32' Fleetwood Morgan needs various help

[we2r1two008]

Please forgive me if the questions have been answered a hundred times. I recently got layed off from my job and work seems harder and harder to find these days. Having a great wife and four small young ones I figured I need some kind of security in life. I tapped into my savings (all of it) and bought a 32' camper and a truck capable of pulling it. I figure that even though I am tapped out on cash.. we have a little peace knowing we have a home thats payed for and transportation to pull it. Being new to campers I am overwhelmed with stress trying to figure out all of the problems that the guy "forgot" to tell me was wrong with this thing. It looked great so I assumed it was great... my first mistake.

I had no clue it took a battery. Being low on cash now this hurt. lol. Now i have a battery and it will not stay charged. Having researched this site I used a meter and found that the converter is fried. To be honest, I cant afford another one right now. I read a suggestion that you could use a battery charger to run the lights and maintain the battery. Is this a good idea or a fire hazzard? Remember I have a wife and four angels... I wouldnt dare put them in harms way. I am desperate though considering we have no other home.

We have a 50amp connection. After sorting through the breaker box I figured out that nothing in the camper was 220volts. The rail is split delivering 110 to half and another 110 to the other half containing the AC and Fridge. The stove and fridge work great but the AC does not power on at all. No fan, no compressor or anything. It has 110volts going out of the breaker so it is getting power. I also checked the fuse in the thermostat and it is good. Can someone with experience please guide me in the right direction to troubleshoot this ac. Its the roof top kind, 110volts, coil looks good, filter is clean, fuse is good in thermostat, all wires look ok except the white one which I read is heater. Does the thermostat work off of the battery or is there another breaker for these units that I have overlooked?

I have been praying hard that God help me get through this and I have faith that he will... I cant help but to stress out over it though. God bless you and thanks in advance for any suggestions. C. Gibbs

[waroland]

Most control boards in a RV run off the 12volt battery including the thermostat, Refrig, Water heater and others. Your systems will not work without a battery. It depends on the battery charger if it will work. I would give it a try by hooking it to the battery, leaving the battery connected, the battery will act as a regulator to give you better 12 volts.

[Hitchhiker]

I have a hunch this trailer you bought may be a FEMA trailer and may not have been built to be used as a recreational vehicle. If it is, by law it should have come with a warning that it's not intended to be used as an RV. Can you tell us if it is or isn't so the discussion on helping you can proceed accordingly?

[we2r1two008]

It is indeed a FEMA trailer. I didnt know at the time because of lack of knowledge. Let me update you on what I have done so far...

The electrical problem was narrowed down to a bad converter. I cracked open the case and sure enough there was a few burnt spots.

A battery charger set to 15amps drives the power ok.

Thermostat was bad and wires were not colored according to standard wiring. Now to charge the freon.