Battery test?

[jbeletti]

Hi Larry,

A puncture through the batt case certainly sheds more light on this for us. Perhaps a cell-to cell connection was broken inside the case.

I am not super-familiar with your coach layout so I cannot weigh in on the two 6v batt matter. Others will weigh in though.

Jim

 

[trdeal]

Larry, one other thing to check is the climate control switch inside the fridge door at the top. If it is left on and you are not hooked up to shore power, it wiil drain the battery fairly quickly.I know you found the puncture in the battery and that could be it. Just wanted to give you one more thing to check.

 

[Larryheadhunter]

No more good news. After all I have done, I opened up the front storage bin, and lo and behold next to where the gen prep was done, on the other side of the first battery was another Centennial battery. This time it was tested and CCA was supposed to be 565 this one was tested at 77. Again, 3 people went thoroughly through the rig and nothing was turned on. The storage place let me plug it in to a 110 outlet, so I got a 50-30amp and 30-15amp plug and hopefully it wont overcharge the new one and will charge up the other. The repair shop thinks I have a short somewhere or some kind of loose wiring connection, so since we are going to Emerald Cove Resort in Earp, CA on Sunday, they have hookups so next Friday when I get my rig repaired from the shakedown cruise(LOL), they said they would find the problem and fix it, and of course hopefully the Heartland warranty will cover it. I am over spending the whole day trying to figure this out. I didn't even know I had a second battery to start with. They are side by side but in different compartments. The first is in with all the hydraulics of the sliders. I am going to buy a battery cutoff too, as the 2009 doesnt even have one.

 

[mountainlovers76]

Does anyone know if the Big Horn's with generator prep are supposed to come with a second battery. I picked up my 2009 3600RE in January and just return from my first shakedown trip to the Smokies. In the CG there were two other Big Horn's, a 2008 3600RL and a 2009 3600RE identical to mine, both had "gen prep" and both came with second battery. I just read in this thread where someone else's came with a second battery in the "gen prep" area. Mine has a second battery box but no battery. Did they simply have a dealer who was good to them or was I short one battery?

 

[jbeletti]

Spoke to the factory this afternoon. Batteries are a "dealer supplied" item.

 

[mountainlovers76]

Thanks Jim. That answers my question.

 

[Larryheadhunter]

Is the Centennial a 6 volt or did they give me two 12 volts, one for the coach and one for the gen prep? And they were attached through the walls. Does that mean they are both used for my rig, or is the one for the gen prep dedicated for only a generator?

 

[ChopperBill]

Count the caps on top of the battery. 3 is a 6 volt. 6 is a 12 volt. If the battery is separated for your generator use it wont be 6 volts. 6 volts starting systems went a way with the "55" Chevy.

 

[Larryheadhunter]

thanks retired4fun, both batteries are 12 volts, but they are attached through the walls. Does that mean they are both used for my rig, or is the one for the gen prep dedicated for only a generator?

 

[Oldlthrneck]

If you have wires connecting one battery to the other, then they are both in the system and both are used for your rig.
Fred

 

[Larryheadhunter]

So I am assuming that I have extra battery power until I get a generator. Verdad? And does that help me in any way?

 

[Oldlthrneck]

It gives you more time running off of the batteries before they discharge to the point that you would have to recharge them. The amount of time that a charge on your batteries will last, is a function of how much juice you are pulling out of them and for how long. If you run one light, with two batteries instead of one, you will be able to use that light for twice as long before the batteries would need to be recharged.
Fred