Loss of AC Power

[RVersOnline]

We've had an issue of losing AC power on our '07 SE. Following the WRV tech support phone advice in the past, some combination of turning the breakers off/on and resetting the inverter by pushing the red button on top has restored power. However this time it's not reviving -- which of course happens on a Saturday morning. The power runs okay on the inverter (but not for long w/the batteries not recharging), and also with the generator on. Perhaps someone else might have experienced this and found a cure?

Tom

[RVersOnline]

We've had an issue of losing AC power on our '07 SE. Following the WRV tech support phone advice in the past, some combination of turning the breakers off/on and resetting the inverter by pushing the red button on top has restored power. However this time it's not reviving -- which of course happens on a Saturday morning. The power runs okay on the inverter (but not for long w/the batteries not recharging), and also with the generator on. Perhaps someone else might have experienced this and found a cure?

Tom

[gjstacy]

Tom,

That sounds like what was happening with our 2004. It turned out to be a bad inverter, which was replaced last March/April. We haven't had the problem since the replacement. The part of the inverter that was causing us to lose all power was the battery charging piece; that also messed up our batteries which had to be replaced, too.

Murphy says these things always must happen on the weekends when you can't get factory help.

By the way, I'm sorry I missed meeting you at Quartzsite! It's hard to find any one person in that big crowd, but I was hoping to meet you in person. I'm the ACA's Treasurer, so you would have seen me up in front of the crowd at the membership meeting. We'll have to make sure we find each other at the next rally, although we will miss the Hilton Head rally, so it will need to be the Newport rally in August...close to home for you.

Gail

[Dave Fernandez]

Hello Tom:

I think I would also look at the Transfer Switch. The inverter does not power everything in the coach some circuits are dead because the inverter can not provide enough power. Example the inverter will not power the A/C's but will provide power to the Residential Frig and entertainment center. If you do not have A/C's than it could be incoming power which runs through the transfer switch. The transfer switch allows power from the Gen and Shore power by switching from one to the other. In theory you may get power from the Gen and not shore power because the transfer switch is not working properly. Some people have had some luck stomping on the floor over the transfer switch and getting to work?

If you are losing power on the inverter side of the coach the transfer switch in the inverter may be the culprit.

I hope this information will help.

[RVersOnline]

UPDATE: Power's back at the moment! We're at Gil Ray Country Park just W of Tucson, in an "older" section. The only hookup is a 30A power outlet, and there's no breaker. I'd reported the problem to the park earlier, and they said none of the breakers had been tripped. However, when they came out to doublecheck, they found no power to the pedastal. I don't have a 30A to 15A converter (which I shall now acquire) so I hadn't been able to test it. Moreover we've previously had the power go off, and it had always been some combination of the inside breaker panel and the inverter reset. The difference this time was that we *did* get AC power from the generator -- which we had not before. Nevertheless my assumption was that the problem was probably still in the coach. Even though we tried not to overtax the 30A outlet, I'm thinking the best course will be to turn the power share down to some value below 30 -- hopefully that will prevent a reoccurence of the problem.

Bottom line, however, is that we greatly appreciated the quick response from other readers here at the forum. You folks are really terrific, and so very much appreciated.

Tom

[Old Scout]

New coach owners have one more issue to consider in the "AC-in" equation--your factory installed surge protector (Apex for sure and LE too I believe). While inverters are troublesome, I dont like the sound of you power situation at that park--ie no breakers at the pedastal--not good. If your power use or the use by other RVs on the same curcuit feeding that pedastal is dropping the voltage below 104 (or what ever your surge is set at)your surge protector wont let the power thru until the source cleans up--no matter how many switches you flip in your coach....Anyway, just one more idea to consider....

[EngineerMike]

My 30A power chord has a light in the male plug end that tells me if I've got power. It had one in the female end also, but that one melted down & now has one of the neato Camco "Power Grip" ends w/the handle for easy separation. I bought the 20A-male/30A-female Camco converter @ CW for $10, snipped the male end off (sorry guy) & spliced it onto the similarly neutered end of the damaged chord. W/the light I don't need to reach for a meter to determine if the pedestal has power.
I keep the power-share set @ 25A when on the 30A chord, FWIW. Before I wired our Mexico lots for genuine electricity, we kept blowing the 30A screw-based fuses. After crawling in the dirt to get at the service (and checking for scorpions @ 2am in the dark), I wised up on the 30A setting and dialed it down, which cut down on fuse blowing. But then FWIW, the Advantium clock gains 7 minutes a day in Baja which might mean our power has other troubles there that I haven't ferreted out. Or maybe my biological clock slows south of the 28th parallel

[hrhuggie]

EMike,
I believe it has something to do with being on "Mexican time".

Oops, excuse me I have to go, siesta time