Checking Batteries

[Jedsmom]

Some of you might recall a couple of weeks ago I posted about a weird experience we had with our lights & TV. It was determined that it's probably the batteries, as they're original to the rig and are now just over 4 years old.

It was suggested to me by a neighbor that I get a 12-volt battery monitor -- the kind that plugs into the cigarette lighter. So I did. It wasn't expensive, and looks like it's going to be helpful ... once I figure out where to plug it in to monitor the house batteries.

I have 2 cigarette lighter outlets on the dash. I plugged the monitor into both of them and they gave the same reading, so I'm assuming that they're drawing from the same battery/batteries. I just don't know which one(s)! How can I tell, and is there another cigarette lighter outlet in the coach that I don't know about?

Thanks!

[Bob Denman]

Can you simply buy an accessory 12-volt plug, and wire it directly to the batteries? You could at least plug that monitor in, and check them out...

[Beau388]

The 12 volt receptacles in the front cap of the plant 750 coaches are powered through the Ford fuse center and the chassis battery beside the engine. Unless you have an inverter with a remote monitor, you cannot check the house batteries without separate battery monitor. You can use a cheap HF VOM to check the house batteries or you can buy a volt meter (e bay and Amazon have hundreds ) and wire it into the coach thermostat's hot wire (black) to check the chassis batteries.

[LovemyClassC]

My 2018 Thor has another cigarette lighter plug in the glove box.