2011 Winnebago vista alternator not charging coach batteries?

[thomas.built.motorsports]

Hello all, new to this forum but man is there a wealth of information here.

We recently bought a 2011 Winnebago vista 30w, and I’m slowly getting it in tip top shape.

Previous owner/s did a number on the battery and battery shutoff wiring. I’ve fixed everything except for this last issue that I can’t seem to figure out.

I have replaced both battery shutoff latch
relays, as well as the battery mode solenoid with the help of threads here, and winnebagos wiring diagrams, Along with redoing all the wiring to these circuits as it had all been hooked up incorrectly. However I still can’t get the alternator charging circuit to charge the coach batteries. With the engine running, the chassis batteries are charging but nothing on the coach batteries. The battery boost switch is functional and will temporarily charge both the chassis, and coach batteries, as long as it is pressed, but the trigger to the solenoid from ignition does not seem to work?

Any ideas as to why this is not working?

As a side note, the shore power and generator charge the coach batteries but not the chassis batteries? Although im not sure they are supposed to?

Thank you for any help!

 

[davismills]

This is a longshot but see if your battery boost switch clicks into the six o'clock position (down). Winnebago installed a 3-way switch on mine. Run the engine afterwards and see if it's charging the coach batteries.

 

[Morich]

No time right now to look for drawings help but it sounds like a chassis wire is not in place. There is normally a wire LR coming from the front to the modes solenoid.
Have you found how Winn labels small wires with ID and the "decoder" list?
Find the decoder list under " wiring identification guide" at lower left of wiring drawings!

Wire LR should have two sources of 12VDC. One is the switch which I normally find is momentary and supplies power only while held. But there may be a second source, sometimes called "run hot". Run hot implies that it is hot only when running!
Sounds like you have the connection for the switch but missing the run hot?
But that puts it over into the chassis wiring which we get very little info as Winn only buys the stripped chassis and connects to things as they add their parts.
If you can find wiring info on the specific chassis you have, it may let you find where that run hot connection should be done.
If you have the four wire system, wire FM is just ground brought down and often under the mounting screw or a second small connection on other solenoid models.
If your wiring has been DIY'd, that can get interesting!

 

[Morich]

Wire LR is blue and 12VDC there moves solenoid contacts. Red and green for the two battery groups?
When pushing dash switch, you should hear or feel this solenoid thump?
Harder to hear at times but it should also get 12vDC when turning the key on? Suspect it is not but where and why not is the biggie!
Many/most RV do not charge the chassis off the coach if there has not been some added parts. Trik-L- Start was one that we loved but it is no longer available and replacements seem to be slow coming to market. Possible to spot a small metal box with three wires to connect to both battery groups? Many RV do not have them added! Often at solenoid or battery rack? NOT OEM!

 

[thomas.built.motorsports]

Wire LR is blue and 12VDC there moves solenoid contacts. Red and green for the two battery groups?
When pushing dash switch, you should hear or feel this solenoid thump?
Harder to hear at times but it should also get 12vDC when turning the key on? Suspect it is not but where and why not is the biggie!
Many/most RV do not charge the chassis off the coach if there has not been some added parts. Trik-L- Start was one that we loved but it is no longer available and replacements seem to be slow coming to market. Possible to spot a small metal box with three wires to connect to both battery groups? Many RV do not have them added! Often at solenoid or battery rack? NOT OEM!
View attachment 977989

You are correct, solenoid clicks when boost switch is pushed, but not when start/run circuit is energized.

I need to find the start/run circuit/wire that feeds the LR wire or possible fuse blown somewhere?

 

[Morich]

I get into automotive wiring as little as I can as it is often different than things I follow. It is also often hard for me to find much of the info I have wanted, so I try not to look!

But as a point to consider, maybe a check for info on the chassis might lead to something.
Label next to driver for that chassis info if not familiar with what it is built on?
Considering that the RV is built on a stripped chassis, if you get the info of which chassis and look for that hot point when running on a matching truck chassis, that might be the same.
I see books in the library become available as trucks/cars get older, so any value in checking the chassis for your RV, then looking for books on that as a truck would be built?
The wire ID list shows LR from switch to solenoid. But we know it has to have a branch going to the hot connection. Any chance of following it to that point seems small but maybe looking at that wire LR on the back of the switch might find somethings? ??

Auto parts stores often have some to sell but for one time use, I might check the local library or even some truck forums?
A full drawing of the chassis electrical is needed!

 

[thomas.built.motorsports]

It is a ford f53 chassis. I will look into ford wiring diagrams and see what I come up with!

I will report back if I find anything

 

[corvetteSS]

My 2017 Vista had nothing that "automatically" bridged the Chassis and Coach systems. The Alternator charged the Chassis Battery, and the converter charged the Coach batteries. You have the "Jump start" switch but that was momentary (as mentioned) so that was working as designed.
After switching to LiFeO4 I now have a DC-DC charger from the alternator and the Converter charging the Chassis Batteries, and the Alternator and an AC trickle charger charging the chassis battery. I have the "jump start" switch disabled now.

 

[Morich]

Sounds like the mode solenoid was not working if the converter was the only thing charging the coach side. This is pretty standard for the RV before BIM came along.

But this is the OEM setup for your RV and it does show the mode solenoid as the connection between chassis and coach. The two big lugs had chassis battery on one side and coach on the other. Then wires LR and FM were battery from the front and ground from the front to operate the contacts.
It is a frequent problem point, though and finding them not working is one of the more common problems we hear about here.
The BIM is a solid state replacement for the mode solenoid and is the common item to connect the two as we drive. But when changing to lithium, it is important to make sure the alternator is not charging lithium coach batteries all the time we are driving as it tends to overheat the alternator!
But many do like to have the use of the coach batteries as a possible "jump start" for a weak chassis battery. So putting a switch in to connect wire LR only at the times needed is one way to go about the switch in wiring needs.

 

[goatlocker]

Hello all, new to this forum but man is there a wealth of information here.

We recently bought a 2011 Winnebago vista 30w, and I’m slowly getting it in tip top shape.

Previous owner/s did a number on the battery and battery shutoff wiring. I’ve fixed everything except for this last issue that I can’t seem to figure out.

I have replaced both battery shutoff latch
relays, as well as the battery mode solenoid with the help of threads here, and winnebagos wiring diagrams, Along with redoing all the wiring to these circuits as it had all been hooked up incorrectly. However I still can’t get the alternator charging circuit to charge the coach batteries. With the engine running, the chassis batteries are charging but nothing on the coach batteries. The battery boost switch is functional and will temporarily charge both the chassis, and coach batteries, as long as it is pressed, but the trigger to the solenoid from ignition does not seem to work?

Any ideas as to why this is not working?

As a side note, the shore power and generator charge the coach batteries but not the chassis batteries? Although im not sure they are supposed to?

Thank you for any help!

We have a 2021 Vista 29V. Shore power WAS NOT charging the chassiss battery. The alternator WAS charging the chassis battery. We just had installed a Xantrex Echo Charger 82-0123-01 by a local RV repair shop. We pick up "Winnie" today. I HOPE this fixes the problem. I will report success or lack thereof in a couple of weeks.

Chief