Electrical Hookup...engine battery not charging.

[peter21]

Is it standard practice for the electrical hookup to charge both the leisure and engine batteries on a modern motorhome? I had assumed, maybe wrongly, that the EHU would charge all batteries. Manual not helpful on this. No obvious tripped breakers etc.

 

Thanks

 

Peter

[sshortcircuit]

You need to provide details of what motorhome you have along with details of charger , controls etc. My Swift allows me to charge the starter battery but I have to select this option

[mikebeaches]

We have a 2010 Chausson Flash S2 and the cab battery is NOT charged when the van is on hook-up, only the leisure battery.

 

On our previous van - a 2004 Rapido - both batteries charged when hooked up to the mains.

 

Mike

[Derek Uzzell]

In August 2012 Peter owned a 2008 Rapido 7090+. It would appear from this MHF thread that, when this model is connected to an EHU, the on-board battery-charger should be able to charge the vehicle's engine battery as well as the leisure-battery.

 

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopic-113536.html&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=rapido&start=0

 

One might reasonably expect a modern motorhome to have an electrical system that allows all its batteries to be charged from an EHU, but there's no 100% certainty, nor any guarantee that the facility will be provided right across the range of a motorhome manufacturer's products. Even if the handbook says the facility is there, it makes sense to check (via a voltmeter reading at the battery terminals) that it actually functions.

[pepe63xnotuse]

Derek Uzzell - 2013-12-29 11:55 AM

 

In August 2012 Peter owned a 2008 Rapido 7090+. ...........

 

Steady on Derek,you're not at GCHQ now you know... (lol)

 

(..or are you...? 8-) )

 

;-)

[AlanS]

We have an AutoTrail and the charger unit is 'intelligent' and will swap the charging requirements around to suit either the vehicle or habitation batteries.

 

It may help if you add what motorhome you have.

 

Alan

[Overdrive]

Our Rapido had same problem. Just replaced the Coupler/Separator (£150), now Engine battery receiving charge whilst on mains hookup, but not holding it, so ordered new battery today.

 

I have also tried removing battery, and charging in garage on separate charger before anyone asks,max voltage after weeks charge 11.7 volts!

 

David

[peter21]

Thanks all for your input, especially Derek for the detective work!

 

I hadn't put the model in 'cos I was worried that it was something I was doing wrong, and didn't want to unfairly diss the manufacturer.

 

However we have recently sold the Rapido..incidentally a very good motorhome which took us a long way almost without any problem (just burnt out windscreen wiper motors, or essuie glace as I now know, somewhere near Bordeaux on a very wet day).

 

We have traded for a Concorde....batteries charge via a mastervolt mass combi, which doubles as an inverter. This device does charge both leisure and 'engine' batteries. I had tried restarting this device via its on off switch....still no engine battery charge. However a forced restart (reboot?) of the mass combi via the master cut out box trip switch, (advice from technical support at dealers) did the trick and all batteries are now charging happily.