RobbyBKing1982
New member
Hello all from the cold and very Windy Wyoming Winter wonderlands! 
I have a rather unusual problem going on with my 82 Itasca Spectrum Mini. The RV sits on a Chevy C-20 truck chassis with a 350 small block 4bbl carburetor turbo 300 automatic transmission. The charging system...IE engine alternator is not charging suddenly after stopping for fuel two days ago. Supplementing with running the on-board Onan generator (good ol green mean tough n robust
) unit which would run even with a dead short across it!
After getting the RV fueled up I proceeded to start her up, cranked just fine and turned over. Once I let the ignition switch return to the resting point, or run point, there was a whine for a few seconds then the engine died. During this whine I noticed the charge indicator on the dash (standard charge voltage measuring indicator of 8 minimum to 18 maximum, spiked wildly and went down to its lowest point as the engine died. Usually when the ignition switch (key) is in the run position, that charge indicator reads something with the engine is not running or started.
So I proceeded to restart but nothing happened and that battery voltage indicator was still at its lowest point. I then checked the RV battery indicator meter on the control center which uses a single meter and a momentary contact rocker switch to see either the engine battery status or the house battery status. Both batteries had sufficient charge to crank the engine. But the engine would not start ...not unless I held the momentary battery boost switch in MOM position. Then the engine would run. But if I let go of the MOM switch and the switch returned to its resting point, the engine dies. No voltage feeding the ignition system to fire the plugs unless I hold the MOM switch in it's MOM position.
I installed large blade switches a couple years earlier to be able to disconnect the vehicle battery from circuit as well as one to connect both the vehicle battery and house battery together in parallel when I needed extra reserve current for overnights when running the heater or fridge or to charge small devices like cell phones or power the house LED lights or small inverter for running the tv or radio or satellite
.
Long story short ..I have to run the generator while driving to keep charge on the batteries. The alternator on the engine seems to output a small amount of charge voltage...roughly 12.2 to 12.4 but drops when external head lights are turned on or when brake lights come on and use of the turn signals. I have to keep the Onan generator running while driving to maintain sufficient charge and voltage levels so that no brightness sags occur on the parking/running/headlights in normal driving activity.
I apologize for this incredibly long first post. I tend to ..
ramble on..now's the time and the time is now...sing my song...I go round the world and find my girl..
Led Zepplin-Ramble On.
Any advice and a wiring diagram or schematic would be much appreciated! I am a retired radio and television broadcast engineer and mechanic and electrical engineer. Im just puzzled and lost without some road map to follow.
I have a rather unusual problem going on with my 82 Itasca Spectrum Mini. The RV sits on a Chevy C-20 truck chassis with a 350 small block 4bbl carburetor turbo 300 automatic transmission. The charging system...IE engine alternator is not charging suddenly after stopping for fuel two days ago. Supplementing with running the on-board Onan generator (good ol green mean tough n robust

After getting the RV fueled up I proceeded to start her up, cranked just fine and turned over. Once I let the ignition switch return to the resting point, or run point, there was a whine for a few seconds then the engine died. During this whine I noticed the charge indicator on the dash (standard charge voltage measuring indicator of 8 minimum to 18 maximum, spiked wildly and went down to its lowest point as the engine died. Usually when the ignition switch (key) is in the run position, that charge indicator reads something with the engine is not running or started.
So I proceeded to restart but nothing happened and that battery voltage indicator was still at its lowest point. I then checked the RV battery indicator meter on the control center which uses a single meter and a momentary contact rocker switch to see either the engine battery status or the house battery status. Both batteries had sufficient charge to crank the engine. But the engine would not start ...not unless I held the momentary battery boost switch in MOM position. Then the engine would run. But if I let go of the MOM switch and the switch returned to its resting point, the engine dies. No voltage feeding the ignition system to fire the plugs unless I hold the MOM switch in it's MOM position.
I installed large blade switches a couple years earlier to be able to disconnect the vehicle battery from circuit as well as one to connect both the vehicle battery and house battery together in parallel when I needed extra reserve current for overnights when running the heater or fridge or to charge small devices like cell phones or power the house LED lights or small inverter for running the tv or radio or satellite


Long story short ..I have to run the generator while driving to keep charge on the batteries. The alternator on the engine seems to output a small amount of charge voltage...roughly 12.2 to 12.4 but drops when external head lights are turned on or when brake lights come on and use of the turn signals. I have to keep the Onan generator running while driving to maintain sufficient charge and voltage levels so that no brightness sags occur on the parking/running/headlights in normal driving activity.
I apologize for this incredibly long first post. I tend to ..



Any advice and a wiring diagram or schematic would be much appreciated! I am a retired radio and television broadcast engineer and mechanic and electrical engineer. Im just puzzled and lost without some road map to follow.
