On Friday, our technician began the search for the battery problem. It seemed nothing made sense. Mid-morning Bill got a call to come to the bay. The service tech believes he has found the problem. Apparently, our coach has the WRONG batteries. The standard 34Y Journey comes with two 12 volt wet cell batteries and a 1000 watt inverter. We upgraded to three 12 volt AGM Maintenance Free Batteries (actually wanted 4 but the 4th wouldn’t fit) and a 2000 watt inverter. We got the correct inverter, but our batteries were not AGM. Apparently, our coach was set to charge AGM batteries, but was charging wet cell batteries at the AGM rate. That burnt the wet cell batteries out at about 5-6 months.
Of course the service techs did not know we had order AGM batteries and so they are instructed to replace the batteries in the coach with the same batteries. Each time the cause of the burnt out batteries got more puzzling. It was just a fluke that our tech found it this time. Bill just happened to say something like, “Man we got the AGM batteries so we wouldn’t have to mess with them and that is all we have done since we got the coach!”
Now that we know the problem, it seems like a simple fix!! Put 3 AGM batteries in and we will be on our way!! Not so fast… first they have to verify the order. Then they have to determine if Winnebago built it to spec or if the coach was alter after delivery. Then we have to decide who is going to be billed for the batteries. So out of the work bay we came. Of course, it is now the weekend… a holiday weekend to boot… and nothing gets done during that time. So we just wait and wait and wait:o((
Finally, yesterday (Wednesday, the 22nd) we decided to move up the food change and rattle a couple cages. Eventually, Lazydays decided to put the batteries in and figure out the blame latter. However, the bays were full and we did not get in until late today.
The good news is the batteries are installed, the bad news is these are the WRONG AGM batteries and they don’t have the right ones in stock. So it will be until tomorrow before they can get them. But at least we are in the service bay and believe we have found the problem. We still have a couple other small warranty items yet to be done also.
We are hoping to get released early next week and plan to attend the RV-Dreams Boondocking Rally from Feb 9-16. It is taking place about an hour south of Lazydays. So we will have an opportunity to give the batteries a good test and not have to wait 5-6 months to see if indeed we have corrected the problem. If things still aren’t right, I believe we will head to the Winnebago Factory this summer!!
Sherry and David had a great site on a canal that flows to Tampa Bay!!
We visited for a while and then hopped on bikes for a tour of the park!!
It was cold and Sherry managed to wear her bike helmet over the hood of her sweatshirt.
Her attire definitely made me think of Smurfs ;o))
We really appreciated the tour and did manage to see some wildlife!!
It was so nice to get back to nature that I told Bill we needed to do that again.
Tuesday afternoon we headed to Lettuce Lake Park.
It is only about 15 minutes north of Lazydays.
It is a nice oasis in the city with a nature center and a boardwalk.
The boardwalk runs along the Hillsborough River.
The weather was quite cool but we did manage to see a few birds, a turtle and a water snake.
We will both be glad when Baby is fixed so we can spend more time doing the things we enjoy:o))
Hopefully they get you fixed up and back on the road soon! It is nice that the mystery is finally solved, though.
ReplyDeleteThat makes perfect sense, the chargers have different settings for wet cell and AGM batteries. So your batteries were never getting fully charged. Light at the end of the tunnel, finally!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad LD went ahead and authorized new AGMs and will sort it out with WB later. Just lousy luck that in stock AGMs are the wrong ones. We're pulling for you that this is the end of the trouble.
Hmm... the plot thickens. Batteries are essential to boondocking. Love taking those nature breaks. Pack your patience for LD.
ReplyDeleteSyl
Glad they figured it out. Another good day trip is to check out the Apollo beach power plant manatee observation area.
ReplyDeleteWe considered upgrading to AGM batteries due to the ease of care. The cost was a factor in not doing so. Now we know to ask a lot of questions before considering that kind of change when our current batteries die. Enjoy the rally. Stay warm. It is 38 degrees right now in south Texas. Just for one day, but it is 38 degrees. It looks like it is cold in FL too right now. Brrr.
ReplyDeleteI am picking up the cues that patience is needed at LD. Still hope to see you soon!
ReplyDeleteYay! Fingers crossed that this takes care of it. Hope the weather warms up for that rally! :)
ReplyDeleteWow - sorry that you are having to deal with the battery issue still but glad that progress is being made. Keep making lemonade out of those lemons! Hope to see you soon.
ReplyDeleteHopefully your battery issue is resolved soon and in your favour. Great pics as usual!
ReplyDeleteWe have friends Dave and Diane Kersey at Lazy Days that we met at the 2012 RV Dreams Fall Rally. They bought a new coach and have been stuck there for over 2 months waiting to have all of the deficiencies taking care of. Apparently they are now waiting for another new coach to replace their new coach! I believe they were planning on attending the RV Dreams Rally but that might be up in the air now.
We've come up for a breath of air and I'm really sorry to hear that you haven't been released yet. Great having you visit and your pictures of it are terrific. Smurf huh?? Well I'm about that tall I suppose. :-) Lettuce Lake is one of our favorites. It was the first outside walk David took after his transplant. We were staying right across the road. Great pictures again! See you soon.
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