House batteries not powering cabin?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
Not much to go on. Could you tell us the year/make/model of motorhome and a bit more about the circumstances?

Do the lights work when plugged to shore power?  Is the battery disconnect switch in the On (aka Use) position? Does anything powered by 12v work, e.g. the fridge in lp gas mode?
 
2002 itaska sunrise 32'.  Disconnect switch by entry door is on.  Everything works when generator is on or plugged into shoreline. As soon as you unplug everything goes out.    Just bought this and owner said he just replaced the batteries and now lights won't come on.  I checked all breakers. Batteries show 12.8 volts. I'm stumped.
 
Is there a shutoff under the hood that controls the batteries. A knob that says 1 2 All and All off. Wondering if the battery sector is on all off to preserve them.  My Tiffin also has an inverter on off toggle switch in the coach by the breakers and fuses.  Just spitballing here.

It may look something like this.

http://www.modmyrv.com/wp-content/gallery/mod-6-image-gallery/battery-switch-combo-1.JPG

Also, not sure about the Itasca. At your shore power cable storage is there is an outlet that power cable needs to be plugged into that you forgot to do after you disconnected from shore power.
 
Did you actually LOOK at the batteries?  There should be a date on them.  Also they can corrode when you turn your back on them.
The connectors may also be getting week or thin and not letting the full voltage from the batteries to flow though in inverter. 
Make sure all the connectors (nuts) are tight too.
I would also check all the fuses just for kicks.
 
Just bought this and owner said he just replaced the batteries and now lights won't come on.
Click to expand...

That sounds like the batteries might not be hooked up right -- are they 6V or 12V batteries, and are they hooked i series or in parallel? Or if he zapped the leads while changing batteries, then perhaps fuse/circuit breaker somewhere.
 
Breakers are probably not relevant - they are usually for the 120v (shore/genset power) system, not 12v and battery. Besides, you state everything works on shore & genset, so the converter is able to provide 12v power. Clearly the problem is that the batteries are not actively connected.

Since you measured 12.8v at the battery and believe the battery disconnect to be ON, the only explanation I can see is that the disconnect relay (aka solenoid) has failed in the open position. Follow the big wire from the house battery +12v terminal to the relay device and measure the voltage at the two large terminals (there will also be two smaller wire terminals. From battery side to any ground should show 12v. So should the other side. If the relay is closed, the voltage between the two terminals should be zero. If relay is open, it should read the same as the battery voltage. If the relay is open, that's why no battery power. Then the question is why is it open when the switch is on. Let us know the status and we can proceed from there.
 
Gary, I have the same problem as Heath. I dont remember that
he can hear the relay being activated/deactivated with the sw.
at the door step. I have good clunking sounds, realize that does
NOT mean the relay is good.
I will be lerkin... My MH 02 Adventure.
tenn.vol.
 
I have 3 batteries. 2 cabin 1 engine.  All 3 positive cables go to 1 common post( maybe a solenoid)  Could that be the solenoid that controls the cabin batteries?
 
You should look for a little (shortstop) manual reset circuit breaker around the battery cutoff solenoid. Mine is on the main +12 vdc line from the solenoid to the 12 vdc distribution (fuse) panel. If it's tripped, you won't have 12 vdc anywhere in the motorhome. Mine tripped once and it took me hours to find the problem.
 
All three positives should not go to the same post. It sounds as if they are all connected to the chassis and none are going to the house. That would give the symptoms described. Try using the boost switch; if the lights then work, you have found the problem.

Ernie
 
I have 3 batteries. 2 cabin 1 engine.  All 3 positive cables go to 1 common post( maybe a solenoid)  Could that be the solenoid that controls the cabin batteries?
Click to expand...

As Ernie has already noted, that seems strange. The two cabin batteries would typically be wired together in parallel, though connecting their positives via a lug would accomplish that. However, tying the chassis battery to the same lug permanently ties those two 12v systems together than that is poor/risky at best. They are supposed to be isolated from each other by default.  You can get wiring diagrams for your Itasca on the Winnebago website. Suggest you do so and check what you have vs the factory spec.

Is this a new problem or something that has existed since you became the owner?
 
The shortstop breaker on my motorhome is just inches from my battery cutoff solenoid. The breaker is in a small metal housing maybe 1" x 3/4" in size. It has a small reset button on it's side.
 
OK, so its possible a previous owner or some tech modified the battery connections, either accidentally or intentionally. 

Enter your year and model info at https://winnebagoind.com/product-resources/product-information and get the wiring diagrams. I realize they can be complex to view, but it's the Bible for how it should be wired.

Are you sure it's the positive terminals that go to one stud? Both chassis and house batteries are grounded via the chassis and it's normal to have all the negative battery terminals ties to the same ground stud.

Some photos of what you have would sure help. Or some help from another Sunrise or Adventurer owner of that approximate year.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Members online

Total: 1,228 (members: 32, guests: 1,196)

Forum statistics

Threads
131,933
Posts
1,387,743
Members
137,684
Latest member
kstoybox
Back
Top Bottom