I am totally new to RV ownership. We bought a really beautiful Fleetwood Southwind. The house batteries were running very low. I went and bought new house batteries. I installed them backwards for about 30 seconds or so. (who knew that everything painted red was not positive) I fixed the error. Now I have no house battery power. This is what i know:The 12v lights and everything work when the AC is plugged in or if the engine is running. When the engine is running or the AC is plugged in I have 12+ volts across the two batteries. If the engine is off or AC is disconnected I have no voltage across the batteries.The aux battery disconnect switch above the door makes the dsiconnect in the battery center click.Is the circuit board fried?Anyone experience this problem before?The kids keep begging me to take them someplace camping, even though its February, but I don't want to have to run the generator all night to keep the furnace running.Please help.Thank you so muchAaron

Follow the positive cable back from the batteries and hopefully you come across a large fuse, think 30 look like it belongs in your house size. Otherwise you may have blown something in the power distribution panel. Not sure where that is in your Southwind.

When I had similar issues on mine it was the fuses on the side of the converter. There was 3 30amp blade fuses that were blown...

Where exactly are you measuring the voltage?If not actually on the batteries, you may have blown a fuse. Our Monaco does have a huge fuse right off the house batteries.If you disconnect the batteries (remove the negative cable) do they read 12 volts?It kinda sounds like everything works and one or both of the batteries died!

I missed a detail when I read through your description, you said yo have power at the battery when plugged in or engine running? No power when everything shut off/disconnected. Are you measuring with a meter if so drop off the negative cable and recheck. If you truly do not have any power at the batteries with the cable disconnected one or both batteries are bad. Further testing I assume you have 2 6 volt wired in series, + goes to - on the second battery and only 2 cables leave the battery compartment, one positive from first battery and one negative from the other battery.

Over the entrance door there should be two switches that control the battery disconnects. Try turning them both off and then back on. When operating the switches listen for a loud click coming from under the hood. No loud click means no power to the battery disconnect control circuit.Look under the hood driver's side for the battery control center.There could be two 12 volt circuit breakers.There should be a couple rows of fuses. There should be a silk screened chart on the inside cover of the battery control center.Start by checking for power on the battery disconnect large terminal coming from the batteries.Check the chart and test the fuses.The batteries you replaced, were they 6 volters or 12 volters? Make sure the two six volters are connected in series.Try this and report back!

94 Southwind House Batteries. Begging for help :(

tahiti16
Explorer
Mar 01, 2014
Follow the positive cable back from the batteries and hopefully you come across a large fuse, think 30 look like it belongs in your house size. Otherwise you may have blown something in the power distribution panel. Not sure where that is in your Southwind.
Mike_M2
Explorer
Mar 01, 2014
When I had similar issues on mine it was the fuses on the side of the converter. There was 3 30amp blade fuses that were blown...
JimM68
Explorer
Mar 01, 2014
Where exactly are you measuring the voltage?
If not actually on the batteries, you may have blown a fuse. Our Monaco does have a huge fuse right off the house batteries.

If you disconnect the batteries (remove the negative cable) do they read 12 volts?

It kinda sounds like everything works and one or both of the batteries died!
tahiti16
Explorer
Mar 01, 2014
I missed a detail when I read through your description, you said yo have power at the battery when plugged in or engine running? No power when everything shut off/disconnected. Are you measuring with a meter if so drop off the negative cable and recheck. If you truly do not have any power at the batteries with the cable disconnected one or both batteries are bad. Further testing I assume you have 2 6 volt wired in series, + goes to - on the second battery and only 2 cables leave the battery compartment, one positive from first battery and one negative from the other battery.
enblethen
Nomad
Mar 01, 2014
Over the entrance door there should be two switches that control the battery disconnects. Try turning them both off and then back on. When operating the switches listen for a loud click coming from under the hood. No loud click means no power to the battery disconnect control circuit.
Look under the hood driver's side for the battery control center.
There could be two 12 volt circuit breakers.
There should be a couple rows of fuses. There should be a silk screened chart on the inside cover of the battery control center.
Start by checking for power on the battery disconnect large terminal coming from the batteries.
Check the chart and test the fuses.
The batteries you replaced, were they 6 volters or 12 volters? Make sure the two six volters are connected in series.
Try this and report back!
kalynzoo
Explorer
Mar 01, 2014
Yeah, I did it too...oops, what can you say. I had to replace almost every fuse in the MH. There were two 20amp fuses on the CONVERTER (probably hidden in a cabinet...in mine it was behind the kitchen cabinet.) The converter is the thing that gives the MH 12 volt power when your plugged in and may be involved in charging the house batteries. My frig draws of the engine battery and was not affected. All three radios required fuses and most of the fuses in the "house" fuse box were tripped. After I changed my pants, washed my mouth out with soap, and calmed down, changing the fuses fixed all the problems without any permanent damage.
Best of luck, and happy trails.
apacheco
Explorer
Mar 01, 2014
both batteries are 6 volts and are measuring the proper voltage when disconnected.

both batteries are brand new

when measuring voltage I have

6volts on each battery
6 volts pos to pos
6 volts neg to neg
0 voltage from outside pos to outside neg

circuit breakers blew when I put batteries in backwards. I reset them.

fuses tested

both disconnect switches click

cannot find any fuses on the converter.

what's the proper way to test for voltage on the disconnect coming from the batteries?
apacheco
Explorer
Mar 01, 2014
kalynzoo... the only thing that appeared to blow was the two circuit breakers and the glass fuse in the am/fm radio on the dashboard. Do all converters have fuses? I cant find any on the converter itself. I think I might have to try to pull it out and remove the case. does that sounds right?
OnaQuest
Explorer
Mar 01, 2014
If you have 12v power and lights when plugged into shore power, your converter is working.

Your problem is still right there at the battery connections. You have something wrong or a defective cable. They must look like the batteries on the right.
apacheco
Explorer
Mar 01, 2014
that's how they are wired.