Community Forums

terry735001 · 01-09-2014, 01:45 PM

look at the lugs on the 110 ac brakers sounds like some thing is not tight

if your microwave works, TV works, you have lost power in you AC box some where
if your 220 AC you lost one side of your 110 ac could be in the end of your out side plug

jal · 01-10-2014, 03:39 PM

Milasman, Thank you, thank you. So simple, I feel stupid. Plugged in light and it worked. Apparently my inexpensive Harbor Freight multimeters will not work in my motor home. Never thought that was possible. I now think I need a new converter.
Again thanks to all. I am more than grateful for your assistance and willingness to share your knowledge and valuable time.
John Larkin

milasman · 01-10-2014, 04:53 PM

A good, relatively inexpensive multimeter brand name Ideal is sold at HomeDepot or Amazon on line. Usually under two hundred bucks with an amp clamp (700 series) I have the 61-704 model. Maybe more than most people want to spend, but way less than a Fluke. As an Electrician, have had mine since 2004 and still like it better than my Fluke. As always, be double careful when working with electrical problems and triple careful listening to electrical advice from this web site, especially when the topic is how to wire a 30 amp or 50 amp R.V. recepticle.

jal · 01-13-2014, 08:54 AM

Milasman, found the 61-704 Ideal for $65.00. Problem now is that I am gun shy. Will that register ac volts inside motor home, will it show dc volts and amps. I still have to find a battery drain an the chassis battery.
Thank you,
John Larkin

nctox · 01-13-2014, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jal

Milasman, found the 61-704 Ideal for $65.00. Problem now is that I am gun shy. Will that register ac volts inside motor home, will it show dc volts and amps. I still have to find a battery drain an the chassis battery.
Thank you,
John Larkin

AC volts are AC volts, whether in your mh or your stick house. I have that Ideal clamp meter and it works just fine anywhere I use it. I have a couple of the cheap HF multimeters and they mostly work, but sometimes the accuracy of voltage reading is not so good. I don't rely on them.

milasman · 01-13-2014, 09:23 AM

No worries with that meter. It will work good for you. Is your Fleetwood plugged in all the time?

jal · 01-13-2014, 12:37 PM

Not If I can help it. I put an external maintenance charger on the house batteries to keep them topped off. The chassis battery has a drain on it which no one has been able to find. It will go dead in two weeks, so I disconnect it and also put an external maintenance charger on it. Just need to keep an eye on the water level.
If we have a lot of company grand children and great grand children they will occupy it for a week and it stays plugged in.

milasman · 01-13-2014, 05:46 PM

I was thinking house batteries just need to be charged up, what other problems are now not solved? Chassis battery could be draining from bad alternator or alternator going bad.

jal · 01-14-2014, 04:41 PM

The alternator is in excellent condition per Pikes Peak Travel Land and Books garage.
Both reliable sources. They also checked for a battery drain and found none. They are both wrong. I have the same battery in my pickup which I use about three times a year and it holds a good charge. If I do not charge the Motor Home battery it will be dead in two to three weeks. I have it disconnected and on a trickle charge thru a top rated battery charger. I will find the leak. The previous owner was a tv and music fan and has wired or rewired speakers and hook ups all over the place. I don't know what they are hooked up to, but the hunt is on
Thanks,
John Larkin

BFlinn181 · 01-14-2014, 05:16 PM

Over time your chassis battery can be discharged by electric steps, radio memory and clock, engine and/or transmission ECU, etc.
Putting a full disconnect switch in or taking the ground cable off to prevent these drains is one solution, but you will cause engine ECU to lose it's memory of your driving habits and have to start over each time which is more of an issue than having to reset radio presets and clock. Another solution is to put a 15~25 watt solar charger on the roof. That should be enough to maintain the batteries but isn't enough to charge from a dead condition. Third choice is leave it plugged into shore power if possible. Third option requires diligence in monitoring water levels in batteries.
House battery can be drained by LP and CO detector, digital thermostat, bedroom or basement radio, and other phantom loads. If you disconnect ground cable and hook a multimeter between battery and ground cable, you can then check to see what and how much your phantom drains are. Pull each fuse, one by one. When you find the circuit with the phantom draw, the meter should react. You have then narrowed down your search. A knife switch can be mounted on the battery post to completely disconnect house battery, but you will have to reprogram things that are cut off.