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Section 6: Electrical System
Keep the protective dust cap on the 12-volt DC outlet when not in use to pre-
vent ingestion of foreign material and potential short circuit conditions.
Batteries
Do not store anything inside the battery compartment(s) or near the
batteries that could touch the battery or battery cable terminals. Contact
with the battery or battery cable terminals could cause an electrical short
circuit, discharge the batteries, or start an electrical fire.
Keep sparks, cigarettes and flames away from the batteries as the
hydrogen gas they create may explode. Do not connect a booster bat-
tery or other power source that outputs more than 14.2-volts DC to the
RV batteries. Use adequate ventilation when charging or using batteries
in an enclosed space.
Remove metal jewelry and always wear eye protection when working
around batteries.
Do not allow battery electrolyte (acid) to come into contact with skin,
eyes, fabric or painted surfaces. Electrolyte is a sulfuric acid solution
that could cause serious personal injury or property damage. If your
hands, eyes, clothes or the painted surface of your RV are exposed to
electrolyte, flush the exposed area thoroughly with water. If electrolyte
gets in your eyes, immediately flush them thoroughly with water and get
prompt medical attention.
Make sure the inverter/charger is turned "off" before disconnecting
the negative battery cable from the battery bank. Keep the batteries
out of the reach of children.
House Batteries
Unless a battery has been fully discharged, house auxiliary batteries are normally charged
in one of two ways:
When the power cord is plugged into 120-volt shore power or when the generator
is operational, the inverter/charger functions as a battery charger and will auto-
matically charge the house batteries when required.
The chassis alternator charging system supplies power to the house auxiliary bat-
teries when the engine is running and the chassis batteries are sufficiently charged.
See the Chassis Guide for information on the chassis batteries and the drivetrain elec-
trical system.
The battery voltage for house and auxiliary batteries is typically monitored on one of the
selectable touch screens.
A fully charged battery will read 12.65 volts DC with a specific gravity of 1.265 at 80°F
(32°C). A battery is considered discharged at 11.89 volts DC or when it has a specific grav-
ity of 1.120 or less. When voltage drops to 11.89 volts, irreversible battery damage can
occur.
Dry Camping
House auxiliary and chassis batteries should be fully charged prior to dry camping. When
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