Please help! New fulltimer with distressing electrical problem!

[dmason]

Originally Posted by RonPatt

Did anyone check the voltage of the "house" batteries. Might have a bad battery that is not holding a charge.

Had a similar electrical problem on our coach . . . i.e., a slow brown out. Mobile RV Tech diagnosed a faulty converter but couldn't/didn't have a replacement. Got back home and found two of our four house batteries were bad. Replaced them and everything's bright!

Sometimes the easiest problem to fix is the last one we think about!

[BFlinn181]

An inverter changes 12 v DC to 120 v AC @ 60 cycles.It is used to power 120 v AC powered items when not connected to shore power or using generator. It would be very inefficient to take 12 v DC, invert to 120 v AC, then change it back to 12 v DC. Inverters are usually only 80-85% efficient in the best of conditions. A converter changes 120 v AC to 13.2 -14.4 v DC or so, according to type and charging phase. They do make combo units that have both functions in one box, but OP said the technician changed out his CONVERTER.He did also call it a compressor a couple of times but later corrected his error. Since OP replaced batteries and swapped wires about, he could have blown a fuse or circuit breaker in BCC and caused his lack of charging issues. The fact that the converter was replaced and the problem continues shows that the converter maybe wasn't the issue but the change of wiring might have been.
The separate issue of the RV no longer operating both A/Cs when on shore power could be a low voltage condition which increases amperage or perhaps a problem with a energy management system. The EMS monitors usage and doesn't allow demand to exceed supply. It keeps both A/Cs from starting at the same time, shuts down A/C when using microwave, etc.

[ocipura]

Originally Posted by BFlinn181

An inverter changes 12 v DC to 120 v AC @ 60 cycles.It is used to power 120 v AC powered items when not connected to shore power or using generator. It would be very inefficient to take 12 v DC, invert to 120 v AC, then change it back to 12 v DC. Inverters are usually only 80-85% efficient in the best of conditions. A converter changes 120 v AC to 13.2 -14.4 v DC or so, according to type and charging phase. They do make combo units that have both functions in one box, but OP said the technician changed out his CONVERTER.He did also call it a compressor a couple of times but later corrected his error. Since OP replaced batteries and swapped wires about, he could have blown a fuse or circuit breaker in BCC and caused his lack of charging issues. The fact that the converter was replaced and the problem continues shows that the converter maybe wasn't the issue but the change of wiring might have been.
The separate issue of the RV no longer operating both A/Cs when on shore power could be a low voltage condition which increases amperage or perhaps a problem with a energy management system. The EMS monitors usage and doesn't allow demand to exceed supply. It keeps both A/Cs from starting at the same time, shuts down A/C when using microwave, etc.

Thanks. Yes. We have a converter, as you described. To my knowledge, we don't have an inverter.

Sounds like I need to look for this "BCC." I do know that my husband and the tech both checked all fuses and circuit breakers to make sure they are good, but we may need to double check as well as checking again on the batteries.

[beepaj]

Originally Posted by greezykid

I think you need 50 amp to run both ac without burning them up.

My rig is 30A and has two (2) A/C units. However, I can't run them together.
A 50A rig can.

[tedgard01]

I had this type of issue once and when I checked the house batteries, they looked fine. What I found was that a cable or two had worked loose from the post (must have not been installed correctly). I could pull the cable off the post with my hand... Anyway, I got the battery cables tightened down and that resolved that issue...

[camaraderie]

Given the reports of lights dimming...it seems to me that the actual batteries (new as they are) may have been damaged by deep discharge...and should be individually fully charged...let sit for a minimum of 6 hours and preferably 24...then voltage read.
It might also be worthwhile to use a clamp on multimeter to read for any parasitic 12V loads on the batteries which could be running them down.
Likely there are either converter or wiring problems...but fixing them won't solve batteries that have been murdered.

[tstep]

I have just had the same problem with a similar rig. My Fleetwood Bounder also is on 30 amp. and 2 airs that I use continousally. I bought 2 service batteries from Sam's Club in Feb. of this year and either one of both went bad and had to be replaced. The tester at Sam's was not working so they replaced both at no charge to me. Now, I'm back to a happy camper.

[gemini5362]

To everyone who is suggesting check batteries I am to be suprised if that helps. I really think checking batteries and connection of batteries is going to be a waste of OP time. Her solar panel can charge batteries when sunny so they have to be working. Also she can start engine and charge batteries and they will work all night once again batteries seem to be working.


OP says she has a generator. They start the engine and charge the batteries instead of the generator so I am guessing starting it does not charge them either. I am really surprised that a technician replaced the CONVERTER without checking to make sure it had output going to the batteries but that is not impossible by any means. At this point should be fairly straightforward. Take a meter and measure AC into converter box see if it has 120 volts. Disconnect battery cables from batteries ( make diagram of how to hook them back up) check for someting in the neighborhood of 12.6 volts coming out of converter. If 120 volts ac in and 12.6 vdc coming out then start looking for wiring in between points or fuses in between points. Make sure the negative lead coming out of converter is actually going to a ground or to the ground side of the batteries. If converter is wired with negative lead going to ground a bad ground connection at that point could be the problem.

[Tony Lee]

1 - You had a problem a couple of days after you arrived.

2- Tech replaced the converter and the same problem reoccured a couple of days after you disconnected the loaner battery charger,

3- Problem goes away if you run the engine.

#3 indicates split charging off the engine and your battery and your 12V and 110V electrical system is OK.

#1 and #2 indicate that you likely never did have a problem with the original converter and the tech didn't fix the problem by replacing the converter either. His assurance that the converter was U/S because the fan wasn't running is not necessarily correct because those sort of fans are usually thermostatically-controlled so if the converter wasn't pumping out amps then it wouldn't get hot and the fan would be off. Unless he measured 13.6V AT THE BATTERY TERMINALS, then there is still a broken connection somewhere between the converter output terminals and the battery terminals.

And yes, we do have one small solar panels which helps to top off the batteries during the day.

Assuming this panel is not just the old 3 watt jobs originally fitted to keep the engine battery charged, this also indicates that the systems proved by #3 are working

The only way to fix the problem is by doing some methodical fault finding using a voltmeter and part of that procedure is to find out how the rig is wired up, especially if there is any form of power or battery management systems calling the shots.

BTW, to disconnect batteries, it is only necessary to disconnect all wires in to and out from the NEGATIVE terminals. Safer that way and there is no chance of getting leads mixed up.

BTW2, swapping leads over at random trying to fix a system that used to work and just now stopped working is a recipe for disaster.

[targaboat]

Get a meter, learn how to use it, and learn how your electrical system works. Meanwhile get someone to straighten your coach system out. We can not help much remotely without more accurate information.

[MN_Traveler]

Originally Posted by targaboat

Get a meter, learn how to use it, and learn how your electrical system works. Meanwhile get someone to straighten your coach system out. We can not help much remotely without more accurate information.

I would respectfully suggest that this post is not in the spirit or tradition of this forum. We are about teaching and learning from other's experience.

[BFlinn181]

Originally Posted by MN_Traveler

I would respectfully suggest that this post is not in the spirit or tradition of this forum. We are about teaching and learning from other's experience.

I agree!

[Tony Lee]

Given that there are a huge number of supposed RV experts running loose charging us big dollars while they practice their poor fault-finding skills on our vehicles, it is probably true to say that since they can't figure out how our RV systems work, it might be difficult for most of us to turn ourselves into instant experts.

However, it is true that a 10 dollar digital multimeter plus a bit of tuition in its safe use, can save us a lot of time, trouble and money when something stops working

[YC1]

This really is a simple problem.

Refers, Air conditioners, and many things require good 12 volts.

Your solar is getting to the batteries and providing some charge.
Your alternator is getting to the batteries and providing some charge.

Your new Converter is not getting to the batteries.
That could be a simple 110 volt circuit breaker that runs the converter, or a broken converter, or a broken DC fuse through which the converter charges the batteries, or a wire not reconnected, or a failed new converter.

If your "rv tech" has come back he is a flailing idiot. Dumber than a box of rocks. OOh, I am rarely this harsh but this is such a simple problem.



In short, your converter is not charging the batteries.