Dead Batteries

DanB

  We live in New England and finished our 2021 camping season  in Nov in Jacksonville Fl. We left our 2021 400 Boondock in Fl with family, covered, power off and drained for the winter and early spring pick up.  I had daughter check inside the camper, first had her turn battery on and she went inside and the batteries were dead.  She plugged in shore power and it's been 24 hours, the battery shows that it is charged.  Last winter I left it covered and powered off here in Vermont and when uncovering in the spring the batteries were still fully charged.  So any ideas what would cause the discharging? 

Sharon_is_SAM

The inverter will draw power if not turned off.  

What are you using to monitor the batteries?  I ask because the installed monitor can over estimate the battery charge.  The AGM batteries need to be fully charged before storing as well.

[Deleted User]

By powered off do you mean you switched the battery off switch to off? That's the only way i know of to power off the camper totally. If you leave it in the on position your batteries will drain from several always on devices.  

bergger

I can only imagine the battery disconnect switch was somehow left on or turned on again at some point.  We have our trailer covered way up in the snowy mountains of Colorado and with the battery switch off it remains charged all winter, just like yours did in Vermont last year.  Did you you happen to add any other electrical connections in the past year that were wired directly to the battery and not through the disconnect switch that may drain it?

DanB

The battery's were fully charged when I covered up the camper, I have only monitored the batteries with the installed monitor.  The battery disconnect switch was off,  as observed by my daughter not me. With her having no experience with the camper I'm thinking that maybe it was actually on when she first checked it. (Which means I forgot to turn it off!) The battery appears to be charged now and we will monitor it more frequently to see if they hold a charge.  Are there any other ideas if the switch was off?

pthomas745

If you have installed solar...you need the Victron app. 

https://www.victronenergy.com/panel-systems-remote-monitoring/victronconnect

falcon1970

I would suggest the Victron App even if you don't have solar.  The factory monitoring system is pretty much useless.

falcon1970

And so is the tank monitoring system.  But that is a whole nother discussion.

DanB

Thanks I do have solar and will look at the Victron App

DanB

Follow on question, for the Victron, what has to installed in the camper and how difficult is the installation? Thanks

Michigan_Mike

If it’s a 2021 T@B I can’t imagine any other scenario other than the battery switch being left on.  My trailer was built in the summer of 2018 and my batteries are still performing well, the trailer is stored during the winter here in New Mexico and during the summer in Michigan.  The batteries do discharge some on their own sitting idle and this is normal for any battery, but unless there are issues with the cells the batteries should be safe and hold a good charge over the winter months if you parked the trailer and provided the batteries with a full charge before parking the trailer for the winter.  I use a battery tender on my lawn tractor and my wife’s car for long term maintenance but my trailer does not have a tender attached, but the panel on the roof does provide some charging at the storage facility.  

Sharon_is_SAM

@DanB - do you have an inverter?

pthomas745

@DanB, the (newer, after about 2019) factory solar installs come with a Victron solar controller. It is the controller that provides the battery info via bluetooth to your phone. That is all you need for the Victron app to work.  Download to the phone, use bluetooth to find the controller, and that will get you better information.  Ask for help if you need help with the setup.

Sharon_is_SAM

@DanB - if you have a 2021 TaB then you have the Victron Solar Controller.  Have you been using VictronConnect to view your solar readings?

Denny16

The Victron Solar controller has been used in TaB400s since Jan 2018, ours has the Victron controller.  You will need the setup pass word listed in the Victron manual, that came with your TaB.  You download the smart phone app from Victron site, and run the install on the phone.  This will show what the battery current voltage is, and the solar charge being applied to the battery.  So you see the total voltage between the solar s d battery during the day.  At night, with no solar, or solar shut off (via the app) you can see the battery voltage.  It only works when you are in or close to the trailer, as it is Bluetooth.

For better battery management, and to see what the battery load is, and time remaining at the current load level before reaching minimal battery charge, you need to install the Victron Shunt or Smart Shunt (easier as it uses then phone form the display) on the negative side of the battery.  See previous posts here about the Victron Shunt snd Smart Shunt installs on the TaB400.
cheers

DanB

Thank you!!  

[Deleted User]

The factory pin/password was 000000 for mine. 

Denny16

That works, if the Bluetooth has not been previously setup and paired.  If that does not work, you will need the number on the back of the Victron controller, this number should also be on its documentation.
 Cheers 

N7SHG_Ham

@Denny16 I apparently ended up with a manual with the Victron sticker from a different install. I had to figure out how to access the back of the BM712 which is installed in my 400 by the light switch for the bedroom lights. After taking a bunch of screws out with still no access, it dawned on me that I could remove the Jenson unit and get a photo of the back of the BM712, I needed to reset to factory and I needed that PUK code. Strange thing is it worked for a year or so, I think a Victron update broke it somehow.