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Need help, all batteries are dead.
I recently bought a 2002 Prevost Featherlite H3-45 DS, my first coach. When I took possession I had both the chassis batteries and house batteries replaced, not cheap! I drove it to Arizona to NIRVC for indoor storage. It’s valet, so essentially you give them the keys and the park it and plug it in (bay door open for shore power, light on). So far so good, right?
After plugging it in they set the my inverters to “off”, did not leave it “on”, or did not choose the “charge” option. This discharged the new house batteries, and the chassis batteries (light left on).
My understanding is that when the inverter is set to “off”, it does not charge, it simply allows anything left on to drain the batteries until they reach zero.
Question 1: with no chassis, house, or batteries to start the generator, how do I get it started? Do I need a 24 volt jump using the battery bay terminals?
Question 2: Does complete drain effect the life of the brand new Lifeline batteries?
Any help would be appreciated!
Blaine Sellie
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11 Replies
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ok my brother, take a deep breath. Can you plug in to shore power somewhere?
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Its currently plugged into shore power…but the inverters were set to off so nothing powers up, including the inverters. lol
2000 Featherlite H3-45
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Leesburg, FL -
Thanks Mike. I will let you guys take it from here.
Bill III
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I think you are going to need a standalone charger to charge either set of batteries. Low amperage chargers are relatively inexpensive, but it may take a while to charge. It is possible that all of your batteries are junk now (sorry). Once you get a charge, get the hell out of that place and find a place where you can be in control of the process to store your coach.
FWIW, I had a similar incident when picking up my previous coach after some paint and body work. The chassis batteries were mysteriously dead, and I had to pay those bastards who killed them to get new batteries because I had no other alternative the time. Also, soon after my house batteries stopped taking a charge and had to replace those. IMO dont let anyone be in charge of your battery storage/charging process unless you gone through them in great detail how it’s going to be handled.
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Call Lifeline, they will tell you the best way to handle the batteries when they have went thru a discharge like that. I had a similar issue and they were able to bring my batteries back to life and have been without issue for the past 4 years.
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BCSellie,
OK……you have a few options. Hope I’m not too late with suggestions……..
First off, good chance your batteries are fine. Any good bus shop can load test the batteries and see if they are degraded. If they are, I would go back to the storage location for a claim for their actions. If they are in the business of storing coaches, then they should know what they did is negligent.
To get the coach started and back in running order, you have a few paths. This will range from “will take some time” to “get it started now”.
For the chassis batteries (starting batteries for the motor). Find/purchase a 24 volt charger and start charging the batteries now. You can either get a high output shop charger (that you will probably only use once) or buy a battery maintainer for the starting batteries. Victron makes a good unit. Make sure it is 24 volt for the easiest hookup. 10 amps should do it. The shop charger route will get the coach started in an hour or two of charging, the maintainer path will take a day or two get enough charge to start the battery. The maintainer (Victron) will stay permanently mounted in your coach and permanently hooked-up while the coach is on shore power. This will keep your chassis batteries topped off while in storage and always ready to use.
For the house batteries, You can simply turn on your inverters and make sure they are set to charge the house batteries. They will charge enough to get some lights on within an hour or so. Keep them plugged in until the batteries are fully charged and NEVER AGAIN let your storage site turn them off. The fastest way to charge the house batteries is to get the engine started. Your charge rate from the engine running is far superior to letting the inverters do the job. If you can get the coach outside, then start the generator and let the coach sit without the coach engine running. This will do the same thing as being plugged in to shore power and let the inverters charge the batteries.
Again, I would be going to to the storage site for repercussions for their actions. They should know better.
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NIRVC tries to portray themselves as a premier outfit able to do anything related to a coach.
Definitely make them aware of the issue and see what they will do to make it right. If me I would be looking for a warranty on the batteries.
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Typical lead acid batteries drain a couple percent a month, so not horrible but still not good to lose 10% over the winter. Charge mode on your inverter should be specifically designed to keep your house batteries topped off but cut all other loads off.
If your storage has power then I would have definitely added a 24v charger for your chassis batteries and kept the inverters on, just flipped the 120v Breakers for stuff you don’t need on. It’s their power and they should give you 15a.
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Did you get the batteries charged yet?
I’ve had experience with both situations, but not at the same time.
First the chassis batteries. How old are they? If fairly new, they can still probably be saved. You can use just about any 12 volt automotive battery charger and hook it to the batteries; I presume the 12 volt set in the four.
Or install hard wired battery charger (12 or 24volt). I installed a Guest/Marinco 12 volt charger seven or eight years ago; three stage smart charger. I’m reading that many are installing a Victron 24 charger.
Your coach might already have a chassis battery charger installed (our Liberty did, but it was 1999 technology, single stage that if left on for any length of time could the cook the batteries) and a dedicated outlet for the charger in the engine bay on its own breaker.
Try to charge them. Fully killing them might have damaged a battery and often the four won’t take a charge.
House batteries. Do you have AGMs? Letting them drop below 12.2 or 12.4 volts does damage them a bit and shortens them a little bit. Further below those threshhold, the more the damage. Fully draining them shortens their lives. I’ve done it.
To bring back fully drained AGMs the house inverter/chargers won’t charge them, neither will the alternator on the Detroit Diesel (I learned that the hard way). I had to use a 12 volt automotive battery charger (my trusty Craftsman). I was instructed by Jeff Rowe at East Tennessee Luxury Coach to hook the POSITIVE charger clip to the battery side of the house battery master cut-off switch (switch in the OFF position) and the negative charger clip to the coach chassis. Turn off the inverter/chargers. The battery charger should show that the batteries are taking a charge. If you have both 12 and 24 volt house systems, hook to the 12 volt switch. If you have only a 12 volt house system, then that switch. Jeff said charge for a few hours or over night. Then unhook the automotive charger, then the inverter chargers on, and if you’re plugged into shore power the inverter/chargers should now start charging and you should have 12 and 120 volt power in the coach.
Questions? Feel free to call me: 262-365-9088
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Sorry for the delay guys….we did use a 24 volt charger to get everything back in working order!
I recently set the inverters to CHG upon return to storage with a note saying do not change settings please!
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That’s it? Simply “do not change”?
You were much more polite than some of us might have been.
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