how to keep from draining battery

[helen and tuck]

We recently purchased a 2017 Chevy Express 9 passenger high top Explorer conversion. We are very disappointed to find that we not only cannot run the tv but even the map lights without the key on. We do not want to sink lot of money into further conversion after dropping near 70,000 on the van or invalidate our warranty either. What work-arounds have others used? Would a battery trickle charger plugged into a campsite electrical service keep us good to go or could it keep up with the amps the tv would draw? Another issue is the automatic closure of the sunroof when key is off. I'm not sure of the point of a sunroof in a van if it cannot stay open at night while you are sleeping. What have others done there?

 

[deadwood]

I think we need a little more info on how you have things set up. Are you camping mostly at camp sites where they have hookups? Then you could have a minimal set up if most of your power is coming from shore power. How is your conversion van set up? Can you plug into shore power to run things while you are parked?

Are you doing more boondocking where you need to be more self sufficient in your power?

From reading your post is sounds like you are trying to run the TV from the vans battery. Do you have a separate house battery to run the electronics in the back part of the van like the TV? If running things off of the vans battery I don't think it would last very long because the vans starting battery isn't really designed for running things very long. Most people at that point would look to have a house battery in the back to run things and a way to charge it back up. It could be charged back up from either hooking up a battery charger when you have power available or by the engine while driving or by solar as well.

It sounds like you have a nice brand new van there and a good one at that. But even with the brand new overly priced RV's with all the gadgets they are still usually lacking when it comes to initial set up and need some after market add on's to make it more user friendly for you. Can you give us some more info on how you van came set up so we can then point you in the right direction on what might help make it a better experience for you.

 

[Trebor English]

I have a 1999 Ford Windstar and I have similar disappointments.  Even with the key off every time a door is opened or closed a sequence is started.  The front electronic module, FEM, and the rear electronic module, REM, talk to each other over a network.  They turn on 4 relay coils and enable stuff like lights and vent fans. After a half hour they return to sleep mode ending the 1 amp draw.  After that the inside lights don't work any more so those led bulbs I put in don't work.  The radio doesn't work.  After a day of coming and going  the 1 amp useless drain gets to be substantial. 

What I have done is added a battery disconnect switch to the plus side of the battery, replaced the starter battery with the biggest deep cycle battery that would fit, (group size 24 75 amp hour) added a 100 watt solar panel and cheap charge controller.  

When I am traveling and stop for the night I just crawl into the back and go to sleep. When I am parked for a while I open the hood and disconnect the van from the battery then I just use what has been wired to the other terminal of the trolling motor battery.  That includes the solar controller, the USB charger ports, the 400 watt inverter for the shaver, laptop, and fridge, the 12 volt LED desk lamp, and the MaxxFan.  I don't have a tv.  My radio uses 6 D cells.

You could get a 20 amp converter. It makes 13.8 volts from 120 volts. That would make it so that you could leave the key on and everything would work. The converter would power the stuff and not over charge your battery. Since I got the solar my converter hasn't been used.

 

[TechScott]

I faced the same situation a number of years ago when I took a short-term lease on a "conversion" van.  Since I was planning on utilizing the van as a weekend home (my company paid for a hotel room Monday thru Thursday nights) I expected to boondock using 12v to power my lights, device charging, and TV but the starting battery couldn't handle the drain and key had to be in the "on" position placing further drain on the starter battery.

My solution, I added a 200ah 12v AGM battery under the hood with 120v AC quick charger and a battery isolator kit.  The battery isolator allowed my alternator to charge my AGM "coach" battery on the move and the "quick charger" allowed me to plug into AC power and refresh my "coach" battery in a few hours if absolutely necessary.  My Chevy had room for a second battery under the hood but I could have placed the batter anywhere I could route wires to.

I ran a lead from the newly installed AGM battery "coach" to a dedicated fuse block.  I located the circuits on the stock Chevy fuse panel that fed the "conversion" accessories by removing and replacing fuses until I found the lighting circuit(s), the inverter circuit, and the TV circuit.  I removed the fuses and used crimp on "spade" connectors and extended the "load" side of the fuse receptacle to individually fused circuits on the new "hot" fuse block connected to my AGM or "house" battery.  I did all the work in a hotel parking lot with only a handful of tools.

Voila! "always on" 12v DC my van "coach" without disturbing my starter battery.

I used this set-up for over a year and simply removed the AGM "coach" battery, isolator, fuse block, wiring and restored the original fuses before turning the van into the dealer.  No issues!

 

[John61CT]

If boondocking no shore power to recharge, then a small inverter genny and a small solar setup is needed to keep the House battery charged.

Unless you're driving many hours per day, need an ACR to make use of the Alt as well.

 

[frater secessus]

We do not want to sink lot of money into further conversion after dropping near 70,000 on the van or invalidate our warranty either. What work-arounds have others used? Would a battery trickle charger plugged into a campsite electrical service keep us good to go or could it keep up with the amps the tv would draw?

If you do have access to shore power (ie, 110v), then a smart automotive charger could indeed be installed under the hood with a discrete plug-in somewhere.  An easy $100 solution.  Something like this 10A one or even this 5A one might work.    Sticking with the smaller chargers would let you use the cheapest 15A/20A plugin whereever you are staying.

If you do not have access to 110v (or want to run an air conditioner) things will be more complex.

 

[helen and tuck]

When I call what we have a conversion that is not quite accurate--although that is what Explorer calls it. It is truly just a passenger van with back bench that lays down to a bed and a built-in tv (of course with hidden wiring I do not want to tear into) which is all we wanted. We stay at Walmarts and at State campgrounds when we want to shower. There is no room under the hood to mount an additional battery or charger. We have a solar charger but that does us no good at night when we want to run the lights/tv for a few hours. We are willing ro replace the original battery with a deep cycle if that would help and we would only require charging when we are in a campground with electricity. I guess I am asking if our automotive battery charger we use for jumps or to trickle charge a battery would fit the ticket or if there is a better alternative.

 

[John61CT]

> a built-in tv (of course with hidden wiring I do not want to tear into)

12V, runs off the car battery now?

> no room under the hood to mount an additional battery or charger

These need to be installed in the living space, maybe under the bed?

> We have a solar charger but that does us no good at night

Charge a good battery bank daytimes, discharge at night is how that works

Likely need much bigger, but in your case with shore power available, maybe not required at all

> We are willing to replace the original battery with a deep cycle if that would help

Might be a start, likely not enough, need to cutout before discharging that one too low so you know the engine will start.

> we would only require charging when we are in a campground with electricity

the recharging schedule is driven by how much power you use, AH draw per day

having a bigger bank gives more leeway, realistically a pair of big heavy 6V Golf Car batts maybe $180 would be a good start.

drawing below 50%, or not recharging all the way murders the batteries lifetime long before what proper care can get

Most important: what is the longest # of "boondocking days" between shore power overnights?

Get a cheap shunt+ammeter (current meter, amps meter) from eBay to see your total draw at the moment.

Even better, find out each device's draw, then estimate how many hours each per day and come up with a total AH per day energy budget (next most important)

 

[tx2sturgis]

Helen, when you say ignition on, don't you mean accessory (left) position? Or only with ignition ON?

Try placing the ignition in ACC and see if the sunroof will stay open. In this position the power windows should operate normally, and the radio will work. Maybe the TV will also work.

But given the constraints and situations you describe here is what I would do, and none of this will jeopardize the vehicle warranty or require much work:

I assume the van has a receiver hitch...if not, I would install one. Be sure to buy a locking pin, and a 'hitch tightener'.

Buy a good-quality hitch rack (with curved corners) and set it up to carry an additional deep cycle battery and that battery placed in a nice marine type battery box, secured to the rack. A battery box will be low enough to not block the rear doors. A low profile plastic tote could be added for extra storage if desired. Or a small pile of firewood!

Within the battery box, mount a small, sealed, on-board battery maintainer with an AC plug. This is for when you have an outlet nearby.

Route small cables and sockets into the cabin for powering the TV, laptop, whatever.

Also I would buy a small 50 watt panel for the roof of the van, along with a small PWM controller, to balance the parasitic loads of the van systems (ECMs, interior lights, power windows etc). This will be wired to the starter battery.

Optional, and I would recommend, a portable 100 watt folding 'briefcase' style solar panel and controller, with battery clips or connector, to hook up to the auxiliary battery when boondocking, if sunlight is available.

If the starter battery ever failed to start the van due to overuse of the van's systems OR no usable sunlight for a few days, the secondary battery could be used to jumpstart the van.

This is what I have done, (with minor changes) and it works.

 

[John61CT]

Good idea. A proper charger, say 20-30A would be better than just a trickle charger, so you can get a full 100% charge overnight from 50% depleted when overnight on shore power.

If going with the flooded 6V Duracell GCs, one could go on each end of the cargo rack for balance, then other storage between. Everything can go into robust plastic bins to look and fit nicely.