YIKES! Major electrical issues. Please help!

[ducksface]

Originally Posted by TimmyB

Yeah, the coach battery has not given me any hint of a problem. (Yet.) The two under the stair is what I've been dealing with all day. BTW, have I just missed it, or is there really no way to prop that 2nd step up while you are working on the batteries? I would have thought there would be a clip or something, but I surely didn't see it if it exists!

Nothing holds it up but you.
It is where a majority of noise and road heat and cold comes from. Harbor freight sells floor mats that hook together like a jigsaw puzzle. Seven bucks worth allows you to lay them on top of the batteries and jam them into two sides. It makes a world of difference.

[Oneilkeys]

I use a screwdriver to hold up the lid.

[Long & Winding road]

I use a stick or a long bungie cord that can go to the other side of the coach and took to the bottom of the dinette.

I had to replace my OME batteries when my RV was only 9 mo old so this is not too uncommon. I tried to get CW and Thor to help me but they would NOT. So I switched to 6v AGM's and have never looked back. IMO AGM's are worth it for the long run. The only disadvantage is the price. Otherwise they are far superior in EVERY way over lead acid.

[revjeffrey]

I agree with Long & Winding.

"I had to replace my OME batteries when my RV was only 9 mo old so this is not too uncommon. I tried to get CW and Thor to help me but they would NOT. So I switched to 6v AGM's and have never looked back. IMO AGM's are worth it for the long run. The only disadvantage is the price. Otherwise they are far superior in EVERY way over lead acid."

.......I also immediately swapped out & Upgraded all 3 Batteries.
Most ALL OF MY ISSUES VANISHED. Power is your best friend in a RV.

[brucev]

Originally Posted by revjeffrey

I agree with Long & Winding.

"I had to replace my OME batteries when my RV was only 9 mo old so this is not too uncommon. I tried to get CW and Thor to help me but they would NOT. So I switched to 6v AGM's and have never looked back. IMO AGM's are worth it for the long run. The only disadvantage is the price. Otherwise they are far superior in EVERY way over lead acid."

.......I also immediately swapped out & Upgraded all 3 Batteries.
Most ALL OF MY ISSUES VANISHED. Power is your best friend in a RV.

Stock batteries are cheap and get destroyed by the dealership as they let them go dead often. I replaced mine with interstates a couple months after purchase in 2015 and all is still good but after 4 years it may be time for replacement. Also, on mine there are two breakers in the battery compartment. Haven't had them trip since I stopped using auto level a couple years ago. Much easier and quicker to use manual mode. Good luck

[TimmyB]

Thanks for all the tips and advice, gang. Keep 'em coming!

So, I decided to let the battery charger sit overnight. The batteries then charged up to about 12.6. I disconnected and went for a 30-mile drive; batteries went up to 12.8-ish. I then turned off everything and let them sit. They have now been sitting with no SP or anything else and the latest reading at 5 tonight was 12.51. Apparently, they were so discharged that they weren't able to be recharged using the SP.(?) Does anyone have a theory on why that would be?

Either way, we might be good to go. I'll tell my service department about this issue when I take it in in 10 days for an unrelated fix and see what they say.

[Oneilkeys]

If your batteries are way down, it can take a day to get them back up to 100% on shore power. Your generator and converter/charger put out 55 amps, while the engine alternator puts out 80 amps. So the engine charges the batteries more quickly. It also takes a long time to charge the batteries the last 15% or so.

[TimmyB]

Originally Posted by Oneilkeys

If your batteries are way down, it can take a day to get them back up to 100% on shore power. Your generator and converter/charger put out 55 amps, while the engine alternator puts out 80 amps. So the engine charges the batteries more quickly.

They were on SP for overnight and never left the 3.x range. There was definitely something screwy happening. My son-in-law believes that they really weren't as low as 3, just a short somewhere that was causing it to give a bad reading. Not sure, but none of it adds up.

[gmc]

Originally Posted by TimmyB

They were on SP for overnight and never left the 3.x range. There was definitely something screwy happening. My son-in-law believes that they really weren't as low as 3, just a short somewhere that was causing it to give a bad reading. Not sure, but none of it adds up.

My thought is the use/store switch was in store, and you didn’t have enough ‘juice’ to energize the relays... or you would have been reading 13+ volts from the converter at the batteries...
Keep an eye on them, but hopefully all ok...

Note: many people report a draw on the batteries, even in store... if that is the case for yours, a manual disconnect at the batteries may be easiest solution.

[brucev]

Originally Posted by TimmyB

Thanks for all the tips and advice, gang. Keep 'em coming!

So, I decided to let the battery charger sit overnight. The batteries then charged up to about 12.6. I disconnected and went for a 30-mile drive; batteries went up to 12.8-ish. I then turned off everything and let them sit. They have now been sitting with no SP or anything else and the latest reading at 5 tonight was 12.51. Apparently, they were so discharged that they weren't able to be recharged using the SP.(?) Does anyone have a theory on why that would be?

Either way, we might be good to go. I'll tell my service department about this issue when I take it in in 10 days for an unrelated fix and see what they say.

You are probably okay, I put a display on my 12v line and mine read 13.1 volts most of the time when on shore power or in use mode with engine running. When I was looking into my battery issues, I learned that each time a battery is discharged way below 50% it decreases their useful life, that said, I try to keep mine above 12v when dry camping. We are in SoCal and dry camp a lot in the winter. I bought a new Honda eu2000i from a friend for $700 to take when dry camping. It'll running everything but the ac, is quite, good on fuel and easy to store. Good luck!

[TimmyB]

Originally Posted by brucev

You are probably okay, I put a display on my 12v line and mine read 13.1 volts most of the time when on shore power or in use mode with engine running. When I was looking into my battery issues, I learned that each time a battery is discharged way below 50% it decreases their useful life, that said, I try to keep mine above 12v when dry camping. We are in SoCal and dry camp a lot in the winter. I bought a new Honda eu2000i from a friend for $700 to take when dry camping. It'll running everything but the ac, is quite, good on fuel and easy to store. Good luck!

Thanks, Bruce. Big learning curve, for sure!

[TimmyB]

Originally Posted by gmc

My thought is the use/store switch was in store, and you didn’t have enough ‘juice’ to energize the relays... or you would have been reading 13+ volts from the converter at the batteries...
Keep an eye on them, but hopefully all ok...

Note: many people report a draw on the batteries, even in store... if that is the case for yours, a manual disconnect at the batteries may be easiest solution.

I'm thinking that will be my next project. Off should mean OFF!

[TimmyB]

UPDATE:

So, my batteries have been sitting with zero power connected to them for almost three days. Took a reading today at 2:30 PM, and they were still at 12.36.

Then, I went back outside and hooked up SP. Should have been the end of the story, but it wasn't. Taking another reading, it was now at 12.34, then 12.33. Obviously, the things that were turned on in the 12V system were drawing on the batteries, but the batteries were not being recharged. Looking at my multiplex display, it showed the coach batteries were charging at 13.48, so obviously the batteries were not receiving that! Just for fun, I pushed the "Main Power" button, which was already lit up red. I could hear the click sound, but nothing else changed inside the coach. When I took another reading, sure enough, the batteries were now at 13.48! That relay (or whatever it is) was still in the "off" position, preventing power from recharging the batteries, despite the red "on" light being on in both situations.

I was about to be completely upset about this, thinking I would have to take a reading every time I was on SP to see if the batteries were charging or not, when I realized the up-to-now ignored solar power controller below the "Main Power" button was actually showing me accurate readings of what was happening at the battery, not what was being sent from the ATS.

In the first pic, the multiplex showing the coach power at 13.48 V, regardless of the "Main Power" switch.

In the next two pics, the reading on the Solar Controller, with me having pushed the "Main Power" button in between the pics. Note the red light is lit in both circumstances, but one is showing the batteries being charged at 13.5 and the other shows 12.7, where it had climbed up from the 12.33 earlier, once I discovered what was happening.

[ducksface]

You may have explained away my intermittent charging problem. I'll now click the red lighted switch whenever I swap to or from shore power.

[TimmyB]

Originally Posted by ducksface

You may have explained away my intermittent charging problem. I'll now click the red lighted switch whenever I swap to or from shore power.

If I helped one person solve something, it was worthwhile. Does your rig also have the solar power display like mine? That will sure make it easier.

[ducksface]

Originally Posted by TimmyB

If I helped one person solve something, it was worthwhile. Does your rig also have the solar power display like mine? That will sure make it easier.

No Display yet
I'm. still not sold on the value of solar for an a, b, c rv. The v10 uses half to three quarters gallon an hour at idle to charge/run the house.

$1.75 an hour to charge can't be offset, in my head, by $7,000 in solar and batteries. (my last solar on my 19ft toy hauler).
I'm not against it, I just can't justify it. The rv lives inside on shore power.

[TimmyB]

Originally Posted by ducksface

No Display yet
I'm. still not sold on the value of it. The v10 uses half to three quarters gallon an hour at idle to charge/run the house.

$1.75 an hour to charge can't be offset by $7,000 in solar and batteries. (my last solar on my toy hauler).

The reason I asked was, mine has this display on it right when I bought it. I haven't done anything as far as investing in solar panels to connect to it; I just wasn't sure which years/models Thor put this controller on as standard equipment. Obviously, the 19's have it, because I sure didn't pay them extra to do it!

[JoeDS]

I have a 2017 Vegas 24.1. Mine may be wired differently than yours?? But:



So much info here that I only wanted to mention several things. On my Vegas there are two circuit breakers in the battery compartment under the stairs. A 100 amp and a 50 amp. The 100 amp goes to the generator the 50 amp goes to the power converter.


If the shore power is plugged in you should read 13.2 to 14.6 volts(depending on which charging mode the converter is in) at the 2 coach batteries. You must also have the USE/STORE switch in the USE position. If you don't you are not connected to the coaches charger. Check the 50 amp breaker. Also ever time you activate the USE/STORE switch you should hear a "clunk" from a large solenoid under the refrigerator. That solenoid sits between you and the coach charger.



There is also another 100 amp breaker under the "hood" near the coach "Ford" battery, passenger side. That goes to the Thrombetta relay under the hood on the driver side. The Thrombetta relay connects the 2 battery system together when required.

[dvelosky]

Had a similar problem on our last trip in our 2015 Axis 24.1. No power to anything except those items plugged in to an outlet (we were on shore power at the time. Slide, Awning Fridge, AC all down. The coffee pot and microwave worked (both are plugged in) Although the 100 amp wasn't tripped, found 2 blown 40 amp fuses in the house fuse box. They are between the 110 and 12v sides. Replaced and all back to normal. My conclusion was the items not working either ran on converted 12v or were controlled by 12v and were all builtin to the electrical system.

[TimmyB]

Originally Posted by JoeDS

...If the shore power is plugged in you should read 13.2 to 14.6 volts(depending on which charging mode the converter is in) at the 2 coach batteries. You must also have the USE/STORE switch in the USE position. If you don't you are not connected to the coaches charger. Check the 50 amp breaker. Also ever time you activate the USE/STORE switch you should hear a "clunk" from a large solenoid under the refrigerator. That solenoid sits between you and the coach charger.

The problem was, the batteries were SO depleted, pushing the USE/STORE switch would not trigger the solenoid, so there was no way to turn it on. Without that, none of the three power sources would charge the batteries back up. The ONLY way was to connect an old-fashioned battery charger to it and let it get back up to where pushing the button actually did something.