Toy Hauler power issue

[mhdrafting]

Just bought a used toy hauler from a dealership. Probably my first problem, but I wanted to see if anyone out there can help me out with figuring out a problem I have on the trailer.

My issue is that I have a 4,000 watt generater and when running the only items that turn on are the A/C, Microwave and electrical outlets. But the lights do not work and the refrigerator does not work. If the battery is fully charged and hooked up to the trailer the lights will work but nothing else will work unless it's plugged into the house power or generator. IS THIS NORMAL? I thought a generater should power the complete trailer?

[BCooke]

Knowing the TH make/model would help if anyone else has one.
Plug in or auto transfer?
Assuming the lights work while plugged in the shore power!?
Does it/did it trip the converter?
You said the battery is good, do the lights work with no 110 power (shore/generator)?

[mhdrafting]

2001 Carson 24 foot trailer.

- Plug in
- Light's only work when battery is fully charged. They do not work any other time except for a really light glow - like th ebattery is dead...
- It trip the breaker on the house when plugged in from the house.... But nothing tripped on the trailer.


Thank you for your responding!

[BCooke]

Sounds like a bad ground on the 12 volt. Check battery connections first.
Is the RV charging the battery?
110 volt
When you plug it in does it trip immediately?
If so try turning off all if the breakers and turn them on one at a time until it trips the house (if you have a microwave that is a good one to turn on first as the clock going out let's you know you lost power).
Oh, I am assuming you have all 110 volt appliances turned off.

[mhdrafting]

The grouns seems to be okay, but I question the size of the wires going to the 12 volt battery as they are about half the size of wires that are hooked to a battery in a car. Also, no breakers are being tripped off and the battery does not seem to be getting a charge with the truck is hooked up to it, or plugged into the house, or when plugged to the generator.

But even then should we be able to disconnect the battery and have the generator powering everything int he trailer?

[Dunner]

On my 2000 toy hauler, the 30A shore cable plugged into a 30A receptacle in the cord storage port. That is where it picked up AC from the generator to power the converter that supplied 12 volts to the trailer and charged the battery.

[BCooke]

Originally Posted by mhdrafting

The grouns seems to be okay, but I question the size of the wires going to the 12 volt battery as they are about half the size of wires that are hooked to a battery in a car. Also, no breakers are being tripped off and the battery does not seem to be getting a charge with the truck is hooked up to it, or plugged into the house, or when plugged to the generator.

But even then should we be able to disconnect the battery and have the generator powering everything int he trailer?

Starting your vehicle draws a few hundred amps at one time not a hundred or under.
Truck connection charging: some RV units have a fuse in line with (or in line breaker) the feed wire to prevent reversing the feed wires and shorting the system.
Not charging: if it is not charging plugged in to 110 and if you disconnect the battery and your overhead lights do not come on, you might be looking at a bad converter.
With the unit unplugged in and your battery around 11.5 volts plug in the RV and measure the voltage at the battery. You should have over 12 and about 14 volts.
Question.... the battery will, when charged, power the lights for a while... not just about 10 minutes (bad battery) and no big sparks when you connect the battery (heavy draw)...
... so the 110 system works up to the point of the converter...
If the above fails (battery voltage) you are going to have to check the 110 going to the converter to make sure there is power to it... if you have power in and no power out you found it. If it died it could have taken out the fuse/circuit breaker to the trailer plug.