Thanks, and a little learned info - sorry for the length

[BudtheDiplomat]

Thanks everyone for your responses. All very helpful. Jim, yes, the dogs are much happier.

I think this is probably Monaco specific, so I'm posting here rather than in Class A, although there is some crossover...

I always thought that once you plug in to Shore power, other than recharging the batteries, you have basically bypassed the need for battery IF the Inverter (with integrated 12 volt Converter) is working properly - WRONG!

I thought if your House and Chassis batteries were fully charged, all the 12 volt problems were cared for - WRONG!

Once at our destination, I turned off the drive engine, put out the slides, connected to Shore power. The Control panel showed that we were on Shore power, 50 amp, and all systems were "GO."

It was 6pm, getting dark quickly.

Daughter turned on the AC/Heat pump in the main cabin and bedroom. Lights on all over, TV on.

Since my systems charges both the House and Chassis batteries (it does, I made sure), to level I simply turn on the starter key, air down, and put the levelers down. This time I chose to use the automatic mode. I bought that level indicator from RV Innovations and wanted to see if it worked!

The pad beneath the coach was packed gravel. I've never used wooden pads under the leveling pads. The curbside rear leveler was over soft grass - didn't know!

The automatic leveler pushed that level about 1 foot into the earth. but I didn't know yet. At that time, I lost all House 12 volt power.

When you lose 12 volt power, at least in a 2008 Monaco Diplomat, here's what happens:

1. AC/Heat pump turns off.
2. All lights and switches in the Main Control panel are inoperative.
3. Water pump, of course, won't work (so no toilet).
4. Generator won't start.
5. Refrigerator is inoperative.
6. Dash Radio won't work.
7. Steps won't work.
8. Slides/awnings won't work.
9. All coach lights won't work. (headlights do work)
10. Levelers (which I thought were Chassis driven) won't work.
11. Although the lights work on the leveling pad, the levelers themselves won't go up or down.
12. All of the fuses are good.

Here's what I learned:

1. Although my batteries, 4 years old, still showed all cells good, when I started putting the levelers down, it apparently drew more amps than the batteries could handle with everything else turned on.

2. There is a breaker switch just behind the Main House Battery Cut Off Switch. To me it looked like a piece of black plastic with a vertical molded ridge. That vertical molded ridge is the reset switch, and should be in the HORIZONTAL position.

3. Quite a bit of effort is required to dig a leveler out of the earth.

4. You can lift the rear of a motorhome using enough leverage trying to raise the leveler, but without 12 volt power, that leveler is STAYING PUT!!!

Bottom line: If you lose ALL 12 volt power, even to the generator and the fridge, it is this breaker switch I mentioned, not the "Salesman's Switch." My salesman's switch is bypassed anyway - that relay went bad in the first year of ownership.

Happy travels!

Bud

[Mike Canter]

Wow, it sounds like you are in Apollo 13. Houston we have a problem.

So what was the original cause of the problem...a bad battery?

[jablair]

Guess that might just be viewed as catastrophic failure.

[Its Paid For]

Man, I hate to admit this, but I laughed while reading this because the way you wrote was pretty funny. However, I also feel a bit sick to the stomach because I could feel your pain.

I'm just glad that happened to a man like you that could deal with it. I would have been considering bull dozer to end my suffering.

Whew

[Letsgoagain]

Bud,
Don't feel to bad. When I was a newbie to the motorhome world back in 2005 I lowered the leveler's in my drive way and punched two nice big holes right through my asphalt driveway. That was kind of fun retracting them.
I've learned a lot about the operation, upkeep and maintenance of our motorhome since then but didn't know about that reset in the battery compartment. Thanks for the tip.

[BudtheDiplomat]

Letsgoagain;

What amazes me is that there is no mention of this breaker switch in the Owners Manual. None.

This switch in my coach is located on the same compartment wall as the House Main Circuit Switch, on the same level as the main house switch but just a little farther reach into the compartment, like 3-5 inches. I never looked at it before, and if I did, never gave it a moment's thought. It is, however, one powerful little son-of-a-gun and will change your life, at least for a little while!

I did replace all of the batteries - all of them, chassis included. I figured that I've had the coach for 3 years, which would mean that with the coach build, delivery and sell time, the batteries were probably going on 5 years old.

It's kinda funny to hear the wife yell, "HEY, THE TOILET WON'T FLUSH!" I didn't want to know what it was supposed to be flushing.

Bud

[Mike Canter]

Well, did that magic switch fix your problems. Can your wife flush and come out of the bathroom now?