Battery Isolator Question

[Precept14]

I have a 2014 Precept 31 ul. The alternator is charging the chassis battery but not the house batteries. I get around 14 volts on the inlet of the battery isolator and nothing out. However, when I plug into shore power my house batteries charge and when I run the generator, the house batteries charge meaning I’m getting an output on the battery isolator...not making any sense to me, anyone have any ideas?

[WinnieView]

This is the battery isolator in ours;

https://www.amazon.com/TERMINAL-CONT.../dp/B00FQSJH46

[Precept14]

Actually it is an Trombetta 114-1211-020, I think that is the last 3 numbers. But does that make sense that I’m getting the generator and shore power through it and not the alternator. I can’t see that the solinoid is bad because the other power goes through it.

[hoppers4]

Without a circuit diagram I can't know for sure, but here's my best guess. Shore power and the generator come in on the other side of the isolator (house side). The isolator is there to prevent your chassis battery from being run down by the house. When your engine is running, this isolator solenoid should be picked up permitting the house and chassis batteries to be tied together. Apparently the solenoid is not being closed. Can you momentarily jump around the solenoid or enable the solenoid by providing voltage via some other means than the wiring that's being used? Either the solenoid is busted or power is not getting to the solenoid to enable it.

Just be very careful working around that solenoid as there's a lot of energy available there.

[Precept14]

Ok...did a little more checking, like you said the generator and shore power does come from the other side. I also was reading about the battery booster and it us stating it is also the same solinoid? So for the heck of it I toggled the switch and heard a solinoid pick up. Not 100% sure it is the same solinoid, need some help from my wife to verify. Anyway the house batteries did charge after hitting the toggle switch. Also when I hit the toggle switch for the battery boost, it would only pick up once, you can hit it a few times but again I only heard it pick up the one time. I’m planning on and checking the voltage today and if it isn’t charging toggling the boost switch and see if I can duplicate what happened yesterday. Obviously this isn’t the way to run, but it might explain that my solinoid is working and I just have to find out where the power is coming from that trips the solinoid for the alternator charging.

[hoppers4]

That battery boost switch should be a momentary push button switch. You push it, solenoid picks up, release it and the solenoid should drop out. As you probably read in your documentation, it is used in case you run down your chassis battery or house battery. It simply ties the two batteries together and would be the same thing as using a jump start for the chassis or an emergency supply for the house to retract slides or levelers. I'm thinking an isolator should be a different critter whether it be a solenoid or some other electronic device.

[WinnieView]

It is a convenient location to connect a Trik-L-Start to keep the chassis batteries charged when using generator or shore power.

[Precept14]

This is pretty close to what I have. This also is the first time trying to send a picture, not sure if it will work. I don’t see what switches the solinoid so the alternator will charge the house batteries.

[hoppers4]

No picture, but I'm of a mind that the charging path from the chassis to the house is via a different path. I've never investigated how my house battery is charged from the alternator, but I'm fairly certain it's not via the boost solenoid. I've never had to go down this particular path and I don't have a wiring diagram so I can't really be much help. Hopefully somebody versed in this subject will chime in. If not, start another thread entitled "House battery charging".