Starter Batteries & Switches

[Gary Gilb]

Just bought a 2002 Journey DL. Starter batteries are shot. Looks like previous owner used 2 / 6 volt batteries wired in series and then wired them in parallel to a final 12 volt. Combined starter voltage is 12 volt. Question #1 Does anyone else have this configuration? #2 What are your recommendations for replacement batteries Voltage / group / CCA / configuration

Also on the driver's instrument panel there is a small / self returning rocker switch in the top right hand corner. I can't figure out what it is for.

Thanks

[creativepart]

Journey’s came stock with 2-starter batteries and 6-house batteries in two separate banks. In 2002 I don’t know if they used 12v or 6v. Certainly in later years they used 12v batteries in Parallel for each bank.

Who knows what a previous owner did on your coach?

On your second question... you already asked and it was answered with a link to a thread about the instrument cluster on a Journey. The switch was a trip odometer reset.

Originally Posted by cbeierl

Assuming you're talking about the switch in the upper right corner referenced in the picture in the previous posting, the Freightliner Recreational Vehicle Chassis Operator's Manual calls that the Trip Meter Reset switch.

"A short press (less than three seconds) of the trip reset will toggle the display between the trip mode and odometer mode. A long press (greater than three seconds) of the trip reset while in trip mode will reset the tripmeter. The tripmeter can also be reset using the information center. The odometer will be displayed with six numbers and no decimal (000000), while the tripmeter will be displayed with four number and one decimal (0000.0)."

[DavidM]

What engine do you have? If it is a Cummins 5.9 liter then a single Group 31 battery should start it fine.

If it is the Cummins 8.3 liter or the Cat 7 liter then I would go with a Group 8D battery which is used by just about every 18 wheeler. It is a heavy beast at 130 lbs, but should fit in the space where two golf cart batteries went.

Good G31 batteries have about a 1,000 CCA rating and 8Ds about 1,200+.

David

[al1florida]

Typically a setup with four 6V golf cart batteries would be for the house batteries.

In my 2006 Journey the upper battery shelf is for the house batteries and the lower shelf has a pair of group 31 engine starting batteries.

[imnprsd]

I very much doubt your stock RV has 6 house batteries. I'm thinking Creativepart meant 4-6V-GC2 house batteries (not 6), and 2 engine start batteries. (Just a typo I'm sure.)

TIPS:

Each cell lead acid batter cell = 2.1V at full charge.

So a 6V battery will have 3 holes and a 12V battery will have 6. This is why a fully charged 12V will actually measure 12.6V on the volt meter.

Your 2-12V engine (aka chassis) batteries will be connected in parallel. They typically will say 900-950 CA each.

Your 4-6V-GC2 golf cart House or Coach Batteries (the one with 3 holes and typically 210AH each) will be wired 2 in series on each bank; and then each bank will be wired in parallel. (For a total of 12V & 420AH.)

Alternatively, many Winnebago's out of the factor left with 3-12V Deep Cycle Batteries wires in parallel. (415AH).

So you need to know what you are working with. Just use a volt meter on each battery + and - or count the holes!

SIDE NOTE

I had 3-12V and then the next time around I switched to 4-6V in the same battery tray. And I think the 4-6V-GC2 were more durable, but in both cases they only lasted 2.5 years, because I'm always traveling and I really don't have regular access to shore power.

You need shore power (or a generator) to bias your inverter/charger. However, most of these devices are "not that smart." So I bought one of newer "smart chargers with frequency pulsation and that did not turn out very well for me.

With 4-6V-GC2 golf cart batteries, the frequency "pulse charger" really screwed up my battery bank, because I tried "pulsing" them all at once. This is a big no-no! ...Why?

I think the pulse charger affected each sulfated cell differently. And that lead to uneven cell voltage -- which means my battery cells were working against each other.

I will not go into the reason why this is so, but I will say this: You have heard you should not mix new batteries with old batteries? ...Well, if you think of each 2.1V battery cell as a separate battery, then it will be come more obvious why "pulsing" 4 separate batteries yields very unequal batteries. Further, each batter is both pushing electrons and resisting electrons; so effectively my sulfated bank of batteries, which all tested 100% good in voltage and with the hydrometer, started to die faster after I "pulsed them" vs. before I used the frequency-pulse-charger.

Now, had I pulsed each 6V battery for 3 days each, which means it would take me 12 days total to pulse them all, then that may work. However, what I also learned at best my old batteries would only be 70-80% of full. I.e., I would only have 70% of 420AH, which is ~294AH when I got done. And if you only get 50% of that per cycle, we are now talking about 150AH of life between charges.

So I gave up on trying to revive my old house batteries with a smart-pulse-charger and I would advice you not to bother. Just go buy new 6V golf cart batteries (at Sams Club or Costco for $100 each); and make sure you use a battery maintainer when you store your RV if you can! ...And if not, take your house batteries home and maintain them there!

Note: Freezing weather is also "death" to deep cycle batteries when you don't have a battery maintainer hooked-up!

[JaminSamin]

Gary, your Journey would have come with:
2 - 12V group 31 starting batteries wired in parallel 950 cca.
3 - 12V group 29/30 house batteries also wired in parallel.

Here is a wiring diagram of how it would have left Forrest City in case you ever want to return it to original, it’s how my Horizon was configured. I’ve since gone with the 4 - 6V set up for house batteries.
http://www.winnebagoind.com/diagram/...ire_137991.pdf

[Journey39n]

My 2003 Horizon (same as Journey) came with 2 12v house batteries, and 2 12v chassis batteries, each set wired in parallel. Room for three batteries on each tray.

My current 2010 journey, uses (2) group 31 12v chassis batteries, and they spin the motor over just fine.

Usually 6v GC2 batteries are for the house current, not really designed to spin over the motor.