Lost coach electric

[Greg2]

I chose today to excerise the onboard generator-and thought I broke something!

With the Onan running, I remembered that I was still hooked up to shore power [at home], and not putting a load on the generator. So...I unhook the shore power and plug the power cord into the gen box in the power compartment, while everything was powered on. OOPS.
But all seemed well.

From what I have read I need to load the generator, so I turned on the furnace. The blower works, but after several minutes it was still blowing cool air. In the meantime, I turn on all the lights, the tv, most everything I could, including plugging in the microwave.....still no heat.
Oh well, the airconditioners have a heat setting, so I turned them on. Shortly after I lost electricity in most all of the coach. The dash Items still worked. GRUMP! So, I reset the 110vac breakers under the bed. Still no help.

I looked at the fuses while I was there, and under the dash, tried to see those under the hood near the steering column. [Why did they mount it so high you cannot see into it without a mirror?] Looked behind the plexiglass cover on the passenger side under the hood, found nothing.
Reset the breakers on the Onan. Still no electric.
Checked and had power in the converter compartment [~14 vdc]...WTH??

With meter went back to under the bed to the 110vac panel to check for dc power....discovered I had 12 vdc into the [what appears to me] automatic resetable circuit breaker, but no power out. AH HA!!

It was then I discovered the tiny reset button on the bottom.
Everything was back to working, except for still no heat from the furnace.

I am not too worried about the furnace, everything is winterized and we are living in our stick home now. There is lots of LP in the tank, i suspect something is in the burner not allowing it to light. I will look at that later this coming spring when it is not so cold outside.

In closing, remember, if you loose electric power, do not forget about the little, easy to overlook, reset button on the circuit breaker.

[BFlinn181]

You're a retired electrician? Shore power cord, whether plugged into pedestal or generator outlet should only be plugged or unplugged with power off. You'll cause an arc across connections and damage them. Check for LP at stove. With all the electrical going on and off, perhaps your LP detector was off and shut down the LP electric valve. Your furnace would give a minimal load on the generator, it's a 12 v fan and LP gas. "Dash items worked" those would be on the chassis battery, so they are separate from the house system. Why crawl under the dash to check fuses that are for chassis/driving functions? "I turn on all the lights" Most lights in RV are 12 v, only a few 120 v, so they wouldn't put much load on the generator except indirectly through your converter/charger. To exercise generator in winter, plug in a 120 v heater or two. In the cold, air conditioner compressors might not come on. Microwave should only be turned on when there's something in it to absorb microwaves, like a cup of water.

[gruelens]

Hi Greg2,
Thank you for your post concerning the reset button on a breaker. Your words were clearly an attempt to help others. Unfortunately a very small percentage of forum members sit at the keyboard waiting to pounce on any tiny thing that comes along. Yes, this is tiny compared to the whole scope of things. Many others and myself appreciate your OP to contribute to this wonderful forum.

["007"]

When in the spring check the igniter for burner may need cleaning and you may have a air blockage in pipe leading to furnace that a few restarts may purge the line.
Is possible to install a auto transfer switch in spring also, I know its cold outside here also.

[Greg2]

Originally Posted by BFlinn181

You're a retired electrician? Shore power cord, whether plugged into pedestal or generator outlet should only be plugged or unplugged with power off. You'll cause an arc across connections and damage them.Good point. I knew that-it was a duhh moment. [have you ever admitted in a public forum of an OOPS moment?]Check for LP at stove. With all the electrical going on and off, perhaps your LP detector was off and shut down the LP electric valve. Your furnace would give a minimal load on the generator, it's a 12 v fan and LP gas. Furnace was started to heat the interior."Dash items worked" those would be on the chassis battery, so they are separate from the house system. Why crawl under the dash to check fuses that are for chassis/driving functions?At fter checking the obvious I was grasping at straws "I turn on all the lights" Most lights in RV are 12 v, only a few 120 v, so they wouldn't put much load on the generator except indirectly through your converter/charger. To exercise generator in winter, plug in a 120 v heater or two.Check In the cold, air conditioner compressors might not come on.Selected the 'heat' function, not A/C. Microwave should only be turned on when there's something in it to absorb microwaves, like a cup of water.Of course.

Reply in red contained in above quote.

[Greg2]

Originally Posted by "007"

When in the spring check the igniter for burner may need cleaning and you may have a air blockage in pipe leading to furnace that a few restarts may purge the line.
Is possible to install a auto transfer switch in spring also, I know its cold outside here also.

Thanks for the reply and help.
This is the first time I have attempted to use the furnace since buying it two months ago. I suspect the line needs purged as I was led to believe the previous owner used this mainly in the summer, thus using the a/c and not the furnace. I have no critical need for it right now, but do want to ensure it works when needed. Probably going to wait for warmer weather to troubleshoot.

An auto transfer switch would be a good idea. Come to think of it, there is one on my 5th wheel that I am selling come spring. Why, I do not know as it does not have an onboard generator. i might just remove it for the motor home.

[Greg2]

Originally Posted by gruelens

Hi Greg2,
Thank you for your post concerning the reset button on a breaker. Your words were clearly an attempt to help others. Unfortunately a very small percentage of forum members sit at the keyboard waiting to pounce on any tiny thing that comes along. Yes, this is tiny compared to the whole scope of things. Many others and myself appreciate your OP to contribute to this wonderful forum.

Thank you for the kind words. I am glad to contribute where I could.
Having retired from the US Navy and almost retired at my current job as a correctional officer at a state prison, I have developed a thick skin
[and also multi-lingual----English, 10 codes and sarcasm.]
Happy camping.

["007"]

Greg,Forgot to mention if I haven't before the three links in my signature below can help find problems with furnace and anything else with your Newmar.

[Greg2]

Thanks for the reminder and all the tips. I won't say I have read them all but have read most of them.
And about the furnace, the day before yesterday I was in the mh and it kicked right on and heated like it should. I suspect it had an air lock in the line.
Have a merry Christmas.

["007"]

And a Merry Christmas to you also and a safe holiday.

[wa8yxm]

"Still no heat"

The furnace is a 12 volt/propane device, heat is caused by burning propane, has nothing to do with the generator or 120 volts save that the converter makes 12 volts out of 120 volts (It converts you see).

Possible causes of no heat:

Propane tank turned off
propane tank empty
Furnace has a problem ( I will not go into that till you report on 1 and 2)

[Greg2]

Originally Posted by wa8yxm

"Still no heat"

The furnace is a 12 volt/propane device, heat is caused by burning propane, has nothing to do with the generator or 120 volts save that the converter makes 12 volts out of 120 volts (It converts you see).

Possible causes of no heat:

Propane tank turned off
propane tank empty
Furnace has a problem ( I will not go into that till you report on 1 and 2)

Thanks for the help, but on 12-20 went back out and it worked just fine. I suspect air was in the lines, but with it working there is no need to troubleshoot it. [Although I have been known to fix something until it is broke]
Merry Christmas all.

[adamfolger]

Greg2....there is life after CDCR....Enjoy....Adamfolger in reverse AKA Turnkey.... That's me