Battery Disconnect

[eduvall]

I purchased a 2019 Forest River FR3 30DS last year. Last time we took her out was around 2 months ago. I opened the door and the steps would not come down. I went to turn on the battery disconnect and nothing. I started up the coach and after it ran for around 5 to 10 seconds, I heard a click and then tried the battery disconnect and it came on. The battery indicator says the coaches batteries are full. Is this normal?

[bubbles]

Your coach battery was dead. If you looked at the battery indicator with the engine running it just verified charging from the engine alternator. The battery disconnect is powered by the coach battery. The clunk you heard was the interconnect relay energizing to allow charging from the alternator. The steps extended from the output of the alternator added to the coach batteries.

[eduvall]

I thought that they might be dead as well but here is the funny thing, after I started it, and I was able to switch over to battery, I shut the engine off and went back and checked the coach batteries. They indicated that they were full like I left them two months earlier and this is a brand new coach so the batteries don't have any age on them yet.

[bubbles]

Well, the steps are fused directly off the coach battery so battery disconnect does not have any affect on them. If it happens again you might the entrance (screen) door open and go to front of coach and actuate the emergency start switch and see if the steps extend. If they do it is a coach battery issue. Of course strange things do happen when it comes to electrical issues.

Added: don't start the engine when actuating the emergency start switch.

[eduvall]

I will try it. Thank you for the suggestion.

[Woodsyone]

Bubbles is correct. I would add that the disconnect does not disconnect everything from the coach batteries. There will still be a draw on the batteries that will drain them dead in that 2 month period. Add a disconnect between the negative terminal and ground or use a battery tender.

[drewandjason]

Originally Posted by eduvall

I thought that they might be dead as well but here is the funny thing, after I started it, and I was able to switch over to battery, I shut the engine off and went back and checked the coach batteries. They indicated that they were full like I left them two months earlier and this is a brand new coach so the batteries don't have any age on them yet.

Hello. I am curious if you resolved this? Same thing happened to me recently. It’s almost like the battery disconnect is not switching on and off properly. Like sticking closed. When I started the coach the steps went out. Checked battery again and it showed full charge. Shut off coach and checked again, still showed full. Wondering if we both have a relay switch that is sticking closed.

[dbledan]

Originally Posted by drewandjason

Hello. I am curious if you resolved this? Same thing happened to me recently. It’s almost like the battery disconnect is not switching on and off properly. Like sticking closed. When I started the coach the steps went out. Checked battery again and it showed full charge. Shut off coach and checked again, still showed full. Wondering if we both have a relay switch that is sticking closed.

This happens when the fail sometimes. You may want to test it and swap it out if it really is bad.

[eduvall]

I haven't but I did notice that when I went back in a month it didn't happen again. It only happens after about two months. Not sure if it was just a coincidence.

[twojump36]

Last month while breaking down from our coastal camp site, I went to turn off the breaker at the power supply pole at my site... I was plugged into the 30amp source. When I was attempting to switch the dual breaker off, I missed one with my finger and closed just one. Realizing my mistake, I then turned off the other switch effectively cutting all shore power. I disconnected my surge protector, rolled up the cord and put it all away.

I went into the coach and finished getting ready. When I noticed I had not 12V battery power. I couldn't put in my slides and I had no lights. Sitting there trying to figure out what happened.

I went to the steps and hit that disconnect button/switch and heard the familiar "click" that restored 12V and enabled me to put my slide back in and finish wrapping up.

Has anyone had that issue besides me?...
Did I short something out by only hitting one of the switches at the power source?.... everything seems ok... but it was kind of weird that it killed the power to the whole coach.

[bubbles]

Originally Posted by twojump36

Last month while breaking down from our coastal camp site, I went to turn off the breaker at the power supply pole at my site... I was plugged into the 30amp source. When I was attempting to switch the dual breaker off, I missed one with my finger and closed just one. Realizing my mistake, I then turned off the other switch effectively cutting all shore power. I disconnected my surge protector, rolled up the cord and put it all away.

I went into the coach and finished getting ready. When I noticed I had not 12V battery power. I couldn't put in my slides and I had no lights. Sitting there trying to figure out what happened.

I went to the steps and hit that disconnect button/switch and heard the familiar "click" that restored 12V and enabled me to put my slide back in and finish wrapping up.

Has anyone had that issue besides me?...
Did I short something out by only hitting one of the switches at the power source?.... everything seems ok... but it was kind of weird that it killed the power to the whole coach.

You were probably using the battery disconnect switch light bar to indicate that the batteries were connected;
Your coach batteries were disconnected and the converter supplied the 12Vdc to your coach. The light bar in the battery disconnect switch will be illuminated whether or not the batteries are disconnected while on shore power. That's why it is a good idea to always actuate the momentary up/down battery disconnect switch to the connected (up) position momentarily to verify the batteries are connected and thus will be charged from the converter while on shore power. You do not have an issue; normal operation.

[twojump36]

I guess...? I'm almost always on shore power... I don't know if I've ever activated that switch since the first time the coach sat for a month while my RV pad was being constructed and I noticed my batteries were dead... since then I've almost always had it plugged in.
Once a year I go "dry camping" and those times the motorhome must switch automatically since I can't remember activating switch. I do use the generator on those occasions. After that I get home and plug the thing into the 30amp shore power at my RV pad.
Last night was the first time I've opened the door to the motorhome since we got back from the coast (where the latest incident occured) When I opened the door, the steps came out but sounded "labored" and were slow to extend...
When I closed the door they only made it about halfway before they stopped... like the battery was dead.
I hit that little switch by the steps and it clicked and the steps functioned normally.

Am I to understand that since my coast trip almost 2 months ago... that I was only using 12V and the batteries had died?... then when I hit the switch, it turned over to shore power?

[emm-dee]

Originally Posted by twojump36

Last month while breaking down from our coastal camp site, I went to turn off the breaker at the power supply pole at my site... I was plugged into the 30amp source. When I was attempting to switch the dual breaker off, I missed one with my finger and closed just one. Realizing my mistake, I then turned off the other switch effectively cutting all shore power. I disconnected my surge protector, rolled up the cord and put it all away.

What kind of power box were you connected to? Every one I’ve ever seen has a single breaker for the 30 amp outlet. The other single breaker is for the standard 20 amp outlet. The 50 amp breaker is a dual breaker setup and those two are hooked together to prevent separate use.

If you moved two breakers independently then one was 20 amp and the other 30 amp.

[twojump36]

Originally Posted by emm-dee

What kind of power box were you connected to? Every one I’ve ever seen has a single breaker for the 30 amp outlet. The other single breaker is for the standard 20 amp outlet. The 50 amp breaker is a dual breaker setup and those two are hooked together to prevent separate use.

If you moved two breakers independently then one was 20 amp and the other 30 amp.

It's an upper level RV Resort in Newport Oregon called Pacific Shores Motorcoach Resort ... Motorcoach only type place... lot's of Marathons and really nice units there. I thought about that too, but my breaker on my RV pad has two legs I think too... I'll have to look when tonight.... it was the strangest thing. I've never experienced anything like it since I've owned the motorhome.

[bubbles]

Originally Posted by emm-dee

What kind of power box were you connected to? Every one I’ve ever seen has a single breaker for the 30 amp outlet. The other single breaker is for the standard 20 amp outlet. The 50 amp breaker is a dual breaker setup and those two are hooked together to prevent separate use.

If you moved two breakers independently then one was 20 amp and the other 30 amp.

Maybe he was using a dog bone and plugged into 50amp

[bubbles]

Originally Posted by twojump36

I guess...? I'm almost always on shore power... I don't know if I've ever activated that switch since the first time the coach sat for a month while my RV pad was being constructed and I noticed my batteries were dead... since then I've almost always had it plugged in.
Once a year I go "dry camping" and those times the motorhome must switch automatically since I can't remember activating switch. I do use the generator on those occasions. After that I get home and plug the thing into the 30amp shore power at my RV pad.
Last night was the first time I've opened the door to the motorhome since we got back from the coast (where the latest incident occured) When I opened the door, the steps came out but sounded "labored" and were slow to extend...
When I closed the door they only made it about halfway before they stopped... like the battery was dead.
I hit that little switch by the steps and it clicked and the steps functioned normally.

Am I to understand that since my coast trip almost 2 months ago... that I was only using 12V and the batteries had died?... then when I hit the switch, it turned over to shore power?

The steps are fused directly off the coach batteries. If the batteries were disconnected and they were depleted the steps would not function correctly. When you actuated the battery disconnect switch to put the coach batteries on line that also allowed the converter to support the coach batteries. Your coach converter (powered via shore power) was supplying all the 12Vdc the coach needed even though the coach batteries were disconnected. Anytime you are plugged into shore power your coach batteries need to be connected so they keep their charge.

[twojump36]

Originally Posted by bubbles

The steps are fused directly off the coach batteries. If the batteries were disconnected and they were depleted the steps would not function correctly. When you actuated the battery disconnect switch to put the coach batteries on line that also allowed the converter to support the coach batteries. Your coach converter (powered via shore power) was supplying all the 12Vdc the coach needed even though the coach batteries were disconnected. Anytime you are plugged into shore power your coach batteries need to be connected so they keep their charge.

Copy that....
I did check my 30amp power source on my RV Slab... it is in fact the exact same power outlet as the one at the Coast I was plugged into and it does have (2) black breakers to the 30 amp side...

I use a Surge protector that has a readout and does confirm I am running the correct power and right amount of electric for my coach.

I never switch that little disconnect switch though and I'm always connected and charging when plugged into shore power...(which is almost always except for that one trip a year I do dry camping)... I'm thinking that it must be auto sensing? because I do use the generator when I'm dry camping for the air conditioner or wife's blow dryers... when I turn the generator off, the coach still runs lights on batteries on 12V without switching any switch.

Then why would my motorhome be dead at the coast trip after disconnecting from shore power?...
Maybe this corona-virus quarantine has me brain dead now...

[5picker]

Originally Posted by twojump36

Copy that....
I did check my 30amp power source on my RV Slab... it is in fact the exact same power outlet as the one at the Coast I was plugged into and it does have (2) black breakers to the 30 amp side...

I use a Surge protector that has a readout and does confirm I am running the correct power and right amount of electric for my coach.

I never switch that little disconnect switch though and I'm always connected and charging when plugged into shore power...(which is almost always except for that one trip a year I do dry camping)... I'm thinking that it must be auto sensing? because I do use the generator when I'm dry camping for the air conditioner or wife's blow dryers... when I turn the generator off, the coach still runs lights on batteries on 12V without switching any switch.

Then why would my motorhome be dead at the coast trip after disconnecting from shore power?...
Maybe this corona-virus quarantine has me brain dead now...

Could you post a photo of the power source on your R/V slab... there is something very wrong with what you are describing for a 30a R/V service.

[twojump36]

Originally Posted by 5picker

Could you post a photo of the power source on your R/V slab... there is something very wrong with what you are describing for a 30a R/V service.

I'll try tonight... I have both a 50 amp and 30 amp on the same box.... it's just like the one at the RV resort I visit on a regular basis... I might be able to find a picture of one here with a search...

[5picker]

Originally Posted by twojump36

I'll try tonight... I have both a 50 amp and 30 amp on the same box.... it's just like the one at the RV resort I visit on a regular basis... I might be able to find a picture of one here with a search...

For reference... (see photo)

The two 50a breakers are tied together and cannot be flipped separately unless someone removed the tie bar. (bad) The 50a outlet is 240v and has TWO feed legs of current.

The 30a outlet is only fed by the SINGLE 30a breaker and is 120v. It only has ONE feed leg of current.

Does your box look like this...