2003 Roadtrek 200 popular, remove coach battery ?

[PJW73NH]

Boost, It's original. I've got a PD4655 with the charge wizard in my TT with two 6 volt Duracell Ultra flooded batteries. It works great.

I would probably get a PD9160, PD9260 or a lower section PD4655 upgrade.

The question on the battery still remains. Deep cycle, or deep cycle/starting?

Thanks.

[booster]

Originally Posted by PJW73NH

Boost, It's original. I've got a PD4655 with the charge wizard in my TT with two 6 volt Duracell Ultra flooded batteries. It works great.

I would probably get a PD9160, PD9260 or a lower section PD4655 upgrade.

The question on the battery still remains. Deep cycle, or deep cycle/starting?

Thanks.

It would only really matter if you were looking at wet cells, I think. AGMs are able to supply starting current better than wet cells so most of the better AGMs are fine for light starting duty, plus they recover charge faster by a bit. If you upgrade the charger to take good care of it, a good AGM would work well for you, I think. Seriously consider a monitor at the same time as long as you are wiring anyway.

[PJW73NH]

It looks like I've got a break in the cold Wx today. I think I'm going to try and get the old battery out of the Chevy 2003 200 Pop.

Does anyone have, or can anyone point me to some kind of schematic for main 12v system of the van/coach?

I've got some of it identified. Up front, I have ID'd the battery isolator that charges BOTH chassis and coach batteries from the alternator when the van is running. I have found the coach battery relay under the drivers side bed along with the converter. I have metered out and understand the operation of the relay.

What I haven' figured out is how the 12v side (starting) of the genny ties in to the coach battery and where much of the wiring runs.

I suspect once I get the coach battery out, I may (hopefully) be able to trace some wiring.

Thanks.

PS. After doing a search I found this: https://www.classbforum.com/forums/f...grams-223.html

Very helpful and great onfo, but no generator shown.

[Morry]

Originally Posted by SteveJ

The cables are not long enough to drop the battery with them attached, as I recall. As of about three-fours years ago I no longer use that location on my '00 200.

It will help greatly to remove the propane fill assuming that it's in the same location as mine was. I remounted the fill farther toward the passenger side on the same support.
doing that not only made battery removal/install quite a bit easier it also allows filling the propane tank without removing the draw bar from the hitch receiver.

00C200P. I looked at my battery and at first glance, there doesn't seem to be a way to slide it out as is suggested by RT, I'd have to take the hitch and rear bumper off to get at my battery. If I would replace my battery, could I install it (them) in the enclosed space between under the beds? I know if the batteries are installed inside the coach they will need to be vented.

[PJW73NH]

It looks like the beginning of your post may have been unintentionally omitted.

Well, With what I've learned recently from this forum and other resources, you can relocate your batteries to the areas under the bed. In fact, that is my plan at this time.

So you will either have to have the area WELL vented (for flooded batteries), or use AGM, gel or lithium batteries. But be aware, you may need to change out your converter, and it is strongly urged if you DO go AGM, gel or lithium that you get a BMS (battery management system). There's a ton of info in this forum on these subjects.

How sure are you that you need to remove the receiver hitch. I have one, and I can't see how it would be an obstruction in my situation 2003 RT 200 Pop.

[Morry]

Originally Posted by PJW73NH

It looks like the beginning of your post may have been unintentionally omitted.

Well, With what I've learned recently from this forum and other resources, you can relocate your batteries to the areas under the bed. In fact, that is my plan at this time.

So you will either have to have the area WELL vented (for flooded batteries), or use AGM, gel or lithium batteries. But be aware, you may need to change out your converter, and it is strongly urged if you DO go AGM, gel or lithium that you get a BMS (battery management system). There's a ton of info in this forum on these subjects.

How sure are you that you need to remove the receiver hitch. I have one, and I can't see how it would be an obstruction in my situation 2003 RT 200 Pop.

Thanks for the info!!

[SteveJ]

Originally Posted by Morry

00C200P. I looked at my battery and at first glance, there doesn't seem to be a way to slide it out as is suggested by RT, I'd have to take the hitch and rear bumper off to get at my battery. If I would replace my battery, could I install it (them) in the enclosed space between under the beds? I know if the batteries are installed inside the coach they will need to be vented.

I don't know what RT recommended. For mine on a 200V you had to loosen or remove the bolt that holds the bottom ledge of the battery. This bolt is along the bottom edge in the middle at the back of the bottom of the enclosure. The open side of the enclosure is facing the passenger side of the van. The battery slides out there.

Not sure on the 200P but my propane fill hose is kind of blocking things but the battery can still be removed. I wound up moving my propane fill farther to the right. By doing this I made it easier to get at the battery and made it so I no longer had to remove the hitch draw bar to fill the propane.

It's very possible a previous owner changed some things around. Can you post some pics?

Too bad this isn't two months from now as I plan on being in MN in late May.

BTW, IIRC, the starter cable for the genny is also attached to the pos on the battery.

[Morry]

Originally Posted by SteveJ

I don't know what RT recommended. For mine on a 200V you had to loosen or remove the bolt that holds the bottom ledge of the battery. This bolt is along the bottom edge in the middle at the back of the bottom of the enclosure. The open side of the enclosure is facing the passenger side of the van. The battery slides out there.

Not sure on the 200P but my propane fill hose is kind of blocking things but the battery can still be removed. I wound up moving my propane fill farther to the right. By doing this I made it easier to get at the battery and made it so I no longer had to remove the hitch draw bar to fill the propane.

It's very possible a previous owner changed some things around. Can you post some pics?

Too bad this isn't two months from now as I plan on being in MN in late May.

BTW, IIRC, the starter cable for the genny is also attached to the pos on the battery.

Hey thanks!! I'm not changing the battery anytime soon, maybe summertime. It's 20 years old so I'm just looking ahead, trying to plan a little.

Where will you be in MN? Boundry Waters?

[SteveJ]

Originally Posted by Morry

Hey thanks!! I'm not changing the battery anytime soon, maybe summertime. It's 20 years old so I'm just looking ahead, trying to plan a little.

Where will you be in MN? Boundry Waters?

Driveway camping outside of North Branch, near Almelund.
We are originally from there, took a job transfer that landed me in FLA after 54 years of living in Minnesnowta.

Each year my three brothers and I gather in early June(this year, on the first) for the "Johnston brothers annual fishing, drinking, and now OHV riding, extravaganza". Two brothers have Roadtreks, another a small travel off road trailer. We find some free state or fed land to go boondock camping and general goofing off and of course, eating (mentally) healthy food. Usually for four nights starting on a Monday.

What part of MN are you at?

[Morry]

Originally Posted by SteveJ

Driveway camping outside of North Branch, near Almelund.
We are originally from there, took a job transfer that landed me in FLA after 54 years of living in Minnesnowta.

Each year my three brothers and I gather in early June(this year, on the first) for the "Johnston brothers annual fishing, drinking, and now OHV riding, extravaganza". Two brothers have Roadtreks, another a small travel off road trailer. We find some free state or fed land to go boondock camping and general goofing off and of course, eating (mentally) healthy food. Usually for four nights starting on a Monday.

What part of MN are you at?

Up the road about 20 miles in Rush City!! Maybe I can come down and show you my Roadtrek!

[PJW73NH]

OK so here's what I've got/done so far:

The manufacturers battery location is horrible. Esp for a flooded battery that needs relatively routine maintenance. Way up under the rear bumper, on the drivers side of the van.


I've examined a few options.

1. Replace my existing Group 24DC batt with a new one. Possibly up to a group 31. About $120. But still have the headache of removing it to fill it and maintain it.

2. Replace AND relocate my coach battery to a group 31 Deep Cycle AGM battery, resulting in a necessary upgrade of my existing Parallax 7345 converter to a Progressive Dynamics 4655V converter upgrade and a battery management system (AiLi). Cost: $230 for the converter with Charge Wizard, $200 for Deep cycle AGM battery, and $40 for Aili battery management system. Approx $500 start to finish cables and all.

3. Go all lithium. Approx cost $1400.

So, I decided to go middle of the road. So far I have the old battery out (not a pleasant task). I've re-wired the two positives together (Generator starter and Coach 12v). These were both on the + side of the coach battery to begin with.

The new AGM battery will go in the upper forward section of the drivers side storage compartment. Most of the + wiring is pretty straight forward. The ground will be a challenge. There is a full AC and DC bare wire ground in the same compartment as the converter and coach battery relay. But it appears to be a 10-12 ga stranded wire. I don't trust this with a 55 AMP converter. Though I doubt I'll EVER pull that much current through it. I am pretty sure I need a 6 Ga or larger to be compliant.

My thought for the ground are either run a 6Ga back to the original ground in the old battery cavity (about 5-6 feet), or try and find something closer to the - side of the battery, drill through the fiberglass and try and find a solid frame round.

I've attached some pics of the project thus far. I found it extremely helpful as SteveJ suggested to relocate the propane fill so as to provide better access to the original battery. Hopefully this post will help someone.

Battery Management System and Converter upgrade should be in in 10 days or so. More to come..

[rowiebowie]

Keep us informed. I did a lithium battery upgrade and relocated inside. Using two Renogy "old"100Ah lithiums because those batteries had the smallest footprint I could find and still they barely fit. Same for their 3000W lithium inverter/charger which just fit the long & narrow space I had available. Also added the Renogy State of Charge (SOC) monitor and their 40A DC to DC charger to isolate the new lithiums from my lead-acid coach battery and charge them properly.

Space in tough in a class b.

[PJW73NH]

My new converter upgrade came yesterday. I got it installed today. It's a Progressive Dynamics 4655 (Parallax converter section only) upgrade. It included the charge wizard pendant.

I have a AiLi BMS coming soon (I hope).

My battery relocation can be seen in my post above as can the converter. I have no issue with cutting and splicing the signal wires on the charge wizard pendent -OR- the BMS system to extend them. I'll probably use ethernet cable or thermostat cable.

What I am finding a challenge is how to run them over to the other side of the cabin to mount them with the other panel switches. Monitor panel, HWH, Gen etc... The converter and battery is on the drivers side, just in front of the exterior storage compartment. The rest of the gauges etc are just inside the side door on the wall above the third bucket seat.

As a last resort, I could probably run them through the floor, under/along the chassis, and up into the "hollow" wall between the bathroom and the third seat by the side door.

Any thoughts ?

[jujuhound50]

I have the same year and model ( '03C200P ) and the battery is weak. I think it's a wet deep cycle but don't know for sure because I haven't tried to get it out yet....does seem like a bear of a job.
So depending on how long and how much trouble that is I may just stick the same power & type back in so as not to confuse/conflict the converter.
If it looks like moving the battery to the driver side storage is not too complicated I may do that. I've read a guy's post on the Facebook Roadtrek site that did that and it seemed straightforward enough. It would make future battery maintenance and hooking up and monitoring my solar easier.
Either way considering the state of the world and time before I'll be venturing out again I think I'll keep watching your progress and hopefully learning a thing or two.
----I'll try to post photos from the FB post....

[jujuhound50]

I have the same year and model ( '03C200P ) and the battery is weak. I think it's a wet deep cycle but don't know for sure because I haven't tried to get it out yet....does seem like a bear of a job.
So depending on how long and how much trouble that is I may just stick the same power & type back in so as not to confuse/conflict the converter.
If it looks like moving the battery to the driver side storage is not too complicated I may do that. I've read a guy's post on the Facebook Roadtrek site that did that and it seemed straightforward enough. It would make future battery maintenance and hooking up and monitoring my solar easier.
Either way considering the state of the world and time before I'll be venturing out again I think I'll keep watching your progress and hopefully learning a thing or two.
----I'll try to post photos from the FB post....battery move.jpg