1998 Winnebago Brave Generator Battery Charging Question

[Jim in SE Ks]

Question I have is does the generator only supply power to and for the convertor to supply charging voltage to the batteries, or should the generator charge the batteries if my problem is convertor. The convertor charges the batteries when on shore power. At the batteries I am only seeing battery voltage with the with the generator only. The 120 V is fine on generator and able to run both front and rear air.

 

[Morich]

Sorry, seems like we always need even more info on what you have, no matter how good you started!
This is the 110AC electrical drawing set for the year and model but then we need to know if it is 30 or 50 amp?
Maybe youi can look these drawings over and one way to look at it is checking the brekaer panel for the same breakers in size and number to try to match up which drawing to use. One difference is whether the RV has an Auomatic transfer switch (ATS) or not.
Can you spot which you have?

https://www.winnebago.com/Files/Files/Winnebago/Resources/Diagram/1998/126758.pdf

 

[creativepart]

Question I have is does the generator only supply power to and for the convertor to supply charging voltage to the battey.

Yes, is the simple answer. Your generator, just like shore power, charges your House batteries via the Converter.

 

[Jim in SE Ks]

Sorry, seems like we always need even more info on what you have, no matter how good you started!
This is the 110AC electrical drawing set for the year and model but then we need to know if it is 30 or 50 amp?
Maybe youi can look these drawings over and one way to look at it is checking the brekaer panel for the same breakers in size and number to try to match up which drawing to use. One difference is whether the RV has an Auomatic transfer switch (ATS) or not.
Can you spot which you have?

https://www.winnebago.com/Files/Files/Winnebago/Resources/Diagram/1998/126758.pdf

I think # 3 drawing, it is the 1998 35wp on the
ford powered v-10, strictly 30 amp and no ats. Sorry I never thought about '98 models having 50 amp.

 

[Jim in SE Ks]

Yes, is the simple answer. Your generator, just like shore power, charges your House batteries via the Converter.

Does the convertor have a breaker or fuse for the charger because I have 12V power. As far as I know it is the original convertor. I'll have to look for the manual, which I should have done anyway. Thanks

 

[Morich]

No problem with not knowing there was a 50 amp! In fact, most of the time our troubles come from things we did not know, right? Most of us have met those folks who know everything and learn to avoid them!
So I like to start out and see if we can both learn something that makes it work!
We get this from the drawings:
First there is a difference in what you get from shore power outlet than when on generaator power !

So looking at where that 12-2 wire that we lose on shore power goes as it meets this second drawing?

It looks a lot like that 12-2 involves air cond. but also a wire going to the breakers feeds power to AT LEAST one. Not shown how it make conncet inside the breaker panel.
So my question might be how that wouold work. does power from the shore power go to that 20 amp at right when on generator, then feed to left on 15 amp to power converter when on generator but NOT when on shore power? That seems silly!
But maybe needs check if you can test!
Does that far right 20 get power only when on generator but not when on shore power? I usually think of getting more when on shore power but there's lots of things that surprise me.
I might guess the power goes in on the 20 an dfeeds over to go out on the 15 to let the converter run, but that is a guess that needs tested!
Some place on the RV, you should have a converter that uses that AC power to make the DC. The DC can go straight to fuses on a different section of the load center that then feed all the 12VDC you use. At the same time, that 12VDc also heads toward the batteries to charge them. Not shown well on drawings I see but kind of like this:

It needs checking but it might look to me like the 12-2 wire that we lose when plugged to shore power feeds power to the last 20 amp and out on the 15 to make the converter work???? That sure loks like they planned for the converter to ONLY work when on geenrator, but that seems strange!
Suggest testing that idea by checking voltage is NOT getting to the 20 when on shore power and does get to it when on generator?
Any way to change the switch position that makes the converter come on when on shore power?
That seems to meet what you are saying if you see the battery voltage going down or lower when on shore power and then jump up when generator runs to indicate power coming from the converter working!
This is a link to what I think is your manual. Section 6 seems to say it is NOT like what I see??

https://www.winnebago.com/Files/Files/Winnebago/Resources/OperatorManuals/Operator1998/98Brave.pdf

Or am I missing something big in this whole story??

 

[Jim in SE Ks]

No problem with not knowing there was a 50 amp! In fact, most of the time our troubles come from things we did not know, right? Most of us have met those folks who know everything and learn to avoid them!
So I like to start out and see if we can both learn something that makes it work!
We get this from the drawings:
First there is a difference in what you get from shore power outlet than when on generaator power !
View attachment 2493754
So looking at where that 12-2 wire that we lose on shore power goes as it meets this second drawing?
View attachment 2493755
It looks a lot like that 12-2 involves air cond. but also a wire going to the breakers feeds power to AT LEAST one. Not shown how it make conncet inside the breaker panel.
So my question might be how that wouold work. does power from the shore power go to that 20 amp at right when on generator, then feed to left on 15 amp to power converter when on generator but NOT when on shore power? That seems silly!
But maybe needs check if you can test!
Does that far right 20 get power only when on generator but not when on shore power? I usually think of getting more when on shore power but there's lots of things that surprise me.
I might guess the power goes in on the 20 an dfeeds over to go out on the 15 to let the converter run, but that is a guess that needs tested!
Some place on the RV, you should have a converter that uses that AC power to make the DC. The DC can go straight to fuses on a different section of the load center that then feed all the 12VDC you use. At the same time, that 12VDc also heads toward the batteries to charge them. Not shown well on drawings I see but kind of like this:
View attachment 2493759
It needs checking but it might look to me like the 12-2 wire that we lose when plugged to shore power feeds power to the last 20 amp and out on the 15 to make the converter work???? That sure loks like they planned for the converter to ONLY work when on geenrator, but that seems strange!
Suggest testing that idea by checking voltage is NOT getting to the 20 when on shore power and does get to it when on generator?
Any way to change the switch position that makes the converter come on when on shore power?
That seems to meet what you are saying if you see the battery voltage going down or lower when on shore power and then jump up when generator runs to indicate power coming from the converter working!
This is a link to what I think is your manual. Section 6 seems to say it is NOT like what I see??

https://www.winnebago.com/Files/Files/Winnebago/Resources/OperatorManuals/Operator1998/98Brave.pdf

View attachment 2493796

Or am I missing something big in this whole story??

Well I think Creativepart had it right, the generator just powers the convertor and the convertor does the rest. My confusion probably came from originally checking the batteries seeing they could use a charge and plugging the coach into my shore power. Next day unplugged shore power plugged cord in for generator and run it thru its monthly test before I shut the genny down I and wasn't seeing any thing above normal batt voltage. Turns out convertor charger(Magna Tek Mod 7445) senses batt condition and keeps batt topped off, but not enough to see on my analog meter. So next time hopefully I'll remember that the gen only powers the conv/chgr as your last note said . Thanks for your time and thanks to creative part if he's following.

 

[Morich]

Sounds like a good time to wait and watch, maybe a bit closer than otherwise but not worry too much until actually seeing something more sure. RV battery operation is often way more complex that we first think. I did battery work for years but the way things are built in RV seems to have way more small points to trip us.
I left one out on the hand drawn sketch and it can catch us. The battery cutoff is one to try to keep in mind. The cutoff on our Winnebago does actually fit in the line between the connection from the converter and the batteryies. It can take a bit to figure out that opening the cutoff DOES cut the batteries off from the charge from drains through the fuses. BUT it also cuts them off from charging! You can run the inside RV with no batteries as long as you keep the converter running on gen or cord!
I thought to mention that as it is easy for me to think I can turn the cutoff open and keep from using power, just like turning out the lights? But that does sto charging while STILL leaving some smallish drains like CO and smoe detectors to drain the batteries as they are wired more direct and not through the cutoff! UGH!
Easy to totally kill a set of batteries over winter if we are not watching!
there just seems to be a lot of small things to trick us!
Wish you luck!

 

[Jim in SE Ks]

Sounds like a good time to wait and watch, maybe a bit closer than otherwise but not worry too much until actually seeing something more sure. RV battery operation is often way more complex that we first think. I did battery work for years but the way things are built in RV seems to have way more small points to trip us.
I left one out on the hand drawn sketch and it can catch us. The battery cutoff is one to try to keep in mind. The cutoff on our Winnebago does actually fit in the line between the connection from the converter and the batteryies. It can take a bit to figure out that opening the cutoff DOES cut the batteries off from the charge from drains through the fuses. BUT it also cuts them off from charging! You can run the inside RV with no batteries as long as you keep the converter running on gen or cord!
I thought to mention that as it is easy for me to think I can turn the cutoff open and keep from using power, just like turning out the lights? But that does sto charging while STILL leaving some smallish drains like CO and smoe detectors to drain the batteries as they are wired more direct and not through the cutoff! UGH!
Easy to totally kill a set of batteries over winter if we are not watching!
there just seems to be a lot of small things to trick us!
Wish you luck!

Yes, just the nomenclature of some of the switches can get confusing . On my '98 Brave, I have an Aux Battery switch that my owners manual should be turned OFF for extended periods of no use. Otherwise should be kept ON at all times. Sounds like the battery cutoff you were talking about. I've owned this old bus since 2009, have the operators manual, and don't use it enough when I hit these little glitches. I will keep an eye out for future battery problems in fact when I think and have verified the batteries could use a charge, instead of going for the shore power I'll start the generator and and analog voltmeter in hand that the problem that wasn't means there's NO problem. Thanks again for holding my hand. I'm calling this problem solved for anyone else following along.