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mikhett · 12-11-2015, 04:40 PM

Ok,so as I said on my last post above RV was purchased 11/2013 from SCOTTS RV Lakewood NJ.It had 8k on the odometer.It now has 18k.It has been pretty reliable except for going thru 2 sets of batteries! that's 6 batteries @ 130.00 a pop!.The first time their service dept looked at it the couldn't find anything wrong.Today after dropping off my RV NOVEMBER15.They got a chance to look at it.They called me andtold me my battery caps were loose! HUH!I put 3 new batteries in October before I took it there and made sure all cables were tight!I guess im gonna have to fix it myself.Its either the alternator is not charginging the engine battery or the coach charger is not charging the coach batteries,or its the battery isolator which connects coach batteries to engine battery so you can use the emergency start switch!

pxr177 · 12-12-2015, 12:08 PM

The problem may be your converter. As soon as you lug into shore power, your battery system shuts down, except for the charger. Now the converter handles the DC elements of your coach. If the converter acts up, you will get good AC but no DC. To fix, plug in a new converter. Its nit a hard job.

Paul

CampDaven · 12-12-2015, 12:11 PM

Check the breakers in the inverter

YosemiteBobR · 12-13-2015, 10:32 PM

One way to check the converter would be to disconnect the negative side of the battery, and turn on the shore power, now turn on all your 12v lights. Are they dim or bright. If they are dim, your converter is not giving enough power, if they are bright then your converter is fine. The converter is what is charging your battery. There is always a parasitic drain on the batteries whenever not in use even when you turn everything off. This drain will make a battery go bad, if not charged properly. Your alternator may or may not be charging your house batteries completely, for one reason that wire that comes from your engine alternator, is too small to do much of a charge unless it's a long day of driving. If you have an inverter, do you turn it off or leave it on all the time, that also will drain your battery. You never said what kind of batteries you have, 12v Harris - not a good choice, 12v "something", a better choice, better yet 6v wired in series for 12 much better.

vsheetz · 12-13-2015, 10:55 PM

With all charging sources turned off, put a volt meter on the house batteries. It should read 12.something volts. Now start the engine to charge via the alternator - voltage should go up to nearly or over 13 volts. A noticeable increase. Shut off the engine and plug in shore power to charge via the converter - again, voltage should go up. If there is no change without charging to with charging - problem.

If no charging via the engine alternator do the similar voltage check on the chassis battery. If it changes the battery isolator is probably defective, not allowing the house batteries to charge from the alternator. If no change in either house or chassis battery could be isolator or alternator.

If no charging is happening from the converter make sure it's getting 120vac on its input. If no input voltage could be unplugged, tripped breaker, etc. if input is good check the output at the converter. If none, and there are no fuses in the converter, likely bad converter.

Good luck.

mikhett · 12-15-2015, 04:31 PM

The coach batteries when charging from the convertor they measure 13.8volts.The engine battery measures 14.3 volts with engine running.I will have to check coach batteries with engine running.IT COULD BE THE ISOLATOR. I WILL RRPORT BACK.THANKS.

Bfmorgan · 12-15-2015, 04:43 PM

When you say you have went through two sets of batteries, how did you determine the batteries are bad? Load test, specific gravity test?

What were the symptoms when the batteries failed? Lead plates were not covered with electrolyte? Wouldn't hold a charge? Didn't recover after a load test? Batteries were dead after a period of not being plugged into shore power?