Chinook RV

Everything went "dead" on 12 volt in the back. Everything works up front on the van part. Everything works when hooked to shore 110 power but unplug from that and it all goes dead. Must be a main fuse or breaker somewhere. Worked great yesterday. It set in the parking lot overnight NOT hooked to shore power. Got in it this morning and everything does not work. Please advise where to look. I flipped all the breakers down by the floor near the shower but no luck. Where should I be looking?? Also Blue n go...I got a new computer and lost my password. I have written two e-mails to administrator trying to figure out how to change my password but nobody will respond back. Can you help?

Lets trouble shoot where you do and do not have 12v on the cabin side. CHeck these in order.
1) at Batteries
2) input of the Low Voltage Disconnect (assuming you have one)
3) Output of the Low voltage disconnect
4) Input to the 12v distribution/fuse panel

Bill

You may have a switch overhead of the driver which disconnects all cabin voltage. CHeck it...

Like b6fischer, I'd like to clarify more about what is dead.

I see you say 12-volt power, so you mean things like lights, water pump, detectors, furnace? (i.e. things that work just on 12 volt power)

I presume you have the "store" switch on and etc.

If NOTHING 12 volt works, then it has to be something at the heart of the matter vs. one individual appliance or circuit. House bank main cable, main feed wire loose at brown box, or etc. Hence why b6fischer wants to know where the 12 volt power ceases to exist.

Or it could just be the curse of claiming that everything worked No, just kidding, we'll help you figure this out.

BG (camping in an Internet hole and only driving to signal occasionally).

PS: To get in touch with the brains of the system here, I send a Private Message to member "Manitou." I'll send one now and let him know you have an issue.

Where is the House bank main cable and which "brown box"? As you described...lights,fridge, porch light,.etc. I may have figured the problem out. On the 150 mile drive back home the batteries seemed to have charged back up and now everything works. When I hit the system test button to check batteries it said medium charged. Soooo, I guess my batteries had just gone dead overnight. I think I left refrigerator on dc overnight . My batteries I believe are about 4 years old but I always check the water and they have never been low. Could week batteries have caused this whole problem? I have always hooked to shore power and have not had this problem before. Blue, Thanks for the assistance, they got ahold of me about my login password problem.

Hi Flame,

Sorry for the delayed reply - I've been camping in a spot with no cell/Internet reception. Just like the good old days

By "brown box," I mean the main power center, which, on a Concourse of our vintage is under the "ell" of the kitchen sink counter. You can turn two little plastic buttons and then the top flops down and you can see all your AC breakers and DC fuses. Also the two main feed power wires go into two of those "stick cut wire in and mash it with a screw" type of connections (which can loosen with vibration).

By main battery wires, I meant the big cables that attach to the house battery terminals.

But yes, low batteries can cause the LVD (low voltage disconnect) to shut down the system. By then they are really low (in other words lower than you'd really want to run them). The propane refrigerator on DC power is a HUGE, huge draw. Definitely not something the stock battery setup can support for long. So maybe that was your problem.

Basically, the stock system was set up for going from power post to power post, plus of course it was done with late 90's tech (actually, many RV's are still done with late 90's tech, but I digress).

BG

Yes, fridge on DC will kill batteries quickly.

To heat up the refrigerator boiler, it uses about 15 Amps. Figuring you have about 100 Ah available before you hit halfway down on power, that's only about six hours.

DC mode should really only be used while driving. I'm even thinking about putting in a relay in to only allow DC while engine is running.

Kevin

PS. Everyone should put at least their year and model in their signature. I had to go search to find out yours is a 1998 Concourse

Sorry Kdarling, I do usually start my questions with 98 Concourse..... I will see if I am smart enough to put it on my profile. Thanks for the advise.