Supernova battery isolator location

[Darbgnik]

Hey guys, heading down the highway from Canada, and noticed last night that the truck isn't charging the house batteries.

I traced the one charge wire with the circuit breaker on it, which heads to the main house breaker location. So i assume this wire is the charge from the rectifier, which works under shore power and genny power.

Can someone tell me where the isolator from the trucks charging system is? From the bundle of cables leaving the batteries, I dont know where to start. And I'm on the side of the road in winter conditions.

Thanks!!

[Darbgnik]

Well, I found a parking lot, and had some sun and above freezing temperatures, and I'm pretty sure I figured my issue out.

The isolator is in the box marked power distribution center, in the battery compartment. You have to take an inner cover off, which is all wired up through the rear of the box, to access it.

Since it was a short circuit waiting to happen, I disconnected the batteries before pulling it apart.

Looks like the last guy who wired up the batteries wired both sides of the isolator to the house batteries, so when the isolator closed, the house battery bank never linked up with the truck batteries, allowing the house batteries to charge.

[pwerwagn]

Glad you found it. Had a similar issue on my supernova. The time delay box had lost the power signal due to a blown fuse, so it was never sending power to the relay.

I ended up making up a jumper cable with alligator clips on it that reaches from positive to positive. That way in a pinch, I can hook the house/truck batts together. That also ensures that if I totally kill the house batts, I can hook them together and start the Gen (since the emergency start wont work if the house batts are dead...).

[Darbgnik]

Ya, I thought about doing that alligator clips trick as a backup plan, but luckily I was able to get it figured out on the road.

So far on this trip, we've put on around 2500 miles, from northern Alberta, Canada, all the way to Tucson, with a few detours along the way to Zion National Park, the Bonneville Salt Flats, and the Grand Canyon.

So far, 2 electrical repairs, and 2 plumbing repairs:
1.The isolator repair already mentioned.
2.The house batteries went conpletely flat trying to run the furnace on them, and wouldn't take a charge, as they were 5 years old anyway, replaced.
3. When I dewinterized in Utah, there was a leak at the HWT diverter valve. Luckily I could just put it back together.
4. Just replaced the toilet vacuum breaker that started leaking when we landed in Tucson. Date code says it was original, so it had a good run.


Other than that all good. Except for the unbelievably harsh ride over rough roads, Flagstaff to Phoenix was positively 3rd world, lol. But luckily most US Interstates are billiard tables compared to our Canadian goat paths!

I was sure wishing I had those isolators you have on the rear leafs! I even filled the fresh water tank on the last leg trying to soften it up.

[pwerwagn]

Sounds like a great trip!!! Its always good when you can resolve the issues during the trip!!

I was in phoenix with mine last weekend for Nascar, but I always avoid the flagstaff route. Where I live I take either the route thru payson or south thru tuscon. I know that is waaaay out of the way for you, but on your way out of phoenix you might consider going a different way depending on where you are going! South thru tuscon avoids lots of hills! East thru payson has a lot of hills as well, but is a more enjoyable drive that flagstaff, in my opinion.

Have fun!