Results for "deep discharge"

Solar Batteries Medium 1-2 hours 120 👍 0

Xantrex Freedom X 1200 Inverter Low Battery Warning: Critical 11.2V Fix Guide

Walked into my new RV and discovered the previous owner left the Xantrex Freedom X 1200 inverter constantly throwing critical 11.2V low battery warnings. My Xantrex Freedom X 1200 inverter is displaying warning indicators on the panel, and I'm seeing some concerning voltage readings that have me worried about potential damage to my electrical system.

Here's the complete situation: My house battery is reading 11.2 volts, while the chassis battery shows 13.1 volts. The inverter panel is lit up with what I assume are low voltage warnings. I've been noticing the interior lights dimming significantly, especially when trying to run any appliances through the inverter. To make matters worse, it's currently overcast and getting dark, so my solar panels aren't generating any meaningful charge to help recover the battery.

I'm particularly concerned because I know lead-acid batteries can be permanently damaged if they're discharged too deeply. The voltage reading of 11.2V seems critically low to me, but I want to understand exactly how urgent this situation is and what my immediate next steps should be. Should I be looking at shore power connection, generator use, or is there something wrong with my charging system that caused this in the first place? I need to know both the immediate fix and what might have caused this failure. …more

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Solar Batteries Medium 2-4 hours 109 👍 0

RV Battery Draining Overnight? Find & Fix Parasitic Drain

The day after I installed that new solar charge controller last month, my RV batteries started mysteriously draining from fully charged to completely dead overnight. I've already confirmed that all visible lights, fans, and appliances are turned off, and I've switched off the main interior power, but something is still drawing power continuously. I understand this is likely a parasitic drain where some component or circuit is staying energized when it shouldn't be, but I'm not sure how to systematically track down which specific circuit is causing the problem. I have a basic multimeter but I'm not entirely sure about the proper methodology for testing each circuit individually to isolate where exactly the power draw is coming from. What's the step-by-step process for using a multimeter to methodically work through the electrical system, starting from the main disconnect and testing individual fuses or circuits until I can pinpoint the exact source of this parasitic drain? …more

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Electrical Medium 45 minutes 103 👍 0

RV Converter Not Charging Battery: Fix Guide & Solutions

Despite my multimeter showing 12.6 volts at the battery, everything I've read says my converter should be pushing 13.6 volts during charging. When I plug into shore power, my converter fan kicks on and runs like normal, and all my 120V stuff works fine - lights, outlets, everything. But my batteries just aren't charging at all.

I'm not really sure where to start troubleshooting this. Could it be a fuse somewhere? Bad connections? Or is my converter partially failing somehow? I'd really appreciate some guidance on what to check first and how to test if the converter is actually putting out the right voltage to charge the batteries. …more

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Best RV Solar Panel Kits

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Engine Medium 2-3 hours 101 👍 0

Fleetwood Discovery Generator Won't Start: Battery & Electrical Fixes Guide

Since the manual says to check the fuel shutoff solenoid first on my 1999 Fleetwood Discovery 37V diesel pusher generator, why am I getting power there while the battery connections are completely corroded? The generator absolutely refuses to start unless I run the main Cummins engine for several minutes first, and I've already tried using the boost battery switch which seems to do nothing.

I have brand new batteries - two 12V for the chassis and four 6V house batteries properly wired. Everything else works fine, but this generator issue has me concerned. I want to understand: 1) Why won't the gen set start from its batteries without the main engine running first? 2) Which battery bank does the gen set actually use - chassis, house, or a separate gen set battery?

I'm 80 years old and hesitant to crawl under the coach to trace the gen set 12-volt cable. Can someone help me understand what might be happening with my generator's electrical system? …more

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Electrical Easy 10 min read 100 👍 0

RV Battery Disconnect Switch Guide: When to Use, What Loses Power & Staying Safe

Wondering if I can skip the $400 shop diagnosis for my electrical issues and just figure out this battery disconnect switch myself, even though I'm getting conflicting advice.

Specifically, I'm concerned about what happens to things like my LP gas detector, carbon monoxide alarm, and refrigerator when I disconnect the battery. Will I lose all my radio presets and clock settings? Are there certain situations where I absolutely shouldn't use the disconnect switch?

I want to use it for storage to prevent battery drain, but I'm also wondering about daily use scenarios. What are the best practices to avoid any problems or safety issues? I really don't want to mess anything up or put my family at risk. …more

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Solar Batteries Medium 2-3 hours 93 👍 0

Stop RV Battery Drain During Storage - Expert Solutions

Planning to store my 2012 Winnebago Tour and there's clear signs of battery drain happening across all six house batteries and two chassis batteries. I'm religious about flipping both the chassis and house disconnect switches before putting her away for storage. Still go out monthly to fire up the generator and top off the batteries.

But here's the thing that's driving me nuts - even with those disconnect switches flipped, my batteries are still going dead! Sometimes I can't even get the engine started and have to hook up a trickle charger just to get things going again. What's the deal? I thought those disconnect switches were supposed to prevent this whole mess. Am I missing something obvious here, or is there more going on that I need to tackle? …more

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Electrical Medium 30-60 min 92 👍 0

Dead House Batteries on 50 Amp Shore Power: Troubleshooting Guide

Turned on my 2024 Entegra Reatta XL this morning to find the house batteries completely dead again despite being plugged into 50 amp shore power—third time this season and I'm done guessing. New batteries, good connections, power was working fine for days then died completely. Voltmeter shows 12.69V on chassis, 4.7V on house batteries at the BIM.

What's the proper troubleshooting sequence for house batteries not charging on shore power? Need to check converter, breakers, and connections but want to do this systematically. …more

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Slideouts Medium 45 minutes 90 👍 0

HWH 325 Levelers Shutting Off When Extended? Quick Fix Guide

This might sound like a warranty question, but before I start tearing into my HWH 325 series levelers that shut off when extended — am I covered or paying again? They power up just fine - all lights, sounds normal, no drama. But the SECOND I press any of the extend buttons, they shut off completely like I just insulted their mother.

I'm trying to level out while changing my motorhome's oil (because apparently I can't even do basic maintenance without my house deciding to be crooked), and these levelers are having none of it. Battery shows good on the panel, but I'm wondering if there's some kind of voltage issue happening when they try to actually work? Or maybe loose connections somewhere? Anyone dealt with this particular brand of RV stubbornness before? …more

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Engine Easy Informational 87 👍 0

Honda EU2200i Generator: Can It Charge a 330Ah RV Battery Bank?

Camping off-grid next week with a 330Ah lithium battery bank and wondering if my Honda EU2200i can keep up. Last trip the generator ran for six hours and the batteries still weren't fully charged. Need to know if this little generator can realistically maintain a bank that size. …more

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Engine Medium 60 minutes 84 👍 0

P068A Code Ford V10 RV: Complete ECM Power Relay Control Circuit Fix Guide

Check engine light came on with a P068A code on my Ford V10 motorhome. Scanned it at AutoZone and they said ECM power relay control circuit — but the engine runs fine and I have no drivability issues. Not sure if this is something I need to fix immediately or if it can wait. …more

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Ac Refrigeration Medium 2-4 hours 82 👍 0

Advent RV Air Conditioner Not Cooling? Complete KoolRV Adapter Fix Guide

Around 6 AM I walked out to my fifth wheel and spotted my Advent air conditioner running but barely pushing any cool air through the vents. I replaced my old Coleman AC with an Advent, mainly due to price, but I'm not getting good cooling during the heat of the day. I've found that opening the slide vents on the ceiling cover helps a bit.

I'm considering using a KoolRV adapter like I had with my previous Coleman, but no adapter currently exists for the Advent. I've noticed the cold air discharge opening is located in the corner instead of the center, which I think is causing air turbulence and restricting duct airflow.

My main concern is whether restricting the airflow too much could cause problems like freezing up or other damage to the AC system. I've also seen that installing these adapters involves removing some kind of dividing wall inside the unit, but I don't understand why that's necessary.

Could someone explain if there are risks to restricting airflow and why that dividing wall needs to be removed? I want to make sure I understand what I'm getting into before I try any modifications. Right now, it's starting to cool down here in the Everglades, but I still want to improve my cooling performance. Thanks for any guidance! …more

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Electrical Easy Informational 79 👍 0

RV Battery Disconnect Switch Problems: Why Salesman Switches Fail

Since following that popular YouTube fix for my Thor Outlaw's battery drain, the salesman switch "solution" turned my minor electrical issue into a complete nightmare. Despite being marketed as a battery disconnect, this switch fails to eliminate parasitic draw completely while simultaneously disconnecting the batteries from the charging system when on shore power.

The design creates a problematic scenario: batteries continue draining through various circuits even when 'disconnected,' but they cannot receive charge from the converter. This results in dead batteries after extended storage periods, particularly when parked indoors where solar charging is unavailable.

I'm experiencing about a 50% probability of completely dead batteries, where they're disconnected from the converter and lack sufficient power to even reconnect to the charging system. The indicator light provides no reliable signal about the switch's actual position, making it impossible to track battery connection status.

What are the most effective solutions for addressing this flawed disconnect system? Are there proven workarounds that other Thor Outlaw owners have implemented, or should I be looking at bypassing this switch entirely? …more

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Solar Batteries Medium 30-45 minutes for testing 77 👍 0

AGM Battery Deep Discharge Damage - East Penn 6V Recovery

Looked inside my battery compartment and immediately hit with that acrid sulfur smell - my East Penn 6V AGM batteries are completely dead after a deep discharge. Last July, I installed six East Penn 6V house batteries and set the Magnum remote to AGM type. Left my coach at a shop for 2.5 weeks and came back to completely dead batteries - we're talking 8V dead, folks. Nothing worked: steps, lights, even my fancy electric shades decided to take a permanent nap. Chassis batteries were still okay.

After plugging in at home, the Magnum charger went through its whole song and dance - bulk charging at 100A, then eventually settled into float at 13.2V. When I unplugged and fired up the generator briefly, voltage dropped from 13.0V to 12.7V.

So here's my million-dollar question: did my deep discharge adventure turn these batteries into expensive paperweights, or do these voltage readings suggest they might have survived my negligence? I'm cautiously optimistic but honestly have no idea what signs indicate whether AGM batteries bounced back from the dead or are just pretending to be okay! …more

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Solar Batteries Medium 2 hours 76 👍 0

Ford E350 RV 20 Amp Charging Limit: DC-DC Charger Solution for LiFePO4

Noticed the Ford manual shows standard charging rates for my E350, but after upgrading to LiFePO4 batteries I'm only getting 20 amps max. Expected to see crazy high charging rates when I first tested it, but nope - stuck at exactly 20 amps whether I'm idling or revving to 2500 rpm.

I ended up installing a DC-DC charger anyway (heard too many horror stories about frying alternators), but I'm still curious - is there something from the factory that's limiting me to 20 amps? Like maybe Ford built in some kind of isolator or something to keep the original lead-acid batteries happy? Just seems weird that it's such a consistent number regardless of RPM. …more

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Solar Batteries Medium 2-4 hours research and installation 73 👍 0

Lithium Battery Upgrade for 2018 Georgetown RV - Safe?

Thinking about upgrading my 2018 Georgetown from lead acid to lithium batteries but worried about compatibility with the existing converter and charging system. Don't want to spend $2,000 on batteries only to find out I need another $1,500 in electrical upgrades to make them work. …more

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