No 12V at all

[TominVegas]

It does sound like either the house batteries are drained or the disconnect is on. However, I would note that my steps on the 34H5 are not affected by the battery disconnect so dead batteries are a good guess. As has been stated even with the disconnect on you will have some power drain. If it's like my 2019, if you can start the engine and the disconnect is off it should start to charge the batteries but if they are totally depleted it may take a bit.

I had that happen on my old rig and once the battery was charged sufficiently I was able to get the generator started and them charged back up. I would note that draining them to that point is not good for them.

[CHICKDOE]

still think it is better to drive it to your house and connect it to your 50 amp receptacle. you say it works great so we'll assume that it is wired properly for the rv. your batteries probably need 24 or even 48 hours to get as fully charged as they can be. that's a lot of time to run the generator.

since you husband has a multimeter i'm assuming he knows how to use it. the first thing i would check is whether the batteries are getting recharged. take a reading dc volt reading at the battery terminals with the generator off and not connected to shore power. you'll should get something around 12.6 volts if the batteries are fully charged. less than that is not fully charged. then start the generator or plug into shore power. the same reading at the battery terminals should be 13.5 or even up to the low 14 volts. if this is the case you has proven that the batteries are getting charged.

there are normally several parasitic drains on the batteries even with the factory installed disconnect switch set to off. i have a battery monitor and with the factory disconnect set to off i still measure about .2 amps of current draw from the battery. over days / weeks this will drain the batteries.

get the batteries fully charged and then disconnect to negative battery cable to stop these parasitic drains.

[NXR]

Your issue likely is that there are several pieces of equipment wired directly to the house batteries in that first compartment to the left of the entry door. One is the propane leak detector, which is a perennial favorite for killing the house batteries in about a week if the RV is not plugged in.

Your safest bet is to drive it home and leave it plugged in overnight if possible. The house battery switch behind the passenger seat, at your right as you look in the door, needs to have the top pressed to turn the batteries on. The house (and chassis) battery will not charge off of shore power unless that switch is set to on.

Once he has it back at the storage lot, either disconnect the negative cable from the house batteries or locate the four or five inline fuseholders directly wired to the house batteries. They're easy to find because they're hanging in mid-air over the batteries.

Once the motorhome is locked up, remove each of those fuses and that will reduce the "parasitic" drain on the house batteries a lot.

One of those fuses is for the steps. Be certain you know which fuse goes in which holder. You could just tape each fuse to the holder that it was removed from.

Ray

[NXR]

Originally Posted by TominVegas

If it's like my 2019, if you can start the engine and the disconnect is off it should start to charge the batteries ...

Are you sure about that? On mine if the disconnect is off (the bottom of the switch has been pressed) neither the house or chassis batteries will charge off shore power or generator.

I've never tried to charge the house batteries from the engine so I really do not know if the BCC controls that charging path or not.

It sounds like it does not but I would think that would be odd because there would be no way to isolate an overheating house battery if the engine was running.

You know, shut the disconnect off at the campground because a house battery got really hot. Calm down and decide to drive home and the defective battery starts overheating again.

Interesting...

Ray

[bubbles]

Originally Posted by NXR

Are you sure about that? On mine if the disconnect is off (the bottom of the switch has been pressed) neither the house or chassis batteries will charge off shore power or generator. Ray

TominVegas is correct. Coach batteries will charge via the alternator whether the battery disconnect is on or off. The coach batteries cannot be disconnected from alternator charging.

[TominVegas]

Originally Posted by bubbles

TominVegas is correct. Coach batteries will charge via the alternator whether the battery disconnect is on or off. The coach batteries cannot be disconnected from alternator charging.

That was my understanding as well. Although I haven't tested it in my current unit.

[bubbles]

Originally Posted by TominVegas

That was my understanding as well. Although I haven't tested it in my current unit.

My post referenced and supported your statement as fact with this issue. Now it's just your understanding? I have tested it in my 2012 GT and it is correct. Because of your statement I assumed this condition has been carried forward to later year GT's.

[TominVegas]

Originally Posted by bubbles

My post referenced and supported your statement as fact with this issue. Now it's just your understanding? I have tested it in my 2012 GT and it is correct. Because of your statement I assumed this condition has been carried forward to later year GT's.

Which is why I said "it should." I haven't confirmed it with a voltmeter on my current unit however it seems the same from past experience.

[dolfan1981]

From what I understand when the motorhome is in winter storage the engine needs to run 1 hour per month. So for me I visit mine every two weeks and run the engine for 30 minutes and the generator for 20 minutes. Doing this keeps my house and engine batterie's charged. I make sure the battery disconnect is off before leaving. For me if I wait much longer that 2 weeks, whatever is drawing power drains the battery too far which is not good for the batteries health.

I also will mention that I make sure I fill the gas tank up to full and add enough fuel stabilizer to keep the gas fresh. The reason to fill the tank is to minimize internal moisture that cannot be prevented. In an empty tank more moisture is created and dilutes what gasoline in the tank, which is bad for the engine.

You can probably tell I am not a mechanic for how I am trying to explain this using easy examples. This works for me. I have read or heard these words in several places.

My first storage visit was very much like yours. Even my engine battery was dead. I was very surprise my generator would not start. Well, it needs the house batteries to start! I had to go back home and get my portable Honda generator and a battery charger with 100 amp Start mode to get mine running. My RV is pulled in and surrounded in the front which prevent jumping from a car.

[frankraney]

Originally Posted by LaLaLisa

Also, the outlet at our house was wired by my husband and it works great!

You asked about the winterization of the LG Fridge. We simply drained all the water from the RV, including the fridge and then pumped through antifreeze. Now, we did not put any antifreeze in the fridge though. He shut the water off to it. Funny thing is, we didn't even know how to get the water into the fridge until the last trip we took before winterizing.

He took the jumper cables over and jumped it off his work truck. Got it going and eventually had enough charge to start the generator and it was charging the batteries. We still need to know how to prevent this from happening again so he was going to call Mike at Forest River who has helped us with other snafus in the past.

I appreciate all the input you folks have provided. I find this forum quite helpful when those little blips happen along the way of learning this new "home". Thank you!!

Any time your rig is parked for an extended time, put a trickle charger on the batteries. This will keep them charged.

[Flybob]

I may be being a little paranoid here, but better safe than sorry. Please have your husband check the 50A outlet he installed at the house per the attached diagram.

[frankraney]

Originally Posted by Flybob

I may be being a little paranoid here, but better safe than sorry. Please have your husband check the 50A outlet he installed at the house per the attached diagram.

Read above, they have used it already!!!!!

[LaLaLisa]

Yes, the outlet at the house works fine. We think it is a slow drain on the battery.

[frankraney]

Originally Posted by LaLaLisa

Yes, the outlet at the house works fine. We think it is a slow drain on the battery.

If it has been sitting that long with out being plugged in nor a trickle charger on it, It's the slow drain from the connected stuff, clock on micro, tank levels, etc... You're inverter should have a trickle charger of not, but a cheap one at harbor freight, and connect it and open the battery disconnect when Parked for extended times.

Btw, batteries will slow drain with nothing connected, especially in a damp climate. Batteries like to be USED. Charged and discharged.

[LaLaLisa]

Doesn't the trickle charger have to be plugged into an outlet? The rig is in a storage lot so that wouldn't work.

[CHICKDOE]

it's been a week now since there were several suggestions to drive it home and plug it into the 50 amp outlet to get the batteries recharged. all the discussions about trickle chargers etc seem to be irrelevant if you have no power at the storage facility. the longer you leave the batteries discharged the more damage you are doing to them.

[LaLaLisa]

I already said he jumped it, started the generator and the batteries recharged. We'll likely just go do that every few weeks until we're ready to get it ready for travel in a couple months.

[5picker]

Originally Posted by LaLaLisa

I already said he jumped it, started the generator and the batteries recharged. We'll likely just go do that every few weeks until we're ready to get it ready for travel in a couple months.

We realize that... but... for the short time the generator was running, it likely DIDN'T recharge the batteries to full. This process can often take 24-48 hours.

Did you (he) leave the generator on that long?

The comment to take it home and plug it in is so the converter has enough time (while plugged in) to fully charge the batteries. The short amount of time the generator was providing power to the converter simply wasn't/isn't long enough when the batteries are dead.

That process you referenced is OK if you are just topping them off once fully charged.

[CHICKDOE]

and if they are getting discharged due to some type of drain on them they will just discharge again in a couple of weeks and you'll be right back to where you started.

fully charged batteries without any drain on them will stay charged for many months!

[NXR]

Originally Posted by LaLaLisa

I already said he jumped it, started the generator and the batteries recharged. We'll likely just go do that every few weeks until we're ready to get it ready for travel in a couple months.

If you folks have to yet done so, consider pulling those fuses I mentioned, the ones directly connected to the house batteries. A friend with a 2019.5 started doing that after his house batteries kept going dead in storage and it pretty much stopped the discharge.

If yours is like ours, you see those blue lights on the USB outlets in the front lit up and the propane leak detector lit up even with everything off. Be certain to have the propane tank turned off fully in storage.

Since one fuse runs the steps, be certain to have the steps in if you pull the fuses. Then bring a stepstool along or leave one just inside the motorhome door.

Good luck,

Ray