Coachmen RV Aurora, General Maintenance & Troubleshooting

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Helpful Hints
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A "dead" battery, one with a low rate of charge, may be "jumped" using the following procedure:
• Use approved or UL listed jumper cables - they should be 4 gauge or larger.
• Connect the positive lead to the "good" battery.
• Connect the negative lead to the "good" battery.
• Connect the positive lead to the "dead" battery.
• Connect the negative lead to frame ground that is common to the "dead" battery ground.
WARNING: DO NOT CONNECT ON TO NEGATIVE BATTERY POST
. The final connection can cause
sparking and sparks could ignite hydrogen formed at discharged battery, resulting in an explosion.
• Wait approximately 60 seconds before using any 12 volt devices.
• Remove the jumper cables in reverse order from above.
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Batteries are charged one of two ways while a RV is in use:
• A trickle charge from the converter/charger.
• A fast charge from the motor vehicle alternator.
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Take into consideration the condition of the battery while dry camping. If it isn't being recharged
and power is being drawn from it, it will eventually discharge. Typically, a deep cycle battery contains
75-100 amps. If you run the furnace and refrigerator, you will be using (7.5 + 2.0) 9.5 amps per
hour. Not including 12 volt lights, water heater or other appliances. At that rate, a 75-amp battery
will only last 9-12 hours depending on frequency of operation. Batteries discharge at a faster rate as
energy levels become depleted.
SHORE LINE CORD
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Recreational vehicles may carry a 30 Amp or a 50 Amp shoreline service (power cord), depending
on your particular model and option.
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Inspect and clean prongs on cord plug regularly. "Shine" prongs with a soft emery cloth if corroded.
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Inspect cord for cuts, cracks and worn insulation. Replace cord if these symptoms are noticed.
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Not all locations have 50 amp service campsites, and sometimes 30-amp service isn't available. In
these cases you may need to adapt "down" to the available service ratings with appropriate plug
adapters (or run a generator if available and appropriate).
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If you adapt "down" to a lower amperage, (i.e. 30 amps to 15 amps) be aware of the limitations that
affect your RV. For instance, at 15 amps, you will not be able to run your microwave along with any
other 120 volt appliance or tool. On the following page is a chart of typical amperage ratings for
appliances and accessories.
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An additional factor to take into consideration is your vehicle's circuit ratings.There are applications
where there are several receptacles on one circuit. If the circuit is rated at 15 amps, then you are
limited to that usage. For example from the chart, you may not be able to make toast and coffee at
the same time (10 amps + 8.3 amps= 18.3 amps) on a 15 amp circuit. You will experience the annoy-
ance of a circuit breaker tripping.
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If extension cords are required, be sure to use the heavy-duty type. Your amperage availability will
also be limited to the extension cord rating.
WARNING:
Using too small of an extension cord poses an electrical hazard and may cause a fire or
other electrical problems.
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You can determine appliance and tool amperage ratings by dividing watts used by voltage supply.
(i.e. 1200W/120V = 10 amps.)
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ELECTRICAL