I was thinking I was alone in the wilderness. Well, we are new to AS ownership. Owned SOB long ago but such a different experience. Main problem right now is not being able to keep the batteries charged. Things seem to work fine when plugged into power. But we can't get the batteries to store power. The switch to the right of the door as you go in doesn't seem to make a difference. Any hints?
Have you checked your batteries to see if they are dead or near dead? Even new A/S's come with elderly batteries. I replaced mine after a year and WOW! Water started gushing out of the tap etc.
Did you check to see if your batteries have water in them? When you are on shore power you are charging your batts and the water can boil off.
There may only be a single battery, and it will surely lose water if left plugged in.. After that happens, it may not store as many electrons as you need... Could also have bad cell, or other curses common to batteries. As challenging as it can be to remove it, it should be pulled and checked for symptoms...
John McG
__________________ Condoluminum
In Theory, there's no difference between Theory and Practice, but in Practice, there is usually a difference...
OK checked batt for water. It was low, so we put in water. Plugged into power but do I need to flip a switch or will it automatically charge? Thanks for the tips y'all.
Be sure the switch you referred to by the door is on "use" and not "store." We have a 2006 19' Safari SE, but believe the switch is the same. Maybe a 2005 user will confirm this. Good luck.
__________________ AIR #14503 "We find that after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us. . . Only when this is recognized can the blown-in-the-glass bum relax and go along with it." ~John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley, in Search of America
The A Team is correct. I can confirm that you MUST switch the battery switch to the use position (not store). Have not had any probelms with mine. The batts either have a problem or your runnig them down wrong. The batts will NOT charge if in Store mode. At least this is what our dealer had stressed to us when we took delivery of our unit this summer.
We used the trailer for a two week trip, one week at a time in a single location. We had NO electricity in the campground (national parks) and ran the trailer exclusively off of the batts for a week at a time without problems. The last day or so we noticed the batts wearing down to low levels. You should be getting equal time... I also agree that I wouldn't hessitate considering a replacement if they won't take a charge. Not worth the frustration...
Best of luck! We are truly enjoying our 19' Bambi. Hope you are too.
Well, our batteries are dead. We put in water, left them connected to power with switch in proper position but they would not charge up. So now we need to check the warranty. Haven't priced new ones yet but heard they were a couple hundred dollars??
Last edited by dijer; 09-05-2006 at 07:19 AM.
Reason: spelling
I just put in new Lifeline AGM batteries, both Caravels. After searching I got them for 132$ apiece. No gas or acid problems, high amp hours, deep cycle. I don't know about buying in Hawaii but I think shipping these really heavy types would not be cheap. NAPA sells Optimas and should be in Hawaii....it's a boat battery too.
Something else to consider: we carry a Honda 2000 generator when boondocking. It's light, small and quiet. Also pretty miserly on the gas. A couple of hours running before dinner and you're charged for the night and morning. One small problem: these things are popular and develop "legs" - when you're away from the trailer, it's probably not a good idea to have it visible.
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