I have a 2006 Itasca Meridian. It's a Freightliner chassis. I'm on 110 volt shore power in a friends backyard. My house batteries seem to be doing well and charging just fine. My chassis batteries do not charge and have gone dead to the point my mom switch won't even fire me up. We are pushing the limit of the shore power with the AC and misc. My question is should the chassis batteries be charging while on shore power? I also have a solar panel and it says it's charging the batteries but, again only seems like it charges the house batteries...
Battery issues
- Thread starter JimTee
- Start date
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Likely not. Generally speaking, and there are exceptions, but generally the two 12VDC systems are seperated by an isolator. It will allow house battery to be charged while driving down the road, but seperates the systems when parked. If you want to keep the chassis battery charged you need to connect it to a dedicated battery charger that has a maintenance capability. Since you get a no start even when connecting the house battery I would suspect your chassis battery is shorted. Take it out, charge it and once charged take it to a battery store and have it load tested.
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
Back in 2006 few, if any, Winnebago coaches charged the chassis batteries from shore power. Add a device called a Trik-L-Start to solve that. A few years later, Winnie added that function to diesel coaches. Don't know if the gas Winnie coaches ever got it.
http://www.lslproducts.net/TLSPage.html
For other readers, Fleetwood coaches have always charge the chassis battery from shore power. I think National RV did as well, but not sure about Tiffin or Monaco.
http://www.lslproducts.net/TLSPage.html
For other readers, Fleetwood coaches have always charge the chassis battery from shore power. I think National RV did as well, but not sure about Tiffin or Monaco.
Ghostman
Well-known member
I could never tell or get a for sure answer if mine did or not. I just added a battery tender that is hooked up all the time and plugged into 120 outlet in battery compartment. That way I don't have to worry about them.
John From Detroit
Well-known member
HOw to tell if your isolator is bi-directional (House charges chassis as well as below) or mono-directional (Chassis charges house only)
Hook a volt meter to either the chassis battery or any point provided with CHASSIS ONLY power
Plug in at the start of your trip and note the battery voltage
13.anything a day after parking means a bi-directional
12.anything means mono-directional.
Anything less than 12 may indicate a bad battery, Voltmeter or connection.
Hook a volt meter to either the chassis battery or any point provided with CHASSIS ONLY power
Plug in at the start of your trip and note the battery voltage
13.anything a day after parking means a bi-directional
12.anything means mono-directional.
Anything less than 12 may indicate a bad battery, Voltmeter or connection.
