Coachmen mystery (1 Viewer)

gurneejoe

Free Member
Jan 18, 2011
3
0
Gurnee, Illinois
Funster No
15,013
MH
Class C
Exp
2
Hello,

We have a 2002 Coachmen Leprechaun and I am not sure if the rear battery is supposed to be charging when the engine is running. There is an emergency push button on the dash which I have had to use when the rear battery is too low to start the generator. The rear battery failed last summer and the 12 volt fixtures in the coach drained it dead while we were driving. If i held the emergency switch in while driving it would charge it up. I could install a toggle switch on it to charge while running but I am wonderiing what would happen if the aux generator were started while the two were coupled. I am also not that confident that I would remember that the switch was on and drain the front battery while sitting parked. The real question is should this be happening automatically and something is wrong or do I have to rig something to overcome the deficiency in the design?

Joe
 
Oct 15, 2007
1,622
280
Five Roads Alyth
Funster No
633
MH
A class RV
Exp
since 2005
Hi:thumb:

I don't know your specific RV but they all should charge whilst the engine is running, split charger/relay somewhere so I would look for a fault in the system, constantly connecting the batteries via the dash switch is not as I understand a good idea, this is and emergency start button really for when the engine battery is flat.
 
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Geo

Trader - Funster
Jul 29, 2007
11,757
14,563
Mansfield,Notts
Funster No
35
MH
Autotrail Tracker FB
Exp
45 +years with breaks
Dodgey is right they all should charge in a perfest world but in real life they dont
due to many many differing combinations and peoples ides of what should and what shouldnt be, there is no definitive answer IE some do some dont, some were never wired up some were and have failed
You will need the services ofa good auto electriain as i did to sort it, unless you are very competent with electrics .
I run my own Garage but needed No1 Son to come and identify what was wrong, and sort it,
Wireing diagrams are also of little use as so many changes take place after Manf
a Toggle switch is not the answer holding in the emergency button for a long time is also not recomended
Geo

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gurneejoe

Free Member
Jan 18, 2011
3
0
Gurnee, Illinois
Funster No
15,013
MH
Class C
Exp
2
Coachmen issue again

I would have thought it would be designed to charge the rear battery while the engine was running so that it would keep everything working while you were driving for long distances or short. If you start the generator, does a relay disconnect the front alternator so there is no conflict between the power sources? I am going to have to see if the wirng diagram is clear enough to answer this. Right now it definitely doesn't charge unless i hold the emergency start button in or have the cord plugged into an electric outlet.
 
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slobadoberbob

Free Member
Jun 1, 2009
6,151
1,960
Kent, garden of England
Funster No
6,953
MH
Winnebago 23' something
Exp
25 years & counting
Often you may find...

Often you will find that the engine alternator produces excess charge which as on a Ford is diverted to the coach battery once the initial re charge of the engine battery has taken place... So once the engine battery is back up to the correct level the excess isthen drawn without any switching... This is normal on the Winnibago's

Normally the emergency switch is designed to allow domestic battery power to boost the start of the engine battery if it is flat. But who knows it could be wrongly wired?

The genny normally is started from the domestic battery not the engine battery. Noting your location I would have thought you would have no problem getting the system checked and sorted... Unlike in the UK, which is much harder to do.

Be interested in what the cause is.

Anyway good luck

Bob:Eeek:
 
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