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Old 04-29-2019, 06:42 AM   #1
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Electrical nightmare

I would like to ask the question: will the AC/DC invertor and/or your generator charge the chassis battery's.
So I had a problem of the coach battery's (replaced all 6 in July 2018) going dead while traveling and using heater fan headlights etc.. So I changed out the battery isolator with a new larger one. Hmmm, it is a 4 post unit like the one that I was replacing, where it gets funky is there was no wire going to the small 4th post, went back to the instructions and found that I needed to run a wire from the keyed side of the alternator to the 4th post to activate the unit. I did that and now seems to be charging both the coach and chassis battery's as needed.
Getting back to my question and situation, when I tried starting the coach when the battery's were low (12.1V +/-) Christmas eve, the engine did start, but when i tried to start the generator, it completely killed the engine. So trying anything i could short of removing the battery's and bringing into the garage for a charge, I then connected the invertor thinking this would charge the chassis battery's. No such luck, two days later still at 12.1. I'm no electrical engineer, but do know my way around most systems. Can someone enlighten me on why there is no (or nothing working) other charging system going to my chassis battery's, please?
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Old 04-29-2019, 06:55 AM   #2
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Based on your description, if the isolater needs input from the alternator to activate, and the engine is not running, then the isolater may not be able to see/charge the chassis. There may be more to it but consider that possibility.
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Old 04-29-2019, 06:57 AM   #3
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Since you state "keyed" side, try turning on the key w/o starting?
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Old 04-29-2019, 07:04 AM   #4
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With a battery isolator system, it will only give you dual charging from the alternator. Not from the inverter/charger.

Many isolator equipped MHs also have a charger mounted near the isolator to handle chassis battery charging.

If you can post some pictures of your battery control center, we may be able to point out the components.
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Old 04-29-2019, 07:10 AM   #5
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What motorhome is this, year, make model, etc..??
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Old 04-29-2019, 07:48 AM   #6
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Originally Posted by Waiter21 View Post
What motorhome is this, year, make model, etc..??
Here.Click image for larger version

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Old 04-29-2019, 08:06 AM   #7
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As for the charging system using the alternator and the isolator, I am confident that this system is (now) working correctly, start motor up, 12v to the 4th wire, chassis battery voltage rises and 10 +/- amps to the chassis battery's, turn on all coach lights with engine running, 10+/- amps depending on load at the moment, turn off coach lights amps return back to 0 +/-. BTW this is without any shore power or generator in use.
What i don't get is, why won't the generator or shore power invertor charge the chassis battery's. they do a fine job charging the coach battery's.
I do not see or find any sort of a charging unit anywhere in the engine bay or surrounding locations.

Sorry, application: 2000, Safari, Zanzibar, 3126 Cat, Magnum chassis, Allison trans.
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Old 04-29-2019, 08:51 AM   #8
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Look for a Lambert battery maintaner in near the isolator. It looks like another isolator and it charges the chassis batteries.

If not equipped, a Amp L Start, or any battery combiner, can be installed to do its job.
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Old 04-29-2019, 08:55 AM   #9
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Don't know anything about your coach. But back in the early 2000s a lot of MH did not charge the Chassis Battery from shore power. My 04 included.

Winnebago (i think 06) added a charging device. A Trik-L-Start an Echo Charger will do the same. thing.

https://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=m...p=Trik-L-Start

https://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=m...&p=echo+charge
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Old 04-29-2019, 09:11 AM   #10
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With the engine running all batteries should show charging.


Plugged into shore power or on generator house batteries charging.

The converter does not charge the engine battery.

The battery idolator allows all batteries to be charged with the engine running and keeps the starting batteries isolated with the engine off so the house batteries will not run down the starting batteries.
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Old 04-29-2019, 09:14 AM   #11
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Well then that's the best news I've had with this coach, Its better to have not had, than had and broken, LOL
I'm thinking that's the best thing, a battery maintainer while on shore power or generator would keep the battery's freshened up while not in use. even my future solar system should have the ability to maintain the chassis battery's. I have 110 v in the engine bay, just mount it on the bay wall ,plug it in, and forget it (well you know what i mean).
So So SOOOO glad it was just me thinking the chassis battery's should charge from other sources.

Thank you all for the help
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Old 04-29-2019, 09:59 AM   #12
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So glad it was just me thinking the chassis battery's should charge from other sources.
Perhaps you are correct, and the chassis batteries should charge from other sources.

Here is a link to a Google search of iRV2 posts on the Monaco Owners forum that contain the terms "Safari," "charge" and "chassis." You may find these two threads helpful:

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f115/beav...lp-356348.html
http://www.irv2.com/forums/f115/low-...ra-422017.html

Your question comes up on iRV2 several times a week. The tricky part is figuring out:

a) what your coach's charging system is supposed to be (how it was built),
b) what your coach's charging system is (today), and
c) what may be broken, or
d) what you need to modify to make it work the way you prefer

If you want to jump directly to a solution, then installing a Trik-L-Start or Amp-L-Start (already suggested) is the best option. It should work on 120VAC (shore or generator, as long as the house battery charger is working) and solar charging inputs. As per b) and c), above, your coach may already have such a device installed in the vicinity of the diode isolator, said device being broken.

I'm pretty sure a 120VAC battery maintainer won't provide any output when on solar only.
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Old 04-30-2019, 06:02 AM   #13
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Wow,
What a wealth of information that I expected never to find. I have been through the same diagnostic path as VanDiemen23, and took about about the same time frame as him. The print that R&J posted the link to is more than one could have asked for being my coach is 19 years old. Thank you R&J It's close to what i have going on, but some specifics are missing which is OK, I can get there from here as i look at the explanation of cause and effect with the electrical system. Worries are now laid to rest, again I looked over the engine bay for anything that might be connected to the isolator and gen-pack to charge the chassis battery's, and found nothing recognizable. BUT there is a black box with a small wire to the chassis side battery pack another to the coach battery pack and a third to ground. I found nothing else connected to it, has a red light which is not illuminated. I'll try to get a picture of this rats nest with this mysterious black box. You-all can laugh with me, when you see the frig-gen in the rig-gen going on in this bay
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