ERA 70A Electrical

[aptiii]

Quicke question then story below:

Should the house batteries in the ERA 70A charge off of the alternator when the engine is running?

I purchased a new ERA 70A last July. It wasn't long before we noticed that house batteries were dead and wouldn't charge off shore line, solar panels, and the generator wouldn't start. We had purchased the ERA from a California dealer and had it delivered. Taking it back to the dealer wasn't an option. We contacted a local authorized service center who took it in and kept it for 3 months. They are no longer an authorized service center as an aside. They finally said that the electrical connections were "loose" and asked me to buy new 12 volt batteries even though they should have been under warranty. The batteries will now charge off of solar and the house generator as well as shore line power. The batteries will not charge off of the alternator.

If charging off of the alternator is not standard, is there an after market way of enabling?

Sorry for being a NOOB.

[creativepart]

I know of no motorhomes that do not charge the house batteries via the alternator as standard when driving the motorhome.

What model year is your Era motorhome?

About your story - it illustrates why just about all of us would find any alternative for taking our RVs to a "dealer" for repair. A good suggestion is to find a reliable independent RV Tech, perhaps even someone mobile that will come to you for repairs.

Not that it helps you at all now, but in the future I suggest never buying something this expensive and having it "delivered." You need to inspect it, verify it's full operation and be given a full overview of every aspect of the RV BEFORE you sign a purchase contact. We all learn these lessons as we go and now, at least, you've gained some valuable knowledge through this experience.

[aptiii]

Yes. Lesson learned. For better or worse, I'm someone with more money than time. I'm working from both sides. LOL

It is a Winnebago ERA 70A, 2021. I would love to find someone in the Kentucky, central Tennessee, or Southern Indiana area who is reliable. We will also be keeping out in the Salt Lake City area during the summers.

[creativepart]

Have you checked out:

RV Medic, https://www.tristatervmedic.com/
(270) 683-5169
4218 E 4th St
Owensboro, KY 42303

Not an endorsement... just a suggestion.

[RV-Travelers]

Originally Posted by aptiii

Quicke question then story below:

Should the house batteries in the ERA 70A charge off of the alternator when the engine is running?

I purchased a new ERA 70A last July. It wasn't long before we noticed that house batteries were dead and wouldn't charge off shore line, solar panels, and the generator wouldn't start. We had purchased the ERA from a California dealer and had it delivered. Taking it back to the dealer wasn't an option. We contacted a local authorized service center who took it in and kept it for 3 months. They are no longer an authorized service center as an aside. They finally said that the electrical connections were "loose" and asked me to buy new 12 volt batteries even though they should have been under warranty. The batteries will now charge off of solar and the house generator as well as shore line power. The batteries will not charge off of the alternator.

If charging off of the alternator is not standard, is there an after market way of enabling?

What year is your ERA?

Ours is a 2016 70A. There is a solenoid under the passenger seat that connects the alternator output to the house (coach) batteries when the engine is running.

In our case, at about the 3-year-old mark the solenoid failed. We were at the tail-end of a trip and only a day drive from home, so knowing nothing about the electrical system in general and the solenoid in particular we drove home. In my case I run a CPAP machine off the coach batteries so no power is a trip-ender.

A subsequent search found some very helpful videos on YouTube showing how to replace the solenoid.

Not knowing any better, I bought a factory replacement solenoid from Lichtsinn RV which turned out to be the same as the factory unit that failed. I installed it and it works fine, but I gather it's a rather poor quality part. From some additional web searches, it appears there is a better solenoid available that may last considerably longer. If you need a solenoid (or want to keep a spare on hand, which we now do), look for the Cole Hersee 24213.

One unresolved issue for me was figuring out how to disconnect the house batteries before replacing the solenoid. There is no obvious way to do it, and the only way I could see was to remove the batteries (ours has 2 house batteries) and disconnect them. At around 70 pounds each there was no way I could remove them, so I wound up replacing the solenoid with the batteries connected, being extremely careful with the wiring. I wouldn't recommend replacing the solenoid without first disconnecting the batteries, if you can figure out how to do so.

[hphock]

As stated above, yes the ERA 70A should charge from the Chassis battery. There is a solenoid that energizes (closes) when the coach battery switch is 'on'

It will do this in one of two ways
1) when you push the battery boost button, or
2) when the coach is started

First, Check your switch to make sure the coach batteries are on. Otherwise they will not charge even if plugged into shore. I can explain how/why but for now - just go with it.

If its on, then check the solenoid - mine is under the passenger seat. This can be checked with a volt meter (DC)

In a different post, you can see where I and one other 'hash out' how all of this works and ties together.

[Morich]

Just as a point to try to hold confusion down a bit, there is a different setup on this 2021 model versus older.
The electroncics field is moving fast and some of it is really good but some can make it more difficult to fix!
While most do have some form of charging the coach batteries a little bit as we drive, it varies on what parts are used and how we made need to deal with them.
Older do use a solenoid but this one uses what is called a "battery isolation manager" (BIM) and the difference is that this is a solid state item where the solenoid was more electro-mechanical.
That is good as it lasts better without contacts to arc and go bad. But bad in that we can't troubleshoot as easy!
The solenoid, we could listen and hear it move where the solid state is much quieter and we have to do more testing to see if it works.
No big deal but different!
For the 2021 model this is the section of drawings to show the BIM:
https://www.winnebago.com/Files/File.../000184128.pdf sheet 3

A small point that might save a trip if the BIM or solenoid fails at an awkward time might help some folks.

Knowing that this is often a set of two battery groups and the BIM/solenoid just ties them together when the engine is running can be a clue to what we can do in those awkward situations where we need the charging while we drive.
One way to do it is to just strap the two large battery cables together! This can be done at the actual batteries if they are handy OR at the solenoid if it is also handy. For my use, rather than buying an extra solenoid to carry, I would build a short jumper cable of something like number ten gauge wire with large clips to clip on the lugs.
Keep in mind that the solenoid is just an automatic "jumper cable" between the two groups. Connect the positives together and you've done the same thing!

There ARE some hazards involved to be aware of and avoid.
One is that the number ten is likely good and big enough to handle the charge current going from one battery to the next under most conditions, But if you have a reallly totally flat coach battery and want to drive and charge under higher current, going to a number six will carry more current but also be harder to bend and work. A set of cheap jumper cables and only using the positve side may be a handier way than building it?
Also be aware that this is a "full-time" connection as long as the strap is there. That means that if you run the coach batteries down, the start battery will ALSO be down.
So if you are 40 miles from nowhere and run both batteries down, you may be in trouble!
One way to avoid this is to put the strap on as you drive and take it off when you boondock, then you still can start the egnien, even if you run the coach totally flat!

I try to leave myself an out when possible as I DO screw things up at awkward times!