Community Forums

Old Bounder · 05-06-2013, 06:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by profiles

i have a 1998 southwind with 454 chevrolet. My chassis battery is not charging but coach is. volt on chassis is 11.9 and coach 13.8. anyone have any ideas why chassis will not charge?

Your Southwind most definitely should charge BOTH coach and chassis batteries from shore power via the converter. This is accomplished through the Isolation/Aux Start/Charge solenoid in the RV-Custom Products BCC (Battery Control Center).

Here is a link to the trouble shooting guide and schematics for the BCC.

Your BCC is located up front under the hood on the outside firewall.(probably, just in front of the drivers position).

profiles · 05-06-2013, 07:44 AM

brand new batteries, chassis and coach. all terminals cleaned. Not using shore power. this is with engine running.

tompen · 05-06-2013, 08:05 AM

This is unusual unless your coach has a diode type isolator. It would look something like this. Do you have one of these. If so it probably has a bad diode. This is somewhat older technology.
Can you confirm that the alternator is charging the Coach battery but not the Chassis battery. Usually we see it the other way around. You could discharge the coach battery to 12 volts and then run the engine. It should be over 14 volts if the alternator is working.
Hopefully just a loose belt.

YC1 · 05-06-2013, 08:12 AM

To be clear on this. Do you mean the battery that starts the engine is getting charged but the one that runs the water pump and rv lights is not getting charged??

Or you really do mean the RV battery is getting charged but the engine battery is not? In that case did you have to jump start it or use an emergency start button?

As suggested if you have a diode isolator this could happen. If you find one that looks like tompens picture it is easy to diagnose and bypass temporarily if necessary.

Old Bounder · 05-06-2013, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tompen

This is unusual unless your coach has a diode type isolator. It would look something like this. Do you have one of these. If so it probably has a bad diode. This is somewhat older technology.

TOMPEN and YC1, please read......
The Southwind DOES NOT use a diode isolator. It uses a solenoid isolator in the BCC.

tompen · 05-06-2013, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by loulong

TOMPEN and YC1, please read......
The Southwind DOES NOT use a diode isolator. It uses a solenoid isolator in the BCC.

Than the alternator charging the coach battery and not the chassis battery doesn't make sense to me. Over my head I guess.

Dunner · 05-06-2013, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tompen

Than the alternator charging the coach battery and not the chassis battery doesn't make sense to me. Over my head I guess.

I don't recall anyone saying that. May have missed it, though.

tompen · 05-06-2013, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by profiles

i have a 1998 southwind with 454 chevrolet. My chassis battery is not charging but coach is. volt on chassis is 11.9 and coach 13.8. anyone have any ideas why chassis will not charge?

This was the OP.

Old Bounder · 05-06-2013, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tompen

Than the alternator charging the coach battery and not the chassis battery doesn't make sense to me. Over my head I guess.

I think we are all operating with insufficient information.

However, it's almost impossible to charge the coach batteries from the alternator without charging the chassis battery on a Fleetwood coach with the RV-CP BCC. That's assuming the chassis battery cabling is intact enough to start and run the engine.

I seem to have made a different assumption than others in assuming the OP was attempting the charge from shore power via the converter.

We'll have to wait and see if the OP returns.

YC1 · 05-06-2013, 03:00 PM

Based on the schematics given maybe someone swapped the positive leads of the battery banks and one of the solenids is bad. Still does not pass the common sense test if no wiring issues. A more complete diagram of the vehicle alternator system would be helpful.

YC1 · 05-06-2013, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by profiles

brand new batteries, chassis and coach. all terminals cleaned. Not using shore power. this is with engine running.

No shoreline
Engine running

To be clear on this. Do you mean the battery that starts the engine is getting charged but the one that runs the water pump and rv lights is not getting charged??

Or you really do mean the RV battery is getting charged but the engine battery is not? In that case did you have to jump start it or use an emergency start button?

As suggested if you have a diode isolator this could happen. If you find one that looks like tompens picture it is easy to diagnose and bypass temporarily if necessary

Dunner · 05-06-2013, 03:19 PM

My bad. Read it too fast and was thinking of mine.

Dunner · 05-06-2013, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stan.Birch

Harry, My chassis battery never gets run down. It is used for 5 seconds in the morning to start the rig, and from there, it's being charged by the alternator all day while I am on the road.

If the rig is going to be in extended storage I do use a battery jumper cable so the solar panel will keep the chassis battery up as well; but for normal activity, I can't envision a need for the chassis battery to be placed on charge.

"Normal activity" for some, may be sitting at a CG or RV park for weeks or months. On mine, it charges both battery banks when on shore or genny. Others have installed a BIRD or other device to charge both battery banks.