No power from house batteries.

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Sitnfat

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Jun 7, 2012
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I have a 98 Adventurer.  Everything works fine when I use shore power or I have the genset running but nothing works when I want to use just the house batteries. I looked at th breakers under the fridge. Is there something what am I missing. 



Edit by staff:  changed message icon to Topic Solved
 
No. My genset starts off them but no lights or the panel on the wall will light up.
 
Sitnfat said:
I have a 98 Adventurer.  Everything works fine when I use shore power or I have the genset running but nothing works when I want to use just the house batteries. I looked at th breakers under the fridge. Is there something what am I missing.
Click to expand...

when u say "nothing works"  explain what nothing is?  (eg) are you talking 12V system or nothing as in everything??
If The 12V cut off switch was off  then your 12V would not work period so it sounds like the batterys are toast but again depends on this nothing deal
which I will assume you mean 12V stuff
 
I don't see a switch that turns them off. The genset will start off the batteries fine. But if I is not running the lamps and lights that are powered by the house batteries. 
 
Your genset may start from the chassis batteries, or may be wired direct to the house batteries and bypassing the normal 12v circuitry.

You have a house battery disconnect switch somewhere, usually right near the entry door but sometimes in a console or panel elsewhere. It shuts off all 12v battery power inside the house. In most Rvs, the converter/charger still produces power, so everything works on shore power but not when only battery power is available.

The battery disconnect may say something like "Use" and "Store" rather than On/Off.
 
Sitnfat said:
I don't see a switch that turns them off. The genset will start off the batteries fine. But if I is not running the lamps and lights that are powered by the house batteries.
Click to expand...

you never really said what nothing was but assuming its 12V is your nothing then I assume your batterys that run the house are either dead or isolated via 12V solenoid in the off position,the gen set may be starting off the chassis battery or is wired direct to house battery by passing the disconnect solenoid which is then obviously in the off position
 
Sitnfat said:
I don't see a switch that turns them off. The genset will start off the batteries fine. But if I is not running the lamps and lights that are powered by the house batteries.
Click to expand...
I picked a 1998 Adventurer wiring diagram at random and sure enough, you do have a battery disconnect switch (as I expected) - do you have a switch on the left side of the dash that is labeled Aux Batt and Off - On? Should be the bottom of the three switches in a row.  If the switch is Off, turn it On.
 
Thank you all for the help. I appreciate it. I use this site a lot and see several that just ask and never reply so I want to let everyone know it appreciated. I tried the switch no luck. Gonna crawl under it and start checking with a test light. Thankfully 20 years repairing vehicles will help. Seems my brake and auto park light are messing with my leveling jacks too so I have plenty to keep me busy this weekend.
 
I am having a similar problem -

I have a 2005 Minnie C 31'

When I start the engine the 12v lights and system work as well as when I am on shore power or generator.  when I turn off the engine and want to run off the batteries it will not switch over to that power source.

I tested the AUX battery cut off and it works correctly - when I turn it on it opens the switch and allows power to flow through the relay switch and when I turn it off all of the 12v systems come off line.

Is there a transformer or a sensor that should switch on to sense that the house battery should be supplying power?  I just need to make sure the fridge and freezer will switch over to LP when we park in a parking lot.

Any suggestions will be helpful.

Mark

 
mlemerson said:
..when I turn off the engine and want to run off the batteries it will not switch over to that power source...
Click to expand...
Hi Mark and welcome.  There is no "switching" that happens, the house is always connected to the house battery bank unless the on/off switch for the house is in the off position.  When the engine is running or when the Battery Boost switch is operated, the battery mode solenoid operates and bridges the house and chassis banks together so the engine alternator can charge both banks or if you need all battery's on-line to start the engine.
 
There may be a problem in the terminology you are using though. John answered correctly but I wonder if the terms you used are really what you mean, for example:

AUX battery cut off : (John's term is Battery Boost) Is this switch the one to bridge the house bank and the chassis battery (for jump starting the engine perhaps).

There is also a switch to cut off all 12V house batteries for storage purposes. It may be labelled understandably or not and it may be located on the dash on a Class C. This one cuts off all the house 12Volt supply which seems to be the case you are describing. It may activate or release a heavy relay (similar to the mode relay described above) to perform it's function.

If there is 12V on the house system then the fridge should switch to LP while turned on (but make sure its starts up and runs ok before leaving). It will take a good 8 hours, in some cases, to get cold. (It can be started before leaving and run on propane while driving to the track :)).
 
Got out this morning and traced wires on my RV. Lifted the dash up and there was a little round button with 40 on top. Pushed it back in and poof the house batteries are back to working. Must have tripped that thing somehow. 
 
That was a 40 Amp DC Circuit breaker. Good thing it was not the self resetting type, you would not have even known about it being there.  ;) Good show!!
 
Sitnfat said:
Got out this morning and traced wires on my RV. Lifted the dash up and there was a little round button with 40 on top. Pushed it back in and poof the house batteries are back to working. Must have tripped that thing somehow.
Click to expand...
Does the breaker look like factory wiring?  If so, I'm amazed Winnie would stick a breaker in a non-obvious location.  At any rate, glad you got it going, thanks for checking in with the resolution.
 
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