Seneca batteries - 4 or 6??

[TNortham]

Picked up new 2015 Seneca Friday. Dealer walk through pointed out only 4 batteries. I was expecting 6 total. Jayco website states:

Standard Driving Equipment
Dual chassis batteries

Standard Exterior Equipment
Slideout battery tray (4 batteries included)

Got home and inspect the chassis further. Not seeing the "dual chassis batteries".
Any one know?

[Grumpy]

Every diesel I have ever seen has at least 2 chassis batteries including Chev, Ford and Dodge

[TNortham]

Agreed. Not seeing different chasis batteries.
The battery bank has (4) 12 volt batteries.
Wondering if they dropped the 2 extra batteries for a reason.

[Grumpy]

Have you looked behind the chassis steps. The ones that were on the KODIAK chassis as well as other large trucks are behind the steps. You remove a couple bolts and the steps and batteries slide out.

They would not drop two batteries since you could end up stranded if you ran the coach batteries down.

[Robbbyr]

The four batteries on the slide-out tray are your coach batteries. There are two chassis batteries behind a removable panel visible when you open the driver's door just below the door opening and above the top cab step. Three screws and the cover comes right off. Now you can see the two batteries that start the engine and run the Freightliner components.

They are actually below the cab floor under the driver's seat and look like they might be quite interesting to change when it is time!

[xtruckerbob]

When we had our Freightliners and Internationals they all had 4 truck batteries.

[anav8or]

Robbbyr is correct - there are four coach batteries in the forward-most basement bay on the passenger side. The two chassis batteries are under the driver's seat and can be accessed through a removable panel just inside the driver's side door along the bottom. There are three or four screws that have to be removed to access the batteries.

The space isn't very big, so swapping out those batteries doesn't look like fun...

[TNortham]

Great thanks. Found the panel under the drivers seat. Have not opened to put my own eyes on them but also found that same panel referenced in the Freightliner owners Manuel.
Crazy delivery guy at the dealer told me there weren't any chasis batteries...well then what's the white jump button under the steering wheel for?!?! Crazy how little these dealers know about RV's.

[Robbbyr]

That button closes a solenoid that electrically connects the coach batteries to the chassis batteries in the event the chassis batteries are depleted to the point they do not start the engine. That gives you six batteries (but still only 12 volts) to get you started and back on the road.

I believe the same solenoid also closes (automatically) when the engine is running to allow the chassis alternator to charge the coach batteries while you drive.