RV is Dead!

[Dwayne Burgess]

I have a 2004 Class C Motor Home on a Ford Chassis. I make it a point of starting and running the engine and generator at least once a month when it is not in use. A couple of months ago I was running the engine and I hit the start button on the generator. There was a loud "Pop" and everything stopped. I can not get the engine or the generator to turn over.

I assumed it was a fuse under the hood but when I pulled the cover off the fuse box I could not determine which fuse is which; the owners manual does nothing to help me as it uses abbreviations I do not understand. There are several 60 Amp fuses so my guess is one of them is the master fuse and may be the problem.

I can use any suggestions and help! Many thanks.

 

[Chris Reed]

Do you own a test light or a mutimeter?

[John "T" Nordhoff]

  I think the FIRST thing I would do is go to BOTH the engine and RV House battery(ies) and remove and clean and wire brush and re attach BOTH battery cables on BOTH the batteries, do the ground first and then last when re attaching. CHECK THOSE BATTERY POST CONNECTIONS especially the older style posts versus the side posts which are less troublesome.

 

 If that dont help look at the fuzes you mentioned, on many (so no need to remove them) there is an opening on both ends so a test lamps needle probe end can make electrical contact. Have the test lamps alligator clamp end grounded and use the needle probe end to insure voltage is present on BOTH sides of the fuze when the key is on in case thats needed to energize them.

 

 You should be able to start the genset regardless if the Trucks engine is running or not, how else do you fire up the AC or microwave while on the road??? However a gensets starter problem  (short) could cause a very high momentary current draw that causes a battery or ground cable to go bad or maybe a fuze but I doubt its a fuze problem.

 

 John T

[stan franzone]

you may have shorted out the crossover switch that prevents the generator from starting when engine is running. it happened to me with a 1999 coachman and had to have the generator rebuilt.