Checking the Coach Batteries Voltage

 In 2011 Roadtrek changed the batteries used for the coach - the living area of your Roadtrek - from wet cell batteries to AGM batteries. As I have written before in various articles, AGM batteries are maintenance free meaning they do not have to be checked to see if the fluid level in the battery is good. In the process of the change to AGM batteries, the battery compartment was changed as well in the 190 and, I presume, the 210. I do not know about the Sprinter Roadtreks. The Sprinters now, also, have AGM batteries but I am not familiar with the Sprinter battery compartment. The change to the 190 battery compartment - which has, and has had, two coach batteries - was the elimination of a second battery compartment for the second battery that was located over the rear passenger tire, and a redesign of the battery compartment located in front of the rear passenger tire which eliminated the sliding shelf floor. Previously, when that compartment was opened, you could pull the sliding shelf out and access the top of the battery. This made it possible to check the battery fluid level easily and also made it possible to put a voltage meter's probes onto the battery to check the full voltage level of both coach batteries. With the AGM batteries there was no longer a need to check the fluid levels, but there is still a need to get an accurate check of the battery voltage.

Inside your Roadtrek on the monitor panel, you can check the battery voltage with four LED lights. The lights will tell you C (top green light) for charging and indicates that the voltage is at or above 12.7 volts, G ( second from the top yellow light) for Good - approx. 12 volts, F (second from the bottom red light) for Fair which according to the creator of the Roadtrek electric simulator in the Notes attachment is approximately 11.3 volts, and L (the bottom red light) for Low at less than 5 volts. The LEDs will give you a fast idea of where the battery voltage might be but there is no way to know how close you are to the light changing to the next lower LED at any time.  Only a voltage meter with a display connected directly to the battery line can tell you that.

Bear with me for the why and I promise I will get you to the how. I decided that I wanted to take a reading on the battery voltage that was accurate. With my 2011 190's new design of coach battery compartment, there was no way to pull the batteries out to get to the terminals. The two AGM batteries are bolted with a frame to the inside of the compartment. There is access at the front to one terminal on each battery - a positive and a negative - and the batteries are wired in series. My first thought seeing this was to put the meter on those two terminals. Using the exposed positive and negative terminals I got no reading with my electric multi-meter set to read DC voltage with the scale set to a maximum of 20 volts. I was able to get a reading off of the positive battery terminal using the metal battery frame as a ground. The reading was 6.4 volts. The reading should have been near 12. Inside, the LED panel showed the voltage at the G (yellow) LED. I was getting a reading off of only one battery. This was no good. I would need to get to the rear of the batteries to get a correct reading and that was not possible. The space on top of the batteries is narrow and there is no line of clear sight to the terminals.

There are no 12 volt coach outlets inside the newer Roadtreks. In the past there were 12 volt outlets connected to coach power and it was possible to take a voltage reading from any of those outlets. Some have added a 12 volt outlet using the TV antenna booster wiring located inside of the wall of the top of the inside of the television connection cabinet. This requires taking the booster switch plate off, accessing the connection wires, not shorting the booster switch, connecting a 12 volt outlet to those wires and then making a hole for the outlets wires to come out inside the cabinet. Winegard does make a booster switch with a 12 volt outlet as part of it, but that plate has additional connections that the plate in the Roadtrek does not have. I was not about to start pulling wiring out of anywhere inside the Roadtrek to access 12 volt wiring to get a voltage reading. Sometimes it is best to leave well enough alone.

I get an idea in my head and it is hard to let it go. I wanted to know how this could be done. When I am stumped about RV things - or Roadtrek things - I go to the forums online. On one forum it was confirmed that the 6.4 volt reading was just one of the two batteries. On that same forum it was suggested to me that I could directly access the total battery voltage by going to the connections on the battery separator located under the van's front hood in the engine compartment. The responder "thought" that the left side connection went to the coach battery line.

The battery separator is used on Roadtreks starting in 2006. Previously a battery isolator was used. These two are mechanically different but provide basically the same result - the keep the engine battery and the coach battery apart but still permit the engine running to charge both the engine battery and the coach battery(ies) using the engine's alternator. With this as you drive you charge both the van battery and the coach battery(ies). An aside here, not to confuse the issue at hand, but - if you have a problem with either battery side charging, have this unit checked. They do go bad in time and have caused more unneeded expensive repairs by engine mechanics replacing other things who do not know about RV wiring with the same problem then persisting after their repair work. (So I have been told.)

OK - now that separator is located inside the engine compartment and connected to both the engine battery and the Roadtrek coach battery line. It is located on the top on the rear wall of the engine compartment on the driver's side. I looked in at it and saw that the wires from the batteries were covered with red rubber insulating boots at the connections. I was hesitant to touch these as it appeared that lifting that boot might disconnect the connection. Again, my head said to leave well enough alone - and I did at that point. I was resigned then to give up and just use the LEDs.

I went on one of the Roadtrek Facebook groups on which I had posted about this attempt to find a easy way to get to the coach battery voltage, and said that I was giving up the plan. Jim Hammill, President of Roadtrek, who has at times posted on this group, made comment about using the separator. I replied that I knew about the separator but was reluctant to mess with it. He came back to say that by just lifting the rubber boot a small bit it could not disconnect anything as the connections were bolted on and he confirmed that it was the LEFT side that does, indeed, go to the coach battery connection. By taking a reading from the right side, you are reading the engine battery voltage.

I waited for a day that it was not extremely cold - this is March when this took place, not snowing, and not raining. I was able to get a reading off the separator and the voltage was 11.83. The LEDs inside were only up to the bottom two red LEDs. The second from the bottom is supposed to light at 11.3 volts. So, while the drop from 12 volts was not that significant, it was just about time to charge the Roadtrek batteries with shore power and the weather was cooperating, so I plugged the Roadtrek in and charged the batteries. This brings me - after all of this that you have suffered through reading here to how to do this for yourself. After charging the batteries to full charge, I took another reading which I shall show you how to do!  ("Finally, finally! He is getting to the good part!")

FIRST - Go inside and TURN OFF the battery disconnect switch. Take these readings with that switch OFF. Need I tell you, engine off, generator off too!

 IF YOUR METER HAS AN ON/OFF SWITCH TURN IT ON. See your meter's instruction book as to how to set it to read DC voltage. Put the meter scale dial on voltage over 12 volts. There should be a 20 volt setting. 

Next - open the hood.


Find the Separator.  See the next two photos.

NEXT - Gently peel back the red rubber boot on the LEFT SIDE OF THE TOP OF THE SEPARATOR.

See the NUT. Above that nut is a screw bolt. You are going to take the reading on that NUT OR SCREW. The metal coming from under the nut - out from under the red boot does not carry current that will give you a reading. ONLY TAKE THE READING USING THE NUT OR SCREW.

NEXT - Using a voltage meter with probes - positive and negative - you are going to PLACE THE METER POSITIVE (RED) PROB TIP ON THE NUT.

NEXT - PLACE THE METER NEGATIVE PROBE ON A GROUND INSIDE THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. Most metal connected to the engine compartment is a ground. The simplest thing is find a bolt head that attaches something to the vehicle body.

Here is a nice, easy to find ground right next to the Separator on the right. Despite you see in the photo you are going to touch the probes to their appropriate spot AT THE SAME TIME JUST LIKE THIS --->.

NOW, look down at your meter. There is a convenient ledge at the front of the engine compartment to set your meter on to see it easily.

The reading - after 22 hours of charging the batteries on shore power is 12.58. For an inexpensive multi-meter, that reading is good enough. I had expected to see 12.8 which was a voltage mentioned to me on one of the forums for fully charged batteries. This reading was taken about two hours after the shore power was disconnected. Inside the Roadtrek the LED panel was on all LEDs to the top C LED which not only indicates Charging but will also stay lit for a period of time - as short as a few hours or as long as a day - because of residual charge still remaining from the charging process. And as noted above when describing the LEDs on the panel, will light when the voltage is at or above 12.7 volts - here we have 12.58 and that is very, very close to 12.8. Very good!

TAKE THE PROBES AWAY FROM THE CONTACTS. 

TURN OFF your meter. 

PUSH THE RED RUBBER BOOT BACK OVER THE CONTACT.

CLOSE the hood. 

YOU ARE DONE - and you now have an accurate reading of the coach battery voltage.

You can now do this whenever you want to find out more than the wall monitor panel LEDs will tell you. A voltage meter like this can be found in stores that sell electric components including the big box home stores. You can find one at Walmart in the electric section of the hardware aisles. This one comes from Harbor Freight stores and if you are lucky enough to find one of the many coupons that the put in many magazines and newspapers or get on their email list, you can have this meter for free with the coupon and any purchase. The meter is just the same as that sold in Walmart and the lower priced meters in the other stores and is good enough for this purpose. There are also the older dial meters that will do the same thing, but it is easier to get a clear reading on a digital screen than it is to decide where the needle is exactly pointing on the scale. 

It is important to note for you that with the meter that I used - and perhaps all such meters - the reading is not instantaneous. The numbers on the screen seem to go all over the place low to higher until is stops at the final reading - which as you see in the photo above, stopped and stayed on 12.58 volts.

So there you are. Even with a newer 190 - or perhaps 210, Ranger, and Sprinters too, you have access to a direct spot to read the voltage of your coach battery(ies). 

And thanks to Meryl who took the photos of my hands holding the probes and also the meter reading!

DEWINTERIZING AND SANITIZING - STEP BY STEP

It was time for me to dewinterize my Roadtrek and I went to this site and pulled up my article on the process. My intention was to print out that article and use it as a guide - even I need reminders to keep the steps straight. Well, I printed it out and looking it over I said to myself, "to go along with this article, why didn't you write a simple to use step by step listing of all the steps leaving out the explanations?". Well, I sat down and wrote just that and here it is. Copy and paste the steps as follows to a single page and print it out. It will make the job so much easier! Read the main article FIRST and familiarize yourself with the process. Then take this one page step by step checklist and take it out to the Roadtrek when you do the job!

Before I start, just one explanation because you will see below that there is a new step added and another step is in a different place in order. The new step is adding flushing the hot water tank out during this process. Because when I winterized it was too cold to do this, I waited until now. Do it before you dewinterize so that you don't push any of the minerals and gunk that accumulate in the hot water tank to go into your plumbing. Here is how to FLUSH THE HOT WATER TANK. The step changed in order is putting the hot water tanks operation off of bypass. To avoid putting any remaining anti-freeze (if there even is any) into the hot water tank. When on city water, the hot water tank just fills on its own as long as it is not bypassed.

OK - HERE WE GO!

DEWINTERIZING STEP BY STEP

1. KEEP THE HOT WATER TANK IN BYPASS WHEN STARTING.
2. SET TANK VALVES TO SUMMER MODE.
3. FILL THE TWO FRESH WATER TANKS.
4. TURN ON THE BATTERY DISCONNECT SWITCH.
5. TURN ON THE WATER PUMP.
6. TURN ON COLD SIDE OF SINK – RUN UNTIL ALL PINK COMES OUT AND CLEAR WATER RUNS. TURN ON HOT SIDE OF SINK.
7. OPEN SHOWER DRAIN IN FLOOR.
8. TURN ON COLD ON SHOWER UNTIL CLEAR, REPEAT FOR HOT.
9. FLUSH TOILET.
10. TURN ON COLD OUTSIDE SHOWER UNTIL CLEAR, REPEAT FOR HOT.
11. TURN OFF WATER PUMP AND BATTERY SWITCH.
12. OPEN HOT WATER TANK AND FLUSH WITH FLUSH STICK.
13. REPLACE ANODE ROD. CLOSE HOT WATER HEATER DOOR.
14. LEAVE WATER PUMP OFF.
15. CONNECT HOSE TO CITY WATER LINE WITH PRESSURE REGULATOR.
16. TURN ON HOSE AND REPEAT STEPS 6 TO 10.
17. NEXT SANITIZE TANKS.

SANITIZING THE FRESH WATER TANKS

Note - this section was updated in May 2015

1. TURN HOT WATER BYPASS VALVES TO HOT WATER FLOW.
2.  USE CITY WATER LINE TO FILL HOT WATER TANK BY RUNNING CITY WATER INTO THAT TANK. (NOT CITY WATER FILL - REGULAR USE OF CITY WATER)
3. DISCONNECT CITY WATER CONNECT FROM HOSE.
4. PUT ONE HALF CUP BLEACH INTO THE FRONT EXTERIOR FRESH TANK. (PRE-MIX THE BLEACH IN A GALLON JUG OF WATER BEFORE PUTTING IT INTO THE FRESH TANK - DO NOT PUT PURE BLEACH INTO THE TANK.)
5. PUT ONE QUARTER CUP BLEACH INTO THE REAR INTERIOR FRESH TANK. (PRE-MIX THE BLEACH IN A GALLON JUG OF WATER BEFORE PUTTING IT INTO THE FRESH TANK - DO NOT PUT PURE BLEACH INTO THE TANK.)
6. TOP OFF WATER IN TANKS WITH HOSE.
7. DRIVE BACK AND FORTH TO MIX THE BLEACH INTO THE WATER.
8. TURN ON BATTERY SWITCH AND WATER PUMP.
9. **TURN ON EACH FAUCET HANDLE PLUS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE SHOWER ONE HANDLE AT A TIME SMELLING FOR BLEACH TO COME THROUGH WITH EACH. NOT THE TOILET.
10. LET BLEACH SIT IN TANKS FOR AT LEAST FOUR HOURS.
11. DRAIN WATER TANKS.
12. FILL WATER TANKS AGAIN.
13. **REPEAT STEP 5 SMELLING NOW FOR NO BLEACH SMELL.
14. DRAIN TANKS THROUGH THE LOW POINT DRAIN.
15. REPEAT STEP 8 AND 9. IF BLEACH SMELL REPEAT FROM STEP 8.
16. DRAIN TANKS OR LEAVE FULL FOR TRIP

DONE

** When you smell for bleach, run the water into a paper cup and smell the water in the cup. If you run it into the sink the bleach odor will be in the sink and you will smell bleach in the water when you go on to Step 13 after flushing with fresh water. 



ADDENDUM:  NEW ARTICLE ON SANITIZING THE HOT WATER TANK

A Drying Line in the Roadtrek

Sooner or later on a trip in the Roadtrek you will wash an article of clothing in the sink, go to the campground swimming pool, or take a shower either in the Roadtrek shower or in the campground shower room and dry off with a towel. The result of any of these actions is that you are left with something that will be very wet and has to be dried. For small towels or anything that is wet and small there are a number of drying and hanging rods on cabinet doors. We have one on the kitchen cabinet door and one on the bathroom door. With limited space inside the Roadtrek, there is not a lot of room to hang anything of any larger size up to dry.

We came up with a simple solution and created a "portable" clothes drying line for inside the Roadtrek that is out of the way - at least once you have gone to bed or are spending time in the rear of the coach.

Here it is in use.

It is simply two hooks made to be hung over the top edge of a kitchen cabinet in a home and a length of polypropylene rope with a loop tied on each end. Simple. The hooks are found in many home stores in the kitchen department. They are meant to add temporary exterior hooks to a kitchen cabinet. They are shaped like an "S" with the top shaped like an upside down "U" and the bottom shaped like a "J". They are made of aluminum or other metal that will not rust.

The rope is polypropylene because it will not absorb water and is easy to wipe off if wet and be completely dry before being put away. Any rope can be used but this is strong and waterproof. Measure the distance across the Roadtrek and add enough rope to make the loops. Tie one loop, put it on a hook, hang the hook, bring the rope across to the other side, hand the other hook, and tie that side's loop so that the rope will stretch with very little slack across from hook to hook. That is all you need to do in advance of using this drying line for the first time.

The hooks are placed on the top of the front of the storage area that runs on both sides of the front of the coach above the driving area to the start of the Roadtrek's cabinets.  Place the loops around each hook and you are ready to hang whatever you need to dry.

Once all are dry, the drying line is placed in a small snack-sized ziplock bag along with the hooks and placed in the Roadtrek's kitchen draw out of the way until it is needed again.

The towels that you see in the photos are the wonderful fast dry towels that USED to be sold in J.C. Penny (see article on this site). These towels were discontinued with the major merchandise change over that Penny's went through a year or so back. We have tried other so-called "fast dry" or "quick dry" towels but none dry as fast as these. On this line these shower towels were completely dry in about five hours inside the Roadtrek.

Simple and easy! Make yourself a drying line for a few dollars!