I installed a new in dash stereo. I wired a line to a fused tab broken out from the accessory plug on the fuse panel. This turns it on and off and the main power is a wire that dissappears through the firewall presumably directly to the battery. Does plugging in recharge the starter battery? Is my radio likely running entirely and only on the starter battery now? I have no house batteries installed .. the wires are dangling as they ere were when i bought it. When I plug in and connect a tester I see no charge going to the wires that plug into the house batteries. I guess I have quite a few questions here :-). On the dash I have two completely unmarked toggle switches which seem to do nothing even after I've replaced all the burnt out fuses ... (had to get the radio going) It works as it should as an in dash radio but I won't to use it as my parked radio as well and I"m not sure if i have to run another DC lines from whatever converts the DC incoming from the shore power. Is shore power the right term? Thanks!

On shore power, only the house batteries are charged.

Without house batteries, the furnace, reefer, water heater, roof air, and stove won't work. The first 4 have 12VDC control boards, Without a house battery, the propane sniffer won't work, so the solenoid valve will never open for propane, so no stove.

I would agree with you, except that those things all work just fine. I clearly open the floor panel but the door where loose tabs are hanging and no batteries. I've camped in it and enjoyed a/c, some coffee in the morning and cold beer in the fridge. Perhaps someone has dome something strangely.

quote:

Reply

It sounds like a PO has jumped the two battery systems together and use only the engine batteries for both. Trace the positive lead from the batteries to the relays, etc. and you will probably find the cross connection. This could leave you stranded if the one system gets discharged while in some remote site. (Your house generator might charge the batteries though.)

This is, of course, a shot from the hip since I have no knowledge of your coach at all!!

I have a DC voltage panel compartment which contains a 5 amp fuse for the radio. This fuse panel is "hot" all of the time so the radio, aux start, CB radio, Cell phone, lighter, aisle lights, and monitor can be used without the key. This fuse panel is not to be confused with the thermal breakers that may be "hot" only with the ignition.

You need to refer to a copy of the DC panel layout for your coach and make sure the new devices (stereo) have the correct value for the fuse and that you do not have a 5 amp system powered by a 15 amp circuit.

It might be worth mentioning that auto stereos often have 2 power supply wires. 1 powers the stereo itself, powered by the key, and the other powers whatever saves settings such as time and presets, and is always hot.