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tranquility · 12-26-2018, 04:33 AM

2010 Monaco Diplomat 42 SKQ Thursday 12/20 while on my computer a bolt of lightning struck. The white light was blinding as well a the very loud noise. Initially I thought it hit the M/H but the hit was about 40 ft. away, hitting a light pole. Everything went off. Going outside expecting to see flames as did several other rv er's but saw none. A main CB in the rv park blew and after several hours was reset. My pedestal however did not come back on. The 50 amp CB was blown. After replacing the CB I only had the DC circuit, no 120 volt. The smell of burnt wires was noticeable around the Magnum energy panel. I reset the inverter, and the 30 amp CB on the inverter. As of now the chassis battery's are dead. No microwave, no power to Resid. fridge. All three ac/heat pumps work as well as both furnaces (on gas). I don't believe the big boy relay is working, although I get voltage to both connection on top. I ran extension cord from GFI on pedestal to fridge, coffee maker and computer, so we have survived to this point thru the holiday. Hoping a tech from Elite RV here in Bradenton Fl. knows his stuff and comes today. However, any knowledgeable help would be appreciated. Yes. my progressive surge protector was on and survived the hit but I guess it does not help much with a lightening hit so close.

nodine · 12-26-2018, 04:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tranquility

2010 Monaco Diplomat 42 SKQ Thursday 12/20 while on my computer a bolt of lightning struck. The white light was blinding as well a the very loud noise. Initially I thought it hit the M/H but the hit was about 40 ft. away, hitting a light pole. Everything went off. Going outside expecting to see flames as did several other rv er's but saw none. A main CB in the rv park blew and after several hours came back on. My pedestal however did not. The 50 amp CB was blown. After replacing the CB I only had the DC circuit, no 120 volt. The smell of burnt wires was noticeable around the Magnum energy panel. I reset the inverter, and the 30 amp CB on the inverter. As of now the chassis battery's are dead. No microwave, no power to Resid. fridge. All three ac/heat pumps work as well as both furnaces (on gas). I don't believe the big boy relay is working, although I get voltage to both connection on top. I ran extension cord from GFI on pedestal to fridge, coffee maker and computer, so we have survived to this point thru the holiday. Hoping a tech from Elite RV here in Bradenton Fl. knows his stuff and comes today. However, any knowledgeable help would be appreciated. Yes. my progressive surge protector was on and survived the hit but I guess it does not help much with a lightening hit so close.

Did you check all the GFI circuit breakers? They are usually part of a wall duplex outlet in the bathroom, etc. Your post sounds like you have some AC power like the air conditioners but not all AC power like to some of the outlets. Sometimes GFI circuit breakers are part of the circuit breakers in the main distribution panel. Be sure to check all those breakers. Lighting is powerful stuff and will do things that seem impossible.

Bob

marjoa · 12-26-2018, 05:21 AM

I can't help you. but please post what they find out.

-Gramps- · 12-26-2018, 06:04 AM

You have partial power or your coach, so maybe there is a gfi outlet in the coach that popped? There is usually one on each side of the coach, that is the case in our HR and if a power surge causes one to pop then just like in your coach some things quit working and some don't. The smell of burnt wires around your Magnum EMS is not a good thing, but if it were fried I don't think your ACs would continue to operate, unless you checked them using your generator?

Isaac-1 · 12-26-2018, 06:47 AM

Have you contacted your insurance company yet? Also have you checked to see if the engine will start and run?

Dupdyke · 12-26-2018, 06:50 AM

Friend had similar in milwaukee $14,000 later he has new electrical everything it fried stuff you will not ever believe 120 12 volt, circuit boards, elect heat in a/c s. I would have it all checked carefully they do not like oh I found another thing that got fried on ins claims

jacwjames · 12-26-2018, 07:59 AM

Had a lightening strike hit the pole feeding the house. Lost a TV in the house and thought that was all. Later, while getting ready to leave on a trip I noticed nothing showed on the Intellitec amp meter. Turns out the circuit board on my EMS system fried, had to replace. Luckily that was all that was damaged.

As suggested I'd check all the circuits.

Good luck

Jobert · 12-26-2018, 08:25 AM

Ours has a GFI outlet in the engine compartment for the engine heat, that controls a few other outlets, might check there also, not a common place for one so some won't look there. Good luck Happy Trails Bert

Mhcorrigan · 12-26-2018, 09:34 AM

Check your wiring diagram to see where your GFCI breakers are and go reset all of them. Remember to reset these breakers, you must turn the breaker to off then reset them.

barmcd · 12-26-2018, 11:27 AM

It sounds like the outlets that run through the inverter are out, but the ones that bypass it are okay. My air conditioners do not run on the inverter. The fridge, microwave and almost all the rest of the outlets run through the inverter. My washing machine outlet also bypasses the inverter, is that outlet live?

barmcd · 12-26-2018, 11:30 AM

Here's the diagram I made for my coach from a couple pages of the schematic. You can see the washer, water heater, block heater and AC units run from the main panel and the rest of the coach goes through the inverter to the inverter panel. If you inverter is fried, you won't get any AC to the inverter panel.

tranquility · 12-29-2018, 05:00 AM

For those interested, the problem was the circuit board on the output side of the inverter. Once I checked out all the other possibility's (the easy things) I concentrated on the only other choice. The inverter. All components like the residential fridge, tv, etc. were not affected. After removing the inverter I was able to bypass the inverter for full 120 volt power. Now must find a cb or buy a new inverter. Could have been worse.

Isaac-1 · 12-29-2018, 09:50 AM

It could have been way worse, there is a guy on another rv message board that owns the same model coach as I have, he had just pulled into an rv park to stop for the night in Wyoming last summer, when a bolt of lightning hit the TV antenna above the drivers seat, blew it apart sending a shard through the roof and into his his leg, as well as frying just about everything in the coach. He spent about a week replacing stuff (sensors, etc.) just to get the engine to start. He posted a photo online shortly afterward showing the moment of the lightning strike captured by the RV parks pole mounted security camera.

Hit_the_Rhod · 12-30-2018, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Isaac-1

It could have been way worse, there is a guy on another rv message board that owns the same model coach as I have, he had just pulled into an rv park to stop for the night in Wyoming last summer, when a bolt of lightning hit the TV antenna above the drivers seat, blew it apart sending a shard through the roof and into his his leg, as well as frying just about everything in the coach. He spent about a week replacing stuff (sensors, etc.) just to get the engine to start. He posted a photo online shortly afterward showing the moment of the lightning strike captured by the RV parks pole mounted security camera.

And without (and possibly WITH) the photo of the lightening strike, his insurance company would still be arguing that the damage was a result of something the owner of the coach did!