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Battery problems with Autotrail Arapaho 07 from new. With 2x Elecsol 100 amp batteries
Help please. We bought above van and as experienced campers. We had a Swift Royale 96 from new with no battery problems ever as we watched battery displays to ensure no battery failure.
Our current usage is frugal. Telly, Sat system and Camos dome and lights. ( current draw about5/6 amps ) Water pump after loo and washing up and fridge. We always charge by hooking up before leaving home and we hook up on site when possible.
We like to wild camp. We find that after a few hours at night, the telly scrambles and satellite signal fails if we use pump so we turn off some bits telly, sat etc. If we really want to watch something we click over to vehicle battery but watch gauges carefully. We sometimes try for a second night without hook up and have to be even more watchful . After a few hours of use gauges will show batteries fair (around12) and soon after will drop to poor 11.something.
Reading the great god of batteries, Clive Mott-go to bed , over the years, I did as follows.
Replaced all bulbs with l.e.ds, to no avail.
Replaced batteries. No change. Bought 2 new Elecsols 2x125 amp hr batteries and moved them into under bed locker.
Fitted 2x80 amp hr solar panels and bought a generator. Solar panels are going direct to batteries and not to sergeant unit.
Solars charge up batteries most days and problems still exist. After a night or two if we are lucky, we need the generator .
We changed batteries again after further problems for 2x125 elecsol . After still no improvement we asked dealers to test and found one failed and one had top come adrift, so we are now on our 4th set of batteries!!
Dealers have tested new batteries and says all ok.
Autotrail asked us to go to Sergeant who tested all their side of things and found all ok.
Various suggestions from other motorhomers include alternator problems, ie overcharging intermittent fault.
WOW tuning also said they found alternator overcharging. The AA say not so after testing alternator.
Suggestion 2 was that cable from sergeant unit, ec325 to TV. 12v socket too small and may be overheating and losing power. On checking this out, I found that a pair of cables was loosely pushed into spade connector behind 12v socket and seemed to be supplying satellite equipment .I have made this connector more secure. Sergeant say the power for all satellite equip should go back to sergeant unit.
The only other thing the dealers fitted was an aircon unitdometic 2200 and this was put in where powered roof light vent was located. I don’t think this should affect batteries as we only use it rarely, and then only on hook up . could this unit be drawing power from batteries?.
We turn off every thing that is not needed at all times ie reversing camera, fridge door defroster and main power at bed time every night .
Now my latest little problem is that when checking the batteries last week i noticed that 2 fuses on the intelligent interface unit EM 50 type A (the connector between the Fiat bit and Autotrail bit)were melted. Fuse 7 for the fridge and Fuse 9 for vehicle battery. Sergeant say as fridge now needs 20 amp fuse, I have replaced this but fuse 9 is melted in. Now fuse no 9 has melted again after replacement . Sergeant say they will repair unit.
I have sometimes been leaving the sergeant charger unit and elcd,s on even when not on hook up.
My warranty is up in September so I am getting worried as this has cost me a lot so far in batteries and ferry costs in coming back to UK from Ireland, where I live.
Regards Patrick McEvoy ...Irish Reg :thumb:
Thanks in advance,for any info.
Battery problems with Autotrail Arapaho 07 from new. With 2x Elecsol 100 amp batteries
Help please. We bought above van and as experienced campers. We had a Swift Royale 96 from new with no battery problems ever as we watched battery displays to ensure no battery failure.
Our current usage is frugal. Telly, Sat system and Camos dome and lights. ( current draw about5/6 amps ) Water pump after loo and washing up and fridge. We always charge by hooking up before leaving home and we hook up on site when possible.
We like to wild camp. We find that after a few hours at night, the telly scrambles and satellite signal fails if we use pump so we turn off some bits telly, sat etc. If we really want to watch something we click over to vehicle battery but watch gauges carefully. We sometimes try for a second night without hook up and have to be even more watchful . After a few hours of use gauges will show batteries fair (around12) and soon after will drop to poor 11.something.
Reading the great god of batteries, Clive Mott-go to bed , over the years, I did as follows.
Replaced all bulbs with l.e.ds, to no avail.
Replaced batteries. No change. Bought 2 new Elecsols 2x125 amp hr batteries and moved them into under bed locker.
Fitted 2x80 amp hr solar panels and bought a generator. Solar panels are going direct to batteries and not to sergeant unit.
Solars charge up batteries most days and problems still exist. After a night or two if we are lucky, we need the generator .
We changed batteries again after further problems for 2x125 elecsol . After still no improvement we asked dealers to test and found one failed and one had top come adrift, so we are now on our 4th set of batteries!!
Dealers have tested new batteries and says all ok.
Autotrail asked us to go to Sergeant who tested all their side of things and found all ok.
Various suggestions from other motorhomers include alternator problems, ie overcharging intermittent fault.
WOW tuning also said they found alternator overcharging. The AA say not so after testing alternator.
Suggestion 2 was that cable from sergeant unit, ec325 to TV. 12v socket too small and may be overheating and losing power. On checking this out, I found that a pair of cables was loosely pushed into spade connector behind 12v socket and seemed to be supplying satellite equipment .I have made this connector more secure. Sergeant say the power for all satellite equip should go back to sergeant unit.
The only other thing the dealers fitted was an aircon unitdometic 2200 and this was put in where powered roof light vent was located. I don’t think this should affect batteries as we only use it rarely, and then only on hook up . could this unit be drawing power from batteries?.
We turn off every thing that is not needed at all times ie reversing camera, fridge door defroster and main power at bed time every night .
Now my latest little problem is that when checking the batteries last week i noticed that 2 fuses on the intelligent interface unit EM 50 type A (the connector between the Fiat bit and Autotrail bit)were melted. Fuse 7 for the fridge and Fuse 9 for vehicle battery. Sergeant say as fridge now needs 20 amp fuse, I have replaced this but fuse 9 is melted in. Now fuse no 9 has melted again after replacement . Sergeant say they will repair unit.
I have sometimes been leaving the sergeant charger unit and elcd,s on even when not on hook up.
My warranty is up in September so I am getting worried as this has cost me a lot so far in batteries and ferry costs in coming back to UK from Ireland, where I live.
Regards Patrick McEvoy ...Irish Reg :thumb:
Thanks in advance,for any info.