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Re: Coach Battery Problem

Reply #25 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1697

I just called an RV friend of mine, and I guess the little green light stays on all the time when you are on shore power. I will see... that is likely what is happening. One thought if your fuse to the water pump isn't blown. The ground wire from the pump could be corroded from the moisture... it can be cleaned and reattached. Denny

Re: Coach Battery Problem

Reply #26 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1698
If your talking about the light on the steps, the step power usually
comes from the engine batteries and not the coach batteries.

Re: Coach Battery Problem

Reply #27 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1699
Yes, and what I find interesting is that I have a battery connection under the hood (battery is below the co-pilot). My Greyhawk is in a storage location and I always disconnect the battery "under the hood" (not under the steps) when we leave it. Yet, when I open the side entrance door the steps come out. So, I'm not too sure just what I'm disconnecting.

Don


On 15-Sep-08, at 2:27 PM, nchorselover55 wrote:

Re: Coach Battery Problem

Reply #28 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1700

My step switch is powered by the coach thru the converter under the bed. The fuse is in the block by the converter. I don't know about the light under the steps. The light is the one on the "battery disconnect" switch...it goes off when there is no shore/genset power engaged, and the batteries are disconnected.

Re: Coach Battery Problem

Reply #29 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1701
Attachments :

    Deny,

    As an owner of a Fourwinds 33K, I would like to give my two cents to the problem of the batteries not taking the charge from the converter.

    There is a little known, Thermal Fuse that must be connected to allow the batteries to get the current from the Converter
    Yours seems to be opened. The good news is that this Fuse has a micro-switch at the bottom of the vertically positioned fuse. Simply depressing a very small plastic square, will re-connect that circut so that the current can flow to the batteries.

    Ok, that is the easy part.....the hard part is now finding that Thermal Fuse, and then getting into position to reset that switch.

    It is buried under the bed. It is on the right side as you face the opening. Remove the one and only screw that holds the wood panel. Now you will see a mess of wires, but with a good source of light look for a brass connector strip. It is only 1" long. It is positioned horizontally. Now on the right side of the strip is a nut. There is a second nut directly below the first nut, and in between in the Thermal Fuse.

    Get your finger under the black Thermal Fuse and push up. A "snap" will be heard if in fact the Fuse was opened. If it feels flat, and no sound is heard,...then the Thermal Fuse did not open, and the problem is further down stream.

    I have attached a picture of the Thermal Fuse area. I circled it, but did not give it enough thickness to see it clearly.....Hope this helps.

    Regards,

    Joe Marinello

    Re: Coach Battery Problem/Themal fuse

    Reply #31 –
    Yahoo Message Number: 1704
    Denny,

    I cleaned up the area of interest and labled leads. This picture now gives a bettery way of seeing the Thermal Fuse. As stated before, it is located on the right side of the picture. The battery voltage comes in from the lower right and goes through that Thermal Fuse.

    I found the Steps also need that fuse to be working. When open, the Generator, or Shoreline will not bring the steps in.

    Hope this helps,

    Joe

    2007 FourWinds 33K

    Re: Coach Battery Problem/Themal fuse

    Reply #32 –
    Yahoo Message Number: 1705

    Thanks, Joe... you solved a "mystery" for me. On my coach, the buzz bar was mounted so the reset button pointed upward rather than on the bottom. I was checking circuits yesterday in that same exact area when suddenly the converter fan turned on and the batteries started charging. Without knowing it, I must have accidentally "reset" the switch... anyway, I copied your photo and placed it near the area for future reference.

    On quick question, on my 33K, the cover for that area (converter, etc.) was attached to the metal crossbar with a couple screws, then they centered one screw in the board at the foot of the bed, and the front of the cover rested on the one screw. Kinda cheap, and I wondered if that was "standard" quality, or if the workman figured a way to save time. Is your cover attached the same way, or does both long edges rest on a wood or metal support?

    Denny

    Re: Coach Battery Problem/Themal fuse

    Reply #33 –
    Yahoo Message Number: 1706
    Joe,

    Can you post the picture in the photo album. I have a 34h, so my
    converter, inverter and other stuff are under the wardrobe not the bed.
    I don't get sent emails, but, it may still be helpful to see what the
    thermal fuse is.

    David
    Quote
    Denny,

    I cleaned up the area of interest and labled leads. This picture now
    gives a bettery way of seeing the Thermal Fuse. As stated before, it is
    located on the right side of the picture. The battery voltage comes in
    from the lower right and goes through that Thermal Fuse.I found the Steps also need that fuse to be working. When open, the

    Generator, or Shoreline will not bring the steps in.

    Re: Cover over the electronics

    Reply #34 –
    Yahoo Message Number: 1707

    Denny,

    Glad you got the batteries charging. I found that if mine are low and the converter is putting out 14.4V and I ask for the Jacks to retract, too much amperage is going through 50amp Fuse.

    As far as the Cover over the electonics is concerned, I put a lip/edge at the bottom on the vertical fuse panel - wall and re-tapped the two screw holes to take "screw knobs". They are located on that left-to-right support bar at the other end of the cover.

    Hope that helps,

    Joe,

    PS, will post the picture of the "Fuse" on the BB when I can figure that out.



    Re: Coach Battery Problem/Themal fuse

    Reply #35 –
    Yahoo Message Number: 1709
    My "stuff" is under the wardrobe as well and it is a real chore to get at it and really see anything. When we had to try and get the convertor running we couldn't see the reset switch and that was all the problem was. Once again, no thought to the owner.

    More and more I can see that an RV owner "had better be" a very handy person with tools and electrical and mechanical things or he/she will end up with a lot less hair. Mine is getting kind of thin now. :(

    If I could go back to 1993, given what I know now, I doubt that I would buy an RV of any type. I'm more and more of the belief that owning an RV can shorten one's life expectancy. Up the road I can see life insurance applications having a question "do you own an RV?" and if you check "yes" they will say go no further, we don't want the risk. What Denny has been going though is not unusual and every manufacturer has turned out a lot of lemons. One RV can be a lemon and the next one off the line can be close to perfect. The risk of getting a lemon or a MH with dozens of problems is far too high.

    Don

    ps. When we had our Ambassador (which wasn't toooooo bad - only 3 months at the dealer in the first year) I was on a Monaco forum and I saved a post by an owner who took his MH back to the factory with over 200 problems. It always amazed me that someone could be happy in a situation like this. I think it is a case of not wanting to admit one made a mistake in purchasing the MH in the first place.


    On 16-Sep-08, at 10:05 AM, dsteinman2001 wrote:

    Re: Coach Battery Problem/Themal fuse

    Reply #36 –
    Yahoo Message Number: 1710
    Don wrote:

    Quote
    My "stuff" is under the wardrobe as well and it is a real chore to get
    at it and really see anything.

    That's an understatement :-)

    Quote
    More and more I can see that an RV owner "had better be" a very handy
    person with tools and electrical and mechanical things

    No doubt about it and I never really thought about that until I bought
    this motorhome. In the past I took care of whatever happened to my
    trailers and the only motorhome I had before this was in the 70's when I
    had the Minnie Winne, which never had a problem. Since owning this one
    I'm always looking for the next problem although the last two outings
    have been flawless.

    I just noticed the rubber ring around my back window has shrunk and
    pulled away from one corner so I need to address that. I'm sure I'll be
    told it was a maintenance issue and I should have kept it lubed and
    soft....something I do religiously with 303 lube.

    Quote
    Up the road I can see life
    insurance applications having a question "do you own an RV?" and if
    you check "yes" they will say go no further, we don't want the risk.

    You could be absolutely right :-))))))

    Quote
    saved a post by an owner who took his MH back to the factory with over
    200 problems. It always amazed me that someone could be happy

    The king has no clothes. :-( Owning a motorhome is a very expensive
    mistake. Makes me wonder about our sanity since I'm not ready to sell
    mine yet.

    Take care,
    Greg