. Hydrometer.

When the switch is off a standard voltmeter with an ampmeter in it can be connected to the battery to measure the output. Be careful. Switch must be off as the meters are for minimal amps. Should read near 0.

I do not like to depend on rv dealers.

You gotta be handy! These campers are not simple. Electricity is often an issue.

Running the battery down to 0 is damaging to the battery. Needs a fix. Going to the trailer every week and running the battery is not a good plan.

Witch Doctor · 05-27-2019, 03:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carl17

Nothing has change other than dead battery's. All are new ,power switch off ,but some thing is draining them fast. Call dealer no help just bring it in 3 weeks and they will look at it when they get a chance. LOL 12 hour of driving.

Trying figure it out my self but weather not cooperating. Rain rain rain. Sent a Email to coachman but no response. One thing the leveler pump has power all time could be a glitch there. wiring diagram would help.

Next time you call Coachmen, ask them to send you the wiring diagram, they will send it to you, there very good about that other FR divisions will not, but I know for a fact Coachmen will,

Wes Tausend · 06-04-2019, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carl17

Nothing has change other than dead battery's. All are new ,power switch off ,but some thing is draining them fast. Call dealer no help just bring it in 3 weeks and they will look at it when they get a chance. LOL 12 hour of driving.
Trying figure it out my self but weather not cooperating. Rain rain rain. Sent a Email to coachman but no response. One thing the leveler pump has power all time could be a glitch there. wiring diagram would help.

I seldom get to turn on the leveler for our Leprechaun, but I did this trip. I noticed that after I pushed to auto-level button and it leveled itself, that
the Leveler power button stayed on until I shut it off a minute or so later. I'm not sure if the On-button has an auto-off built into it, but if it doesn't, it would be easy to leave it on where it may have drawn a higher idle current, maybe enough to kill the batteries much sooner.

There is supposedly, an auto-retract feature built in to the system that is supposed to quickly retract the jacks if somebody turns the engine ignition key on. That would mean, I assume, that the leveler jack computer is "listening" all the time for this possibly catastrophic event (Catastrophic in the sense that moving an RV with the jacks down usually results in major damage).

Wes

Carl17 · 06-05-2019, 06:47 AM

I have notice that the levelers have power all the time . I have trip the breaker for them still seem to have power. When i un hook battery's at ground cable and rehook at a later time there is a good spark when reconnecting them . SO something is drawing on them. Sent a Email to coachman two weeks ago no response.

Wes Tausend · 06-06-2019, 10:49 AM

...

I'm interested if you do get a response, Carl17. Mine indicate that they are off (power light goes out) if the power light is on and I push the power button one more time. One light that does stay on, at least for a bit, is the "all up" indicator.

But like I said, the leveler computer must "listen" to the ignition all the time if it really does determine that all jacks are properly raised for safety when the ignition is turned on.
Wes

CHICKDOE · 06-06-2019, 12:09 PM

there are becoming more and more devices that stay awake and listen. anything with a remote transmitter needs a receiver that is awake and listening for it. any device that operates via a touch panel needs to have power to it to recognize a touch. things that utilize a mechanical on/off switch will not draw power when the switch is off but these electronic things don't turn all the way off, they go to standby mode and that takes power. also, may devices get wired directly to the batteries and do not use the common battery cables. the only sure way it to install a true disconnect switch on the battery terminal or cable.

Carl17 · 06-09-2019, 07:43 AM

For right now Ii unhook neg. cables.

Daphlin · 06-21-2019, 08:05 AM

I installed a Battery Disconnect switch in the battery compartment (Easy)to switch off the negative side of the battery circuit. Batteries have never died.

Carl17 · 06-21-2019, 10:33 AM

Ya that looks like next step. the most draw seems to be coming from levelers and some thing else haven't had time to rely get into it. Small draws from propane and smoke alarms .

So what type of dis connect did you use?

Daphlin · 06-23-2019, 01:39 PM

I installed a rotary switch I purchased at Autozone

Daphlin · 06-23-2019, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daphlin

I installed a rotary switch I purchased at Autozone

Picture attached

TitanMike · 06-23-2019, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carl17

Ya that looks like next step. the most draw seems to be coming from levelers and some thing else haven't had time to rely get into it. Small draws from propane and smoke alarms .

So what type of dis connect did you use?

LPG leak detector yes, but Smoke Detector???

If it's drawing power replace it with a good battery powered one that has a "10 year battery" in it. New detectors are sealed and when the low battery alarm starts beeping, just replace the whole unit. Chances are the sensor element(s) are contaminated with environmental pollution and no longer work as well as they should thus the new trend toward sealed units (as well as preventing people from stealing batteries for kid's toys, etc).

While you're at it, get a combination CO/Smoke Detector. When your LPG/CO combination fails (and it will because it has a timer in it), you will only have to replace it with a less expensive LPG (only) detector/alarm.

Glen62 · 06-25-2019, 05:25 PM

In our Mirada it was the power step that was wired hot. I guess they didn’t bother to run everything through the shutoff switch. I just installed a shutoff switch right on the battery cable. Now I know everything is off

Gllo1954 · 07-09-2019, 06:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carl17

Ok my rig sat in the driveway for two weeks went out today and house battery dead. Ever thing was off starting with battery switch. Any one have any Ideas ?
It has been in storage before sat 8 weeks no problems. This time two weeks they are dead ,were charge and are brand new. There is a small compartment to left of battery's it has a bunch of wires and looks like a solenoid/fuses. Well with the master switch in off position,these are still hot . Any one had a problem like this? Trying to get a Wiring Diagram. Six hours a way from dealer call them no help.

2018 311fs Leprechaun

I just purchased a new Leprechaun 260DS. The first thing I did was to install a Victron Energy BVM-712 Smart battery monitor. It tells me the current draw in real time and predicts how long the battery will supply energy at the current draw. When everything is "off", I draw about 0.3 amps which is about 11 days of usage. When I turn off the batteries, my current draw goes to 0.
I would install this unit and see what the current draw is when everything is off. Then start removing fuses, one at a time to see where the current is going.

www.victronenergy.com/battery-monitors/bmv-712-smart

jonwisconsin · 07-17-2019, 05:39 PM

Wes, in mine the auto-retract does not go on by itself. When I turn on the engine with the levelers down, a strong beep continues, the leveling system does not work. I have to turn the engine off before retracting the levelers.

Carl, I have a similar problem when I did not go to the storage for more than two weeks, After that incident, I installed this battery disconnect that I bought from Amazon.

Ampper Side Post Knife Blade Master Switch, Battery Disconnect Switch Isolator for Marine Car Boat RV ATV Vehicles (with Long Bolt)

You may also like: