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Old 05-11-2019, 12:50 AM   #21
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My Tourmaster has an engine battery on off switch that I always turn off after shutting the engine down to prevent anything draining the start battery.
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Old 08-03-2019, 08:32 PM   #22
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What does the dash switch look like that tells it to charge both sets of batts?
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Old 08-03-2019, 08:33 PM   #23
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Where is the batt on off switch located?
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Old 08-03-2019, 10:10 PM   #24
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Bill,


There is no switch that charges both sets of batteries, but there is a momentary switch that allows the house and chassis batteries to be TEMPORARILY connected together to get the engine started. it has an icon tht looks like a battery (third fro the left in the below picture...)

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Old 08-03-2019, 10:11 PM   #25
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The house and chassis battery main switches are typically in the step well as you exit.
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Old 08-04-2019, 07:21 AM   #26
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Thanks Chuck! First thing I did when I bought my coach was to label all the switches. Drives me nuts that they weren't labeled. There are a bunch of switches in the well that aren't labeled, included a red switch. I didn't find any momentary switches. I did find what looks to be a bunch of basement door switches though.
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Old 08-04-2019, 07:21 AM   #27
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Yeah, mine don't have anything with a battery on it. No icons at all. It is very frustrating.
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Old 08-04-2019, 07:29 AM   #28
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Chuck, this reply is very helpful and made me think about something. You said the Golf Cart batts start the gen. My gen won't start, won't even turn over. No noise, nothing. Could it be that all 8 batts are dead? And if so, what would cause that? Last time I ran the engine and gen was in May sometime. Or could it be that there is a master switch somewhere that I've turned off? As it is now, I am going to charge my 4 batts in the aft starboard side but not sure how I will be able to get the gen batts charged just yet. I pulled the gen out and didn't see any batts up under there.

Lesson learned here, start the coach and gen once per week and let it run for a while.
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Old 08-04-2019, 07:52 AM   #29
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Chuck, this reply is very helpful and made me think about something. You said the Golf Cart batts start the gen. My gen won't start, won't even turn over. No noise, nothing. Could it be that all 8 batts are dead? And if so, what would cause that? Last time I ran the engine and gen was in May sometime. Or could it be that there is a master switch somewhere that I've turned off? As it is now, I am going to charge my 4 batts in the aft starboard side but not sure how I will be able to get the gen batts charged just yet. I pulled the gen out and didn't see any batts up under there.

Lesson learned here, start the coach and gen once per week and let it run for a while.
What does your battery indicator say on the control panel?

Normally your batteries will stay charged. No need to start the coach once a week.
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Old 08-04-2019, 10:02 AM   #30
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The battery charge indicator in the status panel on my coach that contains the tank level indicators and the propane level only shows the state of the house batteries. The inverter battery charge indicator is on a separate panel in the overhead entertainment equipment cabinet next to the front TV. I did not have a charge indication of any kind for the chassis batteries...


If you left the inverter on last May and you have a load that is always present like a residential refrigerator then the inverter/generator start batteries would certainly be dead by now. Look at the level of electrolyte in those cart batteries as they are a bit difficult to fill in that under windshield location and probably did not get regular maintenance service from the prior owner. I put a set of watering caps on mine with the squeeze bulb pump to make it easier to fill and check using the fill indicator on each cap. Did the same for the house batteries since the basement bay was not that much easier to check electrolyte level there as well.


A good plan with a new-to-you used coach is to replace all the batteries now so you KNOW their age and condition and begin a regular maintenance schedule at that point.


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Old 08-04-2019, 10:56 AM   #31
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Absolutely zero indication. Nothing works at all on the coach, except the headlights and they are very dim. Can't get any other lights to come on, not even the radio.
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Old 08-06-2019, 05:57 AM   #32
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dead battery...that's common indications

it doesn't mean your battery can't be revived, but it has been drawn down so far very little will actually 'work'...
also, in many RVs, the 'radio' is actually powered by the HOUSE batteries...
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Old 08-06-2019, 06:15 AM   #33
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and, yes, the aggravation of 'non labeled' switches is, unfortunately, common with some builders... it's like a 'test' to see if you can figure it out!

the 'AUX' or 'EMERGENCY START' switch, a 'momentary' switch, is designed to link both sets of CHASSIS and HOUSE battery banks, so that you can either start the GENERATOR, or start the ENGINE, etc., if one of the banks are low. You can hold the switch in position for as long as you need to to keep the banks connected.
This switch is usually located on the dash.

the Use/Store switch, usually located near the entrance, is a UP or DOWN switch.... with UP being in the 'USE' position of having the HOUSE batteries powering our 12v fuse panel for all of your 12v lights, fans, water pump, furnace, etc., and also your INVERTER, generally.
The DOWN 'STORE' position DISCONNECTS the battery bank from the 12v fuse panel, for storage - when you don't want the HOUSE batteries to be used.
Most RVs, though, don't actually disconnect 'everything' when the switch is in STORE mode, since some safety devices, such as propane and co2 detectors always want to be powered. These will continue to draw down the batteries, albeit slowly.

Also, even if you are 'plugged in', and expect your Inverter's CHARGER, or Converter, to charge your HOUSE batteries, and even your CHASSIS batteries, if it has that capability, you must have the switch in the USE(up) position, as this allows the Charger to get it's charging power to the Batteries.

Generally, in most motorhomes, the HOUSE batteries power almost everything, even sometimes what you might expect the vehicle's CHASSIS batteries to power - such as the GENERATOR, the RADIO/VIDEO system, the Hydraulic Leveling JACKS, etc.

Only the the items that are solely vehicle related, or are tied to the ignition, will be powered by the Chassis battery bank, such as the engine starting, vehicle lights, but even including the automatic STEPS, as they are triggered by the ignition, and the door opening/closing, as a safety measure.


enjoy!
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Old 08-06-2019, 10:14 AM   #34
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and, yes, the aggravation of 'non labeled' switches is, unfortunately, common with some builders... it's like a 'test' to see if you can figure it out!

the 'AUX' or 'EMERGENCY START' switch, a 'momentary' switch, is designed to link both sets of CHASSIS and HOUSE battery banks, so that you can either start the GENERATOR, or start the ENGINE, etc., if one of the banks are low. You can hold the switch in position for as long as you need to to keep the banks connected.
This switch is usually located on the dash.

the Use/Store switch, usually located near the entrance, is a UP or DOWN switch.... with UP being in the 'USE' position of having the HOUSE batteries powering our 12v fuse panel for all of your 12v lights, fans, water pump, furnace, etc., and also your INVERTER, generally.
The DOWN 'STORE' position DISCONNECTS the battery bank from the 12v fuse panel, for storage - when you don't want the HOUSE batteries to be used.
Most RVs, though, don't actually disconnect 'everything' when the switch is in STORE mode, since some safety devices, such as propane and co2 detectors always want to be powered. These will continue to draw down the batteries, albeit slowly.

Also, even if you are 'plugged in', and expect your Inverter's CHARGER, or Converter, to charge your HOUSE batteries, and even your CHASSIS batteries, if it has that capability, you must have the switch in the USE(up) position, as this allows the Charger to get it's charging power to the Batteries.

Generally, in most motorhomes, the HOUSE batteries power almost everything, even sometimes what you might expect the vehicle's CHASSIS batteries to power - such as the GENERATOR, the RADIO/VIDEO system, the Hydraulic Leveling JACKS, etc.

Only the the items that are solely vehicle related, or are tied to the ignition, will be powered by the Chassis battery bank, such as the engine starting, vehicle lights, but even including the automatic STEPS, as they are triggered by the ignition, and the door opening/closing, as a safety measure.


enjoy!
Thanks! Most of my switches near the entrance aren't labeled so I have no idea what they do. I cannot tell if I even have the use/store switch. And, I definitely do not have a battery connection switch anywhere. As of now, my coach starts, gen starts and everything works fine. I will keep checking to see if the draw is heavy or light.

I am not plugged in at the moment. I tried that and I fried the GFCI on my shed and tripped the shed breaker. So that didn't work well.
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Old 08-06-2019, 10:20 AM   #35
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Thanks! Most of my switches near the entrance aren't labeled so I have no idea what they do. I cannot tell if I even have the use/store switch. And, I definitely do not have a battery connection switch anywhere. As of now, my coach starts, gen starts and everything works fine. I will keep checking to see if the draw is heavy or light.

I am not plugged in at the moment. I tried that and I fried the GFCI on my shed and tripped the shed breaker. So that didn't work well.
You should disconnect the power convertor and try plugging it in again.
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Old 08-06-2019, 10:50 AM   #36
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try plugging it in again, with either a new GFCI shore outlet, or a regular one... as it's probably nothing to do with your coach that caused this... and a tripped breaker is common with RVs, but it's doing it's job, no worries...

turn off most all of the 120v items in the coach before plugging in, including the Electric Water Heater, if you have one, the Inverter's Battery Charger, etc., or you can even more easily just flip off all your coach's breakers except for one that serves an outlet that you can then test to see if it works....then start adding the other breakers.

Yes, if you are plugging into a normal 15a GFCI outlet, you can certainly trip it's breaker quickly because you may have many items in the ON mode, or ready to come one, when Shore Power is available...just limit those, and you'll have few issues.
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Old 08-06-2019, 11:30 AM   #37
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You should disconnect the power convertor and try plugging it in again.
Ok thanks! Where is that and what will that do?
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Old 08-06-2019, 01:54 PM   #38
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Check all the batteries and replace them if they show bad. You got to have good batteries. You do not show on your signature what coach you own. If you were to tell us what coach you have we might be able to help you with more accurate information.

Summer heat is very hard on batteries. I just replaced a couple of my chassis batteries while visiting Las Vegas. But they had been in my coach for at least seven years, so it was time. Bought two commercial heavy duty batteries at Napa for around three hundred bucks. Cranks that Caterpillar engine right up. So good batteries either the chassis or the house is very important. They are expensive, but RVing as a whole is. Maintaining those batteries is very important. So I think you might need to change some batteries if they show they are bad IF you want your problems to go away.
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Old 08-06-2019, 02:51 PM   #39
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Where is the batt on off switch located?
On my 2000 Tourmaster, I have an on off switch for the Cummins start batteries that's located along with some large breakers on the passenger side hatch immediately forward of the engine.
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Old 08-07-2019, 10:17 AM   #40
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Check all the batteries and replace them if they show bad. You got to have good batteries. You do not show on your signature what coach you own. If you were to tell us what coach you have we might be able to help you with more accurate information.

Summer heat is very hard on batteries. I just replaced a couple of my chassis batteries while visiting Las Vegas. But they had been in my coach for at least seven years, so it was time. Bought two commercial heavy duty batteries at Napa for around three hundred bucks. Cranks that Caterpillar engine right up. So good batteries either the chassis or the house is very important. They are expensive, but RVing as a whole is. Maintaining those batteries is very important. So I think you might need to change some batteries if they show they are bad IF you want your problems to go away.
Thanks! My battsa are good, no issues. They were just so dead that they needed to charge for a bit. The coach started up and so does the gen just fine, no issues.

BTW, I have a '94 Tourmaster 8391.
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