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MeganRV's avatar
MeganRV
Explorer
Mar 17, 2016

Class A Motorhome Wont Start!

Hi everyone I am a newbie been living in my RV since August 2015. I have a 1990 Safari Ivory 38 ft long Diesel Pusher. Its A Cummins/OshKosh Chassis? I keep reading these forums and i know this has been answered but im getting confused.

Any ways I am having power issues. The dash lights and nothing will come on when the key is in ignition. It wont make any sounds no gauges nothing. The exterior lights will come on.

History, I bought in Aug 2015 camped out for a few months in a few places no issues with power anywhere. Till middle of oct when we stayed in one location for 28 days. When we tried to start nothing happened. So we did the easiest thing fist check the battery. no voltage. So we went to store got another deep cycle starter battery (golf cart), We were able to start and drive fine to our next location. everything was fine till a few weeks later when we tried to start it just to make sure it was still working. nothing again. so we jumped it. got it started. Then we had to move a couple of times due to spaces and different locations for the winter every time we had to jump it. The other day we went to a store returned the Deep cycle battery found out it was completely dead so i traded it for the correct deep cycle stater battery for the rv. everything turned on no worries. 24 hrs later we tried again to get things fixed before the next move. Nothing no sounds no lights nothing.

Im beating my head? Do we take the chassis battery out to get looked at? Do we try to find the ignition switch and change that? do we try to find the ignition solenoid? What do I do.. I need it fixed ASAP and cheapiest things first. Im having difficulties finding any schematics of this model anywhere. Where can I download one for the future. Its such an old RV im worried no one will have parts I have 3 days to fix.

Please Help anyone, I need advice

Thank You:h
Class A
  • Executive45's avatar
    Executive45
    Explorer III
    Mar 17, 2016
    A short course on how your coach works:

    1. You will have TWO STARTER batteries. 12VDC, usually in the engine compartment.
    2. You will have TWO to FOUR HOUSE batteries, may be 6VDC (4) or 12VDC (2). They should be in a separate compartment near the rear on the coach.
    3. The starter batteries need to have sufficient starting power, stated as CCA, cold cranking amps, to start your coach. Check your owner's manual if you have one. Since the house batteries do not play a part in starting your coach, CCA is not important but ability to recharge often is. That's why the 6VDC golf cart batteries are the preferred battery for the house systems.
    4. On most coaches, there is a switch, usually on the dash, that will momentarily connect your house batteries and the starter batteries to get you going if one or more are weak.
    5. Batteries should be replaced in pairs as a weak battery will draw down a good battery quickly.
    6. If plugged into shore power, your charger/inverter/converter should keep your batteries up to speed. If not, you have a short.

    It sounds like money is tight for you right now, but a few bucks spent learning from a mobile mechanic may be worth it to you in the long run. Good luck...Dennis
  • BigBlockTank's avatar
    BigBlockTank
    Explorer
    Mar 17, 2016
    MeganRV, I know everybody is throwing advice at you, but I have a little bit myself. If your battery(s) are going dead in 24 hours, one of two things are happening.

    1) You have the wrong batteries, possibly. Starting batteries should be 12 volts, and for a pusher, there should always be two. If you replaced them with anything else, might want to look at that as the problem.

    2) If you are losing all charge, a trickle charger is not going to be anything more than a band-aid on a shark bite. There is a short in your system somewhere draining the battery(s) if this is true. Find that short and fix it. A qualified RV tech should be able to find it in just a few minutes. Now, repairing it could take quite a bit longer, depending on where it is, and how accessible it is also.

    I was a RV tech after I retired from the military, I wanted to work on something else other than airplanes for a while. So I did 10 years, and loved it. Good luck with your issue, and let us all know here what it is when you find it and figure it out.
  • Ranger_Smith's avatar
    Ranger_Smith
    Explorer
    Mar 17, 2016
    Ivylog wrote:
    You need to buy a 2 amp trickle charger and put it on the engine battery which is not getting charged while hooked to shore power. Drawing the battery down in 24 yours suggests you have a light on (maybe in the basement) that's killing your battery although a new batter is often not fully charged by the time it's sold.

    Engine start batteries are not deep cycle nor 6V.


    You can also put a trikl-start in. It will keep the engine battery charged when plugged in. Also if you replaced the battery with a golf cart battery it is not compatible. You need a 12 volt battery. Most diesel pusherss have 2 12 volt batteries for the chassis so I dont know why you replaced only one?? Maybe you changed the wrong battery. Should have 6 caps on it.
  • Ivylog's avatar
    Ivylog
    Explorer III
    Mar 17, 2016
    You need to buy a 2 amp trickle charger and put it on the engine battery which is not getting charged while hooked to shore power. Drawing the battery down in 24 yours suggests you have a light on (maybe in the basement) that's killing your battery although a new batter is often not fully charged by the time it's sold.

    Engine start batteries are not deep cycle nor 6V. You should have a boost switch on the dash whch I call a automatic jumper cable as it connects your house and engine batteries together for more starting amps. It can take 10 minutes of holding it on before it will charge the engine battery enough to turn the engine over.
  • D_E_Bishop's avatar
    D_E_Bishop
    Explorer
    Mar 17, 2016
    MeganRV I know this is not what you asked but, it doesn't seem that you know a whole lot about how the systems work and few of us did when we bought our first RV. Sometimes it is more expedient to go to a professional rather than ask for a step by step process to find a problem.

    There is a great shop in Golden, it is Tilden your complete car care center at 17981 W. Colfax Ave and the phone number is 303-279-5181. They are directly across the street from a campground we have used a couple of times. Tilden's was recommended by the staff and they have other recommendations. I delt with Kevin Davenport and I'll bet he'll not only find your problem he'll explain the system to you as he works.

    Just a quick guess about your problem is that the converter/charger isn't feeding the batteries when you're plugged in. You seem to have 12vdc because your not complaining about that.

    The more I think about your post, either you really don't know anything about RV systems or you are a troll. Either way you have my two cents worth.
  • Busskipper's avatar
    Busskipper
    Explorer
    Mar 17, 2016
    Busskipper wrote:
    Give these two a call

    http://goldenmobilervanddieselservice.com/

    Father son team, really good - they will solve the mystery.

    BOL,


    Sorry forgot the Phone Number - Mitch will take care of you.

    Golden Mobile R.V. and Diesel Service * P.O. Box 18582* Golden Colorado * USA * 80402: 720-415-9802
  • Busskipper's avatar
    Busskipper
    Explorer
    Mar 17, 2016
    Give these two a call

    http://goldenmobilervanddieselservice.com/

    Father son team, really good - they will solve the mystery.

    BOL,
  • jplante4's avatar
    jplante4
    Explorer II
    Mar 17, 2016
    Yeah, I don't know how putting a 6V golf cart battery in place of a 12V did anything. Also, a battery never has "no voltage", especially after only 28 days without a charge. This would indicate either a problem with where you measured the voltage or the meter.

    No offense, but you really need to get off the internet and get on the phone. You need to find an RV tech that an figure out your issues. Even if we were able to remotely diagnose your issues, I don't think you have the technical acumen take the corrective actions necessary.
  • Greydennyhawk's avatar
    Greydennyhawk
    Explorer
    Mar 17, 2016
    Wow! I am sure confused, you replaced an RV battery? Golf cart? 6 Volt?
    The chassis battery is what needs to be looked at, what is the voltage currently? Check it with a multimeter. If you need to jump start, after it starts, check with a multimeter again. Is it charging off the alternator/ generator?
    You need a strong starting battery for the engine, not a deep cycle battery , the golf cart batteries (6 V) are for running the interior components, if you are not plugged in to shore power. And when you are plugged in, do you have a built in charger? Is it working?
    I don't mean to confuse, but I am not sure if this can be what you mean.

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