Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
Gulf Stream Owners RV Forum
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 05-18-2020, 08:21 PM   #1
RedwingGreg
New Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Traverse City
Posts: 9
Default No Power when engine not running

I got my 2005 Gulfstream Sun Voyager out of winter storage and I am having a problem.
None of my chassis electrical works. I did find the storage facility forgot to connect the ground cable to the battery so I connected it and still do not have any power.
Both Chassis batteries are charged fully and everything works when connected to 30 amp electrical but as soon as I unplug power, everything goes dead.
Also my 50 AMP generator will only start when the engine is running and then all chassis lights and electrical works but as soon as I turn off the engine everything dies and the generator shuts off.....
I am not sure if my chassis batteries are hooked up incorrectly or if the Power inverter could be shot.
Any ideas?
Here is how my batteries are connected
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Batteries.JPG (24.2 KB, 5 views)
RedwingGreg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-18-2020, 10:13 PM   #2
Frutza
Senior Member
 
Frutza's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 281
Default

Chassis refers to engine and it's related
Coach battery aka house battery is most everything else
Sounds like your coach battery is still disconnected
Your pic shows 2 batteries in series, now, that better be 2 6 volt batteries!, 12 volt batteries hook up differently
__________________
Mike & Becky
2005 Crescendo 8356
Frutza is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-18-2020, 11:06 PM   #3
RedwingGreg
New Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Traverse City
Posts: 9
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Frutza View Post
Chassis refers to engine and it's related
Coach battery aka house battery is most everything else
Sounds like your coach battery is still disconnected
Your pic shows 2 batteries in series, now, that better be 2 6 volt batteries!, 12 volt batteries hook up differently
It is 2 12volt batteries and thanks for the clarification.
I have 2 coach batteries and 1 chasiss battery. The coach batteries are connected as shown in my photo.

I did take it in this morning to have the generator serviced and it looks like the battery disconnect switches were turned off.
I bought the RV used and the guy I purchased it from had no clue how those disconnect switches operated and frankly neither do I.
It looks like they should have lights on them to show they are on or off but how can you tell which position is on and which is off and can someone tell a first time RV owner exactly what those do?
RedwingGreg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2020, 08:44 AM   #4
Frutza
Senior Member
 
Frutza's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 281
Default

I looked at your pic wrong
What kind of switches,
Mine, toggle left & right, left points to outside, off
Right is inside the rv, on?
__________________
Mike & Becky
2005 Crescendo 8356
Frutza is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2020, 08:51 AM   #5
Chuck v
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,026
Default

Mike,


Greg's diagram clearely shows the two batteries in parallel, so 12 volt batteries are appropriate in this wiring configuration.


Greg, The battery disconnect switches are momentary rockers in my coach and they remotely actuate large heavy current latching relays that actually do the battery switching. The light indicates the relay is latched ON. When not lit, the relay is latched OFF.



You need to have the batteries 'connected' to charge. The house batteries will charge off the shore power and the generator, the chassis battery typically only charges off the engine's alternator.


This does not really explain your odd generator issues. I could see how the generator may not start if the shore power were not present if it normally gets its cranking power from the house batteries (my larger diesel pusher coach has a third battery bank that starts the diesel generator and provides the power to the inverter for the residential refrigerator and other 110 volt appliances when not on shore power.) There is a transfer switch on the output of an RV generator that assumes some of the AC loads in your coach when it is running, and switches these loads back to shore power when the generator is not running.


Chuck
__________________
2007 Tour Master T40C
Acura MDX toad

"It takes a great deal of time to recover from any improvement..."
Chuck v is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2020, 08:56 AM   #6
RedwingGreg
New Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Traverse City
Posts: 9
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chuck v View Post
Mike,


Greg's diagram clearely shows the two batteries in parallel, so 12 volt batteries are appropriate in this wiring configuration.


Greg, The battery disconnect switches are momentary rockers in my coach and they remotely actuate large heavy current latching relays that actually do the battery switching. The light indicates the relay is latched ON. When not lit, the relay is latched OFF.



You need to have the batteries 'connected' to charge. The house batteries will charge off the shore power and the generator, the chassis battery typically only charges off the engine's alternator.


This does not really explain your odd generator issues. I could see how the generator may not start if the shore power were not present if it normally gets its cranking power from the house batteries (my larger diesel pusher coach has a third battery bank that starts the diesel generator and provides the power to the inverter for the residential refrigerator and other 110 volt appliances when not on shore power.) There is a transfer switch on the output of an RV generator that assumes some of the AC loads in your coach when it is running, and switches these loads back to shore power when the generator is not running.


Chuck
Chuck, thank you for this information. It sounds like the lights may be burned out in my disconnect switches. of course this causes a lot of confusion for a newbie like me
I think the guys servicing my generator today will be able to help with the strange generator issues.

Again, I appreciate your help,

Greg
RedwingGreg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2020, 09:17 AM   #7
Frutza
Senior Member
 
Frutza's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 281
Default

I also put one of those voltage monitors that plug into a cig lighter in, simple battery display & will tell me at a glance if batteries are on or off
__________________
Mike & Becky
2005 Crescendo 8356
Frutza is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-20-2020, 07:12 AM   #8
RedwingGreg
New Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Traverse City
Posts: 9
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Frutza View Post
I also put one of those voltage monitors that plug into a cig lighter in, simple battery display & will tell me at a glance if batteries are on or off
Great idea, thanks
RedwingGreg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-20-2020, 07:42 AM   #9
Frutza
Senior Member
 
Frutza's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 281
Default

Chuck, you are correct, I missed it, at 1st. Good thing he didn't listen to me
__________________
Mike & Becky
2005 Crescendo 8356
Frutza is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-24-2020, 10:45 AM   #10
RayChez1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,257
Default

Those batteries are hooked up in parallel and are hooked up correct if these are twelve volt batteries on the chassis. Positive to positive and negative to negative gives you twelve volts.
__________________
2002 Gulf Stream Scenic Cruiser
2018 Buick Envision Essence
Neway Freightliner chassis
Aventa II Blue Ox
RayChez1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:07 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
×