New Owner/All batteries discharged

[Jerry & Sarah]

I just purchased a 2023 New Aire with less than 4000 miles on it. Drove it home and parked it in my warehouse for about 10 days while I cleaned out the garage and installed a new 50a outlet. While parked, I failed to connect it to shore power, thinking that it would stay powerd up until I could move it into the garage. It didn't; everything is dead and pluging it into the standard 110v outlet hasn't charged anything after 48 hours.
Any suggestions???

 

[Neal]

The batteries should be protected by the Low Battery Cut Off (LBCO) setting so I doubt they are destroyed. Once plugged in to shore power make sure your CHARGER is enabled for your inverter control.

110 isn't typically a good charge source, if you use that then typically charge settings need to be changed. I would start the generator if you can and let it run 6-8 hours if you can.

 

[Jerry & Sarah]

The batteries should be protected by the Low Battery Cut Off (LBCO) setting so I doubt they are destroyed. Once plugged in to shore power make sure your CHARGER is enabled for your inverter control.

110 isn't typically a good charge source, if you use that then typically charge settings need to be changed. I would start the generator if you can and let it run 6-8 hours if you can.

How do I enable the charger?

 

[Neal]

First, start your generator

Then review you inverter settings to make sure it is charging, charger is enabled, etc. Most likely it is enabled but review your settings.

 

[Neal]

Any New Aire and/or Silverleaf owners that want to chime in on what to check, please do.

 

[flyboy013]

The problem is that the inverter/charger is not powered on because the house battery voltage is below the threshold for powering up. Without it powered on, the charger cannot charge the batteries. The typical response is that you need to use an external 12V charger to charge the batteries above the threshold. Because the batteries are likely 6V batteries wired in series and parallel, pay extra attention where you connect the charger to the batteries.

If you chassis battery is good, I would think you could start the engine and then press and hold the batter boost button so that the house sides see 13-14V. Hold it long enough to get things booted up and the charger running. Once this is done, I'd like to think that you could then release the battery boost and shut the engine off as the charger would then be putting out roughly 14.2V in bulk mode.

 

[Neal]

@flyboy013 wouldn't the GEN power the charge circuit same as shore power?

Edit: I'm guessing as you can't start it from Silverleaf you'd have to go to the GEN directly and start it on the front of the GEN?

 

[flyboy013]

@Neal No. The generator is no different than shore power. The inverter/charger is looking for DC voltage to boot up. 120V power doesn't help because the charger isn't running because of the lack of sufficient DC voltage.

Its sort of like chicken and egg issue. You need 12V to boot the inverter/charger, but you cannot generate 12V from 120V because the charger isn't running. You need to get the 12V another way. Either external charger or hopefully via the chassis battery boost.

 

[SteveMA]

Have just been through a version of this (Xantrax. 3012 inverter). Get a small smart charger - I use NOCO Genius10 (amazon about $120 and hook up directly to the batteries.. connect directly across the entire set (so this will be 12V) it will bring them up over 1-2 days and once you get to >10.8V the main inverter should be able to start. PM me for more info but this should work (My batteries were down to 6.5v after being in service for 2+ weeks...)

 

[Neal]

Amazon product ASIN B07W3QT226
Seems odd if you just hit LBCO it won’t come back but I understand if discharged. Seems like you better carry a charger if you have silverleaf.

 

[Rich W.]

Amazon product ASIN B07W3QT226
Seems odd if you just hit LBCO it won’t come back but I understand if discharged. Seems like you better carry a charger if you have silverleaf.

Maybe its a Zantrex issue.

 

[Jerry & Sarah]

First, start your generator

Then review you inverter settings to make sure it is charging, charger is enabled, etc. Most likely it is enabled but review your settings.

I have no power to start the Generator. It seems that all the batteries are down. I have had the power cord plugged into a 110v outlet ( the small red light is on in the compartment) for two days without success.

Have just been through a version of this (Xantrax. 3012 inverter). Get a small smart charger - I use NOCO Genius10 (amazon about $120 and hook up directly to the batteries.. connect directly across the entire set (so this will be 12V) it will bring them up over 1-2 days and once you get to >10.8V the main inverter should be able to start. PM me for more info but this should work (My batteries were down to 6.5v after being in service for 2+ weeks...)

i used jumper cables to start it and get it plugged into a 50a outlet at my warehouse.

Then I connected a 2-6amp smart charger to the house batteries ( connected the charger to the positive on battery #1 and negative to battery #4). When I first connected the batteries it was showing 1.4 amps; a few hours later it was up to 2.5 amps.

Am I doing this correctly?

 

[Rich W.]

I have no power to start the Generator. It seems that all the batteries are down. I have had the power cord plugged into a 110v outlet ( the small red light is on in the compartment) for two days without success.

i used jumper cables to start it and get it plugged into a 50a outlet at my warehouse.

Then I connected a 2-6amp smart charger to the house batteries ( connected the charger to the positive on battery #1 and negative to battery #4). When I first connected the batteries it was showing 1.4 amps; a few hours later it was up to 2.5 amps.

Am I doing this correctly?

As long as you are hooked up to 12 volts (assuming a 12v charger) on the batteries it will be ok but it would be best to connect to the posts where the main connections are - probably positive right front, and neg left rear. But confirm before connecting. Also with that charger expect days to get the batteries up to a reasonable state of charge and given probable parasitic loads, that charger might not even keep up with the demand.

 

[TheLooks]

If you can, shut down the parasitic draws with the store button or battery disconnect button, or whatever it is called in your rig. Let the batteries get back up to speed.

 

[SteveMA]

If you can, shut down the parasitic draws with the store button or battery disconnect button, or whatever it is called in your rig. Let the batteries get back up to speed.

Jerry - How did you do on this? My story was a bit longer (a lot longer) but in the end all is good - and think of the education I got.... If you are still having problems PM me and we can have a call. While an annoyance, better to get this all under your belt now so you can add it to the notches on the stick.
True on the parasitic loads. Part of the reason for a smart charger is to keep from 'boiling' the battery liquid/gel - most older chargers will just keep pushing power at the batteries and it can overheat them. In the end to get my batteries back up I had both a Noco 10 and another Noco 5 connected. The N-10 is now mounted with velcro in a cargo bay and the N-5 is under the back seat of the Jeep.... occasionally when we are parked somewhere for more than a week, the N-5 plugs into the Block heater plug and charges the chassis batteries... the little solar plate on the roof is cute, but not up to the job even in sunny So. Cal where she parks when we are home.

 

[Jerry & Sarah]

Jerry - How did you do on this? My story was a bit longer (a lot longer) but in the end all is good - and think of the education I got.... If you are still having problems PM me and we can have a call. While an annoyance, better to get this all under your belt now so you can add it to the notches on the stick.
True on the parasitic loads. Part of the reason for a smart charger is to keep from 'boiling' the battery liquid/gel - most older chargers will just keep pushing power at the batteries and it can overheat them. In the end to get my batteries back up I had both a Noco 10 and another Noco 5 connected. The N-10 is now mounted with velcro in a cargo bay and the N-5 is under the back seat of the Jeep.... occasionally when we are parked somewhere for more than a week, the N-5 plugs into the Block heater plug and charges the chassis batteries... the little solar plate on the roof is cute, but not up to the job even in sunny So. Cal where she parks when we are home.

Thanks for your reply Steve. This has been a learning process for me ( new Class A owner); my previous " Coach" was a Class C, and much less complicated......

I purchased this 2022 New Aire ( put in service Feb. 2023) by the orginal owner, who drove in less than 3500 miles. I bought it in October 2023 and drove it 150 miles to my warehouse, where I plugged it into a 50 amp outlet. When I turned the motor off, I thought that I smelled something ( somewhat faint, but I am in an Industrial Park so I dismissed it) and turned my attention to the radio/ navigation panel that wouldn't turn off. I tried several times to turn it off at the switch with no success, and now I turn off the power switch at the door.

A few weeks later, I thought I would start it and let it run a little, but it had no power to either the House or Chassis battries ( even though it had been plugged into 50amp shore power). The generator wouldn't start so I jumped the motor with my pickup and it started right up. The only issue was that it downshifted very hard ( in the Engine Brake mode; not so in the normal shift mode). The Chassis battries seemed to charge up in a short amount of time; the House batteries still had no charge. * important to note that the Chassis battery switch was on and the house battery switch was off.

Over the next few days, I read everything that I could find and asked a lot of questions. I learned that the House battery switch must be in the On position to accept a charge. So as suggested here, I turned on the House battery switch and bought a Norco 10 charger ( it took 4-5 days to charge them). Now, they seem to stay charged when plugged into 50amp shore power, even with the radio panel stuck in the on position.

Now, the Chassis battries will discharge when the switch is left in the On position, after 3 days, even when plugged into the 50amp shore power plug ( not certain what happens if I turn the Chassis switch off).

I'm at a loss and I have made an appointment with the Newmar dealer in 3 weeks.

I believe that something is draining the Chassis batteries. I also believe that something is draining the House batteries at least when the switch is On. Possibly, something happened when I smelled the smoke??? What would cause it to downshift very hard when in the Engine Brake mode???