Newbie Inverter Questions

[DrDaveMA]

Originally Posted by HamboneTHW

Old Scout,



I have 6 coach batteries and 2 chassis batteries. It did come with the residential fridge. It has the Xantrax inverter.



I would love to meet up with an versed Alpine owner, but I don't know that anyone is close to Memphis and I really want the converter/charger to work properly.



What would you recommend for troubleshooting? Which relays should I check? Any idea which fuses and where should be checked?



The report says the batteries aren't charging on shore power or generator power. I assume that the converter/charger is utilized for both shore power and generator?



I apologize for stupid questions, but I'm new and trying to learn all I can.



Thanks in advance.

Look at the rear Vansco, is #19 on or off? That lite controls the relay that switches between the house or chassis banks.

[Ken T.]

I am going to limit my response to your most recent post regarding no battery charging while plugged in or on generator. The first thing you need to check is if the charger is on. Assuming you have original equipment, follow the steps below with the coach plugged in:

1. Locate the Xantrex System Control Panel located in the cabinet to the right of the front TV
2. Press the Enter button until the "RS2000" screen is displayed.
3. Use the down arrow until "Charger" is highlighted.
4. If the right column displays "Disabled" then continue with step 5, otherwise go to step 8
5. Press the Enter button to highlight "Disabled" then press the down arrow until "Enabled" is displayed.
6. Press the Enter button
7. The charger should be working.
8. Using a voltmeter, check the voltage at the house batteries, you should be reading over 13VDC

[HamboneTHW]

Originally Posted by Ken T.

I am going to limit my response to your most recent post regarding no battery charging while plugged in or on generator. The first thing you need to check is if the charger is on. Assuming you have original equipment, follow the steps below with the coach plugged in:

1. Locate the Xantrex System Control Panel located in the cabinet to the right of the front TV
2. Press the Enter button until the "RS2000" screen is displayed.
3. Use the down arrow until "Charger" is highlighted.
4. If the right column displays "Disabled" then continue with step 5, otherwise go to step 8
5. Press the Enter button to highlight "Disabled" then press the down arrow until "Enabled" is displayed.
6. Press the Enter button
7. The charger should be working.
8. Using a voltmeter, check the voltage at the house batteries, you should be reading over 13VDC

Ken,

Thanks for the detailed response! I like your style I pretty much live my life by a checklist. A checklist that goes in order; even better

Once again, this website is amazing! Hopefully one day I will be able to give the simple, yet detailed, answers to newbies

[Terry W]

Hambone,

Welcome to the world of Alpine! The headaches are worth it!! There are a lot of brains to pick on here, most of them work better than mine

I also have an '05 40 FTDS, I have a Xantrex Freedom 458 inverter and my remote panel is in the cabinet above the dining table. So far the only inverter issues I've had were operator error, I'll let it go at that!

My brother also has an '05 40 FDTS, his is about 50 units newer than mine. He has the one giant window on the curb side and his inverter controls are in the cabinet on the right side of the front tv. I don't know which inverter he has.

Both of us have 6 house and 2 chassis batts.

Just pointing out the differences within a given year!

Last week end he had the same issue you are having, house batts wouldn't charge from gen. We checked all of the battery cables and made sure they were clean and tight, they were fine.

Next we moved to the Trombetta in the black box on the back wall of the batt. compartment. We found the lead to the HOUSE bank loose and the stud a little bit cross threaded/stripped. We finally got a nut to tighten on the stud and that cured the charging problem. We will change the Trombetta!!

I'm not positive but I think the #19 Vansco light wasn't lit until we made good connections on the Trombetta. I'm thinking it may have to see voltage on both sides of the Trombetta to make a comparison and call for a close. Don't take that as anything other than a guess.

It might be worth your time to check all of the batt. connections, clean and tight, and also check the connections on the Trombetta. The Trombetta is just a big solenoid so you can give it the once over visually and see if there is anything obvious. It normally runs very hot, too hot to touch.

There are also quite a few connections in that same black box, all are energized, only 12 volts but a bunch of amps and surrounded by grounded sheet metal, a couple wraps of electrical tape on your wrench doesn't hurt, check them for tightness and good contact.

I had a bad Trombetta a couple of years ago, and the chassis batts weren't charging when pugged in, works both ways!

Hopefully your problem is as simple as ours were.

Good luck, Terry

[Terry W]

I forgot a couple of other differences, we both have res. refrigerators, I have Hydro Hot but he has a furnace and water heater.

Also I believe I paid around $60 for the Trombetta, they were cheap enough that I bought 2. I believe there are some alternatives to the Trombetta, I'm sure somebody will throw out another brand.

Terry

[HamboneTHW]

Originally Posted by Terry W

I forgot a couple of other differences, we both have res. refrigerators, I have Hydro Hot but he has a furnace and water heater.

Also I believe I paid around $60 for the Trombetta, they were cheap enough that I bought 2. I believe there are some alternatives to the Trombetta, I'm sure somebody will throw out another brand.

Terry

Terry,

Thanks for the perspective. I take delivery on the 7th. I pick it up around Ocala, FL. I'm driving to Charleston on Saturday to pick up my dad with a stop off at Speedco, then driving to Memphis on Sunday. I'm going to try some troubleshooting on Saturday night. I'm hoping it's something simple. The alternator will keep it up for the 6 hour drive to Charleston.

Always great to get different fixes from people who have had the issue. Thanks again!

[EngineerMike]

Ditto on the full spectrum of battery cable connections, including those on back of the chassis battery cutoff switch on left side of batt compartment (connections are in the next compartment aft and behind the white closure panel that has the air cleaner access).

Long time Alpine owner, Jim Munsil, lives in Ocala Fl, don't know if he's home or has time to assist, 352 817 3655. And if he's angry that I volunteered his name w/out asking, then tell him Vic Egg did it.

[ralph0808]

With my 2005 40 FDQS the RS 2000 is mounted on the rear wall in the bay just in front of the black and grey tanks. I can raise the bay door passenger side and look inside and see the green indicator lights for Network on, inverter on, charger on, if in bulk, absorption or float. A quick way to check if the RS 2000 is functioning correctly and it also has a fault light (red) also with a reset button to reset the system from there. Along with the System control panel in the cabinet too the right of the front TV.