coach is dead

[Jerry Carr]

OK I  have a problem, wokeup to find the multiplex switches dead, I have tried the salesman switch but this didn't change things I have 120 and the inverter shows float charge??

3 days ago I had the rig into a service shop looking at my kwiqkee 42 step, they did some trouble shooting and found the motor was bad. I moved to a RV park a short distance away from the shop while we waited for parts.

I found all the multiplex system not working when I tried to set up camp.

I tried the saleman shut off with a small shim behind it to hold it in was able to get things going again for the last 3 days no problem.  Now the switch is doing nothing but I have no multiplex switches working so will not be able to get the slides ,lights, aqua hot water pump working.
 
Could the salesman switch go bad?

[Bill Sprague]

Yes, the switch can go bad.  And, the relay it controls can go bad.  The relay is located near the batteries.  On mine it was in the "sealed" box with the Big Boy and the BIRD.

Once you find the right relay, the easy "test" is to "jump" across the two big wires.  Be sure to use a wire as big as the ones leading into the relay. 

Many, including me, permanantly defeated the salesman's switch.  In my case, the refrigerator was controlled by it.  Accidentally turning it off would cause the food to spoil. 

It is easy to defeat!  When you find it, it will have two big cables and two little wires on it.  Mounting both big cables to the same stud will "fix" it.  The other way to "fix" it is to remove the little wire coming from the switch.

(For anyone reading this that is new to Beaver, the "Coach Power" switch near the front door was nicknamed the "Salesman's Switch".   It shuts off most of the power to the motorhome.  Combined with a solar panel and exposure to the sun, the batteries won't go dead.  Think of a dealer's lot with a few dozen Beavers in inventory.   The salesman has to be able to show a prospective buyer the motorhomes and they need live batteries.  Dealers are not going to run power to all of them, so having a solar panel and switch near the front door made sales demos convenient.   Note that the stock solar panel is not big enough to do much other than keep the batteries charged when there is no load on them. )

Bill

PS:  Motorcabins don't need salesman's switches like motorhomes do.

[Fred Brooks]

               Hi Jerry,

       Bill is correct, the relay will have 12volt power on one side of the relay (battery cable) and no power on the other side. Once you find it, remove the cable with the most slack and reinstall it on top of the other cable for a quick temporary fix. I have replaced at  least 20 of these solenoids over the years. Regards Fred

[Bill Sprague]

I have replaced at  least 20 of these solenoids over the years.

You win with a score of 19 to 1!

[Fred Brooks]

            Hi Bill,

      No winners when one of these suckers fail, just trying to validate your trouble-shooting skills. Love, Fred

[Jerry Carr]

Thanks Bill and Fred, I did talk with Sean at BCS + Monaco and they all told me the same thing jump it.

Bill/Fred  I don't have good access(big surprise) to the right side of the solenoid but think I can get a wrench on it. I will use best practices and shut off the 120 and the two shutoff's for the chassis and house.

I am sure your correct the the 2 white wire go to the switch I think I can just leave these alone . I will just use the stud on the solenoid to make the group connection.

I got a call from George Harwell with an offer to help "You gotta love the Beavers"

Sorry it took me so long to reply but the darn surface wouldn't hook up to wifi, I spent 2 hour working with the phone companyh the an hour with Microsoft.

[Joel Ashley]

Similar happened to me, but I was lucky enough to be parked at BCS getting ready to leave after several days of service.  It was closing time, but Ken and a couple techs stayed after to ferret out the problem.  As I recall I got a new salesman's switch, and Ken said to leave it in the on position, period.  They weren't designed for general owner use to power down the coach, and they don't shut everything off anyway, just some interior circuits.  Constant use will wear them out prematurely. Conceivably ditto for the associated latching solenoid.

Ideally, the switch should be removed upon sale of the rig, and the hole capped.  Owners can either develop better habits as I subsequently did and cease using it as a convenient battery saver or light control, or they can jumper the wires behind it or, like Jerry perhaps, jumper/join the solenoid large wires.  Though they didn't find anything particularly wrong with the latching solenoid hiding on the right wall in the Big Boy/High Amp Fuse box in my situation, Ken had them switch it out anyway.

-Joel

[Jerry Carr]

Thanks everyone great morning here in OK City, I have lights, toilet  and coffee. The alterations to the salesman switch worked just fine it was tough getting to the stud on the solenoid but the rest of the job was no problem.  George Harwell stopped by just as I was finishing up so that was nice to have and A&P sign off on the job. Thanks again, its always good to have a working John!