Thanks guys for all the help and education and support. I'm smarter than I was and Crush (that's my RVs name) is now better off.
So I decided to test the solenoid now that I understand what is supposed to happen. So I gave the small post 12 volts and it worked just fine. I redid the wiring and cleaned all contacts and posts. There was some corrosion and bad wiring which caused the solenoid not to function. After I put it all back together I got it working as designed. Victory. I just need to add a toggle switch so I can control when it charges the house.
I went to Sam's Club and got a second 12 volt marine/RV battery to match the one that I had first and I will be wiring them in parallel so that I can get ready for my big trip.
While it is a 1988 it only has 40,000 miles on it of which I have put on 10,000. We are planning to go from Maryland to Northern Florida and cut across the Gulf Coast for about a month this winter. So I will be better able to handle the cold than I was with just 1 battery and no house charge as I drove.
Again, thanks for the help.
