Everything dead off shore power. Please help

Dragon70 · 06-29-2017, 07:46 PM

I'm supposed to leave on vacation tomorrow morning but....
Went to get the MH this morning and when I unplugged shore power I noticed pretty much nothing worked. Checked the battery monitor and it said my batteries were dead. Since this was the second time this happened and the batteries were 3 years old I got two new batteries and put them in. (The new batteries are fully charged). Even so the battery indicator monitor came on for about a second and then faded to nothing.
Still though the coach lighting, water pump, fridge, nothing! I plug it back in and everything works fine. I tried cycling my use/store switch and it clicked like it was working but still nothing. I'm wide open for ideas. Thank you

JamieGeek · 06-29-2017, 08:12 PM

Do you leave it in "Store" while plugged in? It needs to be in "Use" in order to charge the batteries.

Dragon70 · 06-29-2017, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamieGeek

Do you leave it in "Store" while plugged in? It needs to be in "Use" in order to charge the batteries.

I left it in "USE". As I said I just put in two brand new fully charged batteries that I checked myself so I am 100% sure it's not the batteries.

Felices30.2 · 06-29-2017, 08:35 PM

Could it be the transfer switch? Im seasoned, but it went out on my brand new never camped ACE 30.2. When you disconnect from shore, it should switch over to battery and then to generator if it is started.

mcr1010 · 06-29-2017, 08:41 PM

If you haven't checked it yet, you may want to see if you overload breaker for your house batteries has not tripped.

Dragon70 · 06-29-2017, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcr1010

If you haven't checked it yet, you may want to see if you overload breaker for your house batteries has not tripped.

If that's the breaker in the battery compartment with the little flag on it I already checked it, tripped it and reset it.
I'm starting to thing transfer switch in reading other posts but finding it is another story. I've read a couple that seemed to have had the exact same problem but then there was never a resolution. One person has the same make/model as I do and was having trouble finding the transfer switch and then the thread ended.
Another person said there was a fuse in the wiring of the transfer switch neither of which I can find.

Forest Grump · 06-29-2017, 09:48 PM

No, that is a fuse for your batteries. There is a compartment known as THE BCC, battery control center on the front engine fire wall. About 6 x 8 x3" black box. Open the door and you will see a reset button, push it. It is another fuse to protect your motorhome.

It cuts all 12v circuits. The reason you get power when plugged in to shore power is it is coming from your iconverter. The transfer switch is not relative to 12v. It's purpose is to isolate the 120v AC sources you have available to you, shore AC and generator AC. If you have 12v DC when plugged in to shore power then the transfer switch is working. And the converter is working.

mcr1010 · 06-30-2017, 12:59 AM

If you have a multimeter I would start checking to see if you have power at the incoming side of the transfer switch.

I pulled into a campground, plugged in and had no power. Tracked it back to the receptacle on side of camper. Pulled it off and found that it had been overheating and was heat cracked due to loose lugs on the wiring. It was still usable, so I tighten up lugs sealed it and replaced the receptacle when I got home. I have had so much trouble with loose or bad connections with this camper that I figure it must have been assembled on a Fri.

Hittntherooad · 06-30-2017, 01:35 AM

Unplug and fire up your generator. If everything works then your transfer switch is good. Like was said before, I'm betting on your bcc which I believe involves your use/store switch. I know when plugged in the use/store switch doesn't affect anything working other than disconnecting the batteries as the coach works off of the converter.

Hittntherooad · 06-30-2017, 01:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcr1010

If you have a multimeter I would start checking to see if you have power at the incoming side of the transfer switch.

I pulled into a campground, plugged in and had no power. Tracked it back to the receptacle on side of camper. Pulled it off and found that it had been overheating and was heat cracked due to loose lugs on the wiring. It was still usable, so I tighten up lugs sealed it and replaced the receptacle when I got home. I have had so much trouble with loose or bad connections with this camper that I figure it must have been assembled on a Fri.

These things rumble, bounce and vibrate going down the road so things are going to get loose. Hard to keep an eye on everything. Just have to fix stuff as it happens.

gmc · 06-30-2017, 01:41 AM

Definitely want that multimeter - but set it on DC and focus on the 12v side of things...

Start at the battery and work your way past the main fuse, under the hood to the BCC... the solenoid that is your use/store - and see where you have (or don't have) 12v...
Coach should be unplugged for this - so you aren't reading voltage from the converter. Based on what you find, hopefully can narrow down the problem...

May be something simple - a loose/bad ground connection is all it takes... Since you just replaced the batteries - check the other end of the main ground... and any other distribution connections. Fixed more than one 12v issue in friend's campers by just checking and tightening everything - it will be obvious when you find the connection causing the issue.

Dragon70 · 06-30-2017, 02:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcr1010

If you haven't checked it yet, you may want to see if you overload breaker for your house batteries has not tripped.

That was it!!! Thanks so much and thank you forestgrump for the explanation. It took some real looking inside the BCC but I found it and learned something. If anyone ever has to reset this button it's very small and on the side of a small black box approx 1" square located inside the BCC.
Always said that owning one of these things requires a lot of knowledge and know how and this just proves it out.
Thanks again

Dragon70 · 06-30-2017, 02:28 PM

Now that I have the problem taken care of or at least for now... what are some of the things that might make this trip.

Dragon70 · 07-05-2017, 12:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Halibut214

Now that I have the problem taken care of or at least for now... what are some of the things that might make this trip.

Bump?

ddlm · 07-06-2017, 12:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Halibut214

Bump?

We have a Thor Ace 30.2 and had the same problem when we disconnected from shore power. The motor battery was also dead. Does anyone know what would have caused the motor battery to lose power? I thought they were totally separate.

gmc · 07-06-2017, 01:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Halibut214

Now that I have the problem taken care of or at least for now... what are some of the things that might make this trip.

Don't think you've gotten answers here because it is difficult to tell...
The simple answer is you exceeded the amp draw of the breaker... maybe it wasn't fully seated and vibrated... I would just be guessing.
If it happens again - I would be more concerned and start chasing things.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ddlm

We have a Thor Ace 30.2 and had the same problem when we disconnected from shore power. The motor battery was also dead. Does anyone know what would have caused the motor battery to lose power? I thought they were totally separate.

The battery systems are separate - sort of... They do get (conditionally) tied together for charging - when on shore/genny power or from the engine alternator. There is either a BCC - battery control center - or a BIRD/Trombetta that provides this function. Ed's Vegas manual has a good description of the different systems...

Everything working as it should - coach battery switch in 'USE' position, the batteries should have been connected and charged while on shore power.

You said you had the same problem as Halibut214 - yet his batteries weren't dead - he had a tripped breaker... So perhaps a better description of what you found would help?

Oneilkeys · 07-06-2017, 01:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ddlm

We have a Thor Ace 30.2 and had the same problem when we disconnected from shore power. The motor battery was also dead. Does anyone know what would have caused the motor battery to lose power? I thought they were totally separate.

Was the chassis battery actually dead (did you check it with a meter?) or possibly was your 100 amp breaker in the engine compartment tripped?
We're all your batteries dead or just disconnected?

Dragon70 · 07-06-2017, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gmc

Don't think you've gotten answers here because it is difficult to tell...
The simple answer is you exceeded the amp draw of the breaker... maybe it wasn't fully seated and vibrated... I would just be guessing.
If it happens again - I would be more concerned and start chasing things.

The battery systems are separate - sort of... They do get (conditionally) tied together for charging - when on shore/genny power or from the engine alternator. There is either a BCC - battery control center - or a BIRD/Trombetta that provides this function. Ed's Vegas manual has a good description of the different systems...

Everything working as it should - coach battery switch in 'USE' position, the batteries should have been connected and charged while on shore power.

You said you had the same problem as Halibut214 - yet his batteries weren't dead - he had a tripped breaker... So perhaps a better description of what you found would help?

Just to clarify... my house batteries were stone cold dead. I put new batteries in and somewhere in the midst of this is when that overload tripped.

Oneilkeys · 07-06-2017, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Halibut214

Just to clarify... my house batteries were stone cold dead. I put new batteries in and somewhere in the midst of this is when that overload tripped.

That probably explains why the 100 amp breaker tripped. If while installing the batteries you inadvertently hit the negative wire to the positive post, it trips the breaker. It happened to me and I have never had the breaker trip again in three years.

ddlm · 07-06-2017, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oneilkeys

Was the chassis battery actually dead (did you check it with a meter?) or possibly was your 100 amp breaker in the engine compartment tripped?

We're all your batteries dead or just disconnected?

All were dead. The emergency start that uses the coach battery to start the engine did nothing. I'm baffled why both sets would be dead. After a jump start and the 7 hour drive home it seems everything is working fine now.

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