So confused I was stranded

I hope I can explain this..lol WE were dry camping all Friday and Saturday. I ran the generator everything ran great all weekend. we were at a R/c racing event. so getting ready to leave I started the RV Diesel PUSHER btw. went in to say buy and realized there were 2 more races and friend was in. so I turn off the Rv and kept Gen running. when is was time to go the rv wouldn't start at all. nothing click click like a bad battery x2. So tried to use the auxiliary battery button still nothing. the shift pad didn't even light up? but all the gages came on and head lights would work. So playing with the key it seem to get a light on the shift pad some times. But now the GEN SET turn off and wouldn't start back up again. what does the key or the rv main battery's has to do with the gen set? Anyway after many attempts of trying everything I can think of Me and my grandson got it to turn over 1 time then click. SO then we held the auxiliary button and the gen set button at the same time and the gen set would stay running let go of the auxiliary it would shut off. we ended up him holding the auxiliary button with the gen set running and I tried to start the rv Yay it started!!! so we took a chance and drove home about 30miles go to the house turn off the rv tried to start it DID NOT TURN OVER AT ALL. Ok now today 4/13/15 I checked the battery's with a lode tester it show weak but not bad. I then tested it with a Meter both showed 12.8 but still say weak. after charging them they show 13.8 on both but still said weak under the lode tester. checked all 3 of the couch batter's same this 12.8 ok under a lode. now after a full charge only like 20min the RV started right up. turn off and on starts right up. Did seem like there was a little drag. So I still don't know why this happen to start with. and why would the Gen set turn off when the key don't need to be on for it to run. And once its stared its not pulling power from the mean battery's right? I thought for sure I was buying new Battery's today. Now im not sure what to think.

Class A

David0725
Explorer II
Apr 15, 2015
Ok thanks everyone. so far it starts up as well as the gen set. but I will be going though the rv from top to bottom tomorrow. checking all the grounds and key switch and clean everything. I will get back if I fined what the problem was.
thanks again
David.
dieharder
Explorer
Apr 14, 2015
Maybe it's just me, but doesn't sound like a connection thing to me at all. I'm going to say that your inverter is probably bad or the in-line fuse blown.

You ran the genny for 2 days, then started the RV, turned it off and then kept the genny running. Maybe you had just enough juice left in the batteries to turn the engine over the first time, but not enough to get it going the second time. If the inverter isn't getting juice to the batteries, the generator slowly drains them, much like the car engine would if your alternator stopped working. If all your batteries, including you chassis battery, are in series, they'll all drain and not just the house batteries.
garry1p
Explorer
Apr 14, 2015
I agree with the bad connection between batteries or at the load connections.

Easy things first....Clean "all"battery connections. If that is not the problem make sure the main battery ground strap and the generator ground strap have a good connection to the chassis.
Matt_Colie
Explorer II
Apr 14, 2015
David,

Your problem so screams "Bad Connections" that I am sure that everybody that knew anything could hear it. Your coach is over 20yo and needs attention. Yes, even a new coach like yours (from my POV) needs regular maintenance to stay reliable. If you wait until things stop working you can count on things stopping working. So, get a battery terminal cleaner and a regular wire brush and go at all the places that matter.

Matt
bluwtr49
Explorer II
Apr 14, 2015
Another possibility is a bad ignition switch or relay...happens more often than one would think and causes an intermittent problem.
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Apr 14, 2015
Generator often starts off house batteries.. If they are low for any reason then using the EMERGENCY start may let it start off the chassis battery.. That said.

SOME TIMES the genny is on the Chassis battery (And in a few rare cases it has one of it's own).

If it's on the chassis and that battery is low, Again the E-Start may help.

Finally Even with a battery that tests out Great.. IF the connection is bad (Been there and done that) what you got is what I had.
YC_1
Nomad
Apr 14, 2015
The cleaning and polishing of the battery cables etc is my suggestion too. Batteries would not cause the intermittent issue and the voltages you are seeing are good.

Turn your battery switches off and on too. They may need some exercise.
Travelon
Explorer
Apr 14, 2015
David0725 wrote:
I hope I can explain this..lol WE were dry camping all Friday and Saturday. I ran the generator everything ran great all weekend. we were at a R/c racing event. so getting ready to leave I started the RV Diesel PUSHER btw. went in to say buy and realized there were 2 more races and friend was in. so I turn off the Rv and kept Gen running. when is was time to go the rv wouldn't start at all. nothing click click like a bad battery x2. So tried to use the auxiliary battery button still nothing. the shift pad didn't even light up? but all the gages came on and head lights would work. So playing with the key it seem to get a light on the shift pad some times. But now the GEN SET turn off and wouldn't start back up again. what does the key or the rv main battery's has to do with the gen set? Anyway after many attempts of trying everything I can think of Me and my grandson got it to turn over 1 time then click. SO then we held the auxiliary button and the gen set button at the same time and the gen set would stay running let go of the auxiliary it would shut off. we ended up him holding the auxiliary button with the gen set running and I tried to start the rv Yay it started!!! so we took a chance and drove home about 30miles go to the house turn off the rv tried to start it DID NOT TURN OVER AT ALL. Ok now today 4/13/15 I checked the battery's with a lode tester it show weak but not bad. I then tested it with a Meter both showed 12.8 but still say weak. after charging them they show 13.8 on both but still said weak under the lode tester. checked all 3 of the couch batter's same this 12.8 ok under a lode. now after a full charge only like 20min the RV started right up. turn off and on starts right up. Did seem like there was a little drag. So I still don't know why this happen to start with. and why would the Gen set turn off when the key don't need to be on for it to run. And once its stared its not pulling power from the mean battery's right? I thought for sure I was buying new Battery's today. Now im not sure what to think.

First thing to do is step away from the keyboard and take a deep breath...now breath out. :B

Then as Executive has said, "clean, recrimp and reinstall" each ignition wire connection. Follow this good advice.

Travelon
Executive45
Explorer III
Apr 14, 2015
Loose ground at the ignition switch. Remove all the wires, one at a time...clean, recrimp and reinstall.....your problem is in your ignition switch....Dennis
darsben
Explorer II
Apr 14, 2015
MY first troubleshooting would involve cleaning all battery terminals and checking all .grounds

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