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larry123 · 05-17-2015, 10:03 AM

I have a 2006 Holiday Rambler Neptune with a Magnum Inverter and Magnum remote gauge in coach. On Generator, house batteries are charging but on shore power, no charging. Gauge says float charge 13.5 volts but 0 amps. Circuit breakers on inverter are no blown and all fuses attached to batteries are fine. Any suggestions before I go to repair shop? Any suggestions appreciated.
Larry123

onechaddude · 05-17-2015, 10:31 AM

Are your batteries charged up? If so it just floats at 0 amps with no charging until it's needed.

Chad

Skip426 · 05-17-2015, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by onechaddude

Are your batteries charged up? If so it just floats at 0 amps with no charging until it's needed.

Chad

X2. You could turn on a bunch of interior lights and check the amps.

larry123 · 05-18-2015, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by onechaddude

Are your batteries charged up? If so it just floats at 0 amps with no charging until it's needed.

Chad

Batteries were charged with generator and have run down tried equalizing batteries and for awhile sowed amps but charge lite remains off and batteries ran down. All batteries new and in good shape

larry123 · 05-18-2015, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skip426

X2. You could turn on a bunch of interior lights and check the amps.

Did and batteries dead and still 0 amps charging on shire power but charges on generator

Skip426 · 05-18-2015, 02:58 PM

I'm finding your problem a little odd; because ; my generator has no 12v output, it powers the Convertor/Charger with 120v and the C/C charges the batteries.
Are all the 120v systems in your coach working on shore power, if you have 50amp service could be the power post has one dead leg , and the inverter isn't getting power from the post. Or the auto transfer switch has issues.

Stan&Jacquie · 05-18-2015, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by larry123

I have a 2006 Holiday Rambler Neptune with a Magnum Inverter and Magnum remote gauge in coach. On Generator, house batteries are charging but on shore power, no charging. Gauge says float charge 13.5 volts but 0 amps. Circuit breakers on inverter are no blown and all fuses attached to batteries are fine. Any suggestions before I go to repair shop? Any suggestions appreciated.
Larry123

Full charge is 12.7v so if your guage is showing 13.5v then the converter/charger is charging and is what got you up to 13.5v to begin with. I don't think u have a problem...am I missing something?

larry123 · 05-20-2015, 06:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skip426

I'm finding your problem a little odd; because ; my generator has no 12v output, it powers the Convertor/Charger with 120v and the C/C charges the batteries.
Are all the 120v systems in your coach working on shore power, if you have 50amp service could be the power post has one dead leg , and the inverter isn't getting power from the post. Or the auto transfer switch has issues.

I gave up and brought it to the shop. Batteries charged while driving. They think charging module in my inverter bad and if so they'll contact my extended warranty

ShapeShifter · 05-21-2015, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by larry123

On Generator, house batteries are charging but on shore power, no charging.

That is very odd. Are any other AC loads working, those that are not powered by the inverter? (Like the air conditioner?) I'm wondering if you have a bad transfer switch that is letting generator power through but not shore power? Or a bad shore cord or power pedestal?

Remember, it doesn't count if it's an AC load that runs off of the inverter. Are you sure shore power is getting into the coach?

If you have a 50 amp shore cord, are you sure you're getting power in the leg that is feeding the inverter/charger? 50 amp has two hot legs, and you can have half the AC loads working and half not working -- perhaps one leg is out and it happens to be the leg that feeds the inverter/charger?

Normally, you have three ways to charge the house batteries:

Shore power, using AC power through the inverter/charger
Generator power, using AC power through the inverter/charger
Engine alternator, using a direct DC connection

Options 1 and 2 use the inverter/charger through the same AC and battery connections, so it would be very strange for there to be a problem with the inverter/charger that would allow one power source to work and not the other.

It really seems like it would have to be a problem with the shore power before it becomes common with the generator power. That would mean it is likely:

A transfer switch problem
A shore cord problem
A shore cord reel problem
A campground pedestal power problem

Personally, since it's already in the shop, I would have them first make sure that shore power is properly getting to the inverter/charger before spending too much time diagnosing the inverter/charger.

Knightab · 05-21-2015, 08:28 AM

If it was the shore cord I would expect he would have multiple 120 circuits not working. No mention of that.

I love it when the techs say they "THINK" its this or that. In other words, after we replace this part we will look for the next part.

Knightab · 05-21-2015, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by larry123

I gave up and brought it to the shop. Batteries charged while driving. They think charging module in my inverter bad and if so they'll contact my extended warranty

Larry do you mean "inverter" or Converter? I am betting you mean converter. The house batteries charged up probably because a solenoid is connecting the alternator from the engine to the coach batteries. If you truly have an Inverter and the charge circuit is bad I would assume you also have a converter that should have kicked in to charge the batteries unless you have it turned off at the power panel.

ShapeShifter · 05-21-2015, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knightab

If it was the shore cord I would expect he would have multiple 120 circuits not working. No mention of that.

Correct, there is no mention of it, that's why I asked.

You might be surprised at the number of people who have no idea how the electrical system works on an RV. With the Magnum inverter he has, I'll bet that just about every AC socket in the coach is powered from the inverter, so things like the microwave and TV are still working as long as he has battery power. He may have very few AC loads that are not fed through the inverter, and may not realize that some or all of them are not working. (In mild spring time weather, he may not have tried turning on the air conditioner, for example.)

While it's true there's no mention of other AC problems, it hasn't been excluded yet. And it's the most likely explanation for the issue. Since the inverter is powered through a single AC input, and that input should be active whether on shore or generator power, I have no idea how the inverter could know what power source is active, and how it could work on generator power and not shore power. The only logical cause is a shore power problem before or in the transfer switch. Or he has a power management system that can shut off the power to the inverter under heavy AC loads, and that control system is malfunctioning. While anything's possible, I will be dumfounded if the problem is in the inverter itself.

In my mind, the absolute first test is to see if AC power is present at the inverter input when on shore power. I'm betting that it is not, but generator power is present. The solution will then be to track down the break in the shore power.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knightab

Larry do you mean "inverter" or Converter? I am betting you mean converter.

He has a Magnum Energy inverter. It is a combination inverter and intelligent three stage battery charger in one unit. As such, it performs all of the duties of a converter without needing a separate converter. It is the only device necessary to charge the batteries from the AC power source, and almost certainly the only device to convert from AC to DC powre.