No power to rig when generator turns off...

[John From Detroit]

A partner and a test light are your friends.
Most Isolator solenoid/relays are magnetic latching.. They work by applying power either + - for one way (on or off) and - + for the other.

The unit will have two small connections and two large

Hook a 12 volt test light to the two small and have your partner operate the remote USE/STORE or Disconnect or Aux switch The light (incandescent) should light both ways. You should also hear a CLUNK
Some are non-latching On those one way the light lights. other way dark.> Either way no light indicates a fuse (likely 5 amp) or wire issue.. No Clunk but light lights = bad relay coil.

 

[thefid]

One way to test the relay(s) close function is to take a 12 VDC battery with two wires and connect the negative post to the "S" terminal, then momentarily touch the plus 12V to the "I". This should close the relay if it is good.

This closed the relay... I now have a charge on the battery side. Just under 12v, but at least I might have a working fridge tonight.

The question now is do I still need to buy new relays?

 

[RNS]

This would say that you manually closed it now need to find why system will not close it, I doubt it is relay

 

[Contributor]

This closed the relay... I now have a charge on the battery side. Just under 12v, but at least I might have a working fridge tonight.

The question now is do I still need to buy new relays?

This indicates that the relay is working. So how do you command the switch position? Do you have a remote to a control panel? Pictures of the control panel would help.

The control signals are not getting to the relay

Also, if you decide to open the relay. Reverse the voltages to the controls, put the negative to the "I" terminal, and momentarily touch the 12V to the "S"

 

[Contributor]

I did a little digging around and it looks like those relays are the AUX start solenoid relays. The Generator is always hooked up directly to the chassis batteries but is not normally connected to the house batteries.

The AUX start solenoids get control signals from the ignition SW via the "Isolator relay delay" and the AUX START switch.

By forcing the AUX start solenoids closed, you are tying the house and chassis batteries together. Not desirable when boondocking. While this will charge your batteries for now, do the open procedure when you are done.

The house batteries should be getting charged from the HEART INVERTER FREEDOM 20. There is a 300 Amp fuse from the converter/inverter output to the house batteries, check that. That may be your real problem. Check the output of the converter for 12V charge output. I bet you have a bad 300 amp fuse.

Either Shore power or the Generator provide AC to the converter/inverter to charge the house batteries (via the SHORE/GEN Transfer SW). After the SW, the AC goes thru the 50 Main Panel to the converter, verify the CB for the converter is not tripped.

If after checking all this, you still don't get a 12V charging voltage on shore power or Generator power then the converter/inverter is bad or the e300 A fuse is blown.

One last thing, I don't think the stock converter is good for the lithium batteries.

 

[Contributor]

OK, so I'm learning a lot about motor homes.

To the OP, do the procedure to open the relays or you will have dead chassis batteries

I did a little digging around and it looks like those relays are the AUX start solenoid relays. The Generator is always hooked up directly to the chassis batteries but is not normally connected to the house batteries.

This is NOT to charge the batteries but to supply the Onan Gen with starting and running power.

By forcing the AUX start solenoids closed, you are tying the house and chassis batteries together. Not desirable while boondocking. While this will charge your batteries for now, do the open procedure when you are done.

I'm wrong, The generator is not charging the batteries. The OP thinks it is but what he is seeing is the chassis batteries trying to charge the house batteries. I hope he is reading this.

The house batteries should be getting charged from the HEART INVERTER FREEDOM 20. There is a 300 Amp fuse from the converter/inverter output to the house batteries, check that. That may be your real problem. Check the output of the converter for 12V charge output. I bet you have a bad 300 amp fuse.

Either Shore power or the Generator provide AC to the converter/inverter to charge the house batteries (via the SHORE/GEN Transfer SW). After the SW, the AC goes thru the 50 Main Panel to the converter, verify the CB for the converter is not tripped.

If after checking all this, you still don't get a 12V charging voltage on shore power or Generator power then the converter/inverter is bad or the e300 A fuse is blown.

One last thing, I don't think the stock converter is good for the lithium batteries.

This is true

 

[thefid]

You explained exactly what I have experienced with the chassis and coach batteries with the generator and helped explain some more (chassis battery can still start the rig).

When I closed the relay, the voltage was lower than I expected from the generator.

Interesting that my rig store/use switch started clicking again after the relay procedure.

Q1: I am having trouble finding the 300a fuse. And attaching photos...

Q2: What converter would you recommend that will accept 50amp? I have thought about getting the Iota DLS 55.

UPDATE: When I opened the relay again, power was off on the rig, but the "use" switch (that wasn't clicking before) turned it back on. It appears to be working.

 

[John From Detroit]

The USE/Store switch uses battery power. If the batteries are dead. it can not clunk the solenoid.
And if the batteries are very dead and start sucking the amps.. They will bring down the voltage for the converter.. WHY.> Well the converter has an "Output amps" limit. the only way to avoid exceeding the limit and destroying the converter's output stage is to reduce the voltage.

 

[Contributor]

I know your rig is a 1993. I went to Holiday Rambler and I could not find a manual for a 1993. They had a 1994 one without the electronic detail. I got lucky in that I did look at the 1995 manual and downloaded it.

Motor Coach Brochures | 1983-2022 Holiday Rambler Models

These brochures will help plan buying your next RV.. Find brochures for Holiday Rambler models from 1983-Present.

www.holidayrambler.com

I was able to find what I believe is your system or very close to your system. I will follow this post with the 3 post containing the pertinent pages to your issues.

 

[Contributor]

Batteries connections to generator and AUX start relays

 

[Contributor]

AC power system and converter. They refer to it as inverter but it is both. The fuse I was talking about is just out right at the output of the converter. You need to dig around.

 

[Contributor]

Last one, 50 A service panel. Look at AC CB #5 for the Inverter. Make sure that one is good. I see that it is hard to read, I'll edit it to make it bigger

 

[Contributor]

here is the bigger version