12 volt issues in coach

[rhorn]

Could use some help.

Battery disconnect switch in doorway of coach will not come on so I have no 12 volt power in coach. Shore line is connected and 110 works on such items as microwave etc. Batteries are charged up.

Here are the tricky parts. When i start the engine the coach battery disconnect switch will come on and the 12 volt will work in the coach.

I have replaced the battery control center (thinking that was my problem) but that did not help.

I am beginning to think my Freedom inverter/charger is not properly able to process the voltage from my batteries or from the shore line.

Also (and as u may can tell i am new to this and have very limited elec. knowledge) when i test the current from my coach batteries i ground one end of my tester and have to put the other end on the neg post to get a read. is this normal or something wrong with my batteries?

thanks for any help. rhorn

[Wanabee FTer]

Hello rhorn and welcome to IRV2!
To test 12 volt batteries with a multi-meter, if you have a digital meter set it to 20 volt DC. Then put the red + lead to positive + on one of the house batteries and black - to negative- on the same battery. If batteries are charged and rested you should see a voltage reading of around 12.7 volts.
I would recommend to check all fuses and breakers for your inverter 1st.
Also a bit more info on year and model of your rig would be helpful.

[RickO]

Welcome to the forum jhorn!

Like John said, more info on your rig will help you get an answer. Lots of expertise hanging out around here but the more specific you can get on what RV you're talking about the better chance you'll get a solution that works for you.

As for checking your batteries, are you saying that you get a reading on your meter when you measure between your battery's negative post to "ground"? By ground do you mean the frame? That sounds a bit strange so more details would help there too.

Good luck...

Rick

[Gary RVRoamer]

Your batetry disconnect relay is 12v operated too, so a bad connection or weak batteries will cause it to not work. Starting the engine supplies 12v from the engine alternator and powers up the 12v system.

I'd be looking at bad batteries, poor connections to the batteries, or a poor connection to the battery disconnect switch.

[rhorn]

my mh is a 2000 gulfstream scenic cruiser 39' DP.

I have checked my aux batteries and they test good. they are also able to supply power through my inverter to run 110 items such as microwave etc. when my shore line is disconnected. so the inverter seems to be working both charging my batteries and changing my battery power to 110.

My problem seem to be getting 12 v power to the coach from my aux batteries.

When my engine is running i believe i am getting 12 power from my diesel engine alternator and or engine batteries, and all systems work properly such as coach battery disconnect switche and all 12 v lights etc in coach.

If there is a 12 v fuse coming from my aux batteries i do not know where to find it.

is the converter to make the aux batteries supply 12v to the coach lights inside the Freedom inverter/charger?

[2006CROSS]

Locate battery disconnect relay, there should be two fuses attached to it one on either side of it, (probably 5 amps each fuse), check this first.

[GaryKD]

Hi rhorn,
Welcome to iRV2. The converter's only job is to take 120 VAC and turn it into the proper amount of VDC to charge the batteries.

[rhorn]

Thanks for all your information. I have found these forums very interesting. I will scratch my head again tomorrow and see if i can find why i am not getting 12v power to my Battery disconnect switch. as i said earlier i have replaced the battery control center which included a new auxiliary battery disconnect relay. So i must not be getting 12 v to the bcc box. Either bad batteries, which i test as ok, or some fuse, which i cannot find, is blown. Oh my nerves.

I hate to give up but if i cannot find the source of the problem by wednesday I will throw in the towel and take the rig into nashville to a service center. I need to have a tow bar put on my tow vehicle l anyway. rh

[rhorn]

One more question. If my microwave works when shore line is disconnected wouldn't that mean my aux. batteries are ok? rh

[Monacoach]

If you microwave works and the batteries don't go flat in a short period of time I would say they are good. I had bad house batteries ( one completely dead cell) but when plugged into shore power everything worked. I don't think this is a battery problem.

[rhorn]

I can pull 12v power from my engine batteries and my battery disconnect swich works fine. I cannot figure out why ( or where to look ) my aux batteries are not getting 12 v to the battery control center where the aux battery disconnect relay is located.

[Gary RVRoamer]

Which battery controller do you have? RVP or Intelletec?

[rhorn]

Gary,
My BCC is intelletect.

[rhorn]

just ordered a white rodgers relay 586-902. not sure what this does, but through some reading sounded like it could have something to do with continuous 12 v feed. and when i connect the two large post with vice grips on my w r relay my coach battery disconnect switch works ( i think it is drawing power from engine batteries???).