I have no 12V Power

[Gary Wolfer]

I installed two Interstate 31 group starting batteries today. I took photos of the wiring before I took the wires off the batteries but did not do a thorough job. I think I have them wired correctly now but had an overload on the system the first time I fired the engine up. I found I had neglected a Heavy battery cable to one of the chassis batteries as I had one hot cable coming to the right and front battery. I had a signal on the heart board inside the coach that flashed overload overload. I noticed after wiring the batteries again and adding a second positive red battery cable that I missed the first time after it fell behind the battery carrier. I hooked up that cable and the overload signal disappeared. However now I have no 12v appliances that work anymore including all the overhead lights, fantastic fans and the referigerator. I have plenty of power at the batteries and the inverter shows 120V but no 12v appliances work. Where should I start to look? Where my battery connections are or at the inverter? It is like I blew a fuse but checked a 20A spade fuse in the battery box and another 15 amp space fuse, a old glass fuse and a metal circuit breaker. All checked out good. I have 4 6v house batteries and I never took any cables or wires off them. I took two chassis 12v batteries out and replaced them. Here is a link to the wiring at my batteries.

[Edward Buker]

Gary,

See if where you enter the coach you have a switch labeled coach power. If you do cycle it off and on one time if it will work. Also check in the battery compartment, there should be two large fuses, one for each battery bank that feeds the coach. They are usually mounted above the bank near the center and bolt in place. You can measure and see if you have 12V to ground on each end to see if they are good. If one is bad, replace it.
They will look something like this.

http://www.delcity.net/store/Mega-Fuses/p_800374.h_800375.t_1.r_IF1003?gclid=CIHz4dLm4r4CFWNqOgodKE8AAQ

The inverter is on the house bank and in order to get an overload you might have hit a chassis battery ground wire to a plus terminal on the house bank momentarily while you had things disconnected. It would have given a big time spark if you did. That could have taken that main fuse out. I am
speculating a bit trying to sort out how you got an overload on the charger indication and then lost power.

Later Ed

[Gary Wolfer]

I took these photos this morning Ed There is a solenoid way to the back left and what may be a fuse behind that It is almost too far to reach but it appears I can lift the bed to get to them I will check that out after DW gets up and around. The forth photo is of a circuit breaker looks like a fuse to me  and the other fuse on the right side panel. It does have continuity between the pins. The continuity is there as well. I looked in my owners manual suppliment and it has a simple drawing showing the dealers switch and a breaker Unfortunately I have no wiring diagrams. It is a 98 Patriot Monticello. All 120 circuits are fine. It gets 120 power from shore power and generator power. I have no ceiling lights or fans no water pump or water heater, I can start the hurricane heater but fans do not come on. Refer lights do not come on and is currently defrosting fortunately I have an outside freezer and my son put food in his refer til I get it fixed.

[Tom and Pam Brown]

Gary,

Have you checked your panel over the bed? Mine has a 12volt panel,next to the 120 panel.

[Edward Buker]

Gary,

I looked closely at the photos and I did not see the fuse and fuse holder that I was looking for but that does not mean that there is not one. Usually it is in a serviceable location and visible so this is a bit of a mystery. The items that are not working are typically wired to the house battery bank. On your house bank of four in the pullout tray, the back right battery is where your plus lead to the coach comes off. It seems to head downward in the photo. That is the one you want to follow in the battery area and see if it goes to some type of larger fuse like the one in the link I sent. That kind of fuse is bolted into a small holder. The items that are shut down now, represent a common feed with either a larger solenoid switched off, like the coach power salesman switch, or a main fuse like in the photo is now open. All of these smaller fuse holders and fuses would not feed all of these items that are not working. Maybe someone with a coach like yours can comment on where the main DC house fuse might be or the salesman switch and solenoid is on your coach. On mine the salesman switch is by the stairs where you come in and is labeled coach power. Hope this helps.

Later Ed

[Steven Hoffman]

Gary

On my 97 Patriot there are two of those large fuses Ed referenced.  Mine are located at the far end passenger side of the engine compartment looking from the rear of the coach.  Access is by raising the bed.  The BIG BOY relay is just to the right (again looking from the rear of coach).  My battery isolator is above the two fuses.  I think they are about 250 amp fuses, but don't quote me on that, going from memory.  

See if you have power on both sides of the BIG BOY.  If no power at the BIG BOY trace back from it to the Batteries.  Not much in between.

[Gary Wolfer]

Yes I have checked the fuse panel over the bed all fuses are fine but I have had this coach a short time and have not needed to get under the bed yet. I found most of what I am looking for. I think I blew the main fuse that connects the batteries to the inverter. Like Ed posted however it is under the bed not in the battery compartment. What I found when I lifted the bed was First of all an Isolator The center lug connects to the alternator cable, the lug toward the passenger side connects to the house battery side of the Boost switch. The driver side lug connects to the chassis battery side of the boost switch. I know that because I did find the echo charger next to the isolator and it is clearly marked the black is ground, the solid red wire is to connect to the house batteries and the red wire with yellow stripe connects to the chassis batteries. The wires from the echo charger connect directly to the posts on the isolator. There is a cable from the house battery side of the isolator to a large fuse( the one I have been looking for that Ed described) however I have a problem. Someone maybe the factory sprayed liquid plastic over the post and nut on both sides of the fuse ends. I have not attempted to take the nut off yet. I will soon as I finish this post. I cannot see any way to get it off without just turning the nuts. Hope I do not strip threads. (I have found the problem, A neighbor has helped me trace the wires  and I had one wire hooked up wrong on my battery install. It was on a positive terminal instead of a negative but It is working now. Thanks for all your help I am releived.

[Gary Wolfer]

Steve mine is in the same place as your 97. If nothing else I did find both of those fuses, I found the isolator, the battery boost and the solenoid that runs the battery disconnect( salesman switch). Unfortunately I ordered a new echo charger that has not arrived yet and I found one next to the isolator  I am learning but it is harder with no schematics. I really would like to have wiring diagrams for both ac and my dc circuits. I do not know if they even provided them.

[Edward Buker]

Gary,

Glad you found the wiring error. Now that you know where the echo charger is you should see an LED light on it. If the charger is on that light should be solid green. If the charger is off for a period of time the light will blink indicating it is not charging. When it is solid green you should have 13.5V or more on the chassis battery bank for charging. That red coating is a rubberized material that seals the contacts. You can cut or scrape some with an exact knife but may be able to just unscrew the nuts as they are. If you have voltage (12V) on one side and not the other you have found your problem.

Later Ed

[Gary Wolfer]

Ed when I power washed the battery cabinet the batteries were dated. The house batteries were dated Costco 1/12 and the chassis batteries were dated 05. I guess they deserved to not hold a charge after 9 years. The echo charger was mounted in the same place as I mounted the ones in my old Safari so I could see the green light over top of the radiator. They are wired directly to the isolator posts and sits right next to it. Thanks and I am glad I did not have to buy those fuses. Most of the connections under the bed and in the battery compartment are sprayed with liquid plastic they must have done it at the factory.

[Steven Hoffman]

Gary

Wiring diagrams sure would make life easier.  Today I was working on the 120v electrical box in the engine bay.  The plastic box is broken and I wanted to pull it out to see what I could match up to replace it.  I plugged in a radio ( saves a lot of trips to check the plug) and started flipping breakers.  I was surprised that it is tied into the bedroom air conditioner circuit.

Glad you got it straightened out.