Everything running off chassis batteries

[Dyno Bill]

My Coach is an 05 Dynaquest 320 built on a Frieghtliner M-2 truck chassis. It has two group 31 chassis batteries and 3 group 31 deep cycle coach batteries. Both sets of batteries have several sets of positive and negative leads coming off of them.

After running the house heater for a couple of nights while dry camping I noticed the chassis batteries were down to where they would barely turn over the engine but the coach batteries where still well charged.

It seems that the chassis batteries are running the house electric. All I could verify that the coach batteries run is the 1000 W inverter and the electric step.

I really don't think this is right, what to check first?

[RickO]

Boy, this does sound strange. The house heater you refer to is a 12volt unit? That doesn't sound right and if the inverter is run by your coach batteries and not the chassis batteries it's hard to see how a 120v draw could have drained you chassis batteries.

Could it be that your chassis batteries are on their way out and maybe putting out the slides and leveling the coach drained them to the point of them not being able to start the coach? Ask me how I know if that is possible.

[Gary RVRoamer]

The fans on a regular RV gas furnace will draw down a battery bank rather quickly. I suspect that is what he was referring to.

The most likely explanation is that somebody connected the wrong set of cables to the chassis battery and those cables belong on the house set instead. Figuring out whch ones to move will be the challenge.

[Dyno Bill]

Thanks for the replies. Yes it looks like the batteries are wired wrong.

The chassis batteries have four positive leads connected and the house batteries have three. Any good ideas on how to trace them?

[Luv2go]

No really good way. What I'd suggest is eliminate as many as you can first (like the battery interconnect wires) by tracing visually where they go.

Then disconnect the others one by one and see what stops working. i.e. if house lights stop you've found the house 12V feed, if chassis lights stop you've found the one going to the chassis-related stuff, same for jacks working and generator starting, etc. Just make sure to insulate the ones you disconnect so you don't have any problems.

Stewart

[Dyno Bill]

Fixed!, Cables had been swapped between the two battery banks, swapped them around and it looks like everything is working properly. Thanks again for all the replies.