Help - engine died while driving on roadtrip

[Ron]

Yeah, I had that happen when I was driving my new MH home from the dealer. They came out and told me there is a recall on the RV Custom Products Battery Control Center (BCC) which causes the engine to run off the Chassis battery and not the alternator. Eventually, the chassis battery runs low enough that the Ford computer won’t work and it shuts everything down. The BCC is up front on the drivers side. Just put the chassis battery cable onto the “Chassis switched” stud and it will work fine. I’ll send a picture from my “Real” computer (not this phone).

[Ron]

Pictures of RV Custom Products BCC

[Ron]

I eventually decided to put the BCC back the way it originally was. I replaced the failed Chassis disconnect relay but also installed a manual bypass around it. I made this schematic of my system.

[ProsperTrail]

I had an issue with my Hurricane after driving on some rough roads light went out, but engine would run.
Found a ground cable from the fuse panel in the engine compartment to the front chassis was loose. I added a drop of lock-tight and tighten it the screw and haven't seen that issue since.
in you case the engine stopped, for that you happen you lost fuel or you lost all sparks. a loose connector going to the electronic ignition could do it.
Best of luck!

[Roadkill9]

Funny story. I drove back to MD from Thor in IN after having my warranty work done. Horrible bumpy roads thru IN, PA, then through the mountains in Western MD. Exiting the highway for gas a couple blocks from work, no brakes, no steering. Engine completely died. On the phone with my dad, waited 6 hours for a tow large enough for my Challenger. They eventually took it to a Ford dealer. Turns out, Thor put a screw through a wire to an engine control board. Between Ford and Thor, it was completely covered. But I shudder to think what would have happened if it died any earlier on my trip home in PA or the mountains. Funny part of the story? The very next day, THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM struck my dad in his Tiffin coming home from a trip in OK.

Your problem may not be related to any fuse/batteries/connectors. It may be as simple as a misplaced screw.

[OldWEB]

Originally Posted by Ron

I eventually decided to put the BCC back the way it originally was. I replaced the failed Chassis disconnect relay but also installed a manual bypass around it. I made this schematic of my system.

The recall is for your safety, not an inconvenience. The problem with the engine stopping due to the chassis disconnect failing and all loss of power to the chassis is that if you were going down a long steep grade and the engine died, you would only have manual brakes to slow you down.... say yer prayers. You will not have the engine compression or transmission shifting down a gear to help slow you down, this actually happened to create the recall (as I was told by RV Custom Products).
So unless you installed the bypass switch near the drivers seat, have time to realize what happened and throw the switch, able to restart the engine... oops... gotta put it in park... NO.... neutral!!! and then getting the engine to start, back into gear and hopefully the engine don't scream to loud whilst the tranny reengages, you might make the bottom.


But, I do have to admit, I like to convenience of the disconnect as I have not applied the recall to my Hurricane... very few steep hills in the bald prairies but the recall comes to my mind every time I do pass over one.
Maybe I will install a switch near the drivers seat and apply it while driving over a hill.... Thanks for the insight!!!

[Ron]

Originally Posted by OldWEB

The recall is for your safety, not an inconvenience. The problem with the engine stopping due to the chassis disconnect failing and all loss of power to the chassis is that if you were going down a long steep grade and the engine died, you would only have manual brakes to slow you down.... say yer prayers. You will not have the engine compression or transmission shifting down a gear to help slow you down, this actually happened to create the recall (as I was told by RV Custom Products).
So unless you installed the bypass switch near the drivers seat, have time to realize what happened and throw the switch, able to restart the engine... oops... gotta put it in park... NO.... neutral!!! and then getting the engine to start, back into gear and hopefully the engine don't scream to loud whilst the tranny reengages, you might make the bottom.


But, I do have to admit, I like to convenience of the disconnect as I have not applied the recall to my Hurricane... very few steep hills in the bald prairies but the recall comes to my mind every time I do pass over one.
Maybe I will install a switch near the drivers seat and apply it while driving over a hill.... Thanks for the insight!!!

Two things about this. 1. I am in the habit of bypassing the chassis disconnect when driving because I have experienced the loss of power and don’t want to do that ever again. I only open the bypass when I’m going to be parked for a while like in storage or a camp ground. The recall not only bypasses the chassis disconnect but it also bypasses the interconnect relay which defeats the purpose of the BCC. 2. I also have installed two voltage/ amp meters (1 for chassis battery and 1 for coach battery) near the driver’s seat. The engine won’t stop immediately if the chassis disconnect fails in the open position which gives the driver plenty of time to notice that the chassis battery isn’t charging… that is if you have a voltage meter. After starting my engine, I look for two things. First that the chassis battery is charging and above battery voltage (14 volts or higher); and also that the Coach battery is charging indicating that the interconnect relay has closed.

[OldWEB]

Originally Posted by Ron

Two things about this. 1. I am in the habit of bypassing the chassis disconnect when driving because I have experienced the loss of power and don’t want to do that ever again. I only open the bypass when I’m going to be parked for a while like in storage or a camp ground. The recall not only bypasses the chassis disconnect but it also bypasses the interconnect relay which defeats the purpose of the BCC. 2. I also have installed two voltage/ amp meters (1 for chassis battery and 1 for coach battery) near the driver’s seat. The engine won’t stop immediately if the chassis disconnect fails in the open position which gives the driver plenty of time to notice that the chassis battery isn’t charging… that is if you have a voltage meter. After starting my engine, I look for two things. First that the chassis battery is charging and above battery voltage (14 volts or higher); and also that the Coach battery is charging indicating that the interconnect relay has closed.

I have one thing about yer post #23 above. The diagram you give shows the alternator connect to the 'lone' side of the disconnect (NOT to the chassis battery) and then the "chassis electronics" are tied directly to the battery. What is your chassis disconnect for?
Two things about yer two things.
1) The recall I am referring to (RV Custom Product FW-2050 Battery Control Center) ONLY moves and connects the chassis ignition feed wire directly to the chassis battery post on the BCC. The remainder of what the chassis disconnect relay disconnects, will still disconnect (or 'die' if the relay fails). That includes the steps, map light, jacks control power, etc. or that is what RV Custom purports, I have never tested it. This wire move IN NO WAY eliminates the interconnection relay wiring or function.
2) I won't even go there if that is what you believe.
Now I only say this for what I have, the FW-2050 BCC, YMMV.

[OldWEB]

Originally Posted by Ron

Yeah, I had that happen when I was driving my new MH home from the dealer. They came out and told me there is a recall on the RV Custom Products Battery Control Center (BCC) which causes the engine to run off the Chassis battery and not the alternator. Eventually, the chassis battery runs low enough that the Ford computer won’t work and it shuts everything down. The BCC is up front on the drivers side. Just put the chassis battery cable onto the “Chassis switched” stud and it will work fine. I’ll send a picture from my “Real” computer (not this phone).

I just re-read this post and now I see where you get #2 from.
I still won't touch it.

[Ron]

Originally Posted by OldWEB

I have one thing about yer post #23 above. The diagram you give shows the alternator connect to the 'lone' side of the disconnect (NOT to the chassis battery) and then the "chassis electronics" are tied directly to the battery. What is your chassis disconnect for?
Two things about yer two things.
1) The recall I am referring to (RV Custom Product FW-2050 Battery Control Center) ONLY moves and connects the chassis ignition feed wire directly to the chassis battery post on the BCC. The remainder of what the chassis disconnect relay disconnects, will still disconnect (or 'die' if the relay fails). That includes the steps, map light, jacks control power, etc. or that is what RV Custom purports, I have never tested it. This wire move IN NO WAY eliminates the interconnection relay wiring or function.
2) I won't even go there if that is what you believe.
Now I only say this for what I have, the FW-2050 BCC, YMMV.

Thanks, OldWEB, for your comments. I came to my conclusions using what seems to be, in hindsight, faulty logic.

When my wife and I first looked at our MH at the dealer in 2014, the chassis battery was dead. They jumped it so we could test drive it. We went out a second time to have another look and the chassis battery was dead again. The dealer jumped it again. I told the dealer that they would have to fix that problem (and some other things) before we would buy it. They called me and said the problem was fixed AND a new battery was installed. Wonderful. We struck a deal and while I was driving it home from the dealer, the instrument cluster “glitched.” The lights went off and then back on. This happened again a few minutes later so I pulled over to the far right lane of the freeway. It was rush hour traffic and very busy. Moments later, the lights went out, the engine quit, the power steering was gone and the brakes didn’t work like normal. I pulled off the road onto a wide portion of the freeway between an on ramp and the freeway. It was quite wide, luckily. I called the dealership and they sent the service manager and a mechanic right out. I was only a couple of miles down the road. A CHP (California Highway Patrol) officer stopped and told me I should get it fixed before driving it anymore. Thanks!

The mechanic remembered the recall and did it right there on the spot. I could be wrong, but I think it had to be jumped again. I never had a problem since then with the battery so I was convinced that the RV Custom Products BCC problem was causing the Chassis battery not to charge. During the next two years I studied the recall and removed the entire BCC to work on it. I replaced the faulty Chassis disconnect with a new latching type relay made by Intelletec.

After reviewing your comments, I decided to take another look at where the alternator hooks into the system since none of my notes (or photos) from 2014 actually are clear on that. It doesn’t make sense that the alternator would be isolated from the chassis battery but why was my chassis battery going dead before the recall? I’ll chalk it up to coincidence. I took the doghouse off tonight and followed the alternator wire…it connects directly to the chassis battery. The BCC isolates the alternator AND the battery from the engine electronics. The Chassis disconnect must have failed while the coach is being driven causing the engine to quit but nothing to do with the battery or the alternator.

I still don’t see how the interconnect relay will work after the recall has been accomplished if the Chassis disconnect failed in the open position like mine did. If the Chassis Battery cable has been moved to the “Chassis Switched” post (per the recall instructions), there is no path between the Coach battery and the chassis switched circuit except through the Chassis disconnect relay (which has failed in the open position). That is why I put the Chassis battery cable back on it’s original post and ran a bypass between the chassis Battery post and the switched post. What do you think?

The FW221 is the same as the FW-2050. The top black rectangular relay is the Chassis disconnect. It is located under the circuit board. The silver round relay is the interconnect relay.

[OldWEB]

If the Chassis Battery cable has been moved to the “Chassis Switched” post (per the recall instructions)

Click on the link I have above to the recall first... it is the ignition wire (Chassis switched) you move TO the chassis battery post, not the other way. I heard that "my" recall was the second one they put out and had cancelled the first. Now I am thinking they had people move it the way you suggest. but that is a guess...

The FW-2050 is the number of the control center box as in your picture, FW221 is the print number.
FWIW I have to replace my chassis disconnect, when the temps drop to low 50s then it does not want to engage...


I do hope our conversation still relates to the OPs 'problem' and that it may help others but a chat while still waiting for an update is good.

[Ron]

Originally Posted by OldWEB

Click on the link I have above to the recall first... it is the ignition wire (Chassis switched) you move TO the chassis battery post, not the other way. I heard that "my" recall was the second one they put out and had cancelled the first. Now I am thinking they had people move it the way you suggest. but that is a guess...

The FW-2050 is the number of the control center box as in your picture, FW221 is the print number.
FWIW I have to replace my chassis disconnect, when the temps drop to low 50s then it does not want to engage...


I do hope our conversation still relates to the OPs 'problem' and that it may help others but a chat while still waiting for an update is good.

Sure enough! your recall is the opposite of mine. The weird thing is that they both have the same revision letter "A" and all things are the same except yours moves the switched cable to the Chassis Battery terminal and mine moves the Chassis Battery cable to the switched terminal. This is really confusing to me because when I look at the schematic supplied by RV Custom Products, I can't figure out how moving the Battery cable to the switched terminal would work. All the items on the right side of the schematic are powered by the "Switched" side of the Disconnect relay.

I googled this recall and on the Custom RV web page, they admit that they goofed. The recall you have is wrong and has been replaced with the one I have. The current recall is located here, https://rvcustomproducts.com/fw-2050. This makes more sense to me. The weird thing is that they should have put a revision "B" on it indicating that there is a change rather than trying to make the mistake disappear and pretend it didn't happen.

[EA37TS]

It would be nice if the OP were to provide an update.

[16ACE27]

Originally Posted by EA37TS

It would be nice if the OP were to provide an update.

Did you see post #14? He's still waiting for more info from the shop he has the coach at. He said they're very busy and MAY have had more time to look at it at the end of this week.

[EA37TS]

Originally Posted by 16ACE27

Did you see post #14? He's still waiting for more info from the shop he has the coach at. He said they're very busy and MAY have had more time to look at it at the end of this week.

I missed that post. Apologies

[wfrauch]

Originally Posted by EA37TS

It would be nice if the OP were to provide an update.

The shop was able to get a tech to do more "digging" after finding all relays and fuses where ok.


They were then able to find that the ignition switch inside the steering column was dead, and further found an apparent short in the connection/wire running from the switch to the Power Distro box in the engine bay.


Their next step is to run/thread a new connection from the new ignition switch to the the PDC, which will involve some hours, and tech will try to make time this coming week to get it wrapped up.


Thanks

[wfrauch]

Interesting - we were driving on about 50 miles of very rough state highway. Tons of "road feel" coming thru the steering wheel...and not in a good way.

[wfrauch]

Originally Posted by wfrauch

The shop was able to get a tech to do more "digging" after finding all relays and fuses where ok.


They were then able to find that the ignition switch inside the steering column was dead, and further found an apparent short in the connection/wire running from the switch to the Power Distro box in the engine bay.


Their next step is to run/thread a new connection from the new ignition switch to the the PDC, which will involve some hours, and tech will try to make time this coming week to get it wrapped up.


Thanks

MH is now "back home" yesterday.

Internal ignition switch (steering column) has been replaced, shorted wire from ignition switch to PDC - which was causing fuse to blow - has been replaced.

[EA37TS]

Originally Posted by wfrauch

MH is now "back home" yesterday.

Internal ignition switch (steering column) has been replaced, shorted wire from ignition switch to PDC - which was causing fuse to blow - has been replaced.

Glad to hear you can roll down the road once again. Happy travels.

[HMCSW]

Originally Posted by Ron

Yeah, I had that happen when I was driving my new MH home from the dealer. They came out and told me there is a recall on the RV Custom Products Battery Control Center (BCC) which causes the engine to run off the Chassis battery and not the alternator. Eventually, the chassis battery runs low enough that the Ford computer won’t work and it shuts everything down. The BCC is up front on the drivers side. Just put the chassis battery cable onto the “Chassis switched” stud and it will work fine. I’ll send a picture from my “Real” computer (not this phone).

So the dealer sold you an RV knowing there was an active recall?