No power from coach batteries

[vincewarde]

I did a search and couldn't find anything close to this - hence this post.

I am working on our 1978 Tiffin motorh9me.  The biggest problem with this thing is that the previous owner thought he could do electrical work.  Believe me, he was wrong

I just finished cleaning up the mess in the battery compartment - including setting up some bus connectors to replace the rat's nest worth of wires that were connected to the terminals.  I am absolutely positive that I connected everything that the previous owner had connected.

The problem is that the battery will not power anything in the coach.  It will fire the genset and then everything works off the converter.  I have checked and both the positive and negative buses I installed do have good connections to the battery.  I have not been able to find a disconnect switch that cuts power from the battery to the converter and the 12v fuses.  There is an inline circuit breaker in the battery compartment.

I have concluded that the circuit must be "open" between the battery and the converter.  My next step will be to bypass the circuit breaker and see what happens.

Two questions:

1) What rating (how many amps) should the breaker be should I need to replace it?  This one is painted over.

2) Am I one the right track.  Does anyone have any further info?

Thanks!

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

If it is still stock, then most have a relay in the converter that transfers between converter and battery.  When 110VAC power is supplied (shore power or genny) to converter the relay is energized and 12VDC comes from the converter.  When 110VAC to converter is removed the relay is deenergized.  If the relay contacts are burned together, it can remain in one postion and not transfer back and forth.  You have to look inside the converter to see the relay.

Dave

[JDxeper]

Dave, can he run a continuity check on the wires going from the battery to the converter? Look for open circuits?


non electrical
JD

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

You can but the you have to be carful.  Existing voltage in a circuit (ie 12VDC) can damage a continuty tester.
Depending on wiring, you can read parallel paths which can fool you into thinking it was good or bad (depending on what you are expecting).  To late (bedtime) for me to try and explain all that now.

Dave

[4winds]

Have no idea how yours is wired but on an Executive the coach and engine battery are the same.  The generator has  a seperate battery for it only.  Drove me nuts till I figured that out.  Ed

[tiinytina]

Having a tiffin too 1987 vintage... There is a switch in the coach to turn on the 12V system... if the switch is off nothing runs but genny will start...  Ours is located on a panel just inside the coach door, there are also little switches there for porch light, floor lights on same panel....

tina

[vincewarde]

Thanks to all who have replied.  If anyone else has an idea please post it.  I'll come back and post here when I find the problem.  That is, if I find the problem..........

[Oz]

Ever track down the gremlin?