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jayhawk1956 · 06-08-2020, 11:31 AM

Recently, we camped with our newly purchased 2020 25' Flying Cloud at a campsite with electricity and utilized the electricity the entire time we camped. Upon our return, we parked our Flying Cloud in our garage and put the electrical system on Storage. I returned to the garage after storing the camper for 9 days and the batteries were dead. Do you have any ideas on how I can prevent this in the future and do you believe I have a short in the electrical system that needs to be repaired?

Ray Eklund · 06-08-2020, 11:42 AM

Welcome to the Airstream Family!

Did you check your Battery Voltage after disconnecting from house power? That would be a good place to begin a conversation.

Then you can determine if the batteries had discharged and died at the Airstream Dealership, while sitting on their lot and were already bad. This is very common.

The batteries can be tested at a Battery Business or at the Airstream Dealership.

The Month and Year is embossed into the battery case is also good information to have with you when speaking with the Dealership.

This will give you a place to start IF you had 13.6 volts at home connected to power that is where we start. Our batteries, AGM, plugged in reads 13.6 volts when on home power.

Do you have Factory Solar? Are your batteries Interstate?

GetawA-S · 06-08-2020, 11:49 AM

We’ll need more info. Did you use the battery disconnect inside the door? Did you have shore power plugged in? Was the inverter on? Other drains, such as the antenna booster? Do you have a solar system with the battery condition information?
If you bring these batteries back, you might want to add daily voltage checks to your maintenance logbook.Good luck!

mbubbaca · 06-08-2020, 12:11 PM

You probably have a parasitic drain. Meaning that ever when you think you have disconnected everything, there are some things that stay connected like the CO2 sniffer. The only way to full disconnect is to remove one side of the battery cables at the battery or put a disconnect switch there. ( Do a search in the Air Forum search bar, you’ll find lots of information and options). Welcome to the family!

jayhawk1956 · 06-08-2020, 12:42 PM

Thanks for your reply it is very helpful. Unfortunately, I am a rookie and did not do any of the things you suggested. I did not check the battery voltage after disconnecting from the campground electricity. I will do so in the future and I will also get these batteries tested. I do not have solar power and I do not remember the battery brand. Again, thanks! I will do what you suggested.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray Eklund

Welcome to the Airstream Family!

Did you check your Battery Voltage after disconnecting from house power? That would be a good place to begin a conversation.

Then you can determine if the batteries had discharged and died at the Airstream Dealership, while sitting on their lot and were already bad. This is very common.

The batteries can be tested at a Battery Business or at the Airstream Dealership.

The Month and Year is embossed into the battery case is also good information to have with you when speaking with the Dealership.

This will give you a place to start IF you had 13.6 volts at home connected to power that is where we start. Our batteries, AGM, plugged in reads 13.6 volts when on home power.

Do you have Factory Solar? Are your batteries Interstate?

jayhawk1956 · 06-08-2020, 12:45 PM

Thanks for your reply. I did use the battery disconnect inside the door and I did have the shore power plugged in. I do not know if the inverter was on. Can you describe to me what I need to do to make sure it is on in the future? I do not have solar panels. Thanks for your advice and assistance.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GetawA-S

We’ll need more info. Did you use the battery disconnect inside the door? Did you have shore power plugged in? Was the inverter on? Other drains, such as the antenna booster? Do you have a solar system with the battery condition information?
If you bring these batteries back, you might want to add daily voltage checks to your maintenance logbook.Good luck!

jayhawk1956 · 06-08-2020, 12:48 PM

Thanks, for your reply! I will do this if I continue to have a problem.

On another subject, how do I change my name to a nickname when I post a message?

Thanks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbubbaca

You probably have a parasitic drain. Meaning that ever when you think you have disconnected everything, there are some things that stay connected like the CO2 sniffer. The only way to full disconnect is to remove one side of the battery cables at the battery or put a disconnect switch there. ( Do a search in the Air Forum search bar, you’ll find lots of information and options). Welcome to the family!

jayhawk1956 · 06-08-2020, 12:49 PM

On another subject, can you tell me how to change my name when I post a message? I am currently using my real name but I would like to change my name to a nickname.

uraljohn · 06-08-2020, 01:11 PM

If you do not have solar from factory the batteries more than likely were not maintained while the trailer was on the lot at the dealer. Once they have gone totally dead and sat that way for a couple weeks/months they are toast. They will not hold a charge. You more than likely have" Interstate" brand batteries group size 24 and are wet cell style. NOTE: You have to check the water level once a month and add only "Distilled" water to proper level.

If there is an Interstate Battery dealer nearby take the batteries to them and they will test them. Take plenty if pictures of how the batteries are hooked up before unhooking them. It will be an overnight deal as they have to properly test them. If they are toast they normally will replace them free of charge IF they are less than 1 year old. The manufacture date is branded into the battery case.

You may want to pay the difference to upgrade to an AGM battery. No maintenance required on those.

If the batteries are out of warranty you are going to have to pay for new ones. If you have only had your AS a short time call your selling dealer and ask them to reimburse you for new batteries as a result of them not maintaining them while in inventory on there lot. Worked for me. The dealer had no problem sending me a check. Happy travels.

jayhawk1956 · 06-08-2020, 01:31 PM

Thanks! I will do this. You have been very helpful.

Quote:

Originally Posted by uraljohn

If you do not have solar from factory the batteries more than likely were not maintained while the trailer was on the lot at the dealer. Once they have gone totally dead and sat that way for a couple weeks/months they are toast. They will not hold a charge. You more than likely have" Interstate" brand batteries group size 24 and are wet cell style. NOTE: You have to check the water level once a month and add only "Distilled" water to proper level.

If there is an Interstate Battery dealer nearby take the batteries to them and they will test them. Take plenty if pictures of how the batteries are hooked up before unhooking them. It will be an overnight deal as they have to properly test them. If they are toast they normally will replace them free of charge IF they are less than 1 year old. The manufacture date is branded into the battery case.

You may want to pay the difference to upgrade to an AGM battery. No maintenance required on those.

If the batteries are out of warranty you are going to have to pay for new ones. If you have only had your AS a short time call your selling dealer and ask them to reimburse you for new batteries as a result of them not maintaining them while in inventory on there lot. Worked for me. The dealer had no problem sending me a check. Happy travels.

thewarden · 06-08-2020, 01:54 PM

David, one more thing. Even with the switch set to Store, there is a small drain on the batteries for the CO2 detector. This will drain even a good set of fully charged wet cell batteries completely dead inside of 2 weeks. If this has happened to your particular batteries a couple of times they may very well be shot. It does not take much abuse of these batteries to kill them altogether, requiring the purchase of new batteries.

You can do a few things to prevent this. 1. Keep the trailer plugged in at all times. This will keep the batteries charged via the onboard charger. 2. If you can not plug it in all the time, disconnect the batteries cables from the trailer. This will prevent the parasitic drain caused by those things in the trailer that are not disconnected via the Store switch. 3. Install a battery cutoff at the battery location. This serves the same purpose os disconnecting the battery cables, without having to physically remove the cables from the batteries.

https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Syst...5H1BB33148M5MA

ghaynes755 · 06-08-2020, 02:48 PM

On some if not all 2020 trailers turning off the Store switch (or on as the case may be) kills all power including the CO detector. Worth making sure for David's trailer. Since there is a power light on the CO detector if it turns off then the switch is killing all parasitic drag to the trailer.

mefly2 · 06-08-2020, 03:47 PM

Sure batts were on disconnect / store mode?

Boxite · 06-08-2020, 04:07 PM

DAvid, don’t know about YOUR CO detector... mine does not run off the ships battery...it has it’s own little battery.

BUT... the PROPANE DETECTOR DOES run on the ship’s battery and many AirStreams do not have a method to disconnect it when in storage. If yours is that way, you will have to disconnect your battery Ground cable... or install shut-off switch on that battery Ground cable.

jayhawk1956 · 06-08-2020, 05:17 PM

Thanks!!!

jayhawk1956 · 06-08-2020, 05:18 PM

Yes, no doubt. However, even if it wasn't on Storage, shouldn't the batteries lasted longer than 9 days?

GetawA-S · 06-09-2020, 06:50 AM

David,
When you first log in, there is a User CP option at the far left of the top blue banner. I think it is your account name you want to change, not the signature.
You did the right thing when you stored the trailer, other than checking the voltage. (Who would expect this? I've been camping for 25 years and got bit the same way with the first Airstream I bought.)
If you stay with the flooded batteries, pop the cell caps off to inspect the "water" level regularly. Testing with a hydrometer is even more thorough. The density of the sulfuric acid varies with charge. PAGES of posts on the subject.
If the battery dealer won't cover the replacement, may be you can shame the Airstream dealer into helping. They know, though they will never admit, when their practices lead to this kind of "lot rot".

GetawA-S · 06-09-2020, 06:55 AM

If you are handy, Amazon sells DC ammeters, the doughnut kind, that you can put on the battery feed at your electrical box to indicate rate of charge and discharge. Another data point.
$20. I left it on the trade-in trailer, but could probably find the details in my amazon history if you want to install one.

Ray Eklund · 06-09-2020, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DAVID A COEN

On another subject, can you tell me how to change my name when I post a message? I am currently using my real name but I would like to change my name to a nickname.

******
I did the same as you. You can try using your Nickname and start fresh. Maybe your email address needs to be changed as well.

I could not figure out how to change and left it at that. Too late for me, but you may want to try that route.

gypsydad · 06-09-2020, 09:12 AM

Ahhh, this question comes up at least every other month here on the Forum! We have gone thru this ourselves with our last 2 "new" AS's after a month or so of use. Several of us have had same experiences. Everyone's suggestions here for "trouble shooting" the cause are valid; if that's your interest. Likely the cause with a 2020, is the batteries were bad when you purchased; could be left on in the sales lot with lights on, or something drawing on them. The 12V Interstates are notorious for going soon after delivery. Interstate has been very good about replacing or giving you a credit toward trade-in for new or upgrade...I took the credit first time, and got AGM's, but was costly, on last AS; this last time, I just took the new replacement 12V's they gave me and advertised for sale. I sold in one day for $100. I applied that to 2- 6V Trojan T105's 2 years ago and have never been happier with that move. I also installed a mechanical disconnect switch on one battery to make sure it is disconnected when I store. Hope this helps!