Thor Hurricane Chassis Battery

Brassspike · 10-03-2022, 12:11 AM

I was showing the coach to a friend yesterday and left the key on overnight. The chassis battery was dead and the emergency start wouldn't crank it either. Coach battery system showing fully charged and the coach was shoreline. I thought the coach battery would at least start the truck? Don't want this to happen on a trip and be stuck! Any ideas??

**16ACE27** · 10-03-2022, 12:29 AM

Year/Make/Model of coach may get you better targeted answers.

The EMERGENCY START switch connects the house and chassis battery bank together the same way the charging system does IF the battery connection/isolation system is working correctly. Depending on how dead the chassis battery is, it may take many minutes to get it to the point where it will actually crank.

But the fact that the chassis battery died when you were connected to SP tells us that the system to connect the battery banks together when charging was not working correctly.

It may be a BCC (Battery Control Center)
A BIRD or IRD with a Trombetta Relay (Bi-Directional Isolator Relay Delay)
Or a BIM (Battery Isolation Manager)

Brassspike · 10-03-2022, 01:08 AM

Thanks! Don't know how to find or test those. It's a 2021 thor hurricane 35m
Tonight it is charging both chassis and house. I guess I'll have to make sure that my jumper cables will reach the house batteries!

Mr Sunshine · 10-03-2022, 01:10 AM

Or, it might have something to do with the USE/STORE switch. If it is off, the batteries won't link.

dkoldman · 10-03-2022, 02:34 AM

If you are confirming that both and House and Chassis are showing 13+ vdc when connected to shore power then it does suggest that Use / Store switch was in Store Mode.

If it were me, tomorrow night, when you know both batteries are fully charged, play with turn the Use / Store switch on / off and watch the effect it has on voltage for both battery banks. It was a lesson that the ACE taught me a few years ago to get my mental light bulbs to come on

That little LED light can deceive you to. Being plugged in and thinking you coach is in storage because it may be in Storage is very confusing for newbies. They should change the names to something like Normal Operating Mode (Use) / Turn Charger Off (Storage)

Vibeman · 10-03-2022, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brassspike

I was showing the coach to a friend yesterday and left the key on overnight. The chassis battery was dead and the emergency start wouldn't crank it either. Coach battery system showing fully charged and the coach was shoreline. I thought the coach battery would at least start the truck? Don't want this to happen on a trip and be stuck! Any ideas??

This is just a guess, but perhaps when the ignition key is on, the charge controller is expecting the chassis alternator to be charging the batteries so it does not connect it to the house system. It shouldn’t be too hard to confirm. Maybe I will do that just for my own information. If I discover anything useful, I will post it here.

Brassspike · 10-03-2022, 02:27 PM

Good information! Thanks!

Wiley1 · 10-17-2022, 04:18 PM

I wouldn't goof around with any complicated work-arounds.

Just connect a battery charger to the chassis battery overnight.
If it doesn't start in the morning, you have a bad battery.

RACarvalho · 10-17-2022, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brassspike

I was showing the coach to a friend yesterday and left the key on overnight. The chassis battery was dead and the emergency start wouldn't crank it either. Coach battery system showing fully charged and the coach was shoreline. I thought the coach battery would at least start the truck? Don't want this to happen on a trip and be stuck! Any ideas??

I too have a 2021 Hurricane.
Is it possible that when the emergency start didn't work the battery disconnect was in Off position?

If the battery disconnect is in off, the house battery will not charge and , I guess, the emergency start will not work and the BIM will not connect both bank of batteries....

Also check the BIM cables... Thor install the battery cables in the BIM on the wrong position...

**16ACE27** · 10-17-2022, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RACarvalho

I too have a 2021 Hurricane.
Is it possible that when the emergency start didn't work the battery disconnect was in Off position?

If the battery disconnect is in off, the house battery will not charge and , I guess, the emergency start will not work and the BIM will not connect both bank of batteries....

Also check the BIM cables... Thor install the battery cables in the BIM on the wrong position...

All the disconnect does it disconnect the house batteries from the house DC buss. With the disconnect OPEN:
The EMERGENCY START should still work (IF the house batteries are charged)
The BIM will still connect the battery banks to charge the house batteries from the engine alternator.

RACarvalho · 10-17-2022, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 16ACE27

All the disconnect does it disconnect the house batteries from the house DC buss. ...

In my unit, if the battery disconnect is in the off position, the house batteries will not be charged by the onboard charger when the unit is connected to power....
I'm assuming in this condition the BIM will not connect both batteries...

**16ACE27** · 10-17-2022, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RACarvalho

In my unit, if the battery disconnect is in the off position, the house batteries will not be charged by the onboard charger when the unit is connected to power....
I'm assuming in this condition the BIM will not connect both batteries...

Correctamundo!

But you are assuming wrong about the BIM.

robebur · 10-18-2022, 10:24 AM

All this brings me to a question, hopefully a simple one. Can you charge your house batteries directly with a charger with the disconnect switch off? Any harm in that?

dkoldman · 10-18-2022, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robebur

All this brings me to a question, hopefully a simple one. Can you charge your house batteries directly with a charger with the disconnect switch off? Any harm in that?

Yes and no harm if you have a good quality charger

Can I ask why?

seems to me to do the above you would have power; it also implies that you need your charging running (some draws), what is the harm with having the Coach in USE mode? Unless you have a smart intelligent charger, I would not want to bother or trouble with external charger.

Muggs · 10-18-2022, 12:53 PM

I have found, the hard way that emergency start will not carry enough current if chassis battery too low. Had to start generator, connect racecar charger for 10 minutes then engine fired. I had stopped to get gas and left running lights on.

Took unit home and replaced chassis battery.

Prep for trip now includes open breaker to shore power and use lighter volt meter to check reserve chassis battery voltage 15 to 30 minutes before leaving.

robebur · 10-18-2022, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dkoldman

Yes and no harm if you have a good quality charger

Can I ask why?

seems to me to do the above you would have power; it also implies that you need your charging running (some draws), what is the harm with having the Coach in USE mode? Unless you have a smart intelligent charger, I would not want to bother or trouble with external charger.

Valid/great question, I appreciate your interest. I have been having issues with the power where I store my rig. I have 30 amp power and use an adapter to plug into my 50amp rig. Without fail, the breaker on the post trips eventually. Service shop says it the post, the storage place says everything is fine. Several other rigs have no issue. I am only trying to charge and occasionally run my fridge pre-trip. Not trying to run AC full time like others. So the option I have is adapting down to 20amp and charging the batteries that way by using a charger. I feel like there an issue with my rig, but I can't figure it out.

dkoldman · 10-18-2022, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robebur

Valid/great question, I appreciate your interest. I have been having issues with the power where I store my rig. I have 30 amp power and use an adapter to plug into my 50amp rig. Without fail, the breaker on the post trips eventually. Service shop says it the post, the storage place says everything is fine. Several other rigs have no issue. I am only trying to charge and occasionally run my fridge pre-trip. Not trying to run AC full time like others. So the option I have is adapting down to 20amp and charging the batteries that way by using a charger. I feel like there an issue with my rig, but I can't figure it out.

When you are drawing on the 30 amp post, do you have anything running?

If you have not tripped breakers on any other 30 amp pedestal, I would agree with your Service Dept. If you have not already put a tester on pedestal to verify no issue at the box. Seems like it would be simple fix to replace with a new 30 amp breaker if all else is fine.

I have 50 amp coach too, and I I have 15/20 amp to 50 amp dog bone so if I was in you situation with flaky 30 amp pedestal and all I needed was the converter running for charger, I would connect through it and still not bother with a external charge. I may be in the minority here because a lot of people insist on having a external charger but short not having a 15/20 amp dog bone, I don't know why.

In my mind I have a very nice and pricey converter and I am gonna use it over some adhoc float charger and save the hassle of connecting etc. etc. 3 years and my batteries have never been below 12.2 vdc, for last year or so they never dipped below 12.4vdc.

robebur · 10-18-2022, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dkoldman

When you are drawing on the 30 amp post, do you have anything running?

If you have not tripped breakers on any other 30 amp pedestal, I would agree with your Service Dept. If you have not already put a tester on pedestal to verify no issue at the box. Seems like it would be simple fix to replace with a new 30 amp breaker if all else is fine.

I have 50 amp coach too, and I I have 15/20 amp to 50 amp dog bone so if I was in you situation with flaky 30 amp pedestal and all I needed was the converter running for charger, I would connect through it and still not bother with a external charge. I may be in the minority here because a lot of people insist on having a external charger but short not having a 15/20 amp dog bone, I don't know why.

In my mind I have a very nice and pricey converter and I am gonna use it over some adhoc float charger and save the hassle of connecting etc. etc. 3 years and my batteries have never been below 12.2 vdc, for last year or so they never dipped below 12.4vdc.

I do not have anything else running. So other than the charging, there should be very little draw. I turn the inverter off. I even purchased a second 30amp to 50 dog bone to eliminate a possible bad adapter.

EdwardKirk · 10-18-2022, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brassspike

I was showing the coach to a friend yesterday and left the key on overnight. The chassis battery was dead and the emergency start wouldn't crank it either. Coach battery system showing fully charged and the coach was shoreline. I thought the coach battery would at least start the truck? Don't want this to happen on a trip and be stuck! Any ideas??

My guess might be a tripped in line fuse block, because that why they put the switch in to allow you to help out the cranking battery.

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