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Old 07-13-2013, 06:04 AM   #15
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Capn Dave: Thanks for your post. It forced me to search the Internet to find and download the manual for this "Power Converter with battery charger".

According to the manual: "When 120 VAC is NOT connected to Converter via commercial power or RV generator, the Converter - via its Automatic Relay - will switch RV battery into the circuit for power to operate 12-volt lights and motors".

So...I dunno. I will take your suggestion and check voltage 110V on (to see if the batteries are getting a charge from the converter) and 110V power off.

Somehow I get the the feeling that the failure of a relay, the hands of man or the teeth of rodents might be involved in this problem.

or it could be as PlayItFwrd said, you need the full 12V to activate the relay.

In any event, I have the tools that I need and just enough knowledge to be dangerous. Onward through the fog.
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Old 07-13-2013, 06:25 AM   #16
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Holler if you need a hand parting that fog a little. Be glad to help as long as you're trying to help yourself.
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Old 07-14-2013, 04:26 AM   #17
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I'll second the motion
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Old 07-16-2013, 05:19 PM   #18
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Okie Dokie. The rain has stopped the wasps have been evicted from the battery/generator hold.

I pulled the wires off all the batteries. WITH shore power on at 110V I read .5VDC across the the wires in the battery hold. With 110V off and with the 12V "battery starter" connected my 12V system did not energize.

Mt guess would be disconnected wires. The only thing I can think of to resolve would be an inexpensive tone generator to trace the wiring.

Any additional insight?
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Old 07-16-2013, 06:18 PM   #19
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Find the power converter, look at the 12v side, and find the biggest wires. The ones that look like they might be coming from the house batteries? What do you get when you check those with your voltmeter?

If you get the expected 13+ volts there, follow them back towards the battery compartment to find your problem.

If you still get nothing, take a pic so we can be sure of where you are at. -Al
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Old 07-17-2013, 03:47 AM   #20
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What Ahicks said
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Old 07-17-2013, 08:59 AM   #21
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Yikes! This converter is side mounted at floor level in a compartment that is less than 8 1/2 inches wide! Did they think it would never fail? Or be serviced by trained squirrels?

I dunno. Even using the old mirror trick this is going to be really tight. I gotta think about this one.
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Old 07-17-2013, 05:34 PM   #22
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OK, here is my initial "plan". Over the next couple of weeks, remove the converter and lay it down in the front of the hold for testing.

I'm not sure what is going on, but I will never be sure until I can access the unit and test it. And I can't do it now with the way it has been installed. It needs to be rotated 90 degrees and reinstalled on a board facing the free world. That way you can at least see it's guts.

I "know" (hope) that there should be "sufficient" sized wiring from this unit to the generator/batter compartment on the port side of the coach from this location if I need to replace this unit.

Am I headed down the right rabbit trail?
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Old 07-18-2013, 05:18 AM   #23
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Maybe?
I would certainly not assume that converter is going to be bad. That's actually not real likely. It is supplying power to the interior lights, right?

The large red and white wires in the pic. Are those the only 12v wires leading into the convertoer? If so, those are going to lead to a load center/bunch of fuses on the other end? We could do our testing there.

If there's another set of heavy 12v wires I'm not seeing leading into that box, that single screw on the top of the box in the picture will proably release the front cover to allow some trouble shooting there - without having to worry about relocating it. Pull the screw, remove the cover and take another pic?
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Old 07-18-2013, 11:29 AM   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ahicks View Post
Maybe?
I would certainly not assume that converter is going to be bad. That's actually not real likely. It is supplying power to the interior lights, right?

The large red and white wires in the pic. Are those the only 12v wires leading into the convertoer? If so, those are going to lead to a load center/bunch of fuses on the other end? We could do our testing there.

If there's another set of heavy 12v wires I'm not seeing leading into that box, that single screw on the top of the box in the picture will proably release the front cover to allow some trouble shooting there - without having to worry about relocating it. Pull the screw, remove the cover and take another pic?
-Al
Yes the converter is converting the 120V to 12V just fine. The issues are:

1) No switchover to the batteries when 110V is lost.
2) The converter does not seem to be charging the batteries.

I will get down there and try and make some sense of the wires (thumb through them and see what I find) before I pull the cover.

As I try and picture this in my mind there must be 2 pretty good sized wires running to/from the battery hold to the converter to power the 12V when 110V is not present (in addition to the larger wires running to the load center) and some not so big wires to charge the batteries. Or maybe the same two wires could serve both purposes? I also assume the big wires I am looking for would be one white and one red or black.
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Old 07-18-2013, 06:11 PM   #25
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1) Converter is mounted on board. Board is mounted on nothing.

2) Converter Plugs in 110V outlet in compartment.

3) Converter relay snaps when 110V is removed or applied. I hear a fan start running when 110V is present. (God only knows what that looks like after 20+ years)

4) The main obstacle in moving the converter unit and board is a too short thick un-insulated ground wire attached to the frame of the converter. It will need to be cut and extended before converter can be rotated.

5) Coming out of converter are 3 wires; thick black, thick white and blue. Black & White head out to parts unknown inside a plastic protected corrugated shield tube along with some of the fused smaller wires. Blue is connected to some sort of external mounting block on the base of the converter to the thick red heading to the fuse center.
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Old 07-18-2013, 06:36 PM   #26
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You can see everything you need on the converter by removing the screw center/top and swing the little door down.

Until you put a guaranteed good 12V battery in the circuit, you are wasting your time and ours trying to trouble your problem.

Sometimes, especially with RVs, you have to spend a little money.

Good Luck
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Old 07-18-2013, 07:02 PM   #27
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I DID attach a good battery to the configuration. With the same result. I don't think it is a wise investment to purchase new batteries that will sit in the hold unable to be charged until the problem is identified and resolved.

As stated above:
"(4) The main obstacle in moving the converter unit and board is a too short thick un-insulated ground wire attached to the frame of the converter. It will need to be cut and extended before converter can be rotated)", I CAN'T LOOK INSIDE THE CONVERTER UNTIL I CUT THAT WIRE SO I CAN SWING IT AROUND. It is at a right angle to me in a compartment that is less than 8 1/2 inches wide.

Last image is from research I did today.

Let me add, this is a "new to me" coach. I have no manuals and am trying to figure it out troubleshooting step by step.
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Old 07-18-2013, 07:03 PM   #28
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