Allegro Bay Front A/C breaker?

[dill]

We have a "new" to us 2008 Allegro Bay 37QDB FRED. On our first real trip, we had to use a 30 amp site for the week, and either air conditioner worked fine. On the way home yesterday, we stopped at a KOA at a 50 amp site, and the front air would not run at all. It would not work on the generator either. We think the site electric wasn't right, because the batteries were running the lights. But why would the KOA site run the back air but not the front? I can't find any breakers (found one on the generator), and I'm sure there's a breaker box somewhere. The fuses in the panel under the back closet look good.

[paz]

Most Tiffins I've seen have a breaker box somewhere in the rear, but newer units could have them in the front. Ours is in a cabinet right beside the 12V fuse house fuse panel. We have a separate breakers for the front and rear AC, so that could very well be your problem.

You may want to consider an energy management system such as the one by Progressive Industries. There are hard-wired units and portable units, as well as similar devices by other manufacturers. These will not only protect your motorhome and electrical equipment from surges, but also from wiring problems like over/under voltage, reversed polarity, and missing ground.

Good luck. Let us know what you find out.

[dill]

Thanks. We did find the breaker in a box by the fuses in the rear. One of the two seems to be blown, and we will replace it before we go for a repair. Since the cover on the box was screwed on and not easily, accessible, we had assumed it was wiring to the fuses. Thanks too for the suggestion. We will check that out.

[MuckSavage]

The air conditioner will be a breaker (120V AC) not a fuse (12V DC) You found the breaker/fuse panel below the bedroom closet doors, right?

[dill]

Yes, we found them under the closet. One could be reset. Another will have to be replaced. Thanks for your response.

[woofus]

My son had the rear AC breaker trip a couple of weeks ago, and found that the smoked plexiglass panel had to be removed to access it, and you have to press reasonably hard to deflect the tabs holding it in. At first, he thought the breaker was bad, but he pushed it deliberately OFF and then back ON and it worked. He was trying to reset it from the "tripped" or CENTER position. Don't know if this is the same for you, but worth a quick check.

[dill]

We were able to reset the breaker, but things still don't work.

[paz]

Originally Posted by dill

We were able to reset the breaker, but things still don't work.

There should also be 2 main breakers. Any chance one of those has tripped, too?

[MuckSavage]

A multi meter is your best friend. Always carry it!

[dill]

Originally Posted by paz

Most Tiffins I've seen have a breaker box somewhere in the rear, but newer units could have them in the front. Ours is in a cabinet right beside the 12V fuse house fuse panel. We have a separate breakers for the front and rear AC, so that could very well be your problem.

You may want to consider an energy management system such as the one by Progressive Industries. There are hard-wired units and portable units, as well as similar devices by other manufacturers. These will not only protect your motorhome and electrical equipment from surges, but also from wiring problems like over/under voltage, reversed polarity, and missing ground.

Good luck. Let us know what you find out.

We finally gave up and took RV in to service. Whatever electrical problem we had blew the inverter and fried the main board on the vacuum. The extended warranty will cover the repair, and yes, we'll be buying a surge protector before we go to another campground. Thanks to all for good advice.

[paz]

Glad to hear it is covered under warranty.

[woofus]

Go to this link and look for the "open neutral" link in the left window pane. Very interesting education for me on 50Amp service.

RV Electric

[dill]

Thanks. I've bookmarked it. I hope our electrical issues are over for a while.