House batteries not charging on Gen or shore but do charge with engine running

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Michelll

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Sep 22, 2019
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Hi all, I'm new here.  I've searched to firm and dying see answers to my specific question.  My husband and I are a week into an 8 week trip and our house batteries  (brand new) are not charging on shore power or with the generator.  We are in a 2012 tiffin allegro open road 32BA. We are in Banff at the moment.  No access to RV parts store.

Michelle
 
Michelll,

I do not know that unit specifically, but I have done a lot of work on other owners coaches. 

Your symptoms are typical for a non-functioning converter/charger.  It could be that what you have has failed or it is just disconnected at one end or the other. 
Before you do anything rash, locate this device. 
It may be a medium sized box with a line cord and plug and a panel with two heavy wires that go to the DC systems.  It can also be a built-in to the power panel.  You need to find it before you can do much of anything. 

If you can't find a friend or service guy to figure this out, then stop someplace to buy a good sized AUTOMATIC stand alone charger.  If it is not really automatic, it can destroy your house bank if left unattended. 

Good Luck

Matt 
 
As Matt says, it appears your converter/charger is not working or its charge output is not reaching the house batteries.  If your battery disconnect switch is in the Off or Store position, it will prevent the batteries from charging, so check that first.  Also verify that the circuit breaker that supplies 120v power to the converter/charger is not tripped. On a late model coach, it's usually a 30A breaker.

Are the batteries discharging to provide power to operate lights and appliances?  The converter/charger should also be supplying 12v power for that, so that the batteries do not discharge while shore or genset is available. 

You can save your trip by buying a automotive battery charger at an auto parts store or other car accessory shop. I think there is even a Walmart near Banff, over towards Calgary. Plug it in some convenient place and connect the clips to the house battery terminals. A 10 amp charger is probably sufficient to get by.
 
After reading this post 2 alarm bells went off in my head. First, as Matt and Gary said, you have no output from your converter. Second, you said, that the batteries are new, which leads me to wonder if they were hooked up correctly. Most converters have a pair of quick blow fuses in the output leads just to keep from blowing up the converter if a battery is hooked up backwards. Converter not working, combined with new batteries, equals check converter output fuses.
 
Welcome to the RVForum Michelle. I agree that this problem points to the converter. It could be a blown fuse, a tripped circuit breaker, a wire that was left disconnected when the batteries were replaced or the battery isolation switch is off (That's my first guess.) If a shop replaced your batteries, they probably turned that switch off (a good practice) and forgot to turn it back on. If you're unfamiliar with that switch, it's probably in your doorway.

Kev
 
sadixon49 said:
After reading this post 2 alarm bells went off in my head. First, as Matt and Gary said, you have no output from your converter. Second, you said, that the batteries are new, which leads me to wonder if they were hooked up correctly. Most converters have a pair of quick blow fuses in the output leads just to keep from blowing up the converter if a battery is hooked up backwards. Converter not working, combined with new batteries, equals check converter output fuses.
Click to expand...

It only takes a fraction of a second of reverse polarity to blow those fuses.  Possibly the person who installed the batteries noticed the arc he drew when he momentarily connected the batteries backward, then corrected himself and didn't tell anyone.
 
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