so lost

[janetmay]

my husband and i just purchased a 1985 pinnacle chev 454 35ft. we haven't a clue what to do. we can't get the electric to work, worst of all the air conditioner. the generator kicks on and the inside lights work (with generator not outside electric),if anyone can help with where to download or order an owners manual it would be appreciated. or electrical diagrams

[RV Wizard]

Hello Janet and welcome to iRV2.com. We are glad to have you join us here and we look forward to reading of your adventures and experiences. I am sure you will enjoy the website and forums. Congratulations on your motorhome.
You may have a tripped circuit breaker on the generator itself; make sure both are not tripped and turned on. You may also have to plug the shore power cord into a receptacle that is power by the generator. Be sure to also check inside the coach at the main electrical distribution panel that all o those breakers except the water heater are turned on. After you make sure there is water in the water heater tank and you want hot water from an electrical source, you can turn it on. Good luck and keep us posted. BTW, all of your lights will be 12 volt DC; coming from the battery. Let your husband know he should get a multi-meter and learn how to use it. First thing he will want to know is that the batteries are getting re-charged.

[lostagain]

Here are some very good books that will help you a lot in understanding you MH. Amazon.com: rv maintenance: Books

[csp]

As Rv Wizard said lights are run by 12 volt. Can you hook to shore power and see if the 110 things work. You might have a transfer switch that is bad. It transfers power from shore power to generator power. Look to see if there is an outlet on the generator. If there is try to plug something in to it. If it works you are producing power with the generator, it is just not getting to the coach.
Hope this helps
Chris

[1ciderdog]

Just a thought: A simple way to check the outlets for power is to take a small 120 volt reading lamp and plug it into the various outlets. If the bulb lights up (assuming it is turned on) then you have power at that outlet.

[janetmay]

thanks for the advice i guess before we make any other purchases we will get the multi meter or voltage meter to check all outlets and electrical circuits. we're tryin not to be to anxious, we just want to get it on the road
and enjoy camping!! we live in oklahoma, air conditioning would be a huge plus in the summer

[janetmay]

OMG! thank you all so much, we tested our electric with the multi meter, didn't know to plug the electric into the generator did that, flip a switch in the bedroom part of the coach and we have air conditioning and the other electric works. thanks so much for the advice we are now ready to hit the road (oh yeah, i guess we better check the water lines to)

[JC2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by janetmay OMG! thank you all so much, we tested our electric with the multi meter, didn't know to plug the electric into the generator did that, flip a switch in the bedroom part of the coach and we have air conditioning and the other electric works. thanks so much for the advice we are now ready to hit the road (oh yeah, i guess we better check the water lines to)

You now realize how many knowledgeable/helpful members there are on this website. Not hard to see why it's 1st class. Keep the questions coming and the answers will follow.

[nbounder]

With a rig of that vintage do not be disapointed if another 'flaw' rears it's ugly head. Lots of folks on this forum have experience with older units and can (&will) help. Enjoy your rig!!
PS: be sure to regularly check battery water and propane level. Refill batts with distilled water only.

[melmckayiii]

We had the same problem. We just purchased and RV and are newbies also. We had no idea there was an outlet in that electrical cord storage compartment that it had to be plugged into when the generator was running to get power to the coach.

[janetmay]

well we took our first camping trip so we could plug into shore electric, tested the water lines, everything worked great it was the best camping trip ever. My husband swears I will never get him in a tent again! We only encountered one problem it was with the refridgerator it never got cold it has switches for gas/elec we never figured out how it should run if it does run oh well back to the manuals