Roadtrek House Battery Discharging

[rscrogg]

My 2010 Roadtrek 210 Popular has 2 deep cycle house batteries. When it is stored, the house batteries go dead, even though I have turned the battery switch on the control panel to "off." Periodically, I check the batteries and run the generator to bring them back up to full charge, but sometimes they go dead in a couple of weeks and won't start the generator. Then I have to drive the vehicle from storage to my home and use shore power to get them back up. The unit also has an inverter, but I don't see how that could be discharging the batteries. Any ideas on why they could be discharging? Everything should be turned off, as far as I can tell.

Thanks

[booster]

Originally Posted by rscrogg

My 2010 Roadtrek 210 Popular has 2 deep cycle house batteries. When it is stored, the house batteries go dead, even though I have turned the battery switch on the control panel to "off." Periodically, I check the batteries and run the generator to bring them back up to full charge, but sometimes they go dead in a couple of weeks and won't start the generator. Then I have to drive the vehicle from storage to my home and use shore power to get them back up. The unit also has an inverter, but I don't see how that could be discharging the batteries. Any ideas on why they could be discharging? Everything should be turned off, as far as I can tell.

Thanks

The inverter/charger is still connected with the battery switch off and will take a bit of power, but should go longer than a couple of weeks. Of course you batteries are approaching 10 years old, and if have gone dead or near dead a number of times they are likely pretty much at end of life. If you are running the van to drive it, the coach batteries should also be charging off the alternator. The engine running should also supply power to the generator so you could start it. If this is not happening, you likely have a bad separator or one of the two auto reset circuit breakers from the engine to the the batteries.

[Jon in AZ]

My 2014 190P has a second inverter switch above the battery disconnect. If it’s left on, something is humming in the back of the trailer even with the battery disconnect off. I had the same problem- rapid discharge- until I figured out the second switch. The switch is counterintuitive: up is off and down is on. When off, the noise stops and the battery holds a charge.

Beyond that, your batteries may have a severely reduced capacity due to the frequent deep discharge. That would also necessitate more frequent recharging. Might be worth having them load tested.

Once I figured out the switch and put in two new batteries, mine can sit 3-4 weeks before I have to plug in and recharge.

I also had the isolator in the engine compartment checked and it turned up good.

[stevanpierce@gmail.com]

I ended up having a similar issue. I left the rv sitting for a few months and that was a mistake. Turned out that when those babies died down to nothing, it killed one of them. At least that is what I am able to gather based on research. (Although one of them might have been bad to start with given that I had issues prior to them sitting.)

Taught me two valuable lessons: 1) never let a batter go down as far as I did. 2) Napa won't honor their battery warranty despite it being one of their own, need the receipt even if given to you.....which means Napa won't earn any business from me in the future.

[SteveJ]

Originally Posted by stevanpierce@gmail.com

I ended up having a similar issue. I left the rv sitting for a few months and that was a mistake. Turned out that when those babies died down to nothing, it killed one of them. At least that is what I am able to gather based on research. (Although one of them might have been bad to start with given that I had issues prior to them sitting.)

Taught me two valuable lessons: 1) never let a batter go down as far as I did. 2) Napa won't honor their battery warranty despite it being one of their own, need the receipt even if given to you.....which means Napa won't earn any business from me in the future.

I've found that Walmart does not need the receipt, they store it in their computer. Any Walmart will honor it. BTDT.

[stevanpierce@gmail.com]

Originally Posted by SteveJ

I've found that Walmart does not need the receipt, they store it in their computer. Any Walmart will honor it. BTDT.

Yeah, similar w AutoZone or others. It was disappointing to say the least. So, they'll never earn my business; and, by this thread as prime example, will recommend others to not use them as well.