OK, here's an update. Yesterday I finished installing two brand new Duralast Gold 65DLG batteries. At approximately 6pm I connected the negative cable under the van (I'm not real impressed with the negative-to-frame as the frame is painted and the only connection is a slightly corroded bolt to the slightly corroded threads on the frame).
I took the voltage at the dash and it was 12.7 or 12.4.. I kind of spaced the last digit. Anyway without keying on and with everything off (including dome lights) I went out a noon today and there is only 11.7 volts- that's across two 875cca batts (1000 cranking amps) I'm not sure what that means in Amp hours but that's a heck of a drop for nothing.
The next step is to go for a long drive, charge the starter batts and see if the house batts come up.
Here's my thoughts from the beginning:
1. starter batts were going bad
2. leaving lights on killed them
3. starting from house batts weakened them, both before and after #2
4. sitting killed the house batts:
a. dead starter batts (~7v) combined with a bad isolator*
b. CO and propane sensors left on
c. no shore power (just for the record)
d. the house batts were partially down from #3
e. the older house batt is fried
5. shore power with no starters and the house batts at 7.x brought the house up to 8.x volts however it would trip
6. jump starting was unsuccessful
7. new batts draining (again points to a bad isolater)*
So I'm going to drive it both to top off the starter batts and to try to bring the house batts up to chargable before disconnecting the isolater.
Once the isolater is disconnected I'll shore power the house batts (possibly disconnecting the older one first) and see if the starter batts still have a drain with no isolater.
Then check, re-check, look at wiring, test whatever I can think of.
Oh yeah, I plan to put a switch in for the CO and Propane monitors while I'm monkeying around with the isolater. I'm also going to fix the ground on the starter batts and check what has power from the house batts while their disco'd this time.
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it was good to be back
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