Community Forums

jvannghi · 12-05-2022, 06:24 PM

Hey Guys,

Still fighting charging gremlins.

RV been plugged to shore power, with inverter ON and OFF, my house batteries don't seem to be charging either way.

Initially I thought inverter had to be ON to charge but for some reason, it's not charging anymore.

Does the inverter physically charge the house batteries or is there another separate charging system? How can I check that it's charging besides waiting and checking the batteries?

01 Fleetwood Expedition 36T Diesel

Thanks!!!

twinboat · 12-05-2022, 06:56 PM

The inverter/charger charges house batteries only.

There are a few methods of charging the chassis batteries in your early rig.

Some use a Lambert LE-45. That sends a charge to the chassis battery from the house battery once they are charging above 13.2 volts. Check your house battery charging volts, a bad Battery Temps Sensor ( BTS ) can cause low charging volts.

**Lt Dan** · 12-05-2022, 07:09 PM

Do you have a combination inverter/charger or separate units? Turning your inverter off or on doesn't affect charging if it's a separate unit. An inverter is powered from the batteries to provide 120v power to some outlets. Your charger or converter is what charges the house batteries. It's possible in a coach of that vintage you have separate inverter and charger. Measure voltage at the batteries and if you are showing above 13 volts they are being charged. Check the high amperage fuses near the house batteries. I troubleshot an early Fleetwood for a friend and found that a fuse was blown not allowing the batteries to charge.

shootist · 12-05-2022, 09:51 PM

Check at the control panel. You usually can turn the charger on and off the same as you can the inverter.

Mudfrog · 12-05-2022, 10:02 PM

OP, are you sure the battery disconnect hasn't been activated? It needs to be in the "use" or "on" position for batteries to charge. It's possible that even if on, it may not be working at all.

As mentioned, using a voltmeter on the positive and negative terminals of each battery will give you a good idea. Depending on what the charger is doing, voltage should be over 13 and into the 14s on a 12 volt battery. A 6 volt battery should be well over 6, maybe 7+ when it's charging.

Gary RVRoamer · 12-06-2022, 09:02 PM

Need more info. An inverter can be a combo inverter & charger, or it can be an inverter only. In the latter case, there would be a separate converter/charger that handles charging from shore power or generator. Fleetwood coaches also charge the house batteries from the engine alternator whenever the engine is running.

Per the 2001 Expedition brochure, it came with a 1000W combo Inverter/converter/charger, but please verify the make/model on your coach. We need to know that to determine its exact function. Besides, after 22 years, it may not be original!

Some inverter charges always provide charging (Xantrex models are often like that) while others have a On/Off for charging as well as inverting. And the battery disconnect relay often needs to be on and working for charging to occur.

shootist · 12-07-2022, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary RVRoamer

Need more info. An inverter can be a combo inverter & charger, or it can be an inverter only. In the latter case, there would be a separate converter/charger that handles charging from shore power or generator. Fleetwood coaches also charge the house batteries from the engine alternator whenever the engine is running.

Per the 2001 Expedition brochure, it came with a 1000W combo Inverter/converter/charger, but please verify the make/model on your coach. We need to know that to determine its exact function. Besides, after 22 years, it may not be original!

Some inverter charges always provide charging (Xantrex models are often like that) while others have a On/Off for charging as well as inverting. And the battery disconnect relay often needs to be on and working for charging to occur.

You turn a xantrex charger on or off at the control panel.

alank · 12-07-2022, 04:15 PM

There are so many different configurations that it's hard to give you good, detailed advice without knowing your setup.

On my coach, I have an inverter/charger in the same cabinet. When I plug into 120V, the charger is powered, but until it's connected to the batteries by (the big red switch) the batteries won't charge. The big red switch is just like the clamps you put on the battery posts from a stand alone charger. The inverter has to be turned ON by a separate switch, but has no effect on the battery charging process.

I would disconnect the charger from the batteries by the disconnect switch, measure the battery voltage, measure the charger voltage. If the charger voltage is in the area of 13 or 14 volts, then connect the batteries to see if it is still in that range. If the charger voltage is 0V, then 120V switches are not getting shore power to the charger, or the charger itself is suspect. Measure the input voltage to see if the charger is getting 120V.