House battery dead

[Murphy217]

I have a Fourwinds 24F Class C that I just took out of storage and the house battery was low, but did take a charge. I am definitely new and learning daily, but I am clueless to this switch everyone talks about switching from USE/Storage? Is this something I am missing? I do not see a switch, as soon as I plug in the electrical switch powers red.


Also I could not start generator when battery was low, I had to start engine to power it up. Should I disconnect house battery when in storage?


Any input will be greatly appreciated.

[Beau388]

In some coaches the Use/store switch is named master power and has a red light in the center. The red light indicates the switch has power BUT NOTHING ELSE. When on/use the interior light should be on on battery power alone. When off/store you should not be able to turn the lights on. If you have shore power or generator power you will have 12 volt power from the converter to power all the coach. So the master power (off) disconnects the house battery(s) from the fuse panel in the power center. Even with shore power operating the coach, there is no connection to the house batteries in the master power is off. There are some items that are not fused at the power center and may be on all the time. Radio memory, propane detector, inverter. etc. Normal flooded batteries self discharge at the rate of almost 1% per day so in 30 days you would only have 76% of the rated capacity.

[Murphy217]

So even thought the switch turns red, that does not indicate power is on? That is interesting, so when I turn off and the light stays red the lights should not turn on. Does running the generator recharge the coach battery? So when I store for 4-months, should the coach battery be disconnected?

Sorry for all the stupid questions, but I do not know how else to learn.

[Judge]

Correct. The red light can be on and while it means there is power to the coach, it doesn’t mean the shore power is charging the house batteries. You can put a volt meter on your house batteries and cycle the use/store switch. When you see the voltage go up 14v then it is in the charging mode.

If you have an Inverter, you can turn it in and use its voltmeter to tell when the use/store switch is in the charge mode.

[Oneilkeys]

Originally Posted by Murphy217

So even thought the switch turns red, that does not indicate power is on? That is interesting, so when I turn off and the light stays red the lights should not turn on. Does running the generator recharge the coach battery? So when I store for 4-months, should the coach battery be disconnected?

Sorry for all the stupid questions, but I do not know how else to learn.

Believe me, no questions are “stupid”. We have all been there. Yes the generator (as well as shore power) should recharge your house batteries as long as the Use/store switch is in the Use position. In many Thor models, (those equipped with a BIRD/Trombetta or BCC), the chassis battery is charged at the same time and the coach batteries are charged by the engine alternator as you run down the road as well. I don’t know if your coach is so equipped.

When you store the coach, there is enough ambient voltage to run down your batteries even with the Use/Store in the Store position. On most (I believe all) Thor coaches there is a 50 or 100 amp circuit breaker inside the battery box which completely disconnects the coach batteries. It has a red (usually) button which, when pushed releases a red or yellow “flag” showing that the batteries have been disconnected. You push the flag back in to reconnect them. There is a similar device for the engine batteries in the engine compartment. Most do not disconnect the engine battery because it shuts down the engine computer. If you do not have one, an inexpensive voltage meter is a must for keeping up with the electrical issues you will encounter. Ed’s manual is absolutely essential (even if it is for the Axis/Vegas many of the systems and equipment is similar). And you should search out the location of all the fuse boxes, and how the electrical system operates. It will come in handy when you have electrical issues on the road.

[ddlonewolf50]

Originally Posted by Murphy217

I have a Fourwinds 24F Class C that I just took out of storage and the house battery was low, but did take a charge. I am definitely new and learning daily, but I am clueless to this switch everyone talks about switching from USE/Storage? Is this something I am missing? I do not see a switch, as soon as I plug in the electrical switch powers red.


Also I could not start generator when battery was low, I had to start engine to power it up. Should I disconnect house battery when in storage?


Any input will be greatly appreciated.

The wife and I have a Chateau 23 U and our switch is located above the entry steps to your left side . Hope this is a help for you .