Lost 12 volt house systems - 2001 Executive

[Jonbrooks]

On my way to the 2023 gathering in Tampa and lost all 12 volt interior power at the camp spot today. Checked salesman switch, and in my 2001 executive there are two constant duty solenoids in rear run bay and both are physically clicking. Brought a tool box full of stuff but no multimeter. The only things getting 12 volts are norcold control panel and inside light.  Aqua hot 12 volt switch light, but no 12 volt thermostat power so that is useless! And the 12 volt power antenna station to raise and lower the batwing is operational. The real kicker is the salesman switch does cut power to the power antenna control but not the fridge or aqua hot. Any ideas or help? 

 

 

[brokenarrow1244]

Just a couple of ideas. I know there are circuit breakers on my  inverter, also check the salesman switch AND the relay. If you can by pass the relay it might at least remove it from possibles. 

[MyronTruex]

If you are near a Walmart or automotive store, bite the bullet and buy a voltmeter that will stay with the RV.

It sounds like your house batteries may be very low and causing havoc with things.

When you can, unplug from shoreline and run the generator to see if symptoms change. Run it for ten to fifteen minutes if possible. The alternator may supply the needed voltage to settle things down so you can either get to Tampa or diagnose things. If you get there you should have access to about 50 voltmeters and a ton of helpful folks.

[Jonbrooks]

Picking up a volt meter today. Camping gulf shores area for a week. Hopefully diagnose 12 volt house systems today.

[Ivylog]

You have an additional 12V fuse panel inside your rig. Sometimes in the bathroom or next to your 120V panels. In addition to the Ahot and refer, it should have a fuse for your Tstats. It is separate from the salesman circuit… powered straight from the house batteries.

You can use your pliers to jumper the solenoids to see if you have lights.

[MyronTruex]

Grab your camera and shoot some pictures of the panels where the solenoids live as well as the battery compartment. 

When you get the voltmeter, start right at the batteries. IF you find the house batteries very low, and your engine batteries are ok, start the rv and see if the house batteries begin to go up. Give it at least two minutes do to delays in the systems. 

If the house batteries do not start coming up, push and hold the Aux start button and prop it for a few minutes while you measure the coach batteries.

These quick tests will gather some useful information. You may have an inverter/charger that is not working properly. 

 

[Jonbrooks]

17 minutes ago, Ivylog said:

You have an additional 12V fuse panel inside your rig. Sometimes in the bathroom or next to your 120V panels. In addition to the Ahot and refer, it should have a fuse for your Tstats. It is separate from the salesman circuit… powered straight from the house batteries.

You can use your pliers to jumper the solenoids to see if you have lights.

The aqua hot and fridge are working. The 12 volt panel in rear closet wall has no label but all fuses appear good. Will pick up a meter to help pinpoint issue. Not sure if thermostats have direct supply. I suspect there will be no power at the distribution panel. 

[Tom Cherry]

Pull your prints. Memory from looking and helping folks. These prints should work in case you don’t have them.  The last print in this file shows the TWO “Domestic” house power solenoids.  I’m on an iPad so it is hard to follow.  But there are several circuit breakers in the system as well as some fusable links.  The “key” to the system is the battery disconnect switch.  Start measuring voltage across each connection.  You might cycle the house cutoff switch a few times.  If these two solenoids are clicking….and they are continuous duty….then that is why you have no power.  Disregard what is working and follow the prints.  Each feeds a house fuse panel.  Whatever is on each of them is OUT.  Think of them as TWO salesman switches.  You can bypass them on the studs with the “FIX”.  That is a NAPA 781144 #2 short jumper.  

The quick way to see if it IS your batteries.  Put a Jumper cable from the chassis to the house POSITIVE.  Start the engine.  You will be pumping out at least 125 amps to all sets of batteries.  If the clicking continues, the you have eliminated the low house batteries.

Since the two solenoids are continuous and not latching, check the small terminal wires and see if you have  full (would be 13 + volts with engine running) going to them.  When the coils are not engaged…..you ain’t got power to the two house fuse panels.  NEVER EVER rule out a loose connection….like ALL the nuts on the multitude of circuit breakers and terminal strips and studs and the house batteries and the Cut off switch.

Good Luck….remember the basic…..good voltage to the solenoids.  Make sure BOTH are clicking….odds are you didn’t loose BOTH….control voltage issues….study the last print and then start looking at the other prints as to how the circuits work and where the power comes from.

A “seat of the pants” guess would be a loose nut on a high current device. A loose connection on a control wire terminal.  A bad house disconnect switch.  A faulty high current resettable circuit breaker….  You might have had a high demand current need and a loose connection drops the voltage….and BINGO, the current skyrockets and a breaker trips.  I can’t tell they type of CB, they look self resetting. But make sure there aren’t any “reset lever” types…

Thats it….

 

[Jonbrooks]

Ten minutes with a multimeter diagnosed one of the two domestic continuous duty solenoids is bad. Thanks for all the help. What a great group to be a part of. Going to bolt in coming power to the house distribution panel wire for now.

[TomV48]

5 hours ago, Jonbrooks said:

Ten minutes with a multimeter diagnosed one of the two domestic continuous duty solenoids is bad. Thanks for all the help. What a great group to be a part of. Going to bolt in coming power to the house distribution panel wire for now.

Wonder if that might be available in any good auto parts store?   On one outing I had to strap a cable across the salesman solenoid until I could replace it.  Wonder if that would be an option for your bad relay. 

[Tom Cherry]

20 minutes ago, TomV48 said:

Wonder if that might be available in any good auto parts store?   On one outing I had to strap a cable across the salesman solenoid until I could replace it.  Wonder if that would be an option for your bad relay. 

Maybe, but most solenoid at parts houses are for starting and intermittent….not continuous.  AMAZON to the rescue.

[klcdenver]

Try NAPA I have bought a 24 volt continuous at my local store before. Hopefully they will also have a 12 volt for you. Places that have fork lifts and scissor lifts may have one because all that equipment uses continuous duty solenoids.

[CTerry]

I bought one of these at a truck dealership here. Just be sure it is continous duty. NAPA also has them.

[Larry Laursen]

They are standard high current continuous duty relays.  Used for secondary lighting, lift motors, etc.  NAPA should have them.  Two were used in parallel to carry the total load back then as the latching were not used.  Several Monaco models have them.  They also have a good draw on the batteries if boondocking.