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Old 07-27-2017, 12:38 AM   #1
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2004 Monaco Knight electrical issue ... HELP!!!...

Hi all,

Noobs to RV'ing, at least as owners. Before this, we were repeat renter-offenders.
Just picked up a 2004 Monaco Knight 38PDQ with 16K miles on it. Looks new inside & out, and most items were serviced before the sale. A true one-owner vehicle that still looks showroom new. Woot!
We were going through it and while working outside, on generator power, it would occasionally shut down. Because it was 90 degrees and in the sun I figured the AC units in addition to the lights may have overloaded it causing it to automatically shut off. But after several of these cycles (about 30 min apart) it shuts down, leaving us in the dark. Prior to this the interior power panel (in the hallway) was operating normally (i think). Good battery charging and normal voltages.

I'm still trying to figure out the battery disconnect switch thingy (salesman switch?) at the front door. My day job is flying 737's and I'm an engineer by education, so I equate it to a Master Electric or Main Bus Transfer switch. Either way, p*sses me off...:face palm: Anyway.....took the switch out and decided it's functioning normally; the problem seems to be a solenoid in the forward distribution panel, in the outside cabinet under the driver's seat. It's a larger solenoid on the bottom-left of the covered panel. When I activate the cutoff switch, I hear a switch movement inside it but nothing seems to change, i.e., it seems like it's trying to activate a switching unit but can't. There's a small 5amp fuse on that solenoid body as well, which is intact. And it has some large gauge red (hot) wiring in & out.

My assumption (yeah, I know) is that this functions as a cutoff / turn-on solenoid for house power, but has somehow failed. The hot lead on the bottom right seems to have suffered an arc, as the attachment bolt is slightly blackened and the black insulation tape has been slightly melted. No blown fuses that I saw but I haven't checked them all as of yet.

The generator starts normally, and now with no load idles quietly for as long as I leave it on. Also have chassis power (headlights, etc) and the ability to start the motor, drive, etc. Just without any house power.

The previous owner stated that his norm (approaching the RV initially) was to open the door, turn on the battery cutoff switch, and then he'd see the microwave clock flashing. It worked this way for us as well for a couple days, then the whole thing shut down as described above. ANY input is appreciated. Apologies for the long write-up and if this has been covered before.

BTW, we're in Canton, GA, and would love to hear from other folks close to us or with a similar vehicle. We're anxious to hit the road! Thanks again!
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Old 07-27-2017, 01:52 AM   #2
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"martye62".......Your assumptions are correct. The switch at the door operates that large solenoid in the bay under the driver's window. You'll see that bay commonly referred to as the "run bay".

When people start having issues with the switch or solenoid, they just bypass it and eliminate it completely from the system. Just take the two large cables off the solenoid and bolt them together and than insulate.

You can replace solenoid if you like. I owned a 2005 Monaco Diplomat for ten years. I never had an issue with the switch or the solenoid, but some do.
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Old 07-27-2017, 02:15 AM   #3
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Hi Don,

First, thanks for the quick reply, appreciate it more than you know!

After browsing the Monaco Owner's forums, it sounds like it is indeed that relay; and everyone seems to have the same idea, just bypass it. If I looked at the schematic correctly, the batteries always power the 12V stuff, including the inverter, and are constantly recharged by the battery charger. So my generator would stagger when large load (i.e., arcing occurred) was imposed because the relay was failing. Which means the house power was unavailable while the generator ran fine and the chassis power was unaffected. I'll bypass it in the morning (err, in a few hours) and I'm guessing (hoping) problem solved. I'll post an update. Thanks again!

Marty
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Old 07-27-2017, 03:34 AM   #4
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3 Things:
1) I suspect, and I could be completely wrong here, the PO's habit of turning it off and on all the time may have lead to the solenoids early demise.
2) When I replaced my solenoid there was a label on it warning that for maximum life it should be mounted upright, and of course it's mounted at 90 degrees in mine.
3) In addition to the little switch I have 2 (chassis and house) much bigger beefier manual rotary switches on my electrical panel (at the back passenger side) which is what I would use to isolate the batteries if I left the RV for a few weeks/months instead of the salesman switch.
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Old 07-27-2017, 08:08 AM   #5
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Another point about that solenoid. It's not like a normal solenoid in that it doesn't need to have power to the coil to remain "energized". It's kind of like a ball point pen in that it only uses coil power to change positions off or on kind of like pushing the button on a ball point pen. It's not a continuously powered coil.
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Old 07-27-2017, 08:41 AM   #6
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It's almost inconceivable that any 12v load could cause the generator to "stumble". The genset supplies 120v to the inverter/charger, which in turn produces 12v for use by the house 12v system. Since 1 amp @ 120v produces 10 amps @ 12v, the genset would hardly notice even a large 12v power draw, e.g. 40A of DC only places about a 4 amp load on the genset.

Your genset sets a fault code when it shuts down to help diagnose the reason. Read the genset owner manual to learn the codes, which are signaled by blinking the light on the start/stop switch.

The house batteries are effectively in parallel with the inverter/charger. As you surmise, the disconnect solenoid removes all 12v power to the coach systems. since you seldom need the disconnect (it is used for storage), you can bypass it with a battery jumper cable (temporary) or bolting the two battery cables together (semi-permanent).
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Old 07-27-2017, 09:01 AM   #7
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Hi ! Welcome to IRV2! We're sure glad you joined the gang!

Congrats on the new rig! Hope you get your problem solved quickly. I think Don gave you good advice. Keep her between the ditches!

Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!
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Old 07-27-2017, 09:22 PM   #8
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Follow up...

So....bypassed the battery disconnect relay...and things returned to normal ops. Along the way I found a loose post on the 50 amp breaker next to the relay so another run to the auto parts store yielded an almost identical one (plus two spares for the tool box) at 5.99 each and the last of the gremlins were chased out. For now. Building a house on a truck frame is bound to introduce gremlins, so the first order of business was to build the 'on the road' tool box. Even the wife liked it!

After three days of detailing, repairs, updating, re-wiring (it came with satellite tv), replacing old TV sets w plasmas, installing all the goodies from the RV supply store....it looks absolutely brand new and all the mechanicals are running like new as well. Smooth, quiet, solid. We got it WELL below wholesale from a family member and couldn't be happier. Hitting the trail early tomorrow morning for a short(-ish) 4-day run to a lake and state park.

Next week I'll pull a 220 line to keep it powered from a box I have in the basement for the times we have it parked at home. (We're in a stuffy n'hood where we can't keep it here full-time). First big trip is in September to Orlando for a week to weigh it against our usual hotel-type stay. Either way, we're happy to have added it to our list of toys and assets.

Thanks again to all who responded; great folks on here apparently, hopefully I can contribute once we gain some experience. Cheers!
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Old 07-28-2017, 05:23 AM   #9
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Wait! What? You accomplished all that in 3 days?? Kudos to you, Marty, for such fast and accurate repairs.

(may I suggest you cut down on the Red Bull, tho )
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Old 07-28-2017, 05:48 AM   #10
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Marty-

A couple suggestions:

1) You should add a "signature" so that folks know something about your coach with each post. Here's a link on how to do that.

2) If your coach did not already come with a Progressive Industries EMS-HW50C (assuming it's a 50-amp coach), you should add one. It will protect your coach from common problems with AC electrical sources. A link to the EMS-HW50C is here.

Enjoy the new-to-you coach!
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Old 07-28-2017, 06:03 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by martye62 View Post
First big trip is in September to Orlando for a week to weigh it against our usual hotel-type stay.
Lets see; arrival at O'dark 30 to wander to the curb and wait for the van. Arrive at the hotel get your key, oops wrong key, back to the counter. Put "Do not disturb" on door, Get to sleep only to be awakened by the heat from the East facing room. Get the A/C adjusted, back to sleep... knock knock "housekeeping" Grrr, back to sleep, bang bang bang (housekeeper vacuuming next door banging into wall) back to sleep, slam.... slam....slam (houskeeping super checking all rooms & letting doors slam).

I lived your life. I think you will like your camper.
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Old 07-28-2017, 02:58 PM   #12
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Testify!!!
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Old 07-28-2017, 03:06 PM   #13
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Glad you got it working!

http://www.myrv.us/Imgs/PDF/50-amp%20Service.pdf
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Old 07-28-2017, 03:39 PM   #14
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I'm in Buford, sounds like you got a great coach, enjoy
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