First, the simple - there are either two or three batteries in your Roadtrek. One is the engine battery just like in your car. This is a wet cell (maintenance required or maintenance free) vehicle starter battery. It is different from the battery(ies) that you have in your coach - those that run everything 12 volts inside your Roadtrek. Current model Roadtreks have either one or two "coach" batteries. These one or two batteries have nothing to do with starting your engine and in most, if not all, Roadtreks there is what is called an Isolator in the engine that separates the vehicle battery from the coach batteries so that if one drains it will not pull power from the other. You would not want to not leave in the morning because you ran down the coach batteries the night before.
My 2011 Roadtrek 190 Popular has TWO coach batteries. When we were buying the Roadtrek every salesman we encountered told us that this is a feature of the 190. It turns out that the current Roadtrek models of 190 and 210 and the Sprinter models have two coach batteries. I have been told by owners that not all of the older models do and many have just one.
Coach batteries must be what are called "deep-cycle" batteries. This means that they are not designed for short burst starting like a vehicle battery does but that they are used much like the batteries in a flashlight that provides steady power over time. This is a very simple explanation - so the electric engineers who would like to comment with detailed and scientific explanations please do, but for the everyday Joe Roadtrek owner this is enough to understand. There are many types of "deep-cycle" batteries and when you look at battery displays to purchase these they are often labeled as Marine/RV batteries. In the 2011 models, Roadtrek started to use AGM deep cycle batteries. They use two six volt, AGM, deep-cycle batteries. The AGM batteries do not have "wet" cells". There is no water inside the battery cells. These batteries will not boil over because there is no water inside. If overcharged, a wet cell battery can boil - if there is not a special circuit to prevent this. The two AGM batteries that Roadtrek is using now have 220 amp hours. I will explain this more later.
Besides not boiling out, there are advantages to AGM batteries. They hold a charge longer. They deliver more amp hours. They do not need maintenance. And they do not need to be vented which means that they can be installed in an enclosed area without causing any problem. The wet-cell batteries do need to be vented which means that the compartment that they are stored in must have access to fresh air - and this should be outside the coach. Roadtrek still installs these batteries outside the coach. I will get to where the batteries are installed soon.
I said that I have two six volt AGM batteries - why not one 12 volt AGM battery or two 12 volt AGM batteries. I will share what I have been told. Two sixes give more amp-hours than one twelve or two twelves together. Don't ask me why. Again, this is for the engineers out there.
I have also learned that one cannot/should not - likely cannot - mix AGM batteries and wet-cell batteries in the same system. Now this does not include the engine and the coach but if one coach battery is AGM then any other coach battery or batteries added must be AGM.
I also know that you should not let your batteries go below half power without recharging them to full power. This is something to consider when looking at how long you can go just using your batteries.
Again - basics. No science. I leave that to the many engineers that know RVs and batteries.
In 2011, Roadtrek changed the storage of the coach batteries. The first time that I saw this was the day I took delivery of my Roadtrek. Every Roadtrek 190 that I saw before this - and I had never seen a 2011 model - had two battery compartments. One was above the back passenger wheel and accessed by a locked compartment door from the outside. The other was a large compartment with a locked door on the side of the van in front of the rear passenger wheel. That compartment has a sliding shelf inside that would pull out so that you could easily access the battery there and its connections. This made it easy to check the water in the battery and test the voltage with a meter if you wanted to. In 2011 - on the 190 - that rear over the wheel compartment was gone. The compartment in front of the wheel remained, BUT both batteries are now there and there is no longer any sliding shelf. The only way to access the batteries is to lean in to a very small and not really lean-into-able space. For the most part, I would need to reach in and unhook the connections on the batteries and pull them out. These batteries are EXTREMELY heavy. I know this because I saw an AGM battery display in a store and I tried to lift one and it did not move. (No, it was not held down in any way.) I can open the compartment door with the key and look inside and that is as far as I have ever gotten - and to me there is nothing to see that I can do anything about.
As I have said, older models and model to model things change. You may have one battery or you may have two. If you have a 170 you have one battery - that I am sure of. I know a 2005 190 owner who has one battery. With Roadtrek things change from year to year and model to model - and sometimes even mid-way through the same year. Roadtrek does have two model years per year - for example, there is a 2011 on a 2010 Chevy chassis and there is a 2011 on a 2011 Chevy chassis. I have a 2011 on a 2011 chassis.
Now, you have battery basics. What do these batteries run? Inside your Roadtrek you have overhead lighting fixtures -large and small lighting fixtures spread all over the coach. These are 12 volts and run on the batteries. The water pump runs on 12 volts. The 3-way stock refrigerator has a mode to run on 12 volts. The hot water heater runs on 12 volts. The fan for the furnace runs on 12 volts. The ceiling exhaust fan runs on 12 volts. The macerator in the newer Roadtreks runs on 12 volts. Older Roadtreks have 12 volt outlets in the coach that you can plug 12 volt things into - just like the cigarette lighter outlet on your dashboard. My Roadtrek has NO 12 volt outlets. To install one, it would be necessary to tap into 12 volt wiring going to a light fixture. Older Roadtreks may have a 12 volt TV set - they do exist.
Now, I am going to explain amp hours. As I said, my coach batteries provide a total of 220 amp hours. Every appliance or light or whatever electric uses X number of amps per hour. Many appliances will have this labeled on them somewhere. You can also test how many amps something draws with an amp meter. The Kill-A-Watt meter found at home stores has this function along with many other functions. I will talk about this more with other parts of the electric system. With the batteries - if something draws one amp that means it needs one amp to run for an hour. You have 220 hours of power. Run two things that each need one amp and you have 110 hours. Somethings use a fraction of an amp - somethings use a lot of amps. Some things like motors - fans, etc. draw a lot of amps quickly and these will run your batteries down fast. I understand that the furnace fan drains the batteries quickly. So if you want to know how long you can go without having to charge the batteries, you need to add up the amps in each thing you have on and compare that to what the capacity of the batteries is - and remember not to let them discharge to less than half. Again, this is a simple and basic explanation of detail electrical principles. When we get to the section on 110 volt power, I will talk more about this and share with you the Green Acres TV show (from the 1960's) method of understanding how much is too much.
Alright - this is your battery system. Your batteries will recharge when you drive your Roadtrek. Your batteries will recharge when you are plugged into 110/120 volt shore power. Your batteries will recharge when you run your generator. Your batteries will DISCHARGE when you run your inverter. Roadtrek says that it takes 12 hours for the batteries to fully charge. I have been told that driving the van will charge the batteries faster.
I am now going to share with you the most important thing to understand about the battery system and this applies to the entire Roadtrek electric system and I will repeat this in each article.
FOR YOUR BATTERIES TO WORK YOUR BATTERY DISCONNECT SWITCH MUST BE ON!
The battery disconnect switch is located on the bottom right of the monitor panel. Here is a photo of mine.
One last thing about the photo - see the panel above the switch. The last column of LEDs on the right will tell you approximately how much battery power your batteries have. The C on the top stands for charging. If that light is on when you push the TEST switch, the batteries are charging from one of the sources I listed earlier that charge the batteries. After a long charge, that light may stay on even when not charging (when you push the test button). It will not come on in a day or so - or less. The G is "good" - basically there is full battery power. The F is "Fair" and the "L" is Low. Charge the batteries before you get to the "L". This panel is not absolutely accurate but it is good enough as long as you stay on top of keeping your batteries charged.
When we leave on a trip we turn on the Battery Disconnect Switch and it is not turned off until we get home.
When your Roadtrek is at home and you are not using it, shut off the Battery Disconnect Switch. While it is on, it will drain your coach batteries as there are a few 12 volt devices that remain powered on when it is on such as the propane alarm and the carbon monoxide alarm. If you are not in the Roadtrek between trips there is no need to have these running. Another good thing to know is that while you are driving, with the Battery Disconnect Switch OFF - your Roadtrek batteries will still charge from the engine running.
The next article coming in the electric system series will be 110/120 volt shore power.
the Roadtrek 190 and 210 Simplicity models have one 12V AGM coach battery and do not have inverters. When I bought my new 2012 RT this March, I was told by the RT service tech to only turn off the battery disconnect if my unit was to be idle for several weeks, otherwise to always leave it on.
ReplyDeleteTrue - the Simplicity models only have one battery.
DeleteIf you leave your battery disc switch on when you have your RT just sitting between trips all you are doing is draining the battery. My dealer said the same thing as yours and then I asked the RT tech at the factory - and he told me exactly what I have wrtitten above - turn it off between trips.
The simplicity has a converter charger but no inverter. The Simplicity has left out a lot of key features that in the past hadbeen standard to RTs and many RVs.
DeleteThis is very helpful. Thanks! My 2010 190 Popular has 2 6-volt batteries in the slide-out tray. They are Excide 3600s (I think). When they die, I look forward to a maintenance free battery set-up.
ReplyDeleteI would worry about having agm coach batteries with a lead acid starter battery. The two chemistries have different charger needs and mixing them will result in one battery being over or under charged resulting in much reduced battery life.
ReplyDeleteThis is how Roadtrek makes all of their models now - Coach batteries are AGM and the engine battery is whatever the chassis manufacturer installs. The system has worked and is designed by the Roadtrek techs. I do know that one should not mix the two coach batteries - AGM and wet cell (in those models with two coach batteries). There is a battery separator between the engine battery and the rest of the electric system and Coach batteries in Roadtreks since 2005. 2004 models and earlier have a battery isolator - and the Coach AGMs only came in with the 2011 models.
DeleteThe problem is that when the batteries are charged they are connected together by either an isolator or separator. The Agm's can not accept charge at voltages above 14.2 volts, while the wet cell wants 14.4
DeleteIf you set things up for the Agm's you under charge the starter battery. If you set up for the starter battery you will cook the Agm's either will shorten the life of the battery. This is not going to cause the battery to fail this week, or this year, but it will shorten the life..
I guess I need to join the roadtrek Facebook site and ask the president about this.
The Tripp Lite Inverter/Converter/Charger manages charging of all of the batteries. I am not an RV technician nor an engineer. There are some things that we need to have faith that the people who design something like a Roadtrek know how to do it, especailly when they have a great reputation as Roadtrek does. As you suggest yourself, you should contact Roadtrek and ask them how they do it.
DeleteWe own a 2008 190 Popular. Our coach battery is a 12 volt deep-cycle lead acid battery. We are replacing it with a mainterance free AGM 12 volt battery. I was told by someone that you are required to change the settings (dip switches) on the inverter when you install an AGM batery. Do you have any information about this. /Bob
ReplyDeleteYes! There is a change of settings on the dip switches on the Tripp-Lite Inverter for different batteries. Take a look at my article on the inverter. There is a link to the manual there and there are illustrations and directions in the manual to do this.
ReplyDeleteI recently acquired a 2001 Versatile 200, which is basically a gem. However, twice, I have managed to discharge both the house and starting battery while dry camping. The first was during the winter, with the furnace running. The second was last week, with the refrigerator running on 12V. I have a plug-in voltmeter on both circuits, and both were dead as doornails. Why would the isolator allow the starting battery to be sucked down as well?
ReplyDeleteI have since debugged the fridge and got my understanding up to speed on all three modes, of which it seems to be OK.
The furnace fan draws a lot of 12 volt power from a battery. The fridge does as well and when possible and safe should be run on propane. Both will drain the coach battery and if you go beyond the amp hour limits of your battery you will find yourself with a dead battery. Plus the battery should never be allowed to go beyond half power as this will damage the battery and require a much longer recharge time. Now. what should not happen - as you know - is that any of this should effect the engine battery. Isolators go bad over time and it is very possible that if this is the original isolator from 2001, it is no longer functioning as it is supposed to - keeping the coach from draining the engine battery. The isolator can be checked out by an RV tech or even a mechanic familiar with them. It may need to be replaced which should not be a big job. Newer Roadtreks no longer use isolators but use separators instead. Their purpose is the same. I do not know if an isolator can be replaced with a separator but you can certainly get a new isolator.
DeleteI got a prompt reply from roadtrek, who suggested that someone had bypassed the isolator. Voila...true, and I was able to test the diodes before completing the fix. All seems normal now, but my further query is whether a 2001 Versatile 200's electrical system would let me be connected to shore power (to keep the fridge cool), without cooking the coach battery.
DeleteA 2001 has a converter/charger and not a three way inverter/converter/charger which was installed in later Roadtreks. The capabilities and functions in that particular converter/charger is what would determine if there is a safeguard built in to prevent boiling out your batteries while charging which is taking place when you are plugged into shore power You need to determine the model and make of the converter/charger and try to find out if it has this function. If it is the original from Roadtrek they may be able to tell you.
DeleteHi I am enjoying your great information very much. I just got a 2004 200P a couple of days ago. The house battery was very weak so I took it out to charge it. I accidentally hit the wrench against the frame while removing the positive terminal (couldn't see it from below. It sparked. Now the battery is recharged and reinstalled. When I hit the battery switch at the panel to turn it on, I'm getting a rattling sound like a car starter solenoid makes when the starting battery is weak coming from the electrical compartment. The two 5amp fuses are ok. Got any ideas? Thanks so much! Kip
ReplyDeleteYour coach battery connects to the Roadtrek electric system through the converter/charger. In 2004 Roadtrek was not yet using the TrippLite inverter/converter/charger all in one unit. It is very possible that when you shorted the battery with the wrench, you shorted the converter/charger unit and damaged it resulting in this sound that you are hearing. This is just conjecture but I would start with an RV shop looking at the electric system and the converter/charger now and finding the source of this noise. ALSO - you did not need to remove the battery to charge it - you could have let the Roadtrek's converter/charger charge it by plugging into shore power for 12 hours or more - avoiding any possibility of shorting the terminal.
DeleteUpdate...I had my wife push the bat switch while I was listening in the elec compartment. It is definitely the coil making the shuddering sound. Then I parked the RT in its spot and plugged it in to shore power. A couple 12v lights came on inside and the battery switch red light is on. It will not turn off now, but it makes a very satisfying clunk when moving from on to off. Its too late and too dark to try anything else tonight. Comments on the latest developments?? ;)
ReplyDeleteI still think you need to have the system checked. It is evident that there is damage done somewhere from the wrench shorting the battery plus. I assume you have checked all of the coach fuses in the Roadtrek's fuse box. All 12 volt circuits go through fuses. AC 110 volts go through the circuit breakers.
DeleteI have a 1991 dodge Roadtrek. The monitor panel does not have the battery turn off switch. Could it be somewhere else or dies it not have one? Also what do I have to change to use AGM batteries
Deletein my 93D190P the switch is under the bench seat on the drivers side. you may have already found it!
DeleteI have a related question. I am the proud owner of a 2003 190P. It came with two 12 volt wet cell batteries. They are situated one in front of the rear wheel and one behind. I would like to switch to 2, 6 volt deep cell batteries. My question is how do I wire the new batteries. As it is there is a pos and a neg lead in each battery compartment. If I connect them as is it will be 6 volts going to the inverter/charger. My thinking is to connect the pos lead to pos battery1, add jump wire from neg battery1 to pos battery2 and existing neg lead to neg battery2. Will that work and will I have to make any changes to pins etc at the inverter?
ReplyDeleteWhat you intend would better work if you switched to 2 6 volt AGM batteries - duplicating what Roadtrek begins to do in 2011. If you have a Tripp-Lite 750 inverter/converter/charger there is a dip switch that must be changed when changing from wet cell to AGM. THOUGH the TrippLite 750 comes in after 2005. I can't advise about the wiring and you will have to determine what inverter and converter/charger you have to determine if there are switch settings that must be changed for AGMs.
DeleteCan you help me locate the isolator on a 1998 190 (Dodge). My house battery is not charging when I drive and the isolator may be bad. I believe it is in back of the converter under the driver side dinette seat at the rear of the coach. Sound right? Any suggestion as to where to get a replacement?
ReplyDeleteTry looking in the under the hood - my separator is on the rear wall of the engine compartment under the hood right in front of the driver at the top. These are fairly common on RVs and also trucks and most mechanics can test them and replace them. Once you locate it you can find the maker and model and will be able to locate a replacement - either online on your own, at an RV service shop, or a mechanic should be able to get one for you. If it is not where I suggest, call Roadtrek customer service and they will know (I hope) exactly where it is and what replacement part to get.
DeleteQuestion: I am readying my 2011 RT Ranger for a trip South. Yesterday I ran the engine for 15 minutes or so and checked the levels of the tanks on the panel and then thought I had shut the battery disconnect switch off. This morning I noticed the battery disconnect switch was on (red light) and I pushed it to turn it off and it won't turn off. Any suggestions? Inverter switch is off and nothing is running.
ReplyDeletePush the opposite side of the battery switch to turn it off that you do to turn it on - a quick on and off press. If it will still not go off, the switch may have gone bad - they sometimes do. If this is the case you really need to get to an RV service center right away or you will be draining your batteries - which you don't want to do if you are about to go off on a trip. If there is no Roadtrek service near, then any RV service tech MAY be able to replace the internal parts of the switch. I am not sure if the switch is a Roadtrek specific part - the monitor panel that it sits in is made for Roadtrek, but other RVs use similar sized and shaped switches on their panels. There is a small drain from the batteries when the switch is on - the propane detector and the CO detector are working when the switch is on - and the TrippLite inverter/converter/charger unit itself is on - nothing to do with the inverter wall switch. You could pull fuses but you really don't want to do that. All 12 volt - battery related electric are on fuses - not a circuit breaker which are for the 110 volt electric. If you contact me by email with the contact us link on this site I can help you more directly with any problem. It is easy to forget to turn off the battery. I have done it - and now I find myself going back to check that I shut it off every time I leave the van and it should be shut off.
DeleteOne more thing - if you can't get to anyplace to fix this. If you are leaving on your trip right away - as long as the panel is showing the batteries at G - second from the top LED, as you drive the engine will keep the batteries charged and if when you get to where you are going and plug in, shore power will keep the batteries charged - and you should be fine for the whole trip. We put the battery switch on when we leave and don't shut it off again until we get home. It is just how much the batteries are starting out with - and if you plan to be using the Ranger without plugging in while you are away- that will drain the batteries and that can become a problem.
DeleteDoes anyone know where the 2 extra batteries for the 190 popular models are located?
ReplyDeleteThe two coach batteries (batteries for the RV, not the engine) are located inside a locking door on the outside passenger side of the van just in front of the rear tire. They sit on a shelf, one behind the other. From 2011 onward, this shelf does not move. Earlier year 190s had a sliding shelf that held one battery here and there was a second battery in a similar compartment behind the rear passenger tire on the side of the van.
DeleteI am considering buying an older 2002 RoadTrek RV with 85000 miles. Seems to be in very good shape. How much should I plan on for annual maintenance and insurance--ballpark. Thank you (I used to own a 1970's era Winnebago 20 footer back in the 70's--and remember U-joint failure one time when out in the boonies. Towing was expensive then, probably a lot more now!?)...Keith
ReplyDeleteEmail us through the Email Us link on the side column and ask us this directly. The comments section is not the best place to discuss something like this. There are several things to consider to answer your questions.
DeleteI have read your article & appreciate the info. I am a first time RVer & am trying to learn what could be draining my coach batteries after only 5 days of being idle. The 2 AGMS were full charge 5 days ago & the coach has not been used. Today when I went to the storage unit to check it, and battery reading was "L". Please help me troubleshoot.
ReplyDeleteI do have a TV and DVD player. Should they be unplugged when coach is not in use?
Thanks for your help.
OK - two possibilities. 1)Are you leaving your Battery switch ON? If so, turn it off unless you are on a trip. When your Roadtrek is on your driveway or in storage between trips, keep that switch off. It will drain your batteries in a week or less. 2) Even if your battery switch is OFF, is your Inverter wall switch ON? If so, this will drain your batteries to L in three days or less. ALWAYS keep the Inverter wall switch off unless you are in the Roadtrek and want to use the few outlets that are attached to the inverter at that moment. Once you are done, turn that wall switch back OFF. The inverter wall switch when on still sends power into those outlets - even when the battery switch is OFF and the batteries just drain down to nothing. As to unplugging the TV and DVD - there is no reason to do that IF the inverter switch is OFF, as it should be. That outlet is dead until you turn tn inverter wall switch on, plug into shore power, or run your generator. It is not a good thing to allow the batteries to drain to L or below half charge. This will decrease the number of recharge cycles the battery life will have. Then once the batteries go down too low, it will take much longer to charge them back. If your batteries are at "L", plug in for 24 hours or more to charge them back to full. That low and you will have trouble starting the generator until the batteries are charged back up. Unless there is a problem in the electric system in your Roadtrek, this should solve your problem. On the right side of this page about three quarters of the way down it says "Email Us!". I would be happy to troubleshoot this all with you by email if this does not fix the problem.
DeleteThanks for the excellent information. After reading it, I believe I know now that my problem is a bad battery disconnect switch. Are these easy to replace or does it have to be done by a professional?
ReplyDeleteThanks!
The battery switch in my Roadtrek is part of the monitor panel. If yours is the same you would have to find the same switch that would fit into that same space with the same connections. I have read that some have done this themselves. I would suggest having a Roadtrek dealer/service do the replacement - and they may just replace the whole monitor panel.
DeleteOkay. Battery charging still confuses me. Can you please answer these questions? I have a 2008 Roadtrek Agile
ReplyDelete1) I was told inverter button should be off unless dry camping and need outlet. Should I ever turn this button on otherwise?
2) When plugged in, should the battery button be 'on' = red light lite up? Should anything else be turned on while charging? (going down the road or plugged in?)
3) When driving down the road, what should be on? battery light on (red)?
My battery doesn't seem to hold a charge. I took a trip where I ran the frig while driving thinking that charging while going down the road would keep up. When I stopped, battery was 'l' and detectors started beeping. Took another trip and just turned off frig a lot.
Ok - 1. Inverter wall switch ON only when you want 120 volts in the few outlets connected to the inverter and you cannot plug in or run your generator. This way the battery through the inverter will power those outlets. AND NO OTHER TIME. 2.Right before plugging in, or turning the inverter wall switch on or running the generator or if you are inside the Agile and just want to have battery power for lights, etc. and no other source of power - turn the battery switch ON. Always on when plugged in or running the generator. 3. When driving down the road the battery switch does not have to be on - the battery will still charge from the engine with this switch off. IF for some reason you want to have something on while driving down the road - such as having your three way fridge running on battery while you drive instead of dangerous while driving propane - put the battery switch on. Contact me by email using the email link at the side of this page and we can talk more directly about why your battery is not charging. Several possibilities and we need to interact to go through those. Detectors start beeping when the batteries are low is normal. It is a warning system to say batteries are low and the detectors cannot protect you from CO or propane. Email me and lets try to figure out why your batteries are not charging.
DeleteWe are having the same issue with our 2014 Ranger. Wondering if you were able to solve the issue reported by unknown posted on May 10, 2016
DeleteIt doesn't appear that our battery is holding a change. We had it plugged into power and soon as we unplug the CO monitor will beep and we check and the panel is showing the battery low. We have check and the inverter is off nothing is plugged in.
We have a 2014 Ranger that the battery doesn't appear to be holding a charge. It will show that it is charging but once we turn the engine power off or unplug for shore power it goes back down to low. The panel indicates it is charging. We haven't had the batteries tested, is there other basic troubleshooting we can do.
DeleteI just found the two questions above - obviously from the same reader- not sure why the site did not send me an email notice to approve them to publish. While two year old batteries should still be good, it very much sounds otherwise. AGM batteries should last longer. Take your Ranger to wherever you can have the two batteries load tested and see what the result is. I am guessing that they need need to be replaced. As I am recently learning replacing the two 6 volt AGM deep charging coach batteries is not as easy as it should be - and this may turn into a future article. While there are plenty of 12 volt deep cycle AGM batteries available, six volt deep cycle (only) AGMs are not. So far I have located only three places that sell them, two on the West Coast and one in the middle of the country. This means shipping two very heavy batteries that cost from $300 to $400 each. THERE IS ANOTHER POSSIBILITY - that your inverter/converter/charger is not working correctly and this may be what needs to be replaced. For this go to any RV service shop, if you cannot get to a Roadtrek dealer/service shop.
DeleteAll systems were go. Then I went out to go on a trip and my coach battery was dead. Frig was warm, had been running on propane. Generator would not start. Instrument panel behind steering wheel wouldn't work. Water, oil pressure speed gauge would not work either. Changed switch box on steering column, still nothing works in coach nor does instrument panel work???
ReplyDeleteSomething drained your coach battery to dead. If the coach battery is dead nothing that runs on 12 volts in the coach will work. Propane for fridge will not ignite - no cooling in fridge. Generator has no battery for ignition - generator will not start. It also sounds like your engine battery died if your gauges on the van dash don't work. I am not sure what switch box you are talking about on the steering column. If the coach and engine batteries die at the same time, the first place to check is the Separator or Isolator (depending on year of Roadtrek) which is located under the hood and keeps the two battery systems apart preventing one from draining the other. These units do go bad over time. This is always something to check when there is odd battery behavior.
DeleteI have a new to me 2001 RT 200 Popular. I recently took it to a local RV dealership/repair shop (not RT) and they installed solar and a second battery, as well as replacing the original battery. The one replacing the original was placed as the original behind the generator at the underside rear of my RT. This has been placed without a protective box, and so would be splash back moisture, as well as almost literally touching the genny. Both new batteries are wet cell. The second wet cell, they installed in one of my rear side compartments. That one is in a protective case, but does not appear to have any ventilation. The mechanic told me that I don't have to worry about that, because it is not directly inside the unit with me; however, where they put it, it sits below the rear bed right beside the outside shower... there is nothing that would prevent an gas from seeping into the cabin... what can I do about this, or is it really ok? Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThis is not a question that I can answer fully with my knowledge of RV batteries and the 2001 RT 200P. If the first battery you mention is in the exact location that Roadtrek placed the battery when this Roadtrek was new - and that battery compartment has not been modified in any way, it should be fine. Yet when you say "without a protective box" I have to wonder as my battery compartment is protected - albeit in a model ten years newer. The second battery location may be of concern. Wet Cell deep cycle batteries should be vented. I can only suggest that you have another RV shop take a look at it. A Roadtrek dealer/repair would be best - but if not possible another RV service tech in another shop. I would also suggest that you contact Roadtrek customer service and see if they will give you an opinion on the locations of your two batteries. You may want to take photos and email them to Roadtrek tech support. I wish I could help more.
DeleteThank you very much for your assistance. I RT dealer/repair closest to me is quite backlogged, but I do have an appointment scheduled. Thanks again.
Deletewhere is the fusebox located on a 2000 roadtrex 200
DeleteI have never seen a 2000 RT 200 so I can't tell you. There are manuals for all year Roadtreks on the RT website.
DeleteI have a 2013 Roadtrek Ranger. I went out to start it up and it was dead. Just had it serviced about a month ago. The battery is only about 6 months old. I tried turning on the coach batteries and I don't get anything so I assume that they are also dead. I put on a battery charger for the vehicle but it won't charge. There is water in the battery. The battery separator keeps clicking. What can I do to try to diagnose what the problem can be?
ReplyDeleteIf the battery separator is working properly the engine battery should not also drain the coach batteries. Have you tried jumping the engine battery to see if you can start the engine? Then put a meter on the cigarette lighter plug and see if the alternator is charging the engine battery. The meter should read somewhere between 13 and 14.5 if it is charging. Also if you plug into shore power - you can do this at your house - see the current article - you should see the coach batteries charging. Check that your TrippLite (inverter/converter/charger is working - look at the unit itself and look at the LEDs. The TrippLite manual - available on the TrippLite site will tell you what all mean. There are a few reasons why your engine battery might die like this. First is never shut off the engine and not right after open the driver's door. This is a problem with most newer Chevys as there power still goes through the system - to the point of killing the battery. Other possibility is that the Alternator has not been charging your coach battery. Seems soon to have to replace the engine battery six months ago for a 2013. I just replaced my 2011 battery in February - yours is two years newer than mine. If the battery separator is not working as it should and you left the inverter wall switch on - even with the battery switch off - you have been powering your inverter outlets. This will drain the coach batteries in a couple of days. If the battery separator is faulty then then a drain on the coach batteries will drain the engine battery. The battery separator - likely a Sure Power 3015-200 as I have - is a pain to find to replace. There are three results that come up when searching for retailers for this - two on the West Coast and one in the Central US. The actual replacement is easy - but getting the part is hard - unless RT dealers stock them. I tried several RV service shops near me and none have it. It is better to try to charge all of the batteries by plugging in. With totally dead batteries leave it plugged in for several days - at least two full days to three. When the coach batteries go dead it takes awhile to recharge them. Connecting a charger to the vehicle battery with it still connected to the separator is sending current across the separator which may be why it is clicking. This is what I know about the battery system. You may need a Roadtrek or RV service go through the whole thing and directly test all that is going on. A mechanic can test the engine battery and the alternator - but you will need to get the engine started to get it anywhere - or call your Emergency Road Service company and have them tow your RT to service. Start with getting the engine battery going so that you can get to where you may need to get to fix this.
DeleteAlso - if you plug in to charge - make sure the battery monitor - both on the wall panel and on the TrippLite shows that it is charging. (top LED "C" on the wall panel). If it is not lit and it does not come on in several hours - you may not be charging. It would charge the RV batteries first is they are dead or very low - and then the engine battery - providing the separator is working and connects the batteries.
DeleteI have an annoying phantom drain problem. Or at least I think that's what it is. The coach battery doesn't last a whole night without draining, which is annoying when dry camping, since we're woken up by the CO2 alarm alerting us to the fact that the battery is low. The only solution there is is to turn off the battery, but that seems dangerous if the propane heater is on.
ReplyDeleteI thought the problem might have been a bad battery, but I replaced the coach battery and the same thing happens. If I leave the battery disconnect button turned to on overnight, the battery drains. Not to mention the damage this does to the (new) battery, so I don't want to test it again.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
-Jim
Without knowing the year and model Roadtrek it is hard to figure out what may be wrong - as there have been so many changes to the Roadtrek electrical system in recent years. Assuming you have a basic system like I do, one question I have for you is are you keeping your inverter switch on? This will drain the battery quickly even if you have nothing plugged into the invertered outlets. Keep the inverter wall switch off. The propane furnace - or anything with a fan - will drain the battery rather quickly - though it should not drain it to empty in one night (if it had been charged to full earlier in the day. The furnace needs the battery switch to remain on - and battery power - to keep the fan running, and ignite the propane as the thermostat cycles it on and off - so do not turn off the battery switch (plus keep the CO and propane alarm detectors operating.
DeleteIs your battery charging? Does the monitor panel, with the test button pushed, show the top "C" LED light lit after you drive, plug in, or run the generator? Right after charging, that LED should remain lit for a few hours to even a day. Have you put a 12 volt DC meter on the battery to see how much charge it has before you set up for the night. Another possibility is that the converter/charger (part of the three in one inverter unit - if you have one or a separate converter/charger in pre-2005/2006 Roadtreks) may not be working properly and not charging the battery. Overall, drains do exist in the system. With a new battery, and all systems working properly, the battery will drain down in a month or slightly less and with an older battery over two weeks. Once the battery goes below half charge - less than 12 volts - it will take twice as long to recharge it and also will damage the battery. I check the battery charge in the winter just about every week as it sits on my driveway. During the warm months, I check it every two weeks. If it is getting low I plug in at home for 12 hours + and charge it. The battery takes about 12 hours to charge to full when plugged in, two hours or longer when driving without stopping at highway speeds, and longer than 12 hours when running the generator. Check that the inverter wall switch is off - and if it has been, my best suggestion is to take it to a Roadtrek service center and have them check out the 12 volt and charging system.
Thanks so much for the response. Forgive me, it's a 2005 Roadtrek 190. I don't know about the inverter wall switch. There's nothing like that by the monitor panel, but maybe it's somewhere else?
ReplyDeleteIt's a new battery and it drained overnight with nothing obvious running. When I recharged it through driving, I turn the battery off so that it wouldn't happen again (and was made at myself for risking damage to the new battery).
Thanks again.
Jim - in the later part of 2005 and fully in 2006 Roadtrek changed their electrical system and instead of using a separate inverter and separate unit converter/charger the started using a single three in one unit - in the 190 it was the TrippLite 750. You likely do not have one of these and may not have an inverter at all and only a converter/charger. The converter/charger is what charges the batteries. After driving (and for how long) do they charge to full? You may not see the actual charge for several hours as after charging a residual charge remains on the batteries from the charging process for a few hours and your battery may still show the C LED (charging) on the panel and not the actual charge. It may seem that you are starting out with a full charge but are not. Here is an experiment to try. Plug into shore power and leave it plugged in for at least 24 hours. You can do this at home with a 15 to 30 amp adapter for the power cord to plug into a house outdoor outlet. After that, turn on the battery switch - and whatever else you might turn on if you were out boondocking, and let it all sit working like that on your driveway. Keep checking to see if the same thing occurs- if it drains down as quickly as it has been doing while boondocking. If it does, there is likely a problem in your converter/charger and that may need to be replaced - determined by an RV shop. If it holds the charge and remains for at least two days - about average for not charging the battery when boondocking - then it is OK and just needed a fuller charge to start. Do you know how many amp hours your single battery has. I am guessing about 100 to 120 amp hours. This means that the battery has enough power to run 1 amp for 100 hours (really half of that - 50 hours - as you never want your battery to fall below charge which will shorten its charging life and take it twice as long to recharge from below 50%) So, if you have the lights on inside, that is added amps, if you have the hot water heater on, that is added amps, if you have the water pump on, that is added amps. If you have the furnace on that is a lot of added amps - as is the ceiling fan - as motors draw a lot of amps. All of those amps add up - 50 amps - one hour before the battery drops below 50%. Also, Roadtrek eventually changed the one battery 190 to a 2 batteries 190 - which increased the amp hours significantly. You may or may not be able to add a second battery. It needs a place to install - outside for venting - and the wiring may not be able to handle a second battery. This too would have to be determined by an RV tech who knows Roadtreks. The other possibility is that the battery Isolator - the 2005 has an Isolator - under the hood - possibly on the back firewall around where the steering wheel is and right at the top. This has the engine battery connected to it and the coach battery connected to it. Its function is to join the two together to charge when driving - and to keep them apart to stop one from draining the other. If this goes bad, you will be using the coach battery in starting the engine which will drain it as it is not a cranking battery. This has to be tested by an RV mechanic. It is not from Chevy - it is put in by Roadtrek - and is common in RVs and in some trucks. I have heard that when strange things happen in the electrical system have the Isolator (or Separator - 2006 and on) checked. They apparently don't last forever. Send me an email when you go through all this and let me know what happens. The email link is in the right column on the page. It says "email us!".
DeleteI have a 1995 Roadtrek dodge chassis. I know where my battery switch is in the van. It says on and off. Should it be on only when im plugged in at a campground? I have a switch above the mirror adjustment on the left side of my dash panel.It has what looks like the letter d in a circle. Would this be my battery disconnect as when it sits for a week or so the battery dies.Is my Isolater on the firewall on the steering wheel side and what does it look like. Any advice would help as we are goig on a road trip. Thanks
ReplyDeleteI am not at all familiar with the Dodge chassis or a 1995 Roadtrek. I can tell you that generally, the battery switch should be on when you need 12 volt power from your batteries to run what is on 12 volt circuits in the coach. Put the battery switch on before plugging in. You should be able to leave the battery switch off other times. The BATTERY SWITCH and the BATTERY DISCONNECT SWITCH are one and the same - Off - disconnect - On - connect (meaning the battery is sending 12 volts out to the appliances and lights that are 12 volt. DO NOT LEAVE THE BATTERY SWITCH ON WHEN NOT USING YOUR ROADTREK - IT WILL DRAIN YOUR COACH BATTERY IN A FEW DAYS IF LEFT ON AND NOT PLUGGED IN. I suspect that the D on your dash is a button to put your van's transmission into overdrive gear - and has nothing to do with the batteries - either coach or engine. You don't say if your engine battery dies or your coach battery dies in a week. If it is the engine, have your engine alternator checked to make sure it is charging the engine battery. And have a mechanic load test the battery. If it is your coach battery, also have a mechanic load test the coach battery. ALSO - look in my first article about the Electrical System. This is the general introductory article that started the electric series of articles here. There will be a link in that article that will take you to the Roadtrek Electrical Simulator. Open that and then click on the link IN THAT for NOTES. You will see a picture of the isolater in the NOTES PDF of that. Isolaters do go bad with time and if that goes it will drain your batteries.
Deletehttp://www.metrotrekkers.org/utility/electrical.htm
DeleteTHE ROADTREK ELECTRIC SIMULATOR with NOTEs
Hi. (roadtrek 1995) thanks for your reply. One question, I have the battery, water and monitor. It only has a on, off switch underneath and no LED light to tell me its working. When its in the off position and the engine is not running I can still turn on the lights in the coach. Is this normal? Thanks
ReplyDeleteUnless the wiring and monitor was very different in 1995 - which is very possible - it does not sound normal to me. I suggest that you call the Roadtrek customer service number on the Roadtrek website and ask to speak to a technician. Tell them your year and model - they do keep records and with the VIN they may even still have the specs of your specific Roadtrek. Ask them about the situation that you are having and they should be able to provide an answer.
DeleteThank you for very helpful "batteries overview" for our Roadtrek Versatile. I had some unanswered coach batteries questions (when/how they can/should be charged etc.) and they have been answered.
ReplyDeleteHello , i have a 2001 dodge 190 , im looking for the batteries, Should i look behind the generator for one like i read above , and if there a 2nd on , were would i look. Thanks From Rj
ReplyDeleteThe Dodge models were a bit different from the Chevy 190s. There is no manual on the Roadtrek website for a 2001 Dodge 190 but there is a manual for a 2000. According to the manual the coach battery is located on the rear driver's side below the floor and is accessed from the cargo door by lifting the carpet liner and removing the hatch cover. I have never been up close to a Dodge 190 but the 2000 manual should be pretty close to the 2001. You can download that manual from Roadtrek.com on the Support menu - Brochures.
DeleteIt looks from what the manual says that there is only one battery - not including the engine battery.
DeleteHello on a 2001 dodge 190 , i believe i read above the batteries are located in back of van of between the generator the rear axle ? Also if there was a 2nd battery were would i look ? PS great info i have been reading Thanks From Rj . Last what doe the cost between 12 volts and the six volts , i understand you feel 6 are better. I believe i have to replace them because after i put switch battery on at monitor panel nothing works
ReplyDeleteSee my answer to your question right above about the battery location. Roadtrek in my 2011 190 (with AGM batteries) uses two 6 volt batteries wired in series which maximizes the amp hours of the batteries. It still puts out 12 volts but provides twice as many amp hours as one. I am told that this is more amp hours than one 12 volt battery or two 12 volt batteries wired the same way. A single battery would be a deep cycle 12 volt battery. Have you checked your coach fuse box? I do not know where it is located in the Dodge Roadtreks. The manual does not say either. All 12 volt power is on fuses. All 110 volt power is on circuit breakers. The problem COULD be that your battery needs to be replaced. BUT it could also be that your converter/charger is not charging the battery - a mechanic can easily test to see if the battery is bad. Your Roadtrek does not have a three way inverter/converter/charger as Roadtrek started using in late 2005 Roadtreks. It has only a converter/charger which charges the coach battery and turns 110 volt power into 12 volt power (the opposite of an inverter). If this has gone bad your battery will not charge. Also battery switches have been known to go bad. Have it all checked out before you invest in a new battery. Start with the fuse panel. I wish I could tell you exactly where it is. I just looked at the 2001 Brochure (also on the RT website for download) hoping to see a photo of the monitor panel area but no luck. Over the years Roadrek has moved things around - A LOT. :( If you call Roadtrek tech support they will tell you where the fuse panel is for the coach. Also - have you plugged into shore power for at least 12 hours and then checked to see if you get power when you turn on the battery switch?
DeleteUp date . lol... I left refrigerator on propane running , and monitor panel switch on. Found dead battery this morning , Charged it and engine now back starting , Also found batteries at rear Diver side left in cab , for the deep cell batt, agm, there are two of them, Note have not removed them as of yet , trying to charge them 1st ..... Question . Ok as long as the refrigerator is on propane and the montor panel switch are off the van engine battery , Wont de,charge again ,,Right?
ReplyDeleteWith the fridge on propane it still needs DC current either from the battery or the converter while plugged in to ignite the propane. With the battery switch on, this should be fine - BUT it should have nothing to do with the engine battery - UNLESS - your isolater has gone bad. The isolater keeps the coach system batteries and the engine batteries apart - except when one charges the other. The 2000 Dodge 190 manual tells where the isolater is located. From the manual there should only be one battery but someone who owned this before you very well may have had a second coach battery installed. To make sure that you can start the van in the morning since this has happened and there is some drain from the coach side to the engine side, shut everything in the coach off - battery switch off (its called a battery disconnect switch but it turns the battery ON), and the fridge off completely. If the coach batteries are dead completely, charge for more than 24 hours. If you have a 12 volt meter or a multi-meter, get a reading from your coach batteries and see what their voltage is. This will tell you a lot about if they are charged and the power is not getting from them into the system or if they are dead. Unplug from shore power or any charger to check the voltage. Then plug in to charge and check the battery voltage again (coach batteries - not engine batteries) and you should see a higher reading than when unplugged. A reading from 13 to 14.4 volts indicates they are in the process of charging. Are both coach batteries AGM? Batteries in the coach should not be mixed - either both wet cell or both AGM (The engine battery does not matter in this.) Contact me with the email Contact Us link on the side of the page and we can figure this all out. I may not be able to respond to emails until late tonight or tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteRecently I experienced a scary incident. While driving from Ventura Ca. having two new house batteries installed, I noticed my volt gauge was at 6:00 instead of high noon. I made it back to my Chevie Garage where I parked. Of course it was Saturday 3:15 and the service department closed. Now I have a new alternator; but service called and it was not charging properly. In short they finally discovered that the battery isolator was defunct.It had the service department baffled for a moment then they discovered.I am now able to drive it but without battery power. That is ok and now I am searching for a battery isolator replacement. Any suggestions? Looks like checking the isolator might be a good place to check before buying a new alternator. (mine was not good)
ReplyDeleteWhat year Roadtrek do you have? If you have a Roadtrek before 2006 you have a battery isolator. If your Roadtrek is 2006 or later you have a Battery Separator (Bidirectional. These can be tested by putting the correct voltage on one side and seeing if the switch opens to allow the batteries to connect. I am not sure that Chevy can test this or not - if they even know what to test for. I would take it to an RV shop - just about any RV shop should be able to do the test. If the isolator or separator needs to be replaced, it should be replaced with the same make and model. The post 2005 separator is a Sure Power 1315-200 (Bidirectional) 12 volt, 200 Amp Battery Separator. I do not know what Isolator Roadtrek used before they switched at the same time they started installing the TrippLite 750 inverter/converter/charger. The switch was made in late 2005. So a 2005 could have either set up depending on when it came out of the factory. Isolators and Separators are known to go bad over time. Your coach batteries should still be able to be charged by plugging into shore power or running the generator - if you have one. Are you certain that the new coach batteries were installed correctly? If Chevy decided the isolator was bad - then they had to have been able to test it. Again, depending on year, it is the converter/charger (if mid-2005 and before) or the inverter/converter/charger (2006+) that charges the coach batteries. If the isolator or separator is bad - a drawn on one side would drain the other side - BUT the coach batteries should still charge with the engine off and plugged in or by the generator. A long time Roadtrek dealer/service will be the best place to go to diagnose and repair this as they are the most knowledgeable about the Roadtrek and its electrical system - and changes through the years.
DeleteI have a 1998 RT Poplar Dodge 1700. I want to replace deep cycle battery. I found it but can't figure out how to pull it out of the well. Will I need to unscrew the wood flooring where the bed is? Or, is there another way to access it?
ReplyDeleteI am not familiar with the placements of the Dodge coach battery. If you look above to Richard's first comment and answer I was able to find out that in the 2001 Dodge a section of carpet had to be lifted with a door under that accessed the battery under the floor. Please see that response - it may also apply to your 98.
DeleteI have a 1996 Dodge 190 popular. Everything is fine with it. My question is a bit different. In the engine compartment right next to the battery is a massive knife switch. It's clearly used to stop current from going somewhere. But, what is it's purpose? And with regards to the battery disconnect switch, I believe all of the above are saying that If I have that switch on and am running 12v appliances all night on battery alone that even if I drain the cabin battery, I don't have to worry about my engine starter battery being drained?
ReplyDeleteA 1996 Dodge Roadtrek is wired a lot differently than the Roadtreks from about 2006 and on. There should still be a battery isolator in your Roadtrek. The job of this is to allow when needed for the engine when running to charge the coach battery (while driving) and at the same time with this between the engine and coach battery will shut down automatically the connection between the batteries so that neither can drain the other. This is to prevent just what you are asking about - running 12 volt with the cabin battery will not drain your engine battery so that you can drive away when you need to. Keep this in mind however - a battery isolator (which becomes a battery separator in 2006 and beyond) can go bad over time. If it is not working properly you can drain the engine battery with 12 volt coach use and even the coach (cabin) battery when starting the vehicle. So if you find a sudden battery drain or any odd behavior in the electrical system of either the vehicle or the 12 volt part of the coach, take this in to an RV shop to have the battery isolator tested. Roadtrek positioned this in a number of places over the years, so I cannot tell you where to find it in a 96 Dodge Roadtrek. I would start with the engine compartment - and if you go to our general electrical system article and click on the link to the Roadtrek Electrical Simulator - while it does not apply to a 96 RT, the Notes link on the page that opens from this link will tell you about the isolator and show an image of what it should look like.
DeleteA few weeks have gone by and I think I have my '96 Dodge 190 Popular worked out. That big knife switch is simply a quick disconnect for the front battery. I don't know if it's standard or something someone else added. But, I have a new question. While on "shore power" at home, I've been hanging out in my cabin doing work. Every so often (20 minutes maybe?) I head a "chirp" coming from the rear where my cabin battery and electronics are. It's not coming from a smoke detector up front. I believe this is only happening when connected to a 120v line. It's a quick chirp that is very similar to a smoke detector's low battery warning, but I have no idea where it's coming from because it likes to not make a noise when I'm looking! Any thoughts anyone?
DeletePete - this is very likely your CO Detector. They have a lifespan and are designed to audibly warn you when they are about to need to be replaced. About a month or just more before they reach their expiration date they start to chirp - intermittently. When they reach their expiration date they go off continually. There is usually a date on them - sometimes on the back (which means taking it down to see). If this date is over three years old (the older CO Detectors were good for three years - the newer ones are good for five) you need to replace the CO Detector. When you are hearing the chirp and go to the CO Detector see if it is coming from it. I have not heard this about the Propane Detector. I know about the CO Detector because mine did this - and a new one installed stopped the noise.
DeleteI just went to check the carbon monoxide detector. Sat there for 20 minutes trying to find a square driver small enough to fit. I don't have one, so I was hoping it would chirp at me. Of course it didn't. Interestingly, you know the battery switch on the main control panel? If I turn it to "on" while I'm plugged into house current, there's a short chirp that might be what I'm hearing. It's certainly over in that section of the cabin. (Where the 110 comes in and gets converted to 12v.) Obviously, I also hear the relays switching. I think in this case the leaking front windows is so much more important to worry about that I'll just be Zen about the chirp for a while. Thanks for the clue!!!
DeleteIn later Roadtreks there is a sign on the wall to always turn on the battery switch before plugging in or running the generator. This may or may not apply to your 96 Dodge RT. When the battery switch is turned on the CO Detector runs through a test cycle and will chirp for about 10 seconds or so and then stop which indicates it is working. As to the screwdriver, I bought a set of Robertson screwdriver bits at Harbor Freight when I first got the Roadtrek and it has several sizes in the set - and was not much more than $5, if that. It is also possible that the converter/charger in your RT has some warning system also and that is what is chirping. I am not familiar with the converter/charger that was used by RT before they switched to the three way unit in mid-2005.
DeleteTracked it down today because it started to get worse. This is no longer an appropriate post for this thread, but here's the scoop: It's the PROPANE detector. It's chirping at the slightest provocation... slight voltage changes caused by turning anything on, random chirps, and more chirps when the hot air vent blows on it. There's a date on the back: 1995. I'll see if I can't find a modern one. Thanks for the clues!
DeleteI have an RT popular 190 2010 on 2009 chassis. I plugged into shore power and the hookup was good but noticed that with my battery switch on and inverter switch off, the inverter was running for a while. Is this normal?
ReplyDeleteThe TrippLite in your 2010 does more than be an inverter. It is also the converter/charger. This operates to charge your batteries and change 110 volt power to 12 volt power. When plugged in - and sometimes other times, the cooling fan in the TrippLite will run. You will hear a humming sound coming from the back passenger corner of the van. That is perfectly normal. That sound baffles many Roadtrek owners.
DeleteThanks ! Had been assuming it would be off when the inverter switch was off.
ReplyDeleteThe inverter wall switch is no really an ON/OFF switch for the unit. It is a remote switch to turn on 110 volt inverted power to the few outlets connected by Roadtrek to the inverter output. The only true on and off switch for the TrippLite is a slide switch on the Tripplite on the left side, near top. Left is the default position - AUTO/REMOTE and in this position it allows the wall switch to work and also allows the unit to charge your batteries. The middle position is OFF - shuts the whole unit down. The right position is CHARGE ONLY. Only put it here if you do not want to be able to have inverted power in the outlets but just allow the unit to charge the batteries and nothing else. Roadtrek puts that switch on the left - AUTO/REMOTE.
DeleteIts great to get plain english info on this system ! Thanks
ReplyDeleteThanks for the treasure trove of info. I have a 1993 Dodge 190 Versatile. My monitor has a test switch to check battery power and a pump switch, but no battery disconnect switch. Where else would it be? There is an unmarked toggle switch under the dash to the lower right of the steering wheel; could that be it?
ReplyDeleteI just looked at the manual for the 1993 Roadtreks. It is on the Roadtrek website for download under Support - Manuals. Manuals were incredibly bad from Roadtrek in the past including for my 2011 190 (which is one reason I directed this site to how tos). There is NO mention of a battery switch in the 1993 Roadtrek. They talk about the monitor panel only having a water pump switch. I doubt that it would be under the dash - though someone since 1993 may have added this. My advice - turn on one of the lights in the RV - not at the dash - but one let's say near the bed so we know it would be on the RV battery and not the engine battery - based on what I can see with no battery switch it should just come on - then flip that switch under the dash - if it goes off, then that is it. Then just to make sure you have hot also disconnected the engine battery at the same time with that switch - try to start the engine. If the engine starts - that is likely the coach (RV) battery switch. If it doesn't and the lights stayed on, that is an engine battery switch that someone installed to keep the engine battery from draining. It makes no sense to me that there is no battery switch from Roadtrek as it leaves the battery draining from whatever draw there may be even with everything turned off. I am guessing that when you push the test switch you are always going to see that panel light up and show a battery level. If there was a switch with the switch off that panel would be unlit when the test switch was pushed and the battery switch off (no 12 volts going into it). For what little it talks about do download the manual.
DeleteJist bought my first rig 2012 raod trek adventurous . Love this darn thing .storing it the inverter switch when does that have to be on the on position
ReplyDeleteA 2012 Adventurous is not going to have a solar system or EcoTrek lithium batteries - SO - leave your inverter wall switch OFF when you don't need 110 volt power from your coach batteries right then. If you leave it on, you will come back to find drained coach batteries. Only put the inverter wall switch on when you are using the inverter. The inverter/converter/charger is designed to still charge your batteries, and work as it needs to when plugged in or running the generator - WITHOUT the inverter wall switch on.
DeleteWe have the wall switch you have pictured at the start of this thread. When we try to switch on the aux. batteries, the switch will not "stick" into the On position. We hear the switch opening but then it just goes to off when we stop depressing the on side of the switch. Thus we have not house battery power. We are not sure if the switch is defective, or the isolator is defective. WE do not see any way to remove that switch. Also no reference to its part number in case we need to replace it.
ReplyDeleteThe battery "disconnect" switch is part of the monitor panel. Some have been able to replace it but the entire panel needs to come off and replacement switch put in. An RT service center should certainly be able to do this - or may suggest just replacing the panel. The entire panel is made for Roadtrek - making it a Roadtrek specific part as it has the configuration of monitor LEDs and the three switches required for the Roadtrek. A Roadtrek dealer/service should stock the panel with all properly working and the replacement should not take long.
DeleteAs to if the switch is broken - I would say it is. This switch has nothing to do with battery isolator (or battery separator - depending on the year RT you have). The isolator or separator allows the engine battery and the coach battery(ies) be connected together so that one charging system can charge the other and vice versa - and do so in a way that one 12 volt electrical system does not drain the other 12 volt electrical system - the vehicle 12 volt system and the RV coach 12 volt system.
Per my RT manual the monitor panel is made by Kib for Roadtrek and the part number given in my RT manual for the panel in the photo above is K42RT. (RT for Roadtrek)
On my 1996 Dodge Roadtrek, I have twice now accidentally left the disconnect switch on and found my battery 100% dead (no LED lights on the panel at all.) Aarg. My question is this: Does anyone know if there was a cut-off that occurred that prevented the battery from draining completely and severely shortening its life, or have I likely reduced the capacity of my (new) battery by 50% already. :(
ReplyDeleteThe battery switch must be left off when you are not using the Roadtrek. With it on, it will drain the battery. This switch really should not be named "Disconnect" as it connects the batteries when it is ON. I make doubly certain when I walk out of the Roadtrek when it is on my driveway that the switch is off. While the Roadtrek is in use, the converter/charger in the RV will charge the RV battery when you are driving, when you are plugged into shore power, and when the generator is run - if you have a generator. The batteries should never be allowed to go below half charge - that is - once the LEDs go down to the last 2 - red Led labeled F - plug in and charge the batteries. With wet cell batteries you need to keep an eye when plugged in for any extended time on the fluid level in the batteries. Some converter/chargers will guard against the batteries boiling out when charging but always check if plugged in at least once a week. There is no other cut off switch. You might check with Roadtrek if there would be any problem installing a manual cut off at the RV battery terminal.
DeleteAlso- even with the battery switch off there will be a drain on the batteries - check every week - and plug in when the Amber G LED goes out. I plug in every two weeks - on a schedule to keep my batteries charged.
DeleteHi, thanks for your prompt response! To answer the question, "how much damage did I do" and whether there is some kind of cut-off (say below 11 volts), I did a little test. After a 14 hour charge on the depleted battery, I ran the ceiling fan for a full hour on battery power. The LED never got below "G" (best rating). So, I can say that I didn't ruin it... probably just shortened it's life.
DeleteI have a charger that I could use on the battery that will tell me exactly what the capacity is, but since I didn't do this BEFORE I drained it, it wouldn't tell me much.
Generally, if the battery goes below half charge it will deplete the number of recharge cycles and not harm the battery other than that. IF fully drained charge the battery for 48 hours just to get it back to full strength. Generally I leave the battery charging for 24 hours. Roadtrek told me 12 when plugged into shore power but by the time 12 hours passed it is late at night and I just wait until the next day to pull the plug and put the cord away.
DeleteThis is a great forum and I am learning a lot. The one thing that I do not understand is how to charge the house batteries. I have 2006 RS Adventurous. I have hooked up a quality charger to the engine battery while we are not using it. The engine battery is fine and the house batteries went dead. Doesn't the charger send juice to the house batteries thru the engine battery? Please Help!! Thank you, Jim
ReplyDeleteYour 2006 Sprinter based Roadtrek RS Adventurous has - should have - its own charging system that will charge both the engine and the RV batteries. You only have one RV (house) battery (unlike the 190 and 210). There is a charging system built into the Roadtrek that will charge your house battery and your engine battery when you are plugged in, when you are running the generator, or you are driving. If you plug into shore power - even at your house through a15/20 amp outlet - in 12 hours your house battery should be charged to full (as long as it has not drained beyond half charge). Beyond half charge that charging time increases - 24 hours - from totally dead I would leave it charging for 72 hours. Driving - the house battery should charge to full (again as long as it is not drained past half charge) in about three hours driving continuously at highway speeds. The generator takes the longest to charge the batteries to full and the propane powered generator in the Sprinter Roadtreks have less power output than the gasoline powered Onans - so this method to charge will work but it will take a long time to get to full charge. There is a connection from the engine battery to the Roadtrek battery that turns on and off depending on the voltage found on each battery. When this clicks on to connect the two the engine battery will charge the house battery - and while the house battery is charging by shore power or generator, it will charge the engine battery. At a specified voltage this connection disconnects so that the engine does not drain the house battery and the house battery will not drain the engine battery. Your 2006 either has a battery isolator or a battery separator. I am not sure what was installed in the Sprinter Roadtreks by Roadtrek in 2006. If this goes bad - and they can go bad over time - the engine is not going to charge the house battery - and vice versa. This is not a van manufacturer's part - it is put in by Roadtrek under the hood in the engine compartment. A mechanic that understands isolator/separators should be able to test it to see if it is working as it should. With the maker and model number it should be possible to get specs for the voltages that switch back and forth to connect and disconnect. First - forget the charger you have been using. Let the Roadtrek do its own thing. You have an inverter/converter/charger put in by Roadtrek to take care of all of this automatically. Take a look at our Electrical system introductory article. In there is a link to the Roadtrek Electrical Simulator - this is a neat computer webpage that lets you play with each model Roadtrek electrical system for each year up to 2010. Set your model into the drop down menu - it opens with telling you how - and then you can play with all of the different variables and see what the electrical system does - engine on, battery on alone, shore power, generator running. And you see the results in charging, battery drain, etc.
DeleteI love this thread... it's been SO helpful to me! I recently had weird charging issues with my '96 190 popular. I had an isolator under the hood, mounted above the front driver's side wheel well. It was bad. My brother the electrician talked about "diode substrates eroding over time", but in the end, I just removed the wires to the isolator and checked the resistance between to posts to easily determine it wasn't working completely. And, since I had a poor starter battery (still do), the cabin battery was constantly draining into the starter battery. I ordered a new one online, installed it myself (had to drill two new holes) and haven't had a problem since. Also, and this is probably important, my cabin battery WILL NOT charge when plugged into shore power unless you have the battery turned on. Yet, the charge indicator on the panel will show it's charging. Don't be fooled, you have to flip that switch to "on" or you can keep your rv plugged in for days and the battery won't charge as all the 12V power will simply be coming from your 120 feed. Driving down the road is different... I'm pretty sure the alternator charges the cabin battery through the isolator all the time as it's wired directly to the battery (at least in my '96 RV's case.)
DeleteHave a 2009 RT 210 Popular and we lost power to the dash radio after we needed to jumpstart the engine from a dead engine battery. Everything else on the dash, vehicle, and RV house side appear to work fine. Manual says that there is an "in line" fuse to the radio power cable under the dash on the driver's side. Can not seem to be able to locate to check if the fuse was blown. We could fine the fuse compartment for under the seat and in the engine compartment and those fuses appear to be intact. Any suggestions would be appreciated - Rog & Laurene at kricket@q.com
ReplyDeleteChances are the fuse blew with the surge of the jumpstart. An inline fuse on the power cable to the battery is going to be under the dash. If you look up from the floor in front of the driver's seat with a flashlight - can you see anything like a wire with a fuse. You may not be able to. The connections to the radio are in the middle of the dash right behind the radio BUT with the Chevy Express van there is no easy access to that area without removing the dash - I am sorry to say. The Chevy dash is held in place with clips along the bottom BUT the dash is very fragile to take out and put back in. I would not suggest trying to pull it out yourself but to have either Chevy do it or a car radio shop. It is a shame to have to do this for a simple fuse but if you can't see it to get to it from the bottom, the dash has to come out. In 2009 - I know from shopping from our Roadtrek - there were two choices of radio - the stock Chevy radio and the optional Eclipse II radio/GPS/CD/DVD player. If it is the Eclipse - this is a link to a pdf file for the installation manual. You may be able to locate the fuse and cable in the manual to see what you are looking for - www.eclipse-web.com/us/download/manual/manual/pdf/AVN5435(3-28120).pdf
DeleteThe link is to a different Eclipse model but you can see on page 6 and 7 the location of the power connection and the boot the fuse is inside of - and this seems to be at the front of the connection cable that goes into the rear of the radio. This tells me even more that the dash has to come off to get to the rear of the radio. When we first got our Roadtrek the van antenna was not connected to the back of the radio and Roadtrek dealer/service had to pull out the dashboard to make the connection that has just been left hanging by Roadtrek at the factory.
DeleteIf the dash is taken out remove the detachable screen/GPS from the front of the radio - the RT dealer did not and damaged the radio in the process (radio was replaced by the dealer).
Filled up the fresh water tank but nothing comes out of any faucet
ReplyDeleteWe are in the wrong article for water questions but the first thing to check is your CITY WATER VALVE - the valve where you connect a hose. If this valve is in FILL POSITION the water will not flow from the water pump - or the hose - to the plumbing - sink, toilet, showers. Turn that valve in the other direction and then put on the water pump and open a faucet. The other problem this could be if you have a 190 or 210 is that the Summer Mode/Winter Mode valves are in the wrong positions. Take a look at our article - Summer Mode/Winter Mode. There is a shortcut to it on the Living in the Roadtrek How To page. OR contact me by email through the Contact Us/Email link at the right side of the page and we will work through it together by email.
DeleteJust curious if anyone knows if/where you can order (part#?) the metal, coach battery box,fartherest rear, near tailpipe (mine has 2.) This one is solid/no slide out tray, and mounts to Chevy's frame/basement. (2004 Roadtrek 190 Popular Chevy Express 3500.)
ReplyDeleteMetal has rotted through and won't pass State Inspection.
My local rv repair shops have no clue. One says they can "probably build something" $99/hr x 3-4hrs. Have considered metal fabrication shops, but concerned about proximity to propane if they did a direct weld. Would prefer rv repair shop; or maybe this could be bolted up, if I can actually buy somewhere.
All info./suggestions greatly appreciated. Hope someone says can be ordered from Roadtrek or other parts store, as I have had no luck finding any other repair parts in the past...not even on eBay!
I don't think you will get any quick response here. You would be better asking on the RV.net forum or on Facebook on the Chevy Roadtrek Owners Facebook Group. With Roadtrek out of business there are no parts available - or anyone there to even suggest what could be done. Call around to some RV shops and see what they say about putting together a replacement - other RVs all have to mount coach batteries and what works in one may fit in the space that Roadtrek's is in. The other thing if an RV shop does not want to take this on - or if one says they would send it out to a metal or body shop - empty the propane tank -which is easiest done by burning it off with the stove. I would not do this all at once just to not overheat the stove burners. And don't do it without being in the RT keeping an eye on it for safety. And if you are now shocked that I said Roadtrek is out of business - Roadtrek is in Receivership. They are presently shut down - not doing business, not honoring warranties, and no longer a source for Roadtrek specific parts. Financial improprieties caused the buyer of Hymer who owns (owned) Roadtrek to drop the sale if Roadtrek and Hymer North America were included - and Hymer closed both and sold it off to a company that will seek a buyer or supervise disposal. If a buyer is found Roadtrek would come back - but in what way and in what they will continue to support is unknown.
DeleteGreetings from Colorado. Thank you for your blog. I am learning so much from you guys! I do have an issue with my battery disconnect switch. I can't turn it off. I push the button as many times as I want, it does not turn off. When I purchased my 2005C190P this past August, I had no problems with the switch. But all of a sudden, it doesn't work. Hopefully it's just the switch, and I can have it replaced. Any suggestions? I'm just worried about an RV tech working on a "live" house battery. Thanks for all of your help and info!
ReplyDeleteLinda
Inside the van, in the read on the passenger side and not easily accessible there is an electrical relay that is triggered when the battery switch on the wall is turned on. If that relay goes bad it could result in the problem you are having. This really is not something one can fix on their own. It might be just the wall switch - but I would say it is the relay. An RV tech will disconnect the battery cable from the battery if he is going to work on this so you need not worry - as long as he knows what he is going to be working on. With the battery switch not shutting off, it will drain the batteries down in a few days. So you may want to get this serviced as soon as possible.
DeleteAfter a long and cold winter, I just repossessed my Roadtrek Popular 190 - 2010 from the storage barn. I fully recharged the two 6 volt coach batteries. When my mechanic installed the poles on my coach batteries, he noted that there was a drawing of power, 3 volts, coming from I don't know where. The battery disconnect was off, the breakers were off, the inverter was off and there was no apparent request for power in the van. Is it normal to have this loss of power ? What can be the cause ? Thanks for your help !
ReplyDeleteYes. There is a known small voltage drain on the coach batteries. The only way to stop this is to turn the Inverter/Converter/Charger completely off on the unit itself by sliding the slide switch to the middle position of OFF. This means, however, that before you start driving or using the Roadtrek - for example to plug in to charge the batteries you MUST slide that switch back to Auto/Remote or Charge Only - or your coach batteries will not charge. With that switch OFF you WILL NOT have ANY electricity inside the Roadtrek for any purpose - 12 volt or 110 volt. Roadtrek always has recommended that switch not be moved from Auto/Remote because of this reason. If you do this, put several note reminders around the Roadtrek - and at the dash to turn the switch back on to Auto/Remote. I have thought of doing this myself BUT I am certain I would forget to put it back on. What I have done since the start is plug in the Roadtrek to charge on a regular basis because in a period of time the batteries will drain to dead if not charged. When my batteries were new I charged once a month at the beginning of the month on schedule. Now I charge twice a month - once in the middle of the month and once at the end of the month. If you see only the bottom two red LEDs lit on the battery level monitor panel, it is essential that the Roadtrek be charged at that point. You never want the batteries to go below half charge or you will decrease the number of charging cycles the batteries have.
DeleteWas hoping someone could point me in the right direction on my 2001 Roadtrek 170.
ReplyDeleteUsually when I plug into shore Power the 12 volt system would come one automatically, and the battery disconnect would light up on the panel.
Now when I plug in I get the 115v outlets working, but the battery switch indicator is dim. I can manually hit the disconnect switch and the 12volt power then turns on.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Turn your battery switch on BEFORE plugging in. If that does not make any difference, the battery switch is connected to a relay between that wall switch and the converter/charger and the batteries. This is usually located inside the van in the rear on the same side as the batteries and the converter charger. Both the battery switch and the relay can go bad over time. The relay may not be easily accessible - this is not something that Roadtrek wanted anyone but a technician to touch.
DeleteWhen I try to turn the key my 92 Dodge roadtrek popular 190 does not start. My battery is good. Do I need the ignition switch or starter replaced?
ReplyDeleteAs with any other van, this needs to be looked at by a vehicle mechanic to determine if this is the ignition switch or the starter - or some other reason that when turning the key the engine does not start.
DeleteI have a 1991 Dodge Roadtrek Versatile. I assume it charges the battery both when the engine is running and/or when plugged into a power outlet. It appears to have one marine battery. Looks like there is a connection for a second one? Does anyone know if 1991 came with one or two 12 volt batteries in addition to the engine battery under the hood. Thanks
ReplyDeleteIn 1991 the Roadtrek came with one wet cell coach(RV) battery. when the engine is running the charging comes from the battery isloator that was installed under the hood by Roadtrek to charge the coach battery through the engine's alternator when driving. To charge the battery when plugged in a separate system - a converter/charger charges the battery - and unlike much later Roadtreks this DOES NOT charge the engine battery at the same time.
DeleteThe (awesome as always) author responded well to this. I would only add that I had issues with my cabin battery charging while connected to shore power - and draining when not. In my case, I first tested the isolator under the hood and found it to be bad. After replacing it, my cabin battery no longer slowly drained into my (slightly weaker) engine battery. Then I bit the bullet and replaced the charging/power supply that is located next to the battery. That fixed my charging issues when connected to shore power. I mention this because if my '96 needed both electrical components replaced, there's a decent chance your '91 might as well.
DeleteGreat information in this forum! I have a 1997 Roadtrek - fairly new to me. During the winter we leave for several months and the RT is stored in a garage. I put a battery tender on the van engine battery to keep it charged but realized after last year that the coach battery dies over the winter. It is a gel type. I bought a tender for this battery this fall and hooked it up but the tender did not engage (red light never came on...just flashing). I wondered if the disconnect switch must be on before I connect the tender in order to get it to take a charge and if so, does that mean I need to leave the disconnect switch on all winter to make this work? The other option is to leave the RT plugged in to wall power all winter but from what I have read that may not be the best option for battery life either. Any suggestions?
ReplyDeleteIf you put the battery tender on the Roadtrek battery directly it has nothing to do with the battery switch. The battery switch connects the battery to the 12 volt system in the Roadtrek. The 1997 Roadtrek has a converter/charger - this is not like the TrippLite 750 inverter/converter/charger that Roadtrek started installing in 2007 and that I write about here. You have to know the make and model of the converter/charger in your Roadtrek and then try to find the manual from its manufacturer. In that it would tell you if it has any protection system for the battery when it is charging when plugged in. Another option is to remove the battery from the Roadtrek and connect it in your garage to the battery tender. (I have never had a need to do this so I cannot say that this is OK or not - and that would be determined by the battery and the specific battery tender. Again with that I suggest checking with the battery tender company and the maker of the battery.
DeleteFor what it's worth, when my cabin battery was constantly dying, I ended up replacing the isolator and the 120 / 12v power supply in my '96 Roadtrek. The supply that I replaced it with has a nice battery tending feature when you're plugged into shore power that will use the proper "float" voltage to maintain your battery. The original power supply in my RV neither charged the battery properly while on shore power nor handled long-term battery maintenance. The reason I mention this is that even if you manage to find out what the original specs of your power supply are, don't trust that it still works properly without testing it. I found via research that they are notorious for not lasting more than 25 years. I like the author's suggestion of just pulling the battery and sticking it on a tender in your garage. :) If you're curious about replacement parts, it's a good chance your '97 is using the same equipment as my '96. In this thread I detail the parts I ordered to fix mine up should you ever need to replace the power unit or isolator. https://www.classbforum.com/forums/f23/how-i-finally-fixed-my-96-roadtrek-cabin-batterys-charging-issues-9241.html
DeleteWe recently purchased a 2008 Roadtrek 210 Popular. Yesterday morning my husband was checking out the control panel. All of the lights worked, including the Battery Disconnect Switch light. He turned the Battery Disconnect Switch off. Later in the day he turned the Battery Disconnect Switch back on and the switch indicator light did not come on. Any ideas as to what would cause the Battery Disconnect Switch light to not work?
ReplyDeleteThere are a few possibilities. First, your batteries may not be charged. If the batteries drained the switch will not come on. For this, start the engine. Let it run for awhile - when the engine runs the batteries charge. After 45 minutes and while the engine is still running try turning on the battery switch. If it goes on the peoblem was the battery charge was too low. It is likely still low - so plug in to an outside house outlet. You will need a 30 amp female to 15 amp adapter to do this and let it charge for 72 hours. This long is necessary to charge the batteries if they go down too low in charge. IF running the engine still did not get the battery switch to turn on the next thing to check is the relay that the battery switch connects to in the rear of the van near and above the TrippLite 750 inverter converter charger. I can't put a photo here to show you but go to my article that on the Living in the Roadtrek DIY links page of this site is called "Locating the Inverter". Look in that article at the 6th Photo down. What you see in that photo that is prominently in the right bottom corner is the relay. This is what the battery switch activates to connect the batteries. There are two fuses on this relay. They are the back sides - in the photo they stick out to the back and are amber in color. These are just regular auto blade fuses and can be found in any auto parts store - even Walmart in the auto aisle. Pull each one out and check to see if it has blown - you can see that looking into the top - there will be a break in the metal bar inside. Replace the fuse with a new fuse the same amperage (printed on the fuse.) Then try to turn on the battery switch. If it is not the fuses, it could be the relay itself - and that you would need an RV service shop to check out. It also could be that the switch on the monitor panel has gone bad. That can be replaced on its own. Finding a new monitor panel now can be difficult since the company that made it no longer lists it on their product listings - and the new Roadtrek owners abandoned the Chevy line of Roadtreks and sold off the parts to two different RV dealers. Last I looked they had the switch but not the panel. I am going to post an article right now with the names and addresses of the two parts companies - as these are very important now for all Chevy Roadtrek owners. If all else fails go to an RV shop. The system is fairly standard and it should not be necessary to have to go to a Roadtrek shop - though that is always the best to go to if possible as they know the system as Roadtrek assembled it.
DeleteHi, have a 2001 dodge 190 versatile. My coach battery just went. It is a gel battery. Can't find a replacement anywhere, help!
ReplyDeleteIn 2011 Roadtrek started using AGM batteries. They are maintenance free and easy to find.
DeleteI'm storing my 2009 190P for the winter. The battery switch if off, of course, but should I disconnect the batteries by removing one of the cables? There are 2 6v batteries in the slide out drawer on the passenger side. I don't have anyway to plug in for charging while stored at this location. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThere is an alternative to disconnecting a battery cable on the coach batteries. Go to the TrippLite Inverter/Converter/Charger in the rear passenger corner of the van on the floor behind the cargo door. Set the slide switch to DC OFF. This disconnects the batteries completely from the TrippLite - which is a known drain on the batteries. This would enable you to still charge the batteries by running the engine as the batteries are still connected to the engine battery separator. With the switch in this position the batteries WILL NOT charge if plugged in or running the generator. The battery switch will still work. The inverter will not work if you wanted to use that - BUT disconnecting the battery cables nothing works. It is up to you. If you feel more comfortable disconnecting the battery cables from their terminals on the batteries then they are not connected and nothing should drain them - except the cold. If you turn the TrippLite to DC OFF,after the winter before plugging in or running the generator you need to slide that switch to either Auto/Remote or Charge Only - or the batteries will not charge. I now keep that switch on DC Off all the time until I am plugging in or running the generator - or traveling.
DeleteMerci beaucoup!
ReplyDeletehi all, has anyone added another AGM battery to ur 190 Simp 2012? had an estimate of over 1k- is that normal?? Batterys in a single box on passenger side, a 12vt. though i maintenance chrg while not in use, she dies after a day of refrig n a few lights.. Generator can charge but cant have on in some places, ( in Co) night/ heck days are cold, would love to put the furnace on( not)
ReplyDeletealso if u dudes have a reputable parts dealer id appreciate the name, lock on refrig continues to break n im bungeeing to the wall. ive even stopped using shelf on door thinking that the problem but its but overloaded. Thanks for helping, going solo now so trying to problem solve. haha, last thing, external extra storage?? what works n doesnt
😁Cat
You are saying that you have one 12 volt battery and you want to add a second 12 volt battery to your Simplicity 190. The battery would have to be wired to the first battery in parallel - so that the two do not put out 24 volts. Roadtrek did not use two 12 volt AGMs - they used two 6 volt AGMs together wired in series so that the maximum output is 12 volts (the most DC voltage you can put into the Roadtrek) and the two 6 volt batteries maximize the amp hours the batteries are rated at - approx 200 - 225 amp hours, If you have the original AGM installed by Roadtrek for a 2012 your battery has just about run out on its lifespan and you may only need to replace that with a new AGM. If you want to have two batteries the best way would be to remove the 12 volt and replace it with two 6 volt AGMs. This would cost you with installation (depending on the batteries you buy) just under $1000 and give you the battery equivalent of a regular 190 with two AGMs. Your one day of charge with the fridge - which uses a lot of DC 12 volt power would - should be able to go about two days - but with a battery that is coming of age - one day or less is not unusual. If two batteri3s do not fit in your battery compartment, then there needs to be a very creative way of installing a second battery somewhere that it will be vented which means under the van if possible. Even though AGM batteries are not supposed to need venting, there is some concern that they will give off some gases and inside is not safe. There is a reason why RT put the battery compartment outside. As to a parts dealer in Colorado - I can't help. We rely on an RT dealer/service in PA who we trust. As to external storage - the only way to do this is to put a hitch rack on center hitch on the back bumper and get one of the large storage boxes made to go on a hitch rack that can be secured so that it cannot be stolen and use that for additional storage. Do not put anything on the roof - it cannot hold the weight. Do not have anyone cut into the sides of the van - there is not place to cut into other than the interior of the Roadtrek where there is wiring for the cabin. Solar would be a better solution to your battery issue - a new battery and solar panels on the roof will keep you charging every day from the sunlight. Some solar panels will even charge if it is cloudy out as long as there is some light.
DeleteI recently purchased a 1994 Dodge 190 independent. All was working fine and went to move it and it died. Would not turn over everything was totally dead. When I plugged into my dedicated 30 amp outlet it fired right up? Is there a cut off switch somewhere I am missing? Nothing on the panel. Open to any thoughts or suggestions.
ReplyDeleteThe early Roadtreks and the Dodge Roadtreks are very different from the later Chevy Roadtreks - but your problem sounds like the engine battery is the problem. There is a connection between the engine battery and the house battery through a battery isolator installed in the engine compartment by Roadtrek - this is what charges the house battery when you drive through the van alternator to the van battery to the Roadtrek battery. BUT the battery isolator goes only in one direction (unlike the battery separator that RT started using in 2008 which is bi-directional) so the engine charges the Roadtrek battery BUT the Roadtrek converter/charger DOES NOT charge the engine battery. So plugging in to 30 amps would not start the engine UNLESS - an owner replaced the battery isolator with a bi-directional separator OR the battery isolator has gone bad - they last about 7 or 8 years - and when it goes bad it can connect what it is not supposed to connect - and that would explain why when you plugged in you could start the engine. There is no physical switch that I am aware of - but I am not very familiar with the Dodge RTs other than basics - and that there are later additions to the RT that were left out in the early RTs. NOW - if you are not talking about the engine but the RT electrical system for the RV side - plugging in is going to supply immediate power through the converter/charger - which charges the RT battery, sends 110 volts to the AC appliances and outlets, and converts 110 volts to 12 volts DC to run all the lights, etc. on the DC system. Recently I found out that some Dodge RTs did not have a battery disconnect switch and that the battery is connected to the DC system supplying power - and draining - even when the RT is not being used. If there is one it would be on the wall near the monitor panel or on the monitor panel.(This is one of the things that later RT made standard along with a hot water heater bypass.)
DeleteRight, the isolator should stop any power from the house making it to the starter circuit. If that happened, I would think that would mean bad isolator. If shorted, it would also allow a low house batt to drain the starter battery.
DeleteQuick battery question - 2005 Roadtrek 210 Popular with TrippLite inverter. 3 year old wet acid 12v marine batteries seem to be overheating and stink like sulfure after a full charging plugged in. I'm going to replace the 2 batteries with new 12V marine batteries and hope that works. There is no maintenance caps on batteries so no way to check water level. Thanks for any insights you may have! Dave
ReplyDeleteFirst - you do not want "Marine" batteries - you want Deep Cycle RV batteries. Marine batteries are often combination deep cycle and starting batteries. Your RT already has a starting battery in the engine. Wet cell batteries have caps on them to check the fluid level. Maintenance free AGM batteries do not have caps on them as they are not to be opened. The TrippLite has a setting (dip switch) for wet cell and AGM batteries. The correct battery must be set on this dip switch.(See the TrippLite manual for which). Overheating batteries and a sulfur smell indicate a series problem - that may be the batteries, the wrong setting on the TrippLite or the batteries boiling out - which the TrippLite should prevent if it is working correctly. Make sure your 2 12 volt batteries are wired in parallel or you are putting 24 volts into the 12 volt system. Another source of the problem could be the battery isolator in your engine which can cause issued on the RT battery side or the engine battery side when it goes bad - they last about 8 to 9 years and then have to be replaced.
DeleteThanks so much for your help. I love this site and find it so helpful!
DeleteThank you so much! A lot of batteries (e.g. Costco) say Marine/RV so I need to be careful. Maybe I should switch to AGM batteries and change the DIP setting on my Tripplite. Batteries make be like the Renogy deep cycle arm 12v 100ah
ReplyDeleteWe have two 6 volt LifeLine AGM deep cycle batteries - GPL-4CT - wired in series for 12 volts. Each battery has 220 amp hours. Two 6 volt wired in series maximize the amp hours. They are heavy (70 pounds each) and expensive (about $350 each) and have a great warranty - full replacement in the first year and then prorated. They are the only batteries I have ever had that come with a 40 page technical manual.
DeleteHey there, does coach battery need to stay on when running fridge on propane? Thanks
ReplyDeleteYes! The battery disconnect switch on the wall must be on when running the fridge on propane. The electronic igniter to light the propane needs the battery to do that - and to keep it lit should it go out.
Delete