Battery Charging
The 12-volt house batteries failed on my 2004 Georgie Boy 38-foot diesel pusher. Using my multimeter, I found that the batteries were charging only when the coach engine was running. The generator produced no charge, and my 120-volt connection produced no charge. In fact, I could not start my gen set unless the coach engine was running. I believe the problem is the inverter/charger.
Now, my house batteries need to be recharged, but they are located in the front of the coach to the left of my gen set and are extremely difficult to access. After disconnecting them, can they be recharged without removing them from the coach?
John Billups, F417072
Chula Vista, California
I think you have diagnosed the problem correctly. Until you replace the inverter, almost any trickle charger will do the job of maintaining your batteries. Or, refer to my August 2014 FMC article on PulseTech Products’ charger (“Taking Charge,” page 48), which would also perform the task for you.
And, yes, with the correct charger you can charge your house batteries if they are disconnected from the coach wiring. But you don’t have to disconnect them. They can be charged while connected or disconnected. I might also recommend that you check the 120-volt-AC breaker for the inverter/charger, and the breaker on the inverter (if it has one). You should ensure that the inverter/charger is connected to the 120 volts AC from the shore power and from the generator when it is being used.
Battery Clarification
When Jim Williams asked about swapping two 12-volt batteries for four six-volt batteries (“Inverter Info,” November 2014, page 18), it would have been helpful to point out that even though each six-volt battery has 300 amp-hours, connecting two of them in series (as must be done to provide 12 volts) still supplies only 300 amp-hours. Therefore, using the four six-volt batteries would provide a total of 600 amp-hours, which is only slightly higher than his original 510 amp-hours.
You correctly pointed out that he would wind up with 600 amp-hours, but I think some elaboration was necessary. So many RVers think that you can add the amp-hours of six-volt batteries to get total amp-hours. Not the case. Otherwise, your response was spot-on.
Alan C. Jones, F301061
Clarkston, Washington
Thank you for the follow-up, Alan.
Melting Buttons
The door heater on my Norcold model 1200LRIM refrigerator is powered by two spring-loaded contacts on the left side of the unit. On the side of the refrigerator are two button-like contacts. They have heated up to the point of melting the plastic, so now the buttons probably are in a slightly different position, which affects the contact with the door. I put tape over the contacts to stop this problem. I had a serviceman check the door heater resistance and voltage on the door, and all were to spec. He contacted Norcold and was advised the door was out of adjustment and not providing proper contact and thus getting hot at the connection. The door isn’t adjustable. During hot and humid days, condensation forms on the door and drips on the floor, making a mess. The serviceman thought the only way to fix this would be to replace the refrigerator. I’m surprised I’ve never read about anyone else with this problem.
Jim Irwin Iv, F424231
Key Largo, Florida
I am not totally familiar with how the door is mounted, but there must be some way to adjust the door, either using washer-like shims or removing and bending the hinge plate to reposition the door. I searched the Internet and found several sources that offer a Norcold door sag repair kit, Part No. 625129.
Service Recommendation
We live in Sedona, Arizona, and we’re looking for an RV service location. Do you have any recommendations within a 50-mile radius?
John Hogsett, F444401
Sedona, Arizona
The unfortunate thing about motorhome service is that sometimes you have to travel a bit for it. A check of the commercial member listings in FMCA’s RV Marketplace (published in the January and June issues of Family Motor Coaching, and online at FMCA.com), indicates the closest facility to Sedona is Flagstaff RV Service Center (FMCA commercial member C4261) at 4316 N. Highway 89 in Flagstaff; (520) 526-6771; www.flagrv.com. You also might try contacting the manufacturer of your motorhome for a recommendation. Or you might try posting a note in the FMCA Forums at FMCA.com and asking fellow RVers for a recommendation. If the Flagstaff location doesn’t work for you, there are several major dealerships in the Phoenix area (Mesa, Chandler, Scottsdale, etc.). One of these should meet your needs.
Taillight Malfunction
I have a 1993 Rockwood Type A motorhome. One of the taillights quit operating, and when I was changing the light bulb, I discovered that the light bulb socket had corroded. Rather than try to clean all the corrosion, I decided to replace both taillights. Then, I thought it would be a good idea to add a third brake light like newer motorhomes have, in order to make things safer for me and for traffic following me.
A question arose. If I were to run a set of wires from the current brake light to the third brake light, would the turn signal cause this third light to flash in unison with the turn signal? This third brake light will be installed high in the center of the rear of the coach, and I want it to light up only when the brakes are applied, and not flash as a turn signal. I thought of using diodes but just wasn’t sure.
Robert Huggett, F121593
Scarborough, Ontario
I’ve never wired a circuit like you describe, but I’m thinking you’ll have to run a fused wire — I’d say 12-gauge wire and a 15-amp in-line fuse would be safe — directly from the brake switch (probably on your brake pedal) to the third light. As an alternative, you could route a power wire from each turn signal to the third light, with a diode in each wire. The diodes in the turn signal circuits will prevent the opposite-side turn signal from flashing the third light.