Batteries in 80's newells

[Capnted]

We're on the road agin--sitting in the dark in a truck stop. Ran all day and the house batteries are dead and the generator won't turn over. They were all good when we left MN 5days ago.

Do I need to have the merge switch on to charge the house batteries while driving?

In the early 80's, did the house batteries also serve as starter batteries for the gen?

I put a meter on one side of the merge relay and have power. I switch the merge switch up or down and it klunks. I never get power on the other side. I ran the engine for a half hour with the switch up and same with the switch down and didn't get a flicker out of the house lights.

I have one humungous interstate battery on each side on the rear and two together in the front under the passenger. Are both rear batteries start batteries?

TIA. Wish I had spome docs on the coach!

Ted

PS please call 3035067804 or email tedjohnson101 at msn.com. I never get an email when someone responds to my posts.