First real trip out in 2011 Pleasure Way. Current setup is new sealed starter battery separated from also new sealed RV/marine deep cycle house battery. House battery is charged by alternator while running, generator, or shore power. It also has a battery cutoff switch (just FYI, not applicable to the current problem). You cannot start the engine from the house battery.
As with most vehicles, when you open a door the interior (cab only) dome lights come on. And with this van, ALL exterior running lights also come on. Lots of those! They stay on for ten seconds after you close the door. Leave the door open, they stay on for ten minutes before going off.
I am currently parked with shore power, am in and out many times a day. After two weeks (not running engine), the starter battery died. Battery checked with a meter and it's good, just run way down. Placed it on a charger and it started after 15 minutes. Left the automatic charger on overnight -- showed fully charged, no problem.
I assume (!) all those lights ran down the battery. Thinking of silent drainage, looked for and found no dash lights on (clock, radio, etc) and there is no alarm system. So now every few days, I run the engine (on idle) for 30-45 minutes. To avoid this problem in the future, I have located the switch in the door that activates all the lights when the door is open. It looks like it would be easy to disconnect that switch. BUT.. Will it disconnect anything else??
Other choices:
Carry another battery. I don't think I could handle the weight myself. Too heavy for me and takes up valuable space. Also, the discharging will eventually kill my new battery.
Add a switch that will deactivate the door opening setup. Had that on my previous conversion van and it was great! A switch on the dash that shut off that door activating system. This I can have done by someone who knows what they're doing.
Any other ideas? I'm open to suggestions. I will be leaving here the end of the week and hope to be dry camping and don't want to be stranded out there. (I do carry jumper cables.)
Am helping my elderly Mom this week so am only on here mornings and evenings so will reply then to any posts.
Thanks to all!
As with most vehicles, when you open a door the interior (cab only) dome lights come on. And with this van, ALL exterior running lights also come on. Lots of those! They stay on for ten seconds after you close the door. Leave the door open, they stay on for ten minutes before going off.
I am currently parked with shore power, am in and out many times a day. After two weeks (not running engine), the starter battery died. Battery checked with a meter and it's good, just run way down. Placed it on a charger and it started after 15 minutes. Left the automatic charger on overnight -- showed fully charged, no problem.
I assume (!) all those lights ran down the battery. Thinking of silent drainage, looked for and found no dash lights on (clock, radio, etc) and there is no alarm system. So now every few days, I run the engine (on idle) for 30-45 minutes. To avoid this problem in the future, I have located the switch in the door that activates all the lights when the door is open. It looks like it would be easy to disconnect that switch. BUT.. Will it disconnect anything else??
Other choices:
Carry another battery. I don't think I could handle the weight myself. Too heavy for me and takes up valuable space. Also, the discharging will eventually kill my new battery.
Add a switch that will deactivate the door opening setup. Had that on my previous conversion van and it was great! A switch on the dash that shut off that door activating system. This I can have done by someone who knows what they're doing.
Any other ideas? I'm open to suggestions. I will be leaving here the end of the week and hope to be dry camping and don't want to be stranded out there. (I do carry jumper cables.)
Am helping my elderly Mom this week so am only on here mornings and evenings so will reply then to any posts.
Thanks to all!