9-9
SECTION 9
ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS
9 - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
House Batteries
The house batteries supply current to 12-volt
equipment located in the living area of the coach.
This includes interior lights, range exhaust fan,
furnace fan, water pump, water level and holding
tank gauges, 110-volt generator starting, refriger-
ator and bath roof vent fan. The house battery
may also be used to start the engine if the auto-
motive battery is dead. Refer to “Battery Boost
Switch” in Section 5.
The house batteries are automatically charged
by the engine alternator while the engine is run-
ning.
House Battery Storage
The batteries are also located in the battery
compartment with the chassis batteries. See “Bat-
tery Access” for access instructions.
AUXILIARY BATTERY (Aux. Batt)
SWITCH
The AUX BATT switch disconnects the aux-
iliary (coach) batteries from the 12-volt system of
your coach to avoid long-term battery drain by
electrical items that are hooked directly to the
coach batteries, such as clock displays and radio
memories, etc.
Always leave this switch ON except during
storage periods. Some electronic displays and
memory functions may need to be reset after
power has been reconnected.
See also Battery Storage and Maintenance in
this section.
BATTERY STORAGE AND
MAINTENANCE
Lead -acid type batteries are electro-chemical
devices for storing and releasing electrical
charge. As such, they are simply an electrical
reservoir, not an electrical source. As soon as
energy is removed from the battery, it should be
replaced by the engine alternator or the RV
converter system.
If a battery sits unused for 30 days or more,
especially during warm weather, it can develop a
deposit of sulfate crystals on the metal plates
inside the battery. This condition is called
‘sulfating’ and prevents the battery from either
releasing or accepting a charge. If this condition
occurs, the battery must be replaced.
If a battery does not contain at least 80%
charge during freezing temperatures, the elec-
trolyte can freeze and crack the battery case.
The two best defenses
against sulfating and
insufficient charge are to:
1. Turn off the Auxiliary Battery switch to
avoid parasitic discharge (the trickle dis-
charge caused by directly connected compo-
nents like LP gas detectors or digital clock
displays, etc.), and
2. Check the battery and recharge as necessary
at least once a month during long storage
periods. Turn the Aux. Batt. Switch off to
avoid electrical arcing when attaching or
detaching charger clamps.
Aux. Batt. Switch
(near entrance door)
