Community Forums

caburke2 · 05-03-2015, 10:53 AM

Someday I will be a real pro at Class A Motorhomes! Maybe!
My coach is sitting in my driveway. I had a 30 amp outlet installed on my house to plug the unit into so I could run everything if I wanted. The outlet cover the electrician installed is a little tight for the plug, so I decided to put the surge protector on and then plug into that.
Well the surge protector tripped and I didn't know that. Something must have been on because when I went out to the coach a few days later and opened the door, the steps did not come out.
I tried to start the engine and it is completely dead.
I tried the battery boost button and it still would not start.
The coach batteries are fully charged, but I think the chassis battery is dead.
Any thoughts? Should I be looking at something else?
I do hear a click when I depress the battery boost, and I did hold it down for a few seconds, but the engine will not turn over.
I have a 2013 Itasca Sunstar 31'.
Help!!!!!

Skip426 · 05-03-2015, 10:58 AM

If the chassis batteries are dead, and the boost switch is powered from those batteries , you won't get any action from the switch.
If you have another charger , hook it to the chassis batteries, for a day, hopefully they'll come back .
You could try jumper cables from the coach to chassis batteries and the boost switch.

Dutch Star Don · 05-03-2015, 12:21 PM

Do you know if your coach typically charges both the house and chassis batteries when plugged in? If so, just plug the coach into a 15 amp 110 outlet at home and leave it on for 24 hours. Let the coach charger bring the batteries back up.

Cooperhawk · 05-03-2015, 12:27 PM

Silly question I know but is the transmission in neutral?

Tony Lee · 05-03-2015, 01:03 PM

Don't suppose the surge protector tripped because your electrician provided you with a 30 amp 220V outlet instead of 110V

mccsix · 05-03-2015, 02:03 PM

Everything normal, electrician wires, everything goes to h...Hmmm I wonder what he did?

deandec · 05-03-2015, 06:24 PM

Test the engine battery and house battery with a voltmeter.

If below 11.8 Vdc then both will not perform.

Plug the house cable to a 15a outlet in your house. That should start the charging process.

While charging, measure the voltage at the battery terminals with a voltmeter. If 13.5 to 14.8 vdc, then that battery is being charged properly.

If not, report back and give the group the result.

"007" · 05-03-2015, 06:37 PM

I would say your surge protector is telling you something is wrong with that outlet.
Do not plug your coach shore line into it with out the SP.
HERE IS HOW OUTLET SHOULD BE WIRED. Can be found in TECH INFORMATION
In the mean time get a 12v battery charger and charge your batteries.

caburke2 · 05-04-2015, 12:58 PM

Well it turns out the chassis battery is stone dead. And although the panel in the coach says the house batteries are fully charged, the electricians meter says otherwise. There are all just short of 2 1/2 years old and about 8,000 miles.
Tried jumping from the house to the chassis....that didn't work.
Tried jumping from my car..............got just a half of a turn over, if that.
My husband is going to get a new chassis battery and we will go from there.
I did call the electrician back to check the outlet and it is a 30 amp 110. So that was ok.
Thank you all for all the suggestions. Very, very helpful.
I will post after the new chassis battery is installed and we see if the coach batteries charge back up.
Thanks again for all the help.

deandec · 05-04-2015, 06:51 PM

It seems you are assuming the shorepower will charge your chassis battery.

On many MH that does not happen. Only the engine alternator charges the chassis battery.

caburke2 · 05-06-2015, 05:07 AM

Ok so got a new chassis battery. Engine started right up.
One thing I miss under stood was that if I had the coach plugged into shore power and then looked at the panel in the coach with the "test levels" button, that it would show the house batteries fully charged, because it was plugged in.
So after the new chassis battery was installed, I unplugged the coach from shore power and the "test levels" panel was dead, I guess that meant the coach batteries were dead.
So I plugged the coach back into shore power, waited 24 hours and then checked the house batteries again by unplugging the coach from shore power and now we have fully charged house batteries.

My understanding is that by plugging the coach into shore power it will also provide a trickle charge to the house batteries.
I was also told that when driving the coach the chassis battery will then help charge the house batteries? True?
So did the new chassis battery charge up the house batteries or because we plugged the coach into shore power with the new battery? Still unclear about that?

Thanks everyone for all the helpful hints. I just love this blog! Very helpful.

onlakegaston · 05-06-2015, 05:29 AM

caburke2
Answers below
1. Yes plugging coach in will charge the house batteries( if charging system is ok)
2. When driving the coach the engine alternator will charge both the chassis battery and the house batteries.
3. The new chassis battery did not charge the house batteries - plugging it in charged the house batteries.
Still unsure why your surge protector tripped - were you running your a/c units? You know that you can only run 1 unit on a 30 amp connection.

Jim

caburke2 · 05-07-2015, 05:32 AM

No the A/C was not on, actually nothing was on. I am just wondering if I have a bad surge protector. Do most campers use their own surge protectors when plugging in at campsites? Maybe I don't need it?
Thanks for your help!
Carol

caburke2 · 05-07-2015, 05:38 AM

So why were the coach batteries dead if they are not charged up by the chassis battery?
And why were they not charging up if the coach was plugged in, but the chassis battery was dead?
They only charged up after the coach battery was replaced with a new one that was fully charged and then we plugged the coach in, waited 24 hours and all was good????
Thanks,
Carol