12 volt lights help please

Sonny & Pam · 08-22-2011, 04:12 PM

2 new 6 volt batterys only 3 months old. We went on short trip when new batterys were installed,came home and parked,Everything seemed to work O.K. I went to use the coach today and here's what I found. No power at any 12 volt lamp, nor will the fans in vents work or the panel of lamps for checking the holding tanks,water pump. But if I start gen. everything works fine! Being the batterys will start the gen. what should I check-out?

It's a 2002 Fourwinds 5000 on a E450 V10 . Thanks for any advise

!!

**"007"** · 08-22-2011, 04:42 PM

Your battery cut off on for house batteries?
Gen running will supply 12V to lighting system through your converter.

Triker56 · 08-22-2011, 04:56 PM

Did you check the power at the 6V batteries? Sounds like they are dead.
The chassis battery may have started the generator.
It will take the generator many, many hours of running to charge the house batteries back to full charge.

Sonny & Pam · 08-22-2011, 05:48 PM

where would I find the battery cut off? can't see it anywhere

wa8yxm · 08-22-2011, 07:26 PM

What kind of rig do you have?

Somewhere there is a switch.. It may be a "Big Switch" or it may be a 2 bit 3-position rocker. May be marked USE/STORE or some such May be marked AUX.

IN my coach there is a small panel, perhaps 3 or 4 inch square, it has two such switches (the 2 bit 3-position rockers) A pilot light (Glows red when house has poer) and a 3 digit LED digitl display. One switch activates teh display (Volt meter) no matter if you push up or down.. Other disconnects (nd hopefully reconnnects) the batteries.. It is placed where I can accidently turn it off.

Where it is I won't say because it's likely different location in your rig.

Locksmith · 08-22-2011, 07:37 PM

It sounds like the battery cut-off switch was left on and the batteries ran down over 3 months and the engine battery was able to start the generator. My cut-off on a Gulfstream Class c Yellowstream is located under the entrance step to the house and when turned off it still had the LP gas detector energized all the time and I changed it to turn off with the cut-off switch.
Larry