tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8801217063323814316.post881341719954608475..comments2024-03-12T18:11:24.514-04:00Comments on Meryl and Me Hit the Road : Extreme Winter and Charging the Roadtrek BatteriesWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06664259206096691320noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8801217063323814316.post-43179785126471318482015-09-21T01:46:41.714-04:002015-09-21T01:46:41.714-04:00Please tell me what model 3 way refrigerator you ...Please tell me what model 3 way refrigerator you have in your Roadtrek? Dometic three-way model #. Does it have "Auto-Mode" where you select that on an electronic control panel on the fridge and it will select what source to use to cool the fridge - Gas, DC, or AC? OR does it have a manual ignite button that you have to keep pushing to light the propane to run the fridge? I am trying to get help for you to track down what went wrong - but I need to know these things. Also year and model Roadtrek? Thanks!Writerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06664259206096691320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8801217063323814316.post-57979934788441527072015-09-21T00:10:50.676-04:002015-09-21T00:10:50.676-04:00You have completely drained your batteries. The ge...You have completely drained your batteries. The generator won't start because it needs the battery for its starter - you could try starting the engine to get some power to try to start the generator but more than likely it will still not start. You should not have ruined your batteries - not with this happening only once. You have not said what year or model and that may make a difference in what to do. I will proceed with the idea that you have a Roadtrek past 2006 without any of the new fancy electric system additions. There are two ways to get your batteries charged. To drive - usually two hours at highway speed but with completely drained batteries this will take longer. OR to plug in and with the batteries in this condition it may 24 hours of uninterupted charging to bring them back. Why your battery drained to this point is a question. The only condition that I am aware of for the battery to drain to this extent with the battery switch off is extreme cold over an extended amount of time which is not this time of year OR your inverter switch is ON - which with the Tripp-Lite 750 will cause the 110v outlets to still be live even with the battery switch off. If it was on for some time before you shut down the battery to stay the night in the hotel, it was draining all of that time too. IF the inverter wall switch is ON now - shut it off before doing anything else. My Roadtrek sits on my driveway with the battery switch off for weeks and it will take almost four weeks for the battery to drain to where it must be charged. This should not happen over night. If all is correct inside - your inverter switch was off - the battery switch was really off - and the fridge was not drawing any 12 volt power at all - you need to get your electric system checked out by a service tech at an RV shop or RT dealer service. It is possible that there is a problem with your seperater or isolator - depends on year as to which you have - which is inside the engine compartment and keeps the engine battery and RV battery apart so that one does not drain the other. These do go bad over time and odd occurences with either battery are often a result of this going bad - or your charging system is not working. Ask the motel if there is an outside outlet that you may plug into - you will need a 30 amp to 15 amp adapter - which is something that should be carried in the event you need to do just this. You can buy one in the RV section of Walmart's auto department. Sorry this all happened - especially for having some ice cream...Writerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06664259206096691320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8801217063323814316.post-46498767325445406892015-09-20T19:00:45.592-04:002015-09-20T19:00:45.592-04:00After driving all day I stayed in a motel and was ...After driving all day I stayed in a motel and was not connected to shore power so turned off the battery to save it and put the fridge on gas so my ice cream wouldn't melt. Now in the morning the battery has no lights showing on the monitor and it will be two more days in motels before I am in a place where I can plug into shore power. Also my generator won't start. Have I ruined my batteries and what should I do about the batteries when staying in a motel?Lizhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16083054331079946049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8801217063323814316.post-1069329019065930022014-02-09T08:04:42.804-05:002014-02-09T08:04:42.804-05:00Oh! I do apologize. I didn't watch the video b...Oh! I do apologize. I didn't watch the video before providing the Link. And after further review (as they say): It is a lousy video. I am suitably embarrassed.<br /><br />Anyway, I installed mine under the hood. This, IIRC (it was five years ago), was according to the instructions that came with the unit.<br /><br />Hmmmm. Simply plugging the house in to 110V did not keep the chassis battery from discharging in our 2008 model. After only a couple weeks -- what I thought was a very short period of time -- the chassis battery would not start the engine. This was solved only by installing the TRIK-L-START. The spec sheet that came with the unit said something about it taking energy out of the house batteries to keep the chassis battery "topped off." And after five years or so, I have not had a single non-start situation even, as I stated above, after several months of storage.<br /><br />In any event, I do not profess to understand how it works (in fact, quite the opposite) and only submitted my comment to add a supplement to your article. I do understand why this wouldn't be much of a solution to your situation.RonBoydnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8801217063323814316.post-22058915074532774742014-02-08T17:13:05.319-05:002014-02-08T17:13:05.319-05:00If one has an a 110v outlet adjacent to the Roadtr...If one has an a 110v outlet adjacent to the Roadtrek outside, plugging it into shore power and leaving it plugged in all winter will keep the coach batteries (and engine battery in models 2006 and newer) fully charged - and this will work even without a trickle charger. The trick to this is having that outlet that will allow you to plug into shore power without the electric cord sitting on the ground between the outlet and the Roadtrek without that cord getting in the way. There is no way that I could do this. The cord would be on the ground on the driveway just where one needs to walk to get from the front of the house to the rear of the house, plus as has been happening with recent storms would be under the snow that will be removed with a snow blower and/or shovels (if not buried in inches thick of ice - as is the condition of that location outside my house at this moment) and a snow blower would tear that cord to pieces and result in a great deal of hazard and damage. So, if you can park your Roadtrek for the winter completely out of the way right next to an 110 v outlet, it is an option. Also, in a 2011 and newer Roadtrek 190, Ranger, and, I believe 210, , the coach batteries' terminals are not accessible to connect a trickle charger to. They are not under the floor as shown in the video link. Writerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06664259206096691320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8801217063323814316.post-83034942805070435552014-02-08T11:10:36.788-05:002014-02-08T11:10:36.788-05:00I might have mentioned this before and since I hav...I might have mentioned this before and since I haven't had a battery problem, I just skimmed your article. So if this isn't germane to the issue, I apologize.<br /><br />Anyway, I installed a TRIK-L-START unit (http://www.lslproducts.net/TLSPage.html) shortly after purchasing our 2008 RT -- the cab battery went dead after about two weeks of sitting idle. Anyway, our RT stays plugged in to shore power continually while at home. Our unit has sat idle since the first of October without being started. I just went out and it started right up. And this is after a week and a half of the high temperatures for the day being in the mid-single digits.<br /><br />There is also a Youtube video here on the installation procedure. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gukUIZ58oKw<br /><br />RonBoydnoreply@blogger.com