Help! We have had our "new to us" 2014 Newmar Canyon Star 3911 for almost two months. About 2 weeks ago, knowing I wouldn't be using it for a while, I switched the Battery Disconnect Switch to off. Everything shut down, I only walked back as far as the fridge to check. Yesterday when I went back out to start the geny and run the ac, do a few things, etc. nothing happened when I switched it back to ON. I walked all the way to the back and there were the numbers/codes/whatever that flashes on the (whatever it is)on the very back bedroom wall, but since I didn't go that far back when I shut it OFF, I'm not sure if they came on or were always on. Anyway, I tried several times and nothing, no power anywhere. I plugged it in to shore power over night and this morning there was still nothing. What should I try next?

Check how much power you have at the house battery's should be 12.5 or a little less if they are close to full. If down around 12.1 or less you will need to charge them. When you turn the disconnect switch off some things are always on Propane detector,radio memory, etc. It could be you have so much still drawing power it drained your battery's.Did you have the switch on when you had it plugged in over night if so the converter or inverter/charger should have recharged the battery's. If the switch was not on it's possible the converter/charger or inverter/charger were not on to recharge the battery's.

Some Inverter/Chargers CANNOT charge if the Battery system is DEAD. Some Converters are the same. What you need to do is, start the chassis engine and let run for 15 minutes to put a surface charge on the coach batteries. Then the battery disconnect should come on and your Shore Power/Genset will then be able to fully charge the batteries. Doug

Okay, thanks for all your replies, this is what we know now and where we're at. The meter showed the chassis battery at 8, two house batteries were at 9 & 0. We jump started the chassis battery and started the engine, let it run for 35 minutes, still no power inside or to start the generator. Checked the chassis batteries again with the meter and there was no change. The batteries will need to be replaced, but should I still check the switch? Wouldn't it show dead if there's no power from the batteries? Again, thank you both for your replies, I kinda fly by the seat of my pants, knowing a little, but need reassurance that I'm trying the right things since this is our first MH, we've had a tt & toy hauler in the past. Oh, and I turned the engine off and it started right back up, I will try it again tomorrow to make sure that battery is still good.

I put a disconnect switch on both the house and chassis batteries, no problem since then. There was a time I parked beside the house and left it plugged into 50amp.

best guess, you left the inverter turned onmany battery disconnect switches, do NOT disconnect the inverterit set there running until the batteries got to low, then in it went into alert modehence the flashing lightsi suggest you thoroughly read the manuals for all your appliances etc and the operation on things like the inverter ask questions about what you don't understandeven IF connected to shore power, periodically check the house and ENGINE batteriesmany RV's do NOT charge the engine batteries while plugged in, and chassis electronics can drain the start batteries over a period of time as short as two weeksBTW if you have shorepower plug in, you don't need to disconnect the batteries, and should leave them connectedonly use the disconnect for storing with no shore power and NO solarpower

Battery disconnect Switch | Good Sam Community

14 Replies

VickieP
Explorer
Jun 25, 2017
Playtime II wrote:
No doubt that your batteries are toast but I cannot imagine getting "0" reading on a flooded cell battery.

It's an AGM.
Playtime_II
Explorer
Jun 25, 2017
No doubt that your batteries are toast but I cannot imagine getting "0" reading on a flooded cell battery.
04revolution
Explorer
Jun 25, 2017
SMIRANGER
Thanks for for your response. Because of past experence have found that my coach batteries do charge when i charge the house batteries. I also have found that a number of repair places have no idea how the coach is wired up. Maybe this is because there is no standard to wiring these big boys. The disconnect switch sounds like a good idea.
Thank you
04revolution
smlranger
Explorer
Jun 20, 2017
04revolution wrote:
Hello, would like to know if the large on/off switch in the engine compartment is just for the chassis starter batteries. It is in the ON position but the last time i turned it from off to back on it was very hard to turn, as if some thing was causing it to jam.
As soon as i find out what it is, then if i need a new one i will know what i have to purchase
Thank all of you for your excellent input.
04revolution

I suspect that switch is for the chassis batteries but you need to confirm. On most coaches, turning off the 'house battery' switch inside the coach does not disconnect the house batteries from many items that will discharge them over time. Get someone to install a good manual disconnect switch on the positive line coming from your house battery bank. Shut that and the chassis battery disconnect off when you store the coach.

Also, as already noted, unless you have something like an Echo charger or Trik L Start device, your coach may not charge the chassis batteries when you are connected to shore power. These things can be confirmed with a voltmeter.
04revolution
Explorer
Jun 20, 2017
Hello, would like to know if the large on/off switch in the engine compartment is just for the chassis starter batteries. It is in the ON position but the last time i turned it from off to back on it was very hard to turn, as if some thing was causing it to jam.
As soon as i find out what it is, then if i need a new one i will know what i have to purchase
Thank all of you for your excellent input.
04revolution
04revolution
Explorer
Jun 20, 2017
Hello, You are so so right. I replaced my house batteries and then checked and all worked ok. Then put coach back into storage but did not turn off inverter but did put the store / use switch to store. Well that killed the new batteries to solid red. Learn something every day.
A class 40C
04revolution
JoeH
Explorer III
May 28, 2017
MrWizard wrote:
best guess, you left the inverter turned on
many battery disconnect switches, do NOT disconnect the inverter
it set there running until the batteries got to low, then in it went into alert mode
hence the flashing lights

It happened to me, but I caught it before damage was done. I thought that the battery disconnect would cut off the inverter-- it doesn't . You have to turn off the inverter at the control panel before switching off the battery switch.
Bigdog
Explorer
May 28, 2017
happy-2 wrote:
Im able to park my RV next to my house, and i leave it plugged in 30 Amp all the time, just because its convent,plus i check the battery EVERY month for water.MY RV charges the House Batteries Then The coach batteries,I have never had any problem with dead batteries.

X2. plugged in,water hooked up, leave fridge on and in winter, set the furnace for 50 degrees and here in the PNW, we can rv all year..
happy-2
Explorer
May 27, 2017
Im able to park my RV next to my house, and i leave it plugged in 30 Amp all the time, just because its convent,plus i check the battery EVERY month for water.MY RV charges the House Batteries Then The coach batteries,I have never had any problem with dead batteries.
MrWizard
Moderator
May 27, 2017
best guess, you left the inverter turned on
many battery disconnect switches, do NOT disconnect the inverter
it set there running until the batteries got to low, then in it went into alert mode
hence the flashing lights

i suggest you thoroughly read the manuals for all your appliances etc and the operation on things like the inverter

ask questions about what you don't understand

even IF connected to shore power, periodically check the house and ENGINE batteries
many RV's do NOT charge the engine batteries while plugged in, and chassis electronics can drain the start batteries over a period of time as short as two weeks

BTW if you have shorepower plug in, you don't need to disconnect the batteries, and should leave them connected

only use the disconnect for storing with no shore power and NO solar
power