Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
RV Trip Planning Discussions

Go Back   iRV2 Forums > THE OWNER'S CORNER FORUMS > Alpine Coach Owner's Forum
Click Here to Login
Join iRV2 Today

Mission Statement: Supporting thoughtful exchange of knowledge, values and experience among RV enthusiasts.
Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on iRV2
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 09-10-2012, 09:40 AM   #1
Senior Member
 
sdcyclist's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 175
Transfer Switch II - Update

Hi All,

This is what we found: SurgeGard input side had loose ground buss from incoming cable. Output side had barely connected wires to power buss and a loose single copper conductor ground wire. Circuit breaker panel revealed loose neutrals and a couple of loose grounds. All was tightened and the power issue went away. Now, if I can just get the rear air-conditioner fan bearing failure fixed, I'll be good to go for the next desert trip!
__________________
2006 Alpine 36 FDDS
sdcyclist is offline   Reply With Quote
Join the #1 RV Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

iRV2.com RV Community - Are you about to start a new improvement on your RV or need some help with some maintenance? Do you need advice on what products to buy? Or maybe you can give others some advice? No matter where you fit in you'll find that iRV2 is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with other RV owners, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create an RV blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Old 09-10-2012, 09:56 AM   #2
Senior Member
 
daveshan's Avatar
 
Alpine Owners Club
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Durango CO
Posts: 582
Glad you found it, on getting our coach the first thing I did was go around and tighten everything including the lugs in the breaker boxes. Most everything that would turn was a bit loose. They don't call these things rolling earthquakes for nothing. Most of the lugs in the breakers were a bit loose.

The most surprising thing was all the drawers that were sticking now work flawlessly after tightening the mounting screws.
__________________
The above post is just my experience/opinion which is worth exactly what you paid for it.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
'05 Lance 845/'06 F-250 or '99 Alpine 36SDS Usually towing an '01 Wrangler locked on 35"s or moderate '98 Cherokee on 33"s (rear locker only)
daveshan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-10-2012, 01:34 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
Old Scout's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 7,396
Interesting sidebar--I routinely check/tighten all of the common/accessable electrical connections on a yearly basis [most of the time]. Anyway, after years of annual checks, I had to replace the stand alone xfer switch on our 03. When I went to remove the 50amp wires, I realized that one of the wires had gotten loose at some point and had actually arc welded the set screw. Result--the wire remained loose in the slot but because the setscrew was welded inplace, it gave the appearance of being tight. With the power off of course--I recommend you check the wires themselves by wiggling/pulling them. This may have been a one-off situation but giving the wires a tug may be good practice in addition to checking set screws.
__________________
Old Scout
2015 IH45 Foretravel
2003 Alpine 40' MDTS [Sold]
New Braunfels, Texas
Old Scout is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-11-2012, 06:26 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
Old Scout's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 7,396
SDcyclist--curious as to how your AC fan bearing problem was diagnosed. Assuming you have the Dometic Penguin series, the two cage fans are mounted on either end of a "thru-shaft" electric motor. Generally, electric motor bearings are pretty durable. It is certainly possible that the motor bearing has failed but am more incline to think one of the cage fans has gotten mis-aligned/off-balance and is rubbing against the shroud.
__________________
Old Scout
2015 IH45 Foretravel
2003 Alpine 40' MDTS [Sold]
New Braunfels, Texas
Old Scout is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-11-2012, 09:36 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
sdcyclist's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 175
Transfer Switch II - Update

Old Scout,

My assessment was based on the sounds. After the air was on for about 15 min, I heard a metallic whining sound coming from the rear AC unit. When the environment controller was turned off, the whining sound wound down like a fan coasting down.

sdcyclist
__________________
2006 Alpine 36 FDDS
sdcyclist is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-12-2012, 12:30 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
v8dave's Avatar
 
Alpine Owners Club
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Northern California
Posts: 115
Trouble shooting and target fixation

I am glad you found the problem before you got fixated on the inverter as the problem. I am guilty of fixing non-problems regularly.

As a new owner I am reading lots of posts here and see that a number of folks have found loose cable connections that have fixed mysterious problems.

I am reminded--again--of some wise advice given me by an airline mechanic friend. Troubleshoot the cheap stuff first. This advice came after replacing the carburetor and then the fuel pump [I already had on hand] on a 1948 Ford only to find out I had run out of gas. The gas gauges on these old cars are notoriously inaccurate. I have to be reminded of this periodically after spending serious money to not fix something, but in the process finding the real problem was something simple that I overlooked.

Regards,
__________________
Dave
Northern California
2000 Alpine Coach 36' FDS, Cummins ISC 330
v8dave is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-15-2012, 02:53 AM   #7
Registered User
 
Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 2,899
All - About 4 years ago when we purchase ours in 08 we lucked out by being informed about this forum and my advice to all unless you are senior owners (having owned one for a long time), is to go back to the beginning of 08 and read all the forum posts to the present, especially ones related to the electrical issues 2008. You will find that WRV did not have electrical QA to speak of.

The following areas of electrical should be checked at least every other year, and NOW if you have never checked it or had it checked.

1. The Genset Leads where they enter the junction box in the roof of the generator compartment. WRV used the incorrect sized wire nuts, many of them were loose and in one case the owner almost had a fire. They need to be tightened, and the correct sized wire nuts used to secure those connections. There are four of them in that box.

2. Surge guard incoming and outgoing connections all need to be checked for tightness. Mine were all loose when I checked.

3. The electrical 120V Circuit Breaker Panels, the inverter circuit panel, and the 12V fuse panels located near the 120V connections. Plus the 12V connections in the HWH pump bay, WRV used the incorrect size crimp on connectors and the wires pull out of them. Any electrical connection you can gain access to should be checked for tightness. All grounds on the engine PS, forward near where the Transmission and engine meet should be checked. All the solenoids near the air dryer unit and around the battery compartment should be checked for tightness.

4. In the back left rear of the battery compartment, you should place a 1/8-1/4" thick piece of plywood type board behind the battery on the rear bulkhead and center bulkhead to prevent that battery post from arching and causing a fire, several owners have had that happen, one owners coach took a year to be fixed after his fire, one owner coach was totaled.

5. Check the 50A DC connection through the firewall in the front PS side of the coach (make sure there is no power on, disconnect batteries as a safety measure), and ensure this post is tight, and the connections on that post are tight.

Basically any and all electrical connections you can see, or get too, need to be checked. We own an earthquake going down the road, it shakes, rattles, and rolls, bumps, jumps, and things get lose and need to be tightened. You the owner, if doing this every time you find one, will prevent and keep your unit working better than when it left the factory.
Renipladlo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-15-2012, 07:15 AM   #8
Senior Member
 
Dunner's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Phx, Arid~zona
Posts: 11,106
Quote:
Originally Posted by v8dave View Post
I am glad you found the problem before you got fixated on the inverter as the problem. I am guilty of fixing non-problems regularly.

As a new owner I am reading lots of posts here and see that a number of folks have found loose cable connections that have fixed mysterious problems.

I am reminded--again--of some wise advice given me by an airline mechanic friend. Troubleshoot the cheap stuff first. This advice came after replacing the carburetor and then the fuel pump [I already had on hand] on a 1948 Ford only to find out I had run out of gas. The gas gauges on these old cars are notoriously inaccurate. I have to be reminded of this periodically after spending serious money to not fix something, but in the process finding the real problem was something simple that I overlooked.

Regards,
In the past, I've been known to fix stuff until it broke.
Now days, I break stuff so I have something to do.



__________________
2004 32' National Sea Breeze 1311 Class A on a F-53 Chassis, CHF, TST TPMS, 5Star Tune.
If Dunner (RVM23) can't fix it, it ain't broke!
Cheap Handling Fix Poll. Click Here to vote?
Dunner is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply



Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:33 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.