Crank battery charging

  I cannot seem to find the order right now. Rather than wait for me I would call Sigma in Elkhart (number is 574-294-5776) and ask directly. I checked on EBay and cannot find the white one, just a black one that looks the same. I will look some more tomorrow.

Hank

Hank, any chance you have the ebay link or the model number for that switch?  I'm thinking I should go ahead and swap mine out as well.

If the switch is like most others, you should be able to open it up and remove the spring that makes it a momentary switch.

Here is the link to the Sigma switch on EBay:

https://www.ebay.com/myb/PurchaseHistory#PurchaseHistoryOrdersContainer?ipp=25&Period=2&cmid=2749&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l5116

I turned my trickle on yesterday. Anybody care to guess how long it will take for my chassis battery to "come back"? Or is the trickle function not strong enough for a completely discharged battery and I need to jump start it first? If the latter I have to clear a couple feet of snow away first...

Hank

Here is the link to the Sigma switch on EBay:

https://www.ebay.com/myb/PurchaseHistory#PurchaseHistoryOrdersContainer?ipp=25&Period=2&cmid=2749&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l5116

I turned my trickle on yesterday. Anybody care to guess how long it will take for my chassis battery to "come back"? Or is the trickle function not strong enough for a completely discharged battery and I need to jump start it first? If the latter I have to clear a couple feet of snow away first...

Hank

The TricLCharge, depending on the model, is a 5 or 10 amp charger.

The system installed by PC connected to that switch on the dash is (was) 5amp (and protected by a fuse) so if the fuse is blown, you will get no charge.  If the fuse is not blown, do NOT try to start the engine while your new switch is in the on position!  That will for sure blow that fuse

At a 5amp charge rate, it will take a good 24 to 48 hours to bring your chassis battery back.... Considering the "stuff" causing the parasitic charge will still be drawing power while charging.

For what it's worth, I have a knife switch on the chassis battery negative terminal and when I store it, that switch is opened.   My 5 year old, factory chassis battery still cranks and starts just fine after 4 months in our Colorado winters (obviously, close the knife switch before starting).

I did add a Trik-l-Start simply because when I visit my son in Canada, I am often parked (with shore power) in his driveway for weeks and did, 1 time, drain the chassis battery from parasitic draws.

Here is the link to the Sigma switch on EBay:

Thank you sir! 

Don,

  Thanks for the info. I just charged the battery for 1 hr at 10 Amps and it then fired right up. I now have the trickle turned on. A blown fuse might be the reason I got no trickle charging after 2 days. I need to find that fuse..is it under the dash? I will check under the hood too.

   My next door neighbor (another RV-er) also mentioned a knife-blade battery cutoff switch so we will likely put one on..if there is room (his comment).

Hank

My memory tells me the fuse is one of two places.   Under the carpet, driver's side, next to the parking brake.... Or.... Under the hood, driver's side, near the isolator relay.  You may have to lift the radiator overflow tank... 3 easy to get to screws on the overflow tank bracket.

Either location, the fuse is in a single rubber fuse holder (memory says yellowish with 2 blue wires into it).

Don

   I called the factory yesterday for some info on trickle charging, the little white dash switch and related fuse on our 2019 3100. Dave from service told me I already have an installed TRIK-L-START box. He said they started putting them on all units a couple years ago or so after a customer told them about it. I had no idea because we bought this unit used at the factory at the height of the pandemic onset last March and got a very limited PDI. He told me the TRIK-L-START is on the firewall near the washer fluid reservoir. But I looked for it yesterday (including with a flashlight) and could not see it.

  So a question before I start removing stuff under the hood to search - if you have a factory-installed TRIK-L-START where exactly is it located? Or supposed to be located? I need to make sure it is actually turned on since my battery went dead once already. This seems like a great unit (we had this same feature on my previous Class A diesel pusher) but only if it is working. We are plugged into shore power at home.

Thanks,

Hank

Mine came with the TRIK-L-START.  It is behind the washer fluid reservoir.

I need to find that fuse..is it under the dash?

On my 2017 it is under the hood behind the radiator overflow tank.  I installed my own  TRIK-L-START and it was easiest to put it under the overflow tank because all of the wiring needed was already there for the white cross-connect switch.

JAHOBBS and JATRAX - Tks for info on trickle fuse and TRIK-L-START. There is no TRIK-L-START on my 2019; at least not where it is on JAHOBB's 2020 or anywhere I can see under the hood. Sounds like I might have missed the cutoff date for factory install although Dave seemed sure it was there. I might call them back.

I did find a red fuse holder attached to 2 red wires which I am guessing is the white-button trickle start. One red wire comes from the dash area. Unfortunately, my battery went dead again in just a week or so am very confused. Sounds like my trickle fuse is blown and/or I simply did not have it in the On position. Tomorrow (when it is not so cold, snowy etc.) I will get some fuses, play with that fuse holder and recharge the battery again. I just have to be sure when trickle switch is on; the new Sigma switch I got does not have symbols so, although I put the new switch in correctly and believe the top is "On", I might have to pull it out and check it. Also want to get a TRIK-L-START and then install it without blowing too many fuses.

Thanks again,

Hank 

JAHOBBS and JATRAX - Tks for info on trickle fuse and TRIK-L-START. There is no TRIK-L-START on my 2019; at least not where it is on JAHOBB's 2020 or anywhere I can see under the hood. Sounds like I might have missed the cutoff date for factory install although Dave seemed sure it was there. I might call them back.

I did find a red fuse holder attached to 2 red wires which I am guessing is the white-button trickle start. One red wire comes from the dash area. Unfortunately, my battery went dead again in just a week or so am very confused. Sounds like my trickle fuse is blown and/or I simply did not have it in the On position. Tomorrow (when it is not so cold, snowy etc.) I will get some fuses, play with that fuse holder and recharge the battery again. I just have to be sure when trickle switch is on; the new Sigma switch I got does not have symbols so, although I put the new switch in correctly and believe the top is "On", I might have to pull it out and check it. Also want to get a TRIK-L-START and then install it without blowing too many fuses.

Thanks again,

Hank 

Disconnect your chassis battery negative cable, problem gone until you can find out what's really going on.

Disconnect your chassis battery negative cable, problem gone until you can find out what's really going on.

  It is my standard practice to disconnect the negative cable for the chassis battery when parked for extended periods, most especially when at home.  An 8mm box wrench and a few turns and it's off or tightly on.  I keep an 8mm box wrench in the center console bin.  I considered installing a blade or dial disconnect, but don't want to have reliability issues at the worst opportune time.

The disadvantage of both these options is that you have to leave the crank battery connected to get the advantage of charging the crank battery when you plug in the house.

The first year I had my (used) RV, it never occurred to me to disconnect the chassis battery when in storage.  The parasitic draw from the radio or something drained the battery and ruined it, which I discovered the next time I wanted to use the RV.  I didn't make the connection at the time -- I just thought the battery was probably due.   So, after replacing that battery, my PC gave me a clearer lesson -- the computer or switch or whatever controls the courtesy lights under the doors chose the moment I put it back into storage to fail "on", which destroyed my new battery.  I discovered this a week later, when I tried to take the RV to get it inspected.

At that point, it finally dawned on me that leaving the battery connected in a vehicle that isn't driven for months at a time might be a bad idea. So after another $150 for another new battery, I invested $10 in a battery cutoff switch, and another $40 for a trickle charger.    I now check on my RV more often and I rotate the trickle charger between the RV and the Smart Car toad, which also has a battery cutoff switch.   And, to make sure the courtesy lights can't get stuck on again and leave me stranded in Timbuktu some day, I unscrewed the courtesy light bulbs, for good measure.

By the way, the other thing I learned in that first year was that it's a very bad idea to leave the house plugged in all the time while in storage.  That dumb Parallax converter the PC came with cooked $300 worth of house batteries.  After replacing the house batteries with AGM's, I replaced the Parallax with a smart converter (Progressive Dynamics PD9245CV Inteli-Power 9200).  But I still don't leave it plugged in all the time.

By the way, the other thing I learned in that first year was that it's a very bad idea to leave the house plugged in all the time while in storage.  That dumb Parallax converter the PC came with cooked $300 worth of house batteries.  After replacing the house batteries with AGM's, I replaced the Parallax with a smart converter (Progressive Dynamics PD9245CV Inteli-Power 9200).  But I still don't leave it plugged in all the time.

You can leave the house batteries plugged in if AGM and using a smart charger. (I have done it for years) If you have standard lead-acid batteries you would need to keep an eye on the water level.

I was really surprised that the Parallax was still the standard charger being used by Phoenix when I ordered my 2017. As you mention, it can easily burn up your batteries. A smart Progressive Dynamics is not much more. I had them switch to the PD charger for my build.