I just bought a 35 foot Kodiak Dutchmen. On the way home the steps quit working but every thing else 12 volt was working. later the house lights quit and the slides will not move. I still have 12 volts to the inverter but the Green light for the Battery Disconnect does not come on. I have checked all the fuses I could find and all are good. If I put 12 volts directly to the step motor , the steps will work. This is my FIRST RV and I out of ideas.

Start by checking the connections at the batteries. Make sure they are clean and tight.

Sounds like you just ran out of batteries...You will have to learn what is needed for the different modes of using things...Not knowing what batteries you have or what all is running it is hard to say what has happened but it really sounds like you just started running your battery down as you went down the road.If you was using a POWER INVERTER running from your battery to make 120VAC while enroute will not last very long depending on how many batteries you have in the bank. Most basic things all run on 12VDC so they can run anything you need them getting their power from the battery source. The 120VAC items either need to be hooked to a shore power connection, AC generator, or Power Inverter that runs from your battery. If you were indeed only using a power inverter and only have a single battery you will not get a very long run time as the Power Inverters that are large enough to run 120VAC for many high wattage things will really need many batteries to make them work very long...I am thinking you may be using the term INVERTER for your CONVERTER/Charger unit. The CONVERTER/Charger unit has to be feed with shore power or an AC Generator to produce 12VDC to charge your battery... Th eonly way the battery may be charged while enroute is a trickle charge from your truck start battery system and if you have a bunch of 12VDC items on while enroute you can very easily run the battery down. You can only expect around 6AMPS or so of trickle charge coming from the truck start battery system. Hopefully you haven't hurt your battery yet by discharging it below 50% charge state which is only 12.0VDC and can get it re-charged again and then learn how your new trailer works power source wise. Just my thoughts with what information I can use from your short statement...Roy Ken

In some motorhomes, the steps are powered by the ignition switch so that they retract when the motorhome is in motion. These motorhomes also have a switch by the door that you activate so that the steps do not move in and out when parked and the side door is opened and closed. Also, in some motorhomes, the slides only work when the emergency brake is on, and the engine is running. As for the green light on the Inverter, this is not the same as a converter. The Inverter transforms 12 volt into 110 VC. The Converter does the opposite.

herbhyde wrote:I just bought a 35 foot Kodiak Dutchmen. On the way home the steps quit working but every thing else 12 volt was working. later the house lights quit and the slides will not move. I still have 12 volts to the inverter but the Green light for the Battery Disconnect does not come on. I have checked all the fuses I could find and all are good. If I put 12 volts directly to the step motor , the steps will work. This is my FIRST RV and I out of ideas.You bought a new motorhome. I suspect you don't know the condition of the batteries when you drove off the lot. The only thing charging your batteries while you are driving is the engine alternator ... if that circuit is working. Sometimes they fail.I think the first thing you need do is get home, plug your motorhome into some shore power ...even a 20A house circuit will do if you have an adapter ... and without running any other appliances in your motorhome let your motorhome's charger charge up the batteries.check the batteries after 12 hours of charge to see if everything works again. You may have bad batteries. you may have a problem with the circuit from the engine alternator that charges the batteries while the engine is running. Then again, you may have other problems. good luck.

After checking all connections to the house batteries, check them with a volt meter. If they are totally dead, running the engine will not charge them sufficiently. Also, because of the age of your motorhome, I doubt it has a BIRD device to allow the Converter to charge the house batteries from shore power or engine power. The only charging device that will give the house batteries a sufficient charge is a regular battery charger.

No house battery power | Good Sam Community

cgmartine
Explorer
Nov 24, 2015
The generator should have a reset button on the right side. You may need to reset it.
herbhyde
Explorer
Nov 24, 2015
cgmartine wrote:
The generator should have a reset button on the right side. You may need to reset it.

The Generator runs. That's is the only think that works from the control panel on the side of the kitchen cupboard. It looks as if somebody rewired the Generator separately.
herbhyde
Explorer
Nov 24, 2015
Snowman9000 wrote:
Can you identify and/or post a photo of your disconnect switch system? It sounds as if something in it is not functioning.

It is a RV Custom Products Battery Latching Disconnect.

Where does it draw the power from to operate?
Snowman9000
Explorer
Nov 25, 2015
A latching disconnect only needs power to switch it on or off. Once it is on or off it just sits there waiting for the next event.

The solenoid should have two big terminals and two small ones. The two small ones are going to be power and ground. The two big ones are going to be coming from the battery and then to the house. I bet if you check for voltage at the big terminals, the battery one will have 12v, and the other one will not.

The power side of the small terminals should go to the switch. Or maybe to a little CPU, I don't know. And, there may be fuses at the solenoid. I'm rambling, but the basic theory is, you press the switch and it sends a momentary power to the solenoid. That's all it takes to throw the "latch" from off to on. Once it's on, the solenoid stays on, it does not need to be powered.

So if you have 12v on the battery side of the solenoid and nothing on the house side, your job is to figure out if the small power terminals get 12v (or -12v) when you press the switch. If it does, the solenoid is not working. If it doesn't get any juice there, then you have a problem with the switch or the supply to the switch or maybe a CPU that is part of the system. And, there will be fuses in that control circuitry somewhere.

If you need more clarification, please ask.
Snowman9000
Explorer
Nov 25, 2015
Is this your disconnect?:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/321712052048?item=321712052048&lgeo=1&vectorid=229466&rmvSB=true
Snowman9000
Explorer
Nov 25, 2015
Here is a nice little video that describes generically how the thing works:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGxJs5XaSWY

Do what he did, to test yours. Apply 12v in one direction, then the other, to the two smaller lugs at the bottom front of the unit. You should hear the solenoid operate.

Again, if you need help, just ask. No question is stupid, these are confusing.
herbhyde
Explorer
Nov 25, 2015
Snowman9000 wrote:
Is this your disconnect?:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/321712052048?item=321712052048&lgeo=1&vectorid=229466&rmvSB=true

Yes, that is the Disconnect. I had no power to either large lug.
I will try tomorrow morning when I have some sunlight. There must be a fuse out somewhere.
Snowman9000
Explorer
Nov 25, 2015
Trace the two big cables and see where they go. If there is a fuse, you should run into it.
herbhyde
Explorer
Nov 25, 2015
There is what I will call a BUSS Bar located below the Battery Disconnect relay.
It is a divided bar. The right end has 4 connections:
1)upper left -- connects to Battery Disconnect Relay -- no power
2)upper right -- empty -- no power
3)lower left -- to wire loom -- batteries -- 12 volts
4)lower right -- to wire loom -- batteries -- 12 volts

I jumpered from lower right to upper left and got 12 volts(power)to the Battery Disconnect Relay. I turned the Battery Disconnect Switch (by the entrance door)on and the house lights worked.

I took the jumper off and the Battery Disconnect Relay still has power.
I tried the Battery Disconnect Switch several times and it is still working (the green light is on with the switch in the on position).
The House Lights and the Slides now work.

The steps still do not work but that is probably another problem.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR ALL HELP & SUGGESTIONS.

A first time RV owner.

Forum Discussion

No house battery power

About Motorhome Group

Related Content

House Power Problem

House batteries

House batteries

House Batteries not working?

Most efficient house batteries