Forum Discussion

Squealers's avatar
Squealers
Explorer
Apr 08, 2017

Rig Starts, No Power to House or 12V Dash Items

Hey Folks,

I have a 2016 Tiffin RED PA37 , which is a DP on a Freightliner Chassis, which we just bought (it was 8 month used rig) and took on a 2500 mile trip.

When I got it home, and placed it in storage last week, all was good. I do not have power at my storage facility. I did fail to turn off my inverter but had my management system programed to start the genset if voltage dropped to 11.5 volts.

Went out to the rig last night and I can start the rig, but I have zippo house power, and no power to the genset, wipers, nor the power step, power shades, camera, radio, mirrors, etc, etc. Nothing....alll deal, but the rig starts up.

I could find no breakers tripped, nor are any battery switches turned off. I am stumped, but then again my last coach was a gasser and all I had to do was turn off the salesman switch and alll was good till the next trip.

Any ideas other than the batteries are dead? But if the house batteries are dead, which I get, then why does the rig start on the chassis battery yet I have no power to the dash items? I thought they ran off the chassis battery.

Thanks for your ideas and insight. It was recommended on the TIffin stite to go out start the rig, put it in high idle for an hour or so and try to get a charge to the house batteries. I can not bring it home to plug it in with the steps out and without the other powered items working. Thanks all!
Class A
  • kerrlakeRoo's avatar
    kerrlakeRoo
    Explorer
    Apr 08, 2017
    A shot in the dark but,,, could there be a fusable link in the hot line feeding the rest of the unit?
  • donn0128's avatar
    donn0128
    Explorer II
    Apr 08, 2017
    Since most 12 volt items are fused and not breakers, I would venture a guess that several fuses are blown. Start with the under dash fuse panel and using a volt/ohm meter check each fuse. Then move on to the house fuse panel and check all of them. My gut says the managment system has failed, but hey what do I know.
  • Squealers's avatar
    Squealers
    Explorer
    Apr 08, 2017
    Another Tiffin owner stated he shut off the house batteries and he did not have power to his wipers, back up camera, step, mirrors, shades, etc, so that mystery is solved. I will go out and high idle the rig and hope the house batteries come back to life enough to get this rig home and plugged in.
  • dougrainer's avatar
    dougrainer
    Nomad
    Apr 08, 2017
    Unlike a Car, Tiffin powers items Tiffin installs NOT THRU the chassis fuse box. The Items you listed are powered thru the Coach Battery and the chassis, but required the coach batteries to be powered up to engage the relay/solenoid that is activated BY the chassis ignition on side of the key switch. There are separate fuses for those items but they are a Tiffin installed fuse box. You need to get a quick jump to the dead coach batteries using jumper cables. Once you have 12 volts to the coach batteries the Emergency start switch will be able to activate and use a toothpick to hold switch ON. Run the chassis engine for about 20 minutes and that should be enough time to get the Genset to start. Once the Genset starts, leave it on for about 4 hours. That will be long enough for the Inverter/charger to charge up the coach batteries to full. Remove the toothpick once the genset starts. Doug
  • Mr_Mark1's avatar
    Mr_Mark1
    Explorer
    Apr 08, 2017
    Seems 11.5 volts is too low of a setting as the batteries are really dead at that level.

    Good luck,
    MM.
  • Squealers's avatar
    Squealers
    Explorer
    Apr 08, 2017
    dougrainer wrote:
    Unlike a Car, Tiffin powers items Tiffin installs NOT THRU the chassis fuse box. The Items you listed are powered thru the Coach Battery and the chassis, but required the coach batteries to be powered up to engage the relay/solenoid that is activated BY the chassis ignition on side of the key switch. There are separate fuses for those items but they are a Tiffin installed fuse box. You need to get a quick jump to the dead coach batteries using jumper cables. Once you have 12 volts to the coach batteries the Emergency start switch will be able to activate and use a toothpick to hold switch ON. Run the chassis engine for about 20 minutes and that should be enough time to get the Genset to start. Once the Genset starts, leave it on for about 4 hours. That will be long enough for the Inverter/charger to charge up the coach batteries to full. Remove the toothpick once the genset starts. Doug


    Doug, first, thank you so much, your instructions were perfect...I jumped the house batteries and the genset started right up....I will get it home and plug it in to finish the charging.

    Do you have step by step instructions on shutting everything down when you place your rig in non powered storage?

    Keith
  • lanerd's avatar
    lanerd
    Explorer II
    Apr 08, 2017
    You can turn everything off including the disconnect switch, but that will NOT remove all 12v drains on the batteries.

    If you drained your house batteries, you may have destroyed their ability to hold a charge and may need replacing.

    If in non-powered (no shore power) environment for more than a few days, I would disconnect the batteries at the neg terminal.

    Ron
  • dougrainer's avatar
    dougrainer
    Nomad
    Apr 08, 2017
    Squealers wrote:
    dougrainer wrote:
    Unlike a Car, Tiffin powers items Tiffin installs NOT THRU the chassis fuse box. The Items you listed are powered thru the Coach Battery and the chassis, but required the coach batteries to be powered up to engage the relay/solenoid that is activated BY the chassis ignition on side of the key switch. There are separate fuses for those items but they are a Tiffin installed fuse box. You need to get a quick jump to the dead coach batteries using jumper cables. Once you have 12 volts to the coach batteries the Emergency start switch will be able to activate and use a toothpick to hold switch ON. Run the chassis engine for about 20 minutes and that should be enough time to get the Genset to start. Once the Genset starts, leave it on for about 4 hours. That will be long enough for the Inverter/charger to charge up the coach batteries to full. Remove the toothpick once the genset starts. Doug


    Doug, first, thank you so much, your instructions were perfect...I jumped the house batteries and the genset started right up....I will get it home and plug it in to finish the charging.

    Do you have step by step instructions on shutting everything down when you place your rig in non powered storage?

    Keith


    Make sure the Inverter is OFF----This is the biggest thing RV'ers forget. Remote panel is out of sight and out of mind. Battery disconnects NEVER shut off power to the Inverter/Charger. So, on your model Tiffin, Turn the batteries off at the entry door. Make sure the Inverter is OFF. Once the Ignition key is off the chassis will be OK. Now, on Tiffin, they have 2 manual battery disconnects also. One at the chassis battery area and the other at the coach battery area unless you have the coach batteries in the entry step. Doug

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