I'm seeking some advice ... a bit of brain picking as it were!
We do our share of dry camping and have a Yamaha 2000i gen to keep the 2 batteries up as needed. Have converted to LED lights throughout, we don't use any other 12v power generally when 'in the woods'. Normally, we can run 2-3 days after setup before I need to run the gen an hour or so to maintain 3-4 lights on the sensor panel.
Ran fine last year, and again in a week outing this summer. But now ...
We're camping on the OR coast, first few days are fine on the batteries. I run the Gen on day 2 to be sure it is good after powering the electric tongue jack and slider room at setup. By day 4 the batteries are down to only 2 lights. We have only used a light for a while in the evening before bed for maybe 2 hrs, because we are outside a lot when we camp.
I checked the batteries (sealed 12v group 24 AC Delcos) and when charging, the charge is only 13.2 v per my multi-meter, so the WFCO is putting out only the maintenance charge, even tho the batteries were at 11.4 v. I ran it for 2 hrs, got the charge only up to 12.6 v. at the battery, but panel had 4 lights.
The next morning I awake to see the 'check' light on on the fridge ... and think I must have run out of propane in the one tank. Nope. Plenty of gas, but the batteriy is down to ONE light! Not enough amps to run the fridge circuit panel so it just shuts off and will not ignite the burner!
After 'quiet time' and folks are up around camp, I first check the batteries and they are at 9.6 v, so I fire up the gen and the fridge kicks back on fine. Run the gen another 2 hours. Multi-meter still shows there is only 13.2 v being put into the batteries. i get them back up to 12.6 v and shut down. Now we are not using any lights, so the only power use is the fridge and the gas/CO sniffer. Keep the water heater off usually unless we have a specific need, so even that is not powered.
Guess what we see on the fridge that night before bed? The check light is on on the fridge again! So next day I again chk batteries and find the same results - and run the gen for 3 hrs. Luckily we are leaving the following day to a location that has a power post at the camp site.
We traveled for 2 hrs the next day, so the battries go TV charging. When we arrive at current location, I checked batteries and they were at 13.8v!! I plugged in and all is fine for now ... but had the batteries checked at a local shop and they got 14.4 v on each of them and all cells good! I found a Camping World near by and was told by their service techs that if the batteries have not been toasted by the WFCO (I told them we leave it plugged into shore while rig is in driveway normally) because it does a lousy job of proper maintenance charging, the likely problem is the WFCO converter/charger and that we should not replace with a like unit. (They knew I was not having difficulties at the present time and was going to head home to do repairs, so they were more in 'helpful' mode than 'sell goods' mode!)
Oh, and yes the battery switch as remained in pulled out 'on' position for the entire period. Needless to say, guess the dealer - or maybe my local Camping World - will be doing a system check!
So I'm curious if anyone has seen this kind of behavior in your rig? Any thoughts on the WFCO? I've looked into "problems" on line and see a lot of issues discussed mainly about them being junk - or at least very cheap units. Nice we had the gen to save the food in the fridge! THX in advance for any sharing!
We do our share of dry camping and have a Yamaha 2000i gen to keep the 2 batteries up as needed. Have converted to LED lights throughout, we don't use any other 12v power generally when 'in the woods'. Normally, we can run 2-3 days after setup before I need to run the gen an hour or so to maintain 3-4 lights on the sensor panel.
Ran fine last year, and again in a week outing this summer. But now ...
We're camping on the OR coast, first few days are fine on the batteries. I run the Gen on day 2 to be sure it is good after powering the electric tongue jack and slider room at setup. By day 4 the batteries are down to only 2 lights. We have only used a light for a while in the evening before bed for maybe 2 hrs, because we are outside a lot when we camp.
I checked the batteries (sealed 12v group 24 AC Delcos) and when charging, the charge is only 13.2 v per my multi-meter, so the WFCO is putting out only the maintenance charge, even tho the batteries were at 11.4 v. I ran it for 2 hrs, got the charge only up to 12.6 v. at the battery, but panel had 4 lights.
The next morning I awake to see the 'check' light on on the fridge ... and think I must have run out of propane in the one tank. Nope. Plenty of gas, but the batteriy is down to ONE light! Not enough amps to run the fridge circuit panel so it just shuts off and will not ignite the burner!
After 'quiet time' and folks are up around camp, I first check the batteries and they are at 9.6 v, so I fire up the gen and the fridge kicks back on fine. Run the gen another 2 hours. Multi-meter still shows there is only 13.2 v being put into the batteries. i get them back up to 12.6 v and shut down. Now we are not using any lights, so the only power use is the fridge and the gas/CO sniffer. Keep the water heater off usually unless we have a specific need, so even that is not powered.
Guess what we see on the fridge that night before bed? The check light is on on the fridge again! So next day I again chk batteries and find the same results - and run the gen for 3 hrs. Luckily we are leaving the following day to a location that has a power post at the camp site.
We traveled for 2 hrs the next day, so the battries go TV charging. When we arrive at current location, I checked batteries and they were at 13.8v!! I plugged in and all is fine for now ... but had the batteries checked at a local shop and they got 14.4 v on each of them and all cells good! I found a Camping World near by and was told by their service techs that if the batteries have not been toasted by the WFCO (I told them we leave it plugged into shore while rig is in driveway normally) because it does a lousy job of proper maintenance charging, the likely problem is the WFCO converter/charger and that we should not replace with a like unit. (They knew I was not having difficulties at the present time and was going to head home to do repairs, so they were more in 'helpful' mode than 'sell goods' mode!)
Oh, and yes the battery switch as remained in pulled out 'on' position for the entire period. Needless to say, guess the dealer - or maybe my local Camping World - will be doing a system check!
So I'm curious if anyone has seen this kind of behavior in your rig? Any thoughts on the WFCO? I've looked into "problems" on line and see a lot of issues discussed mainly about them being junk - or at least very cheap units. Nice we had the gen to save the food in the fridge! THX in advance for any sharing!