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ewick58's avatar
ewick58
Explorer
May 20, 2019

House Lights not working with hour batteries

I have a 2008 31ft Class C Fleetwood Tioga. I kept having battery issues every couple of months or so. the RV dealer who is no longer in business rewired by MH to keep the draining minimual on my batteries. I didn't think much about it since I did little to no dry camping. After they rewired the rig about five years ago, my house lights will not come on with 12 volt batteries. Work fine with shore and generator power. My vehicle radio will not work unless I have the accessory power switch on. So for now the house batteries only run my vehicle radio and starting the generator. I want to start dry camping so would like my house lights to run off the 12 volt house batteries. I am not an electrician which makes it a bit more difficult. Any suggestions on how the RV dealer may have rewired the system. I have had a couple folks familiar with electrical but not RV electrical look but can't figure out what they may have done.

thanks,
Ed Wickenhofer
  • wa8yxm's avatar
    wa8yxm
    Explorer III
    May 20, 2019
    2008 Were they the OEM batteries? That would make 'em 10-11 years old which is EXCELLENT Life. Mine lasted only 9 Just so you know.

    My car's battery (next to the last one) did not make it out of warranty.
  • BFL13's avatar
    BFL13
    Explorer II
    May 20, 2019
    ewick58 wrote:
    Thanks for the reply. My house batteries were toast. I purchase two 6 volt yesterday and installed. My MH dash radio runs off the house battery. I must have the house batteries on before the dash radio will work. I will check the DC fuse panel.

    Thanks!

    Ed


    I missed the generator starting, so that does need house batteries.

    On or by the fuse panel will be lugs for the wires from the converter and also the lugs for the wires from the house battery.

    The converter will recharge the house batteries by going through the fuse panel, so if batteries not connected there, the converter can't recharge the house batts, which will then go flat after not very long, and then the generator won't start.
  • ewick58's avatar
    ewick58
    Explorer
    May 20, 2019
    Thanks for the reply. My house batteries were toast. I purchase two 6 volt yesterday and installed. My MH dash radio runs off the house battery. I must have the house batteries on before the dash radio will work. I will check the DC fuse panel.

    Thanks!

    Ed
  • BFL13's avatar
    BFL13
    Explorer II
    May 20, 2019
    Sounds like they disconnected the house batteries from the DC fuse panel so now the 12v house things will only work from the converter (which gets its 120v from either shower power or generator).

    I don't know why they would then leave any house batteries in place since they cannot run anything or be recharged from the converter (if disconnected at the fuse panel like I imagine. They might get a recharge from the alternator when driving. If there are any house batteries, they are probably toast.

    The MH dash radio works from the engine battery. If you want an entertainment set- up that runs from the house battery bank, that is something you can arrange if there is not one already.

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