Low Power in Front of Coach

[dmason]

Have low power in front of coach. Rear of coach not much better. Camp ground checked pedestal and all okay there. Reset all breakers including ones on inverter. Tried to start generator with no luck. Would not turn over. It's wired to chassis batteries. Tried to start coach, wouldn't turn over . . . maybe because jacks are down. Tried to raise jacks but couldn't get any power to them either. Have enough power in rear of coach to run fans but nothing else. All suggestions welcome. Thanks as always.

[Quaddinmad40]

Do you have power in the 110v outlets inside?

I would start by checking the converter the charges the batteries. Mine has two external fuses on it that have blown when not getting a good connection while plugging in.

Would try and get someone to boost the batteries and get the engine/gen running ( hopefully get the batteries charged up) if you need to leave your camp.

Hope this helps a little

Keep us updated or more details

[dmason]

Chassis batteries are at 5.6 and coach all at 6.5. I'll try jump once CG is awake. To me that still wouldn't explain why 1/2 of coach getting low power. Where would I find the converter that charges the chassis batteries so I can check the fuses? Also found refrigerator isn't working on propane or electric. Thanks.

[Gorlininc]

The refrig works off 12 volts even if you are plugged in. That's why it's not working.
I know you checked your breakers. Are you getting 120v on any of your plugs? Does the microwave work?
If you have no 110v. Then I'd check the breakers by opening the circuit breaker panel and pulling them out. Make sure you unplug your shore power first. My breakers switched on and off but I had no power on my rig and found this




If they are ok. Maybe your transfer switch is not working properly. It shouldn't be very hard to find out why you are not getting 120v from shore power.

[Libero]

1. You have not indicated if you are getting 120vac in the coach. Good to start there. Connection first, you said the power was at the pedistal, then coach breakers, and then measure voltage on your panel and go back to the transfer relay. This will determine AC status or where the problem lies for this part.

2. Having both DC systems fully discharged at the same time is a not understood with the limited info provided. Losing AC could cause house batteries to discharge but that should not take the chassis batteries down.

3. Many chargers/converters require sufficient voltage that will engage the safety shutoff relay should the batteries become discharged to the point where the extreme low voltage/charge presents a low resistance load thus causing a high current charge.

4. Putting a jumper from another battery to such discharged batteries (5.6 and 6.5 v) could cause the battery to explode. High current, in or out of a battery is dangerous.

5. Most converters also have breakers and one of these is likely popped also but perhaps not. If you had no AC the batteries could get rundown like they are.

6. I would put a good battery into the chassis to get it going first. (not a jumper) You might also get a trickle charger with low current to bring the very low batteries up a bit also.

7. You said a fan in the rear was running. This sounds strange with such low voltage. And of course the fridge need 12 to run.

8. You did not say what type of batteries they are but I suspect the coach would be wet cells - of so check the electrolyte levels if the batteries are wet.

9. Would help to get more info after you troubleshoot

Hope I was helpful

[dmason]

Originally Posted by Gorlininc

The refrig works off 12 volts even if you are plugged in. That's why it's not working.
I know you checked your breakers. Are you getting 120v on any of your plugs? Does the microwave work?
If you have no 110v. Then I'd check the breakers by opening the circuit breaker panel and pulling them out. Make sure you unplug your shore power first. My breakers switched on and off but I had no power on my rig and found this


Attachment 41756

If they are ok. Maybe your transfer switch is not working properly. It shouldn't be very hard to find out why you are not getting 120v from shore power.

Microwave is working. AC in outlets. Problem could be transfer switch. Assume it's located close to where the power cable comes into coach???

[Libero]

Originally Posted by dmason

Microwave is working. AC in outlets. Problem could be transfer switch. Assume it's located close to where the power cable comes into coach???

do not believe any issue with transfer switch if you have AC in coach. but need to check both legs of 50A service

see my previous post re DC issues.

do you have a trickle charger?

[Gorlininc]

Of you are on 50 amp shore power. Each leg is 110v. You could be missing one leg either through the pedestal, transfer switch or faulty circuit breaker.
I'd measure the voltage at the pedestal. You should have 2 120v lines.
The transfer switch should be at the end of your shore power cable.
To me, if you take the cover off your circuit breaker box you can easily volt meter the bus rail to see if 120 v is on both sides of the 50 amp incoming breakers.

[CampDaven]

Try another pedestal?

[Gorlininc]

Great idea. Didn't think of that one.

[wa8yxm]

Power in a motor home is divided into 3 sections

120 volt (I assume that is working well)
12 volt house (not so good)
12 volt Chassis (Truck) not at all

Now, two sets of facts that may apply.

First the 12 volt chassis (Engine/Truck and in your case Generator, also jacks) SOME motor homes the house converter also charges the chassis battery.. Some not. I am going to assume for the moment yours does.. WHY.

Because you complain of low power through out the house.

Low power in the house is one of several conditions.

1: Batteries failed, shorted cell
2: Converter failed, bad converter
3: Converter: Blown or failed reverse polarity fuse(s)
4: Converter: Blown or tripped circuit breaker feeding it
5: (This is very common in my house) Converter: plug pulled out of socket (See note below)
6: Bad wire somewhere in 12 volt system (That too burned me).

The 12 volt wire failure was on a sub system in my case... I had a wire, good power at one end, bad at the other... now this is one length of wire, NO connections, not junctions, no terminals, good at one end bad at the other.

Tracing the wire (Following it) I found a "Bulge" in the wire, sliced into it and nothing but powder where the wires used to be.. Excised the bad part and as of Right now the sub systems it powers still have good power.

The plug on the converter.

Damon blessed me with a Progressive Dynamics 9180 With optional charge wizard,,, Equal to the 9280, These are among the very best converters made from the research I've done (NOTE: large class) These come in two versions each, One is "hard Wired" the other is "Plug IN" (the difference. The plug in model comes with a cord and 20 amp plug attached) I got the plug in.

Where the converter is installed I sometimes snag the plug and pull it out of the outlet.. When this happens. the converter... does not work. (As one might well expect)

Now in my case. I simply activate the back up converter till I can get out to where it's at (The batteries are under the steps. so naturally the converter is AS FAR AS POSSIBLE from said steps) and plug it back in.

Back up converter is the charger module in a Prosine 2.0, also among the best.

[dmason]

Both legs of 110VAC are present at the pedestal and at the transfer switch. I am hesitant to check the breaker box for both legs because I finally got the engine running by jumping the chassis batteries. I now realize that I should not have done this because of the potential for damage to the batteries. Sorry, I did this before reading the previous post by Libero explaining the danger of this. I am now running off of generator power but I still don't know why when the engine is not running and I am not on generator power that the chassis batteries are being depleted.

[dmason]

When I attached my charger to the chassis batteries the initial read out was open or sulfated cell. Checking the voltage with engine running I get 12.7. After turning engine off and checking about 30 minute later the voltage reads 11.4. So not only are the chassis batteries not holding a charge but something is draining them. They are Interstate with a mfg date of 2/13.

[Libero]

Originally Posted by dmason

Both legs of 110VAC are present at the pedestal and at the transfer switch. I am hesitant to check the breaker box for both legs because I finally got the engine running by jumping the chassis batteries. I now realize that I should not have done this because of the potential for damage to the batteries. Sorry, I did this before reading the previous post by Libero explaining the danger of this. I am now running off of generator power but I still don't know why when the engine is not running and I am not on generator power that the chassis batteries are being depleted.

Sometimes we get lucky re jumpering.

Are you charging the battery on gen power and not on shore power, is this correct? Check the chassis and house DC voltage. They should have 13.5 or more volts if they are under charge

If the answer is yes, check the transfer switch again but let the gen run for now until batteries get up if they are charging.

I also suggest you check all connections, especially ground connections but make certain all are tight and free of corrosion.

Even if you lost shore power or the converter, this does not explain the low chassis battery voltage.

Make certain you check electrolyte level in batteries, unless they are sealed of course you can't check in that case.