House 12 Volt system

Fern.... Don't feel bad,

I have a problem with a slide out. Fairly sure the motor is shot, multiple voice mails to the mobile service technbician but yesterday I got pushy so it's extended. I can be very pushy.. but that's not what this post is about.

I was parked "Elsewwhere" yesterdayt AM.. Now with the main slide disabled I've been sleepign with mny laptop since there is no room for it up front.. So it sleeps on the bed beside me, and the bag it goes in likewise.. Well I went to hook up to move and my car keys (Also wallet) were in the laptop bag.. Could not find it.. Tore the bed apart trying to find it.. Finally thinking "Where have I nbot looked" moved my Sunday go to meeting Shirt and sure enough it was hanging on a bungee cord behind the shirt.

But I blew at least an hour of hard work figuring out where that sucker was

Now.. It's under this laptop

Fire up she has been a good one but I have never been really "camping" in it. It has only been used to tow my race car trailer and take care of me at the track. Washer and dryer has never had water in it. It was the best Winnebago they had when new and is still pretty sharp looking and performs just fine pulling the heavy trailer. BUT thinking about doing just that this fall---going on an adventure. Thanks for the help

ferndaleflyer wrote:
Fire Up you are the man but you left one thing out......Go sleep on it. I thought I might have turned something off and since I never left the drivers seat what did I hit by mistake, kick loose on the floor, etc. SO, I went out just now and sat in the seat and took a look and there it was, AUX POWER SWITCH, was in the wrong position and had shut EVERYTHING down. Hit the switch and now everything is good. Now I'll spend the day to reassemble the motor home. I could get a new modern DP but this one has been good to me and is long ago paid for. At 76 years old a new mind would help more. Thanks for the help everyone.

Hey Sir,
Thanks for filling us in on your remedy. Yeah, I don't often refer to the simple answer in situations like yours. When things just "happen", I kind-a automatically dive into the complicated repair tactics. My house battery switch is about 6 feet from me in our coach so, I just tend to forget that it could be the issue in something like this. Nice find and, good luck with your "paid for coach". I'm sure many would like to be in the same "boat".
Scott

Fire Up you are the man but you left one thing out......Go sleep on it. I thought I might have turned something off and since I never left the drivers seat what did I hit by mistake, kick loose on the floor, etc. SO, I went out just now and sat in the seat and took a look and there it was, AUX POWER SWITCH, was in the wrong position and had shut EVERYTHING down. Hit the switch and now everything is good. Now I'll spend the day to reassemble the motor home. I could get a new modern DP but this one has been good to me and is long ago paid for. At 76 years old a new mind would help more. Thanks for the help everyone.

"Salesman" switch, or at least the remote control for it, is normally just inside the door placed so you can reach it with feet on the ground.

Ah, Solar panels. You may need to check your charge controller. And the panels themselves.

If you have a freightliner chassis (and I suspect that you do), there are some high amperage fuses along one of the frame rails. If you do not have 12 volts in the coach manufacturer's fuse/relay box, you might hunt for the high amperage fuses. I believe they are 200 amp.

The Freightliner help desk (free service) may be of help also. 1 800 FTL HELP Have the last 6 digits of your vin number when you call.

Fred

ferndaleflyer wrote:
Coming home yesterday and everything powered by the house batteries stopped working---everything including things that just need 12 volts to keep them running like the frig. Batteries are less than a year old and read about 12.5 + checked with a load tester and all are good. I have current from the batteries at least to where the cable goes in the frame but don't know what to look for down line. This is a 1997 Winnebago Luxor DP. I have all the factory wiring diagrams but they aren't to clear to me. Any suggestions??????

ferdaleflyer,
Well, to start with, you're piloting a '97 era coach. And, a diesel pusher at that. So, that means, that in 1997, wiring and the way things were done, could quite possibly be, setup and designed, quite differently than the way it's done in '07 or '17. Now, with your automotive repair/diagnostic experience, you should be able to reason out, the path of juice, i.e. 12V from your house batteries, to all the appliances, lights, water pump etc. in your coach.

Fuses, relays and other control devices may have been implemented back then that are "dinosaur" ethics today or even just a few years back. I find this kind of stuff very interesting. It's fun to start at the batteries and then, progress on and on, 'till you arrive at all the 12V appliances. Yes, of course some times you can't follow certain lines and wires 'cause they disappear into walls, bulkheads and other AREA 51 enclosures.

But, they come out SOMEWHERE! Now, at present, you don't say what kind of operation you have. That is, many of todays Diesel pushers use the "Inverter/Charger" type system. That is, the Inverter side takes on the task of supplying 120VAC to the coach's outlets if and when called for.

But, the Charger side, is charged with supplying 12V BACK TO THE BATTERIES, mostly house batteries. Manufacturers, coaches, models, years, do it differently, with different apparatus. What does all this mean? Simply put, some coaches, i.e. diesel pushers, have and use the Inverter/charger system but, the charger side charges ONLY the house batteries while on shore power or gen power. Some charge both sets, house and chassis.

As for driving down the road, about 99.9999% of the coaches made, even back in the '80s, had the engine alternator charge BOTH SETS OF BATTERIES, while driving down the road. Very, VERY FEW didn't. So, at this point, you need to really get down and dirty and analyze what systems you have, for charging your batteries, both while on shore power and engine alternator.

Once you know what and how things work for charging your batteries, and what, if any, kind of relays, switches, solenoids, etc. that's involved with those charging systems, you'll then figure a pattern for analysis. Got power from here to here, good, move on. Check here, good, move on. Got power here, NOPE, hmmmmmm, go to work.
Scott

Where is this "salesman" switch. Guess how I charge my batteries is a secret but suffice to say My system seems to work because I have not had the converter/charger hooked up for many years. wa8 people in 3rd world countries are smarter than that. Anyway I can trace the 12V house power until it goes into the frame 35+feet from the front and thought someone might know a LOGICAL place to look for the trouble and the location of where it is. Switch, fuse, connection. It is grounded to the frame in the rear but couldn't it be a ground as well as a positive break in the circuit? All 120 circuits work as well as everything with the chassis batteries. But no house power period.

For testing many recommend a volt meter. I recommend a 12 volt automotive test light, this is a device like and ice pic with a wire coming out of it

Start at the batteries.. Touch clip to one post (negative is good) NOT THE ATTACHED LUG to the battery post itself, touch the TIP (Ice pick) to the other. BRIGHT.. Good. Dim/dark bad

Now move the clip to an unpainted chassis metal part
Now move the tip to the lug, then move out along the Positive wire

If you come to a device with two large terminals. check both (if it also has small terminals ignore those)

Problem exists between Bright and Dark.

No converter? How do you charge the batteries then?

Normal hookup is one of two patterns. I will "line draw" for you

Batteries--Fuse or breaker--Switch---Other stuff including converter, fuse box, all your 12 volt stuff.. OPTIONAL some stuff may come off BEFORE the switch, Optional swap fuse or breaker and Switch

The other option puts the converter first, then everything else as listed
IN this option the "Converter" may be an inverter/charger device.