1995 Tioga Montara -No Power from House Battery

When installing the new house battery, did you forget to connect one of the small wires with ring terminal. Look around in the house battery compartment for a reset button. Is there an "auxiliary battery" or 'storage switch" in a control panel, try pressing it so red LED comes on and you hear a relay go "clunk'. It is possible that switch is bad or relay is stuck, push switch repeatedly and see if interior lights come on. Check the two heavy gage wires that go from the converter charger to the battery. There are allen head set screws that bite into the stripped end of wires that may have become loose in a connector block on the front of your converter/charger. Wiggle the wires that connect to the fuse holders in the fuse block, look for a loose screw connection. Consult an RV repair service that has an RV electrical expert. Fairly common problem!!

Also double-check that the cables going to the battery are good and solid where they connect to their terminals. If the ground connection goes to the chassis fairly directly, check that connection as well. I've seen battery cables that appear OK when looked at but are actually barely or not connected at all, with the wire broken or corroded next to the ring terminal.

Canadaler, Please let us know what the actual problem was and//or what the fix was.

OK...lots of time passed since my original post. Sorry to say I haven't had the time to solve it, but I have learned more as I continue to troubleshoot it.

The RV has a Magnetek 6300 series converter in it. I've learned that the house battery, engine, "shore" and generator power all come into this unit for distribution to the 12V RV system.

There are two 12V incoming leads to the converter. (red + and white -.) These come from either the running coach engine or from the house battery. There is a 3rd lead on this board (blue +) which comes from the converter when the generator is running or shore power is connected.

Putting a meter on the respective leads, I have 12V from the red/white terminals when the coach engine is running but 0V between red/white from the house battery (which is new and fully charged)if the engine is not running.

I also confirmed having 13.2V between the blue/white terminals when the generator is running or the RV is plugged in.

So there is something causing a disconnect between the house battery and the leads terminating on the converter board. A bit strange since with the coach running these same leads are powered. So it isn't a problem with a broken wire or connection.

I'm thinking there has to be a relay or solenoid somewhere in the system which is affecting the feed from the house battery but not the coach engine.

What it is and where it is...I haven't quite figured that part out yet!

It also appears that when the generator/shore power is being distributed (I have 13.2V between blue/white terminals at that time) this voltage is not "back feeding" the batteries to charge them. Between the red/white terminals with the generator running I'm getting less than 12V. A bit confusing...and I don't know if it's related to my main problem, or is another problem on top of it.

Suggestions, comments and pity are welcome!!!

It sounds as if the auxiliary battery switch and/or relay is not connecting. If you don't hear a clunk when you turn the auxiliary battery switch on, the relay may be stuck open. You have my pity, maybe an RV repair guy can find and test the relay and switch. Check You Tube for troubleshooting how to.

PS: I checked You Tube and did not find specific "how to" on testing the auxiliary battery switch and relay that connects house battery to converter charger in on position and disconnects house battery for storage mode. In our 2004 Tioga, the relay I'm referring to is mounted in the battery compartment and the disconnect switch is in the switch and monitor panel above the entry steps. I seem to recall a latching reset button near the relay, press it, might be a circuit breaker and restore power.

OK...done, everything is working now :)

Sometimes it's the simple things which take time to figure out. (That's my story anyhow.)

I traced the power feed that goes into the converter board backwards up under the hood. It terminated in what I believe is a fuse link (the kind that resets after it cools.) There was continuity across its terminals, so it was OK.

Following the next lead out of that fuse link the cable went to a solenoid. It had continuity across its poles as well. The cable out the other side of it went directly to the house battery.

Sure enough, power in that cable, but not in the cable out of the closed solenoid. Poor/corroded cable connection on the power side of that solenoid was the culprit. Disassembled, cleaned and re-torqued and all is now well.

Guess all I can say is that I'm happy it all works now and I've learned a bit more about my RV. Otherwise...**** frustrating!

Thanks a lot to those who posted along the way here. The input was much appreciated.

Glad it's fixed and you told us about it. There's been a rash of this over the last couple years, even with factory terminals.

I learned some things about the auxiliary battery switch and how it sends power to the auxiliary battery disconnect/connect solenoid under the step in the battery compartment. It's a DPDT switch wired to send negative or positive polarity 12 volt power to operate the solenoid and turn power on and off at the house battery.