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WillieH · 09-17-2017, 04:38 PM

I have a 2013 Tiffin Phaeton, last road trip to the northwest was very hot and we wanted to run at least one of the roof air conditioners while traveling to keep the cabin cool for myself, wife and two fur babies ! Generator would run and thermostat would click like it was going to activate roof a/c but unit would never come on. All three roof units would do the same as we would try each separately. We would try to activate each one by leaving generator on and thermostat on for several minutes after which we would leave one on continuous as we traveled but nothing would help. When we plugged rig to shore power all three worked. What am I not doing or doing wrong ?

Thanks, Bill Hester

ivykrewe · 09-17-2017, 04:44 PM

Does anything other than ac work on gen? If nothing works try breaker on gen. Next check transfer switch. I think it is breaker. Good luck.

Winemaker2 · 09-17-2017, 04:48 PM

Do you have a receptacle (30A) in the elec bay?
If so you need to plug in the shore cord to use gen power

WillieH · 09-17-2017, 04:53 PM

No ! We had that on our Jayco class A bit not this 50A Tiffin Phaeton !

Thanks

WillieH · 09-17-2017, 04:59 PM

Not sure, Refrigerator and microwave was always on but I assumed they continued receiving their source of power through the inverter ? I am 75 years young and don't understand all I know ! ��

Thanks, Bill Hester

MisterT · 09-17-2017, 05:12 PM

I think your post responses are correct: one thing about a generator is that you don't 'really' know if it's putting out power unless you are trying to power something that will only run off shore power, or the generator, such as the AC units. It's true, most everything else will be powered thru the Inverter, so it can 'seem' as if the generator is putting out power, but it 'may' NOT be.... if the generator breaker(s) are tripped, you will find that the AC units will not work, not matter how hard you try!!

now, the temperature controllers might seem to function, as though they are running the AC units, but they run off of 12v power, not 120v, so, again, it can be confusing to think that the generator is running, but the AC still will not work.

stop, get out, open the hood, flip the breaker(s), and then fire her up again to confirm!

[I've lobbied for several years that there should be an 'alert' to the fact that the generator breaker(s) have tripped - even a simple 'red' color on the generator switch would suffice, or a 'No Generator Power' on the Inverter readout. Simple and effective.]

MikeO58 · 09-17-2017, 05:30 PM

Mine has a panel that shows where the power source is coming from be it shore or generator and how many amps are being used. Have not tried turning breaker off at generator and see what it reads but I may try just for curiosity.

mccaulam · 09-17-2017, 06:10 PM

We recently had a similar problem. The GEN continued to Run, but the on/off switch on the generator itself had tripped OFF. Most likely that is the issue. We were dry camping, not on the road, but it just blipped... longer story, but think there was a momentary surge all at once with other things also on.