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pedenspeed's avatar
pedenspeed
Explorer
May 05, 2021

1987 Champion LaSalle Wiring Diagram

I think this might be a long shot, but I thought I would give it a shot. My wife had a "RV Expert" out, to go over our RV and then give us an orientation on our RV. There are some things I already knew were bad, and some things I just don't know about since this is our first RV, so I thought this would be a good idea. I believe the individual was knowledgeable, but some things just didn't make sense, so I have been doing some research. The first thing he pointed out was what I believe to be the emergency start solenoid (for using house batteries to start the engine if the coach battery is dead) One side of the solenoid is missing the cable, and he said the solenoid allows shore power to keep the house batteries charged (however he pointed to the wrong battery, so I corrected him) The next thing he talked about was the converter. He believes it is bad, and said it would cost about $750 parts and labor for a new upgraded one. Again this strikes me as odd, because while hooked up to shore power, my water pump works, my fridge works in electrical mode, my cabin lighting works, and of course all the AC items (TV, Microwave, AirConditioner) work. What he didn't see was battery charging voltage of 14v. He didn't charge me for his time, since he couldn't do the checks he wanted to do, so I totally respect that, but I would like to check a few things out for myself if I can get the wiring diagram. So here is to hoping, or for some advice even...
  • DrewE's avatar
    DrewE
    Explorer II
    May 05, 2021
    The chance of getting a wiring diagram for a particular RV is usually quite slim, even if it's a current model. There are a couple manufacturers that are better about that than others, but most don't have them available, at least to the general public.

    However, things are pretty standardized as far as how most things are done, so getting general information is likely to apply fairly closely to your unit. It sounds like perhaps the house battery disconnect relay (which is separate from the emergency start solenoid) is switched or stuck off. There should be a momentary two-way switch somewhere to activate it--one direction to switch it on, the other to switch it off.

    If the converter is original, it would be worthwhile to replace it even if it's working perfectly as modern converters are significantly improved over most old models (in terms of efficiency, electrically clean output, charging profiles, and such like). That is, of course, assuming it is worth your while to put any money into the RV; if it has any significant water or frame damage, I would think long and hard before spending much on it.
  • Lwiddis's avatar
    Lwiddis
    Explorer II
    May 05, 2021
    Please post some pictures of this classic.

    http://photoposting.is-great.net/?i=3
  • pedenspeed's avatar
    pedenspeed
    Explorer
    May 07, 2021
    Sorry I haven't responded, I have been watching for an email, but one never showed up, so decided to come straight to the source, and glad I did. Thank you for the responses. I will certainly post some pics when I get home. It's actually in pretty good condition, especially for the age. I will also take a picture of the solenoid that is missing the cable on one lug and post that as well. There isn't too much water damage, you can see some on the paneling in the back, but not much, and the guy that looked it over said it looks to be coming from the running lights up high in back, they are all cracked and need to be replaced. I think if I can confirm the water heater and furnace are good, I'm willing to put some time and money into fixing the other issues, including a new converter.

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