Can't get AC units to operate under Gen Power?

[Solask]

Originally Posted by Mike Canter

Depending on the model there may be a single breaker or a dual breaker. Don't hold me to this but if you have. A 30 amp MH then most likely you have a single breaker and if you have a 50 amp MH you have a dual breaker on the generator.

Mike, I had a 1998 Winnebago chieftain 30amp coach. It had two breakers side by side.


Rod

[Mike Canter]

In the race car trailer we have an RV type Onan diesel 5500 and it has just one breaker and got two on my 12.5 KW in my Sig.

Rod, in that 98 Winnie was that an Onan Diesel? I thought that was a gas powered Onan which is a different class of generator and the double breaker was different than the breakers on the diesel units. The "single" looking breaker on a bigger Onan Diesel is actual a double breaker inside for one leg on a 30 amp. On the 50 amp in its you have two breakers, one for each leg of a 50 amp circuit.

[broadrun]

This is a pic of the panel on my gen. It is an Onan QD 7500. Looks like just the one breaker but this coach is a 38' 2001 HR and it utilizes 50 AMP service so it would make sense to have 2 breakers.

[OLYLEN]

Another note . You do not need to have the inverter on to get the flow through of 120 to the cirrcuts on shore power or Gen power. You do need the inverter on to get 120 without the Gen or shore power.

LEN

[Mike Canter]

Lol, so much for that logic. Guess I am going to have look at the schematics and see what Onan is doing.

Len, I have hard wired outlets to my inverter and if it is not on then no power. Maybe it is wired different on a Monaco compared to a Winnie

[mel s]

Originally Posted by OLYLEN

Another note . You do not need to have the inverter on to get the flow through of 120 to the cirrcuts on shore power or Gen power. You do need the inverter on to get 120 without the Gen or shore power.
LEN

OLYLEN
Correct!
It is apparent that some RV owners do not know how the inverters, converters, battery chargers and transfer switches work with the different power systems, (120VAC shore power, 120VAC generator power and 12VDC battery power), in their RV.
Mel
'96 Safari

[Solask]

Originally Posted by broadrun

This is a pic of the panel on my gen. It is an Onan QD 7500. Looks like just the one breaker but this coach is a 38' 2001 HR and it utilizes 50 AMP service so it would make sense to have 2 breakers.

Yep, you have another 15amp breaker on the gen somewhere.


Rod

[Mike Canter]

Mel, believe me I know how mine works. If the inverter is off and I am on shore power my frig will not work, my microwave will not work, my TV will not work and Steve real outlets are dead. I suggest that you don't understand all different motorhomes.

[RustyTools]

To the OP:
You do have a 50-amp breaker pair, but they are 'inter-connected' thru the one paddle/handle (for lack of a better term) which controls both of them. If one side trips, the paddle will also pull the other breaker side with it.

And it may depend on which model/year coach, and what inverter it has, as to whether your inverter will pass 120vac thru it when it's off but coach is connected to shore-power/genset or if it must be on to pass power. As noted, not all coaches/inverters are the same.

As to why it tripped, that can depend on a myriad of things. Keep an eye on it to see if you can find a pattern and go from there. Intermittents are very tough to track down.

Glad you got your problem fixed, in any case.

[Solask]

Originally Posted by RustyTools

To the OP:
You do have a 50-amp breaker pair, but they are 'inter-connected' thru the one paddle/handle (for lack of a better term) which controls both of them. If one side trips, the paddle will also pull the other breaker side with it.

And it may depend on which model/year coach, and what inverter it has, as to whether your inverter will pass 120vac thru it when it's off but coach is connected to shore-power/genset or if it must be on to pass power. As noted, not all coaches/inverters are the same.

As to why it tripped, that can depend on a myriad of things. Keep an eye on it to see if you can find a pattern and go from there. Intermittents are very tough to track down.

Glad you got your problem fixed, in any case.

Rusty, when I looked at the picture of his 50 amp generator, the breaker is clearly marked, 35 amp. If it were a combo breaker like you suggest, would it be labeled this way?


Rod

[RustyTools]

Oops, guess my computer-screen isn't as clear as it used to be (couldn't be my EYES, could it? !! ). Thanks for that catch, Rkh, yes he does have 35Amp breakers. Couldn't have seen that small if you didn't point it out.

If my screen doesn't lie again , I see the 2-pole word designator after the 35 Amp which indicates it's a split-breaker. That means he has 2 independent 35amp breakers connected by a common bar or paddle.

Sorry for any confusion

[broadrun]

Originally Posted by RustyTools

Oops, guess my computer-screen isn't as clear as it used to be (couldn't be my EYES, could it? !! ). Thanks for that catch, Rkh, yes he does have 35Amp breakers. Couldn't have seen that small if you didn't point it out.

If my screen doesn't lie again , I see the 2-pole word designator after the 35 Amp which indicates it's a split-breaker. That means he has 2 independent 35amp breakers connected by a common bar or paddle.

Sorry for any confusion

Thanks Rusty. That is good news.

[mel s]

Originally Posted by Mike Canter

Mel, believe me I know how mine works. If the inverter is off and I am on shore power my frig will not work, my microwave will not work, my TV will not work and Steve real outlets are dead. I suggest that you don't understand all different motorhomes.

Mike
I realize that I don't understand all different motorhomes
However I do know that during the 14 years I've owned, (and the 113k miles I've driven), my Safari I've had to learn, (often through trial and error), to understand nearly everything important about the only motorhome that is important to me.
Mel
'96 Safari