Dirty batteries can seriously impede the charging circuit and can and will draw voltage directly off the battery. Good luck. We have a Forest River Salem Travel Trailer that is parked year round at a resort wtih 30 amp service. The problem we are having is that our ceiling fans will run for maybe 5 minutes and then stop. The wall switch gets hot when the fan is running on high for the 5 minutes, running them on low they will keep running but the switch gets warm. Also, the AC when running on high trips the breaker switch, running on low it will keep going.
We have a four slice toaster and that will not toast properly when using all four and if we have our griddle plugged in it will hardly toast at all, so we unplug the griddle to make toast. And our microwave does not seem to putting out the power it should. We put in a new battery last year so that was fully charged.
The fans are DC I believe. When I put a meter in the kitchen outlet and turn on the toaster the voltage drops. I checked the voltage at the post and it seemed ok with no load. Not sure what to do. It is really hard to get the rv guys out there to look at it as we did not buy the camper from them and they serve the buyers first.
Could this have something to do with the converter or maybe where the power cord comes into the camper? Hi Gary. Thanks for visiting the RV Repair Club site and the opportunity to assist with your power requirement issues.
The first thing you need to do is identify what components operate on volt power and what draws from the volt DC system. Next, what Amp draw you are getting from each appliance and component. Plug in your toaster, microwave, and any other appliance you might be running. The roof AC in your unit can draw up to 14 amps at peak and your converter is probably drawing amps trying to keep the batteries charged!
You need to calculate what items are running such as the refrigerator amps , television amps , and anything else like clocks, computers etc. Use a multimeter or simple analog electric tester and make sure you are getting volts from the campground source.
This will also cause similar issues. Is the replacement of the cooling fan something an owner should try to repair? Hi, Steven. Thanks for visiting the RV Repair Club site and sorry about the issue with your converter fan. I would recommend upgrading to the newer digital model which will provide a cleaner power source, runs cooler, and is much quieter. There is an overview video in the electrical section. My question is does this come with a built in surge protector or do I need to buy a aftermarket one and where would I install it at.
Thanks Gary. Thanks for visiting the RV Repair Club site and the opportunity to assist with your surge protection question. Your Starcraft comes standard with a 30 amp distribution center and minimal surge protection through common circuit breakers and volt fuses. This does not protect against low voltage as well, therefore I would recommend getting an aftermarket protector such as Surge Guard or Smart Surge from Progressive Dynamics. Thanks for visiting the RV Repair Club site.
Typically your rig comes with a standard distribution center that would have circuit breakers for the volt systems and automotive type fuses for the volt systems. Any ideas on cause? Hi Trent. Thanks for visiting the RV Repair Club site and the opportunity to assist with your electrical issue.
How are you reading volts everywhere else, multi-meter, am-watt, or digital monitor? Typically a coach of this size is 50 amp so if you connect to shoreline power you have 2 legs that provide volts to each side. What size is your Honda generator? I would guess your genset is too small to provide power to a 50 amp coach? Most of the surge protectors such as the Surge Guard will show voltage on the display.
This could be the pigtail version at the plug in, or a permanently mounted protector inside the electrical compartment? Hi, John. We would be happy to assist you; we just need some more information. I have been plugged into a 30 amp outlet at an RV park thats been around for 40 years. About 2 years ago my electricity started turning off and on alot when it was raining or moist outside, mainly during the night while not much was turned on.
Occasionally during the next year they would suddenly pop back on usually during the middle of the night the stereo would come on at full blast volume. I would turn the volume down to mute and then turn it off. A while later it would happen again…. This would happen several times during the night. The next day these items would stop working again. Every few months this repeats again. A couple months ago my electricity kept turning itself off and on again but more often.
Several times an hour and when on my lights are continuously flickering. Then 2 weeks ago the prongs on my plug melted in the outlet. The park replaced the oulet and I had a new plug end put on. Now my electricity turns off for hours at a time and then will turn itself back on for a brief moment, but then shuts off again. I am a senior woman who lives alone on a limited budget. Does it sound like a converter issue, battery, electrical wiring or a bad outlet? Hi, Nora. Electric power turning on and off, issues when it rains, and prongs melting in the outlet are all serious issues that need to be addressed by a qualified technician.
What typically happens at the older campgrounds is larger rigs come in needing more power and the campgrounds do not upgrade which causes these issues.
I am replacing the radio in my Rockwood TT. For some reason I am not getting a constant 12 VDC on the wire coming from the converter to the radio location. There is a red light at the location of the 15 amp fuse in the panel that glows when connected to the tester to read voltage.
This is the same wire the previous radio was connected to before removal. What am I missing. Hi, Larry. Thank you for visiting the RV Repair Club site and the opportunity to assist with your radio issue. If that light is on, volt power is not going through the fuse to the connecting wire and ultimately the radio?
Take a test light and ground the alligator clip to a metal component on the distribution center and touch each metal point of the top of the fuse. The light should come on both sides, if not, the fuse or wiring is bad.
Hi, James. If this is your fourth converter replacement, you need to stop swapping parts and find the problem! My first question is what symptoms did you experience initially that caused the first converter replacement? The only thing the converter does is charge the batteries which is on the volt DC side so turning on the microwave or the electric heater should have nothing to do with it?
Lead acid batteries must be charged every month with a multistage charge that is a high voltage initial Bulk charge that boils the acid and breaks up sulfation, then an equalizing and float charge. To check your converter, use a multimeter and place the probes on the positive and negative post of the battery. Plug the unit in or start the generator and see if it goes from My suggestion, get a Battery Minder from Northern Tool instead of the archeic converter and just shut off the existing one and use the Battery Minder which will condition your batteries and last much longer.
It appears that my converter does not always engage when plugged into shore power. If I turn the appliance off, the DC drops out. The converter eventually engages although it takes numerous attempts with disconnecting and reconnecting the battery and turning appliances on and off. Any further ideas? We have a Frigidaire Galley refrigerator in our rv. It stopped working again today. Is there anything we could check ourselves??? This is a good one.
I have a Attitude Eclipe fk toyhauler. My problem started about a year ago when the factory radio would not shut off but no sound would come out. We replaced it with a new Pioneer unit and wired it up exactly like the original. My wife is a Micro mini soldering tech so we used the original plugs and wired all the wires in exactly like the old one they were the same.
I started seeing an issue with the radio about a year ago couple years after we bought the trailer. The original radio would not turn off but would also do nothing else. We purchased a Pioneer unit and wired it in both according to the old wiring diagram and the Pioneer one they were the same. Seems to me something is putting vac on the yellow wire but not blowing the fuse has me stumped.
And, why only on shore power and not on straight dc? We have a 33ft. We use it about 5 months during the summer and winterize it for the winter, disconnecting the battery and storing it at home in a warm, dry basement. This season, I have noticed that the DC lights are dimmer than they ever have been. Any idea what the problem might be? Do we need a new battery? Thanks for your help. Hi Dianne. Thus the dimmer lights.
I would recommend getting a Battery Minder from Northern Tool which will connect to the batteries and send high impact waves into the battery and not only charge, but condition them and they will last longer and hold a charge longer.
You should also use this at the camper while connected for the summer as your typical converter will not have the multistage charge and your batteries will sulfate. I would suggest getting the Battery Minder and try it for a few months to see if your battery comes back to a better operating capacity, if not, you will need a new battery.
Another item I would install is LED lights as they will draw 10 times less battery power and your battery will again last longer! Not sure why your lights get brighter when you use the blow dryer since it uses volts from a completely separate source, unless you are not plugged in to shoreline and when you do to use the blow dryer the lights get brighter which means the converter has kicked on and charging the batteries…brighter lights.
Of course, the one downside is that these systems rely on a sunny day. If a storm is brewing, those clouds are going to cut off your solar panels from the sun. However, they deserve more attention than they receive. They are a perfect addition to a boondocking setup.
They are also cheaper than solar panels, but they are also a bit more challenging to implement. Many manuals advise using the generator instead of the alternator whenever possible. This advisement was written because running a high-powered alternator to charge house batteries can generate damaging levels of heat. While the heat can slowly damage the alternators, they are still very durable pieces of hardware. They should hold up for a long time. Generators are more efficient at producing electricity, so they are an economical choice too.
You can think of these ingenious devices as a more intelligent circuit breaker. They do much more than that, but this works as a simple definition. The power demands of an RV shift from moment to moment, and sometimes those needs exceed the power available from whatever campground pedestal is supplying the power.
If that happens, it will trip the circuit breaker on the pedestal. You might make quite a few trips outside, which is an annoyance that nobody wants. An energy management system can monitor the power being supplied and temporarily cut power to low-priority devices. The house batteries provide volt power through automotive style fuses to interior lights, roof vents, water pump and LP appliances.
An inverter is a device that takes volt power and and provides volt power for a TV in the smallest application up to the big boys that can run a refrigerator on volt power. Once the charger senses the battery is charged, it usually goes into a low charge mode, which would allow the battery to drain down and if you have a high volt draw, it will get down below volts fairly fast which means the lights will dim.
I would start by replacing the lights with LED bulbs to limit the draw. LEDs take almost 10 times less power! Then get a Battery Minder from Northern Tool as it will send high impact waves to the battery and condition it, not the high voltage of a typical charger. Hello I have had some trouble with my rv and converters. In the past 4 months I have had 3 converters go out in style, smoke and a loud pop.
I am about to replace it for a fourth time and am trying to find information on what is going on. If there are any test I can run to see what is causing them to go out, or if I am just that unlucky. Thanks for any help in advance. Do not put in another converter! Somewhere you have a surge in the system or a short that needs to be identified before you blow out another converter or worse!
You will need to take it to a certified technician that is familiar with your type of converter. Find the make, model, and serial number and contact the company direct for a technician in your area. Not sure what converter you are referring to as the article you referenced shows 4 different models, all of which are ok to leave connected to shoreline power. Convertor works for all electric components when plug into shore power but will not charge deep cycle batteries which r brand new.
I have been charging them with a separate charger plug into the rv. Batteries will charge if the motor is running. Where is my Problem? I have taken it to 2 auto shop with no help. They say nothing is wrong should be charging but it not. Lights on pannel says battery drain after 3 or 4 day of being plug into shore power.
Any suggestions would be appreciated. Where is it located and how do I access it? Typically the converter or battery charger in travel trailers are located inside the distribution center as an all in one unit. We will email you a photo of a typical Progressive Dynamics version that is fairly common in most trailers and has the volt circuit breakers and volt fuses for all the appliances, lights, vents and other accessories.
The converter is located to the right which is the vents that allow it to cool. The only way to access the converter is to remove the entire distribution center as they only want certified RV electricians working on them. Some models have a distribution center located in the living area and a separate converter placed somewhere else in the rig as they tend to run hot and have noise from the cooling fan. If your panel does not have vents, then you may have this type of model and the converter would look like the second photo we will email to you.
He was going to go back to the factory and do some research but I have not heard anything yet? The AC to DC converter typically is packaged with the distribution center which has volt circuit breakers and volt DC fuses for the house battery system? Usually the distribution center is placed in an accessible location in a cabinet down by the floor. Some put it in the bedroom under the mattress in the pedestal. If you have a system where the converter is separate, this is much harder to find as manufacturers will place the converter box in a cabinet under the refrigerator or other cabinetry and screw a cover plate over the opening so it looks like nothing is there.
You should be able to plug the shoreline power in and listen for the hum of the fans? I have a Fleetwood Pioneer T I keep shoreline attached during winter. Last week, when I returned home from work, the running lights were all on.
I disconnected the battery. The next night, they came back on. I unplugged the shore line and they went off. We have an iota ILC series load center and the fan runs continually on How do I locate the fan sensor to see if that is needing replaced or do you have any other ideas as to what might be going on?
Am I crazy? Thanks for any help! On my 34 foot fifth wheel when plugged into campsite power my lights, furnace range in power. Lights will go bright then dim then bright again. The furnace fan slows down and then speeds up. I have replaced the batteries so am stumped. Can you advise please, thanks. I have a Fleetwood Wilderness 5th wheel camper, the converter is bad.
Can someone please tell me where it is? When I had no power into the 5th wheel [just purchased it] when hooked up to city power, I found the two 40 amp fuses burned out. When I try to put new ones in, I get a spark at the fuse box of the converter.
When I disconnect the negative terminal of my batteries and then put the fuses into the converter, I get a spark at the negative terminal of the battery when I attempt to connect the 12 volt to the converter and then find the converter fuses blown again. My wife wants to go boondocking this week. It sounds like you either have reverse polarity in the 12v system or a really bad short. Does the converter work with the battery being disconnected and the unit plugged into v? Check to make sure the battery is hooked up to the correct terminals, make sure the negative is going to a chassis ground.
If that is ok, I would disconnect the battery and check the voltage on the battery itself. It may have reverse polarity coming out of the battery if it was discharged and then re charged when hooked up to the wrong connections. From there I would check the connections from the converter to the fuse panel, making sure they are correct. Check the connection to the breaker as well. Large sparks indicate large amp draw and if it is high enough to blow the fuse right away, there could be a bad short in the system as well.
Is there any tests I can perform to confirm this? Momentary main switch stayed on. Followed the direction in manual disconnected the ground of house battery have no 12 volt power. The switch may need replaced. They can get stuck and even if it releases, it may happen again. There are many different types and styles of main switches, I will provide a link to some sites that carry a variety of switches. You can always install a different type as well.
I was told when I bought my pop-up recently that it need a battery and converter. I have determined via my battery charger that the battery is dead — needs replacement. So, my question is, if I plug into shore power with the dead battery still connected should the converter do anything? Should lights come on? Must I have a good battery to get the converter to do anything? Thank you.
My unit has a converter Magnetec and inverter Freedom It appears that both can charge batteries. The inverter is external next to batteries. The converter is under back bed. Unit also has 2 transfer boxes. A 50 Ecco external in cord bin. And a 30 Ecco under bed next to converter. Yes the converter and inverter can both charge the batteries. The converter takes in the v AC and turns it into 12v DC to operate the fuse panel and all of the 12v components when plugged into an outlet.
It is connected to the battery to not only charge it, but it allows the batteries to send voltage to the fuse panel when not plugged into an outlet so you can use lights, slide outs, pump motor etc. The inverter you have most likely connects to one appliance, like a residential fridge or possible a set of outlets. When plugged into an outlet, it turns off the conversion and just runs off of v coming from the shore cord. It can also convert the voltage to 12v to charge the battery.
This feature can be turned off on the inverter if not needed. The same goes for why there is 2 transfer switches as well. Normally there is only one transfer switch when a generator is installed, you can only have one source of v coming into the RV at a time.
The transfer switch just allows one to come through. You should consult the owners manual for the unit and see why it is set up this way. They might just give you 2 power cords so you can use any pedestal but normally you can just use an adapter for this.
Do you have 3 air conditioners? I am really not sure. If you can provide the make, model and year of your RV I could try to look into why it is set up like this. Yes j bought a 92 Fleetwood wilderness camper. The converter was bad and they took it out so now I need to know what kind of converter I need like as far as what amp converter j need to get thanks…. It can be a little tricky to find out what size converter came with the RV if it was removed.
The converters installed at the factory are rated based on what is needed to run everything in the RV without going over the limit. Once you combine the total wattage, divide by You would want to get a converter just above that to allow for extra room as low voltage will cause high amp draw so you always want to be safe. There is a website that offers a power converter calculator that could help determine what you may need, it would be a good starting point.
We would like to offer you a special promotion for your first-year membership. Converter went out bought another converter hooked it up fan ran for a second or two went out. This is the third converter trailer is I had depended on the gas power generator for my power for 6 months then when I tried plugging it into a wall plug with a ground fault interrupt it tripped the interrupt.
I am having problems with the 12 volt system. It would shut down and not come back on. The system works fine. The shut off switch would turn it back on but would not stay on. Really would appreciate your help. Thanks James. It sounds like a problem with the converter. The best thing to do is check the connections going to it and the voltage going to and out of the converter.
If the v going in fluctuates, it can cause this issue and the problem is with your shore cord, the buss bar or the outlet you are plugged into. If there is steady voltage above VAC going to the converter and the 12v coming out fluctuates or is lower than Sometimes this can come down to a loose connection, I have seen this from the converter to the fuse panel and tightening the connection can make everything work again.
Inspecting and testing the voltage to and from the converter is really all you can do. I hope this helps! Every time I use slideouts on batterypower or slippery landing gear ,they stop then restart after cooling. Batteries are fully charged. You definitely don't want to set off on a road trip in your RV without making sure that you have a secure source of electricity as well as adapters and power cords for all of your major devices and generators.
If you pull up to a campground and want to hook up to their electricity, you may discover that your RV runs on a different outlet. Make sure you always carry an RV power adapter, specifically one that works with both 30 amp and 50 amp.
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