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tporter

Southern California

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Posted: 03/31/12 03:23pm

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I have four house batteries along with two other batteries that start the motorhome. Total of six batteries. The house batteries are older, i'm not sure how old. I have owned the motorhome for three years and haven't replaced them. If I try to start the generator without the motorhome running the generator won't start. If I start the motorhome first then the generator will start. When I shut the motorhome off the generator will die.

I have separate battery switches for the motorhome batteries and the house batteries. Could my generator batteries be shot which is making me think I have an electrical problem? Does the generator charge the four house batteries or does the alternator from the motorhome charge all batteries?

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Ka Ron

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Posted: 03/31/12 03:38pm

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I am thinking (a dangerous thing) that the generator uses the house batteries to start and not the chassis battery??

If the coach batteries do not have enough power when you start the engine the power from the alternator is starting the generator, but when you shut the engine off there is no power from the house batteries and that would be why the generator dies.

Have you tested the house batteries to see if they are good??

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garym114

Bluff Dale, Texas

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Posted: 03/31/12 04:10pm

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Do the 12v lights work without the gen or shore power?
All the iterations with the generator points to discharged house batteries.
The gen provides 110v power for the converter to charge the house batteries and the alternator should charge all batteries.

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Dale.Traveling

Newport News, VA

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Posted: 03/31/12 04:14pm

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tporter wrote:

When I shut the motorhome off the generator will die.

I'm thinking electrical just by that statment. You need DC to run the fuel pump. Does anything that is DC powered work when the generator, engine, and shore power are off such as lights or the water pump? Almost sounds like the entire DC network for the coach has been turned off.

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tporter

Southern California

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Posted: 03/31/12 04:30pm

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1 house battery tested bad the other three were weak.

The 12V lights work and seem bright although I would just turn them on to see in the coach then shut them off.

Since I don't know the age of the house batteries (they are at least 3 years old) I will start by replacing them. I had another problem with my batteries not charging from sure power, my digital readout would just went blank when plugged into shore power after 10 minutes or so. Maybe my batteries are too weak or have shorted out which is causing my problem?

RayChez

Barstow, Ca. USA

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Posted: 03/31/12 04:36pm

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Sounds to me like you might have a bad transfer switch in your inverter/charger and it is not charging your house batteries.

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rvrepairnut

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Posted: 03/31/12 04:44pm

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tporter wrote:

I beleive if you replace the 4 coach batterys and make sure all your
cable connections both+ and - are good it will solve your delema
based on what u said is happening in your first post

chewbear

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Posted: 03/31/12 04:49pm

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In my 2002 Alternator charges both house and coach. Generator charges both house and coach. Shore power charges both house and coach. When My Alternator went bad, ran generator to charge coach set and it kept motor running till I limped to help.

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hershey

Albuquerque,(fulltime) NM, USA

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Posted: 03/31/12 05:02pm

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I'm bettin' that the house batteries start the generator. I'm bettin' that at least one of the house batteries (probably more) is bad and not giving you full power that the generator needs to start.
Can you test the output of the house batteries without anything charging them? Test them at least an hour after you have had not charging power either engine or shore power to them. They should show about 12.6 or 12.7 volts but anything over 12.4 should start the generator.
Remove the cables from the negative side of the bank of batteries and check the voltage of each battery. I'm bettin' that you'll find a dead battery.
Sounds like I'm doing a lot of bettin', but I'm bettin' I'm on the right track.

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