Community Forums

Matt NY · 07-29-2013, 02:32 PM

Hi,
(newbie alert)
We just purchased a 2000 Rexhall Vision (Class A). The batteries were shot, so I bought new ones (Autocraft Marine/RV Group size 24M). Now I have no power at all unless I am plugged in to my household power. I have checked all the breakers (none are tripped or off). What else can I check?

Thanks,
Matt-NY

Old Scout · 07-29-2013, 02:41 PM

No power from bats means you have no 120v being inverted from the bats? Double check bat connections, then check inverter settings/ fuse/breaker to ensure inverter is engaged????? Assume you have 12volts at the main cable leading from the battery bank? Inverters are usually direct connect to the batteries via a fuse link so no switch involved here--I think.

GaryKD · 07-29-2013, 04:16 PM

Hi Matt NY,
Unfortunately, this may depend on how your coach was wired to deliver battery power to the coach. When you say you have no power at all, can I assume that is the 12 VDC lights and any inverter (assuming you have and inverter) powered appliances? For now let us stay with the 12 VDC lights.
1. Make sure the batteries are connected correctly. Check from the terminal feeding the wire that sends power to the coach to ground. There should be 12.6 VDC +/-.
2. There may be a switch that turns off all 12 VDC power to the coach. The switch is usually used when one stores their coach without power. If you have this switch, make sure it is on. This switch should have been off whenever connecting or disconnecting the coach batteries.
3. You posted all the fuses are good. There should be a master 12 VDC fuse panel for the coach fuses. Do you have 12 VDC coming into this panel?
4. If the answer to #3 is no, then you'll need to find the fusible link between the batteries and the fuse panel. It will be in the wire coming from the positive battery terminal on the batteries to the coach.

FYI, 12 VDC fuses do not trip. They are like the fuses in a car. They are either good or not good. Since there is no power at all, I do not think the individual circuit fuses are the problem.

doc · 07-29-2013, 04:50 PM

It is ALWAYS a good idea to either sketch or take photos of the old batteries and how they were wired before you take them out. Not saying this is the problem, but there have been many who have overlooked a wire that may have fallen out of site as the new batteries were seated or *shudder* even have the positive and negative sides reversed. Let us know what you end up doing to solve the problem

Cat320 · 07-30-2013, 03:43 PM

First I'd look for #2 in Gary's post.

Matt NY · 07-31-2013, 07:28 AM

According to Rexhall, the Red are (pos) and the black is (neg). I figured that but didn't want to assume. Rexhall was supposed to email me a wiring diagram for the battery bank, but I am still waiting...

Anyway, the problem is solved and everything works now.
Thanks for the quick replies!
Matt

GaryKD · 07-31-2013, 07:39 AM

Hi Matt NY,
How about letting us know what solved the problem? This is how all of us learn.

Matt NY · 08-01-2013, 07:55 AM

The problem was that I did not have the negative wire hooked up to the batteries. When I disconnected the old batteries, the negative wire somehow fell down behind other wires and I didn't see it when I reconnected the batteries. There were still two wires and I assumed one was pos and one neg. Who knew there would be two hot (positives) and one negative wires?

The lesson here is: (as Doc noted above) to take a photo or a sketch of the wiring scheme before taking anything apart. Also I intend to clearly label the wires. They are encased in a plastic conduit so you cant see the wire color.
Thanks again all!