Community Forums

ace66 · 10-13-2017, 07:42 AM

Hope this is the right area to post this question.
12 volt system on 2004 Scotsdale works fine when plugged into 110 and when the generator is running but as soon as I unplug or turn off Generator, 12 volt system cuts off.
ANY HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED!

Dreamer1086 · 10-13-2017, 07:59 AM

Is your inverter turned on? check your inside electrical panel. The main breaker switch must be turned on and the inverter breaker turned on as well. My Ventana has two main electrical breakers and they both have to be turned on. If all of these are turned on, then you need to locate your actual inverter to make sure it is turned on too! Good luck!

lakewoodpaul · 10-13-2017, 08:15 AM

Don't inverters invert 12vdc to 120 vac? I would check the coach battery disconnect switch or connections and or conditions of the coach battery.

twinboat · 10-13-2017, 08:22 AM

Battery disconnect in store mode, main battery breaker or fuse blown, bad battery cable connections or dead battery.

The converter or charger section of the inverter is working. That's what's supplying the 12 volt power when on shore or generator power.

Busskipper · 10-13-2017, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twinboat

Battery disconnect in store mode, main battery breaker or fuse blown, bad battery cable connections or dead battery.

The converter or charger section of the inverter is working. That's what's supplying the 12 volt power when on shore or generator power.

^^^^^Try all these and get back to us ^^^^^

wa8yxm · 10-13-2017, 09:14 AM

Ok your 12 volt system has two (or 3) sources
1: The batteries,
2: The converter
and on a motor home the Alternator (3).

Now.. Are the batteries present? (I know sounds like a stupid question but well if you are posting a trouble shooting procedure you assume NOTHING)

Are they charged? (I like to use a test light to find out)

ARE THEY CONNECTED.. there is a switch somewhere. often just inside the door where you can reach it standing on the ground, may say USE/STORE or may say AUX. Other common locations are dash (motor home) and control panel (All RV's) may also be a rotary switch near the batteires,, usually RED.

After that we start trouble shooting.. First> Look for a Circuit BREAKER or FUSE near the batteries.. may be tripped. or blown.

NOW using an automotove TEST LIGHT.. This looks like an ice pick with a clear or translucent handle and a wire coming out of it. Light bulb inside the handle.. NOTE> I've got many and often when new they do nto work I have to adjust the lamp a bit. Test on a known good source (Battery in car for example)

Bright good, Dark bad (Dim bad too) note way easier to read than a volt meter.

Start at battery, touch the terminals not the wires BRIGHT good, move clip to any unpainted frame part Still bright GOOD move out along the positive wrie Bright good

If you have to move the c lip, if at all possible test the last point again to insure good ground and keep moving

Problem exists between BRIGHT and DARK

Batteries dead? (Lamp dark on first step)

Go the other way, with RV plugged in still follow the positive lead out from teh battery when the light lights.. Problem exists between BRIGHT and DARK.

ace66 · 10-13-2017, 09:27 AM

After checking all the replies, we went from back of coach to the front, checking connections and fuses. Under the hood in the front is a relay, terribly hard to get to and it had two fuses in it. Pulled them out and checked them, they were good, however when we reinserted them the 12 volt system worked again.

THANKS TO ALL am a Happy Camper!

twinboat · 10-13-2017, 09:37 AM

If you send a picture of the relay, we can ID it. Probably the House battery disconnect relay.

"007" · 10-13-2017, 01:52 PM

When you removed the fuse you cleaned off maybe corrosion on fuse and the connection it plugged into.
A coach your age you should do some maintenance for all battery cables connected to chassis frame and if you have not checked recently the battery terminal posts.
Check your screw connections for wires in your transfer switch,leads from there toGen and the load center.
Than check your load center wiring connections and any battery leads to your 12v fuse panels.
All the links below in my signature have answers for your Newmar.
This link TECH INFORMATION will explain why connections need to be checked for maintenance,
Enjoy the forum and safe travels.

Podivin · 10-13-2017, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wa8yxm

<snip>
After that we start tribble shooting..
<snip>

Tribble shooting is generally frowned upon.
The accepted method of getting rid of Tribbles is to beam onto the bridge of a nearby Klingon ship.

I'm sorry, I don't normally poke fun at either a typo or a misused word, but I read that and thought "But, THAT'S not how you get rid of Tribbles!"

And if you're not a Trekkie, you'll be wondering what the heck I'm babbling on about...

GaryKD · 10-13-2017, 05:12 PM

Hi Podivin,
As I remember, they multiply very fast.

GaryKD · 10-13-2017, 05:18 PM

The 04 Scottsdale did not come standard with an inverter. There was an option of 400 WATT inverter. Glad to see the OP got the problem fixed. Not that familiar with the Scottsdale. Don't know what fuse corrected the problem. If the coach has no inverter, the only thing that would turn off would be the TVs. All other 12V stuff would be powered by the batteries generator running or not and shore power connected or not. Of course if the OP is not the original owner, all bets are off and who knows how things are wired.

Tom17 · 10-17-2017, 07:02 PM

I have an 05 Scottsdale and the 12V when connected to post or generator is running is fed from the converter located at the rear of the coach to a fuse panel by two #10 guage wires. The 12V then goes to the front of the coach where it gets fed to other fuse panels etc. When only on batteries the flow is the opposite in that the batteries feed the front and is routed back to the rear fuse panel. If 12V is available when you have 120V AC power and not from the batteries then most likely it is the house battery disconnect not working especially if the steps still go in and out since it (and the LP detector, radio keep alive) gets power on the battery side of the disconnect solenoid. Hope this helps.