|
|
01-06-2019, 05:54 AM
|
#1
|
Member
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Corona, CA
Posts: 37
|
Electrical woes
Hello everyone. Just want to preface this by saying been lurking for a while and even searched thoroughly before posting with no luck. I'm pretty mechanically inclined but this is my first MH and don't know where to start.
Long story short, I picked up a 99 pace arrow vision 36B V10 a couple weeks before Christmas. All the systems like a, heater, water heater, tank sensors... everything were working flawlessly prior to taking her out on her debut trip Nye weekend. Morning of the trip, it was pretty frigid out so I turned on the heater while I added a bit of fresh water to the tank incase my 3yo needed to use the bathroom and such. I didnt want to fill up completely because I didn't want to travel with all the added weight and knew there was koa campground only miles from our destination. Mind you, all the switches on the monitor panel worked from the time I bought it to the time we got to the koa to top off on water.
After filling up, I rechecked all the tank levels, and made sure the rest of the switches worked at the time. Good to go. We were probably 7 miles away from our camp at this point and assume somewhere along this washboard road is where something went wrong. We get to camp, level out, extend the slides, set everything up etc....go to turn on the water pump, it takes a few "on/off" rocks but eventually turns on. Go to turn on the water heater next, nothing. Try the "on/off" method a couple of times, nothing. Check the black, grey, fresh.....nothing. Battery switch, water pump, and hood light still work through. Weird. Thought it might be a short or something and decided Id come back to it later. At the time I didn't think anything of it because my fil weekend warrior 5er panel works intermittently and after a couple of taps on the hood, starts reading again.
Go to turn on genset to turn on a movie for the little human while we're setting up, good to go. Walk over to the thermostat to turn on the heater and set the temp, nothing. Light on the panel turns on but it's not switching on. Neither the front or the rear blowers turn on. Great. Check the ac to see if that still works, luckily it does but doesn't do me any good since it's supposed to be 26° that night.....and every night that weekend.
All in all I couldn't get my sensors, water heater or ac heater to work all weekend. I did try to diagnose it on Saturday morning and did get the ac heater to work for a min or two after messing around with the panel under the fridge but it turned off again and couldn't replicate the fix the rest of the weekend.
I'm thinking I should start somewhere in the fuse panel under the fridge but don't know where or what to look for exactly. Any help and guidance would be greatly appreciated
|
|
|
|
Join the #1 RV Forum Today - It's Totally Free!
iRV2.com RV Community - Are you about to start a new improvement on your RV or need some help with some maintenance? Do you need advice on what products to buy? Or maybe you can give others some advice? No matter where you fit in you'll find that iRV2 is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with other RV owners, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create an RV blog, send private messages and so much, much more!
|
01-06-2019, 06:09 AM
|
#2
|
Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Jacksonville, Fl
Posts: 3,542
|
This 'feels' like a 12 volt issue to me, not 120 volt.
Everything you mentioned has 12 volt in common, but shouldn't have 120 volt breakers in common.
The thermostat requires 12 volts to work (though I don't know why the AC would turn on but not the heat pump).
The water heater also has some 12 volt controls.
The sensors all are 12 volt powered.
I'd say you are looking for one or more bad connections in the 12 volt wiring, that came loose on the rough roads. Pay extra close attention to the grounds.
__________________
2013 Winnebago Sightseer 36V
|
|
|
01-06-2019, 06:13 AM
|
#3
|
Senior Member
Fleetwood Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: SoCal
Posts: 15,749
|
Battery voltage ok? Cinverter working ok? Salesman or other disconnect switch ok?
__________________
Vince and Susan
2011 Tiffin Phaeton 40QTH (Cummins ISC/Freightliner)
Flat towing a modified 2005 Jeep (Rubicon Wrangler)
Previously a 2002 Fleetwood Pace Arrow 37A and a 1995 Safari Trek 2830.
|
|
|
01-06-2019, 06:24 AM
|
#4
|
Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Jacksonville, Fl
Posts: 3,542
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by vsheetz
Battery voltage ok? Cinverter working ok? Salesman or other disconnect switch ok?
|
Oh yeah, the disconnect switches - don't forget to check the obvious, like I did.
__________________
2013 Winnebago Sightseer 36V
|
|
|
01-06-2019, 06:55 AM
|
#5
|
Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 45
|
This was the issue on my coach when this happened on the 12 volt side of the system. It was heavily corroded and eventually failed. I always maintained the house battery terminals but had never noticed that the lead positive coming off the house batteries was connected to one side of a fuse holder that was mounted to the frame above the batteries.
I would start from the house batteries with a multi meter and work my way forward. Test for current and continuity. Ensure you have good grounds and no corrosion.
Good luck.
|
|
|
01-06-2019, 07:00 AM
|
#6
|
Member
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Corona, CA
Posts: 37
|
I should probably note that we were dry camping that weekend and not plugged in. I didn't think to test the switches/heater out by connecting to shore power when we got home.
Batteries are good since it was one of the first things I bought for it after I picked it up.
How do I test my inverter? Are the switches from the stove hood ran to the powertek box below? Is there a way to manually turn on the water heater pilot with a lighter or does the switch need to be on for it to work?
|
|
|
01-06-2019, 07:08 AM
|
#7
|
Member
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Corona, CA
Posts: 37
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by mar000
Attachment 231137
This was the issue on my coach when this happened on the 12 volt side of the system. It was heavily corroded and eventually failed. I always maintained the house battery terminals but had never noticed that the lead positive coming off the house batteries was connected to one side of a fuse holder that was mounted to the frame above the batteries.
I would start from the house batteries with a multi meter and work my way forward. Test for current and continuity. Ensure you have good grounds and no corrosion.
Good luck.
|
I'm hoping it's an easy fix like this with it being 20 years old. Thanks for the input.
Another thing I noticed, which might or might not be related, was every time I turn the genset off and the motor winds down, a loud clicking sound comes from that same general area below the fridge where the electrical panel is. Best way I can describe it is, it sounds like a card in bicycle spokes. It doesn't do it when I turn the genset on only when I turn it off and the motor winds down.
|
|
|
01-06-2019, 07:31 AM
|
#8
|
Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 45
|
Electrical woes
Quote:
Originally Posted by eyeeevin
I'm hoping it's an easy fix like this with it being 20 years old. Thanks for the input.
Another thing I noticed, which might or might not be related, was every time I turn the genset off and the motor winds down, a loud clicking sound comes from that same general area below the fridge where the electrical panel is. Best way I can describe it is, it sounds like a card in bicycle spokes. It doesn't do it when I turn the genset on only when I turn it off and the motor winds down.
|
The clicking sound after the genset off could be your transfer switch. It controls the electrical distribution from the genset or shore power.
|
|
|
01-06-2019, 07:53 AM
|
#9
|
Senior Member
Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Lowell, Arkansas
Posts: 7,297
|
Since you don't know the history of the RV you first have to verify that all positive and negative large battery wires are making connections at both ends. It did materialize after your trip which indicates movement of a battery connection may be weak, loose or a combination of.
That includes connections to all solenoids etc. If you don't first verify you'll be chasing your tail trying to determine where the problem is. You may get pointed to other things and maybe asked to change this or that but again verify that all the battery connections are clean, good and tight.
Yes knowing the battery voltage is good but it's the flow of current that is needed to do the work.
Next comment!!! You were camping in 26 degree weather. I'm not crazy about doing that and we have a 2014 unit. I do know that when my furnace is working it will throw some heat into the compartments that have water. I don't know if it's enough to keep the water lines flowing. We often augment the furnace with electric heaters and when they run there's no furnace heating the water compartments. I don't care so much about us staying warm but don't want the water lines to freeze.
__________________
TeJay Auto Instructor/4-yrs USAF/ Liz: RN/ WBGO 2014 Vista 30T/ F-53/CHF/5-Star/Koni * Bella & Izzy * Golden /Cocker mix/ Louie The Cat* All Retired
|
|
|
01-06-2019, 08:09 AM
|
#10
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 3,165
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by mar000
The clicking sound after the genset off could be your transfer switch. It controls the electrical distribution from the genset or shore power.
|
OP stated the clicking sound as that of a card in bicycle spokes. Transfer switch would be a one time click and would most likely not be under the fridge. Chances are he is hearing the Converter cooling fan stopping. Blades rubbing on something.
__________________
2011 Keystone Sprinter 323 BHS. Port Charlotte Fl/Hinsdale MA. Retired Master Electrician. All Motor homes are RV's. All RV's are not Motor homes.
|
|
|
01-06-2019, 08:18 AM
|
#11
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 3,165
|
Lets get a few things straight so we are all on the same page.
AC = Electric power.
A/C = Air conditioning.
What are you calling ac heater? "Roof top heat pump" or plugin electric heater?
A/C compressor and Heat Pump are the same unit. Both systems use the same compressor.
WH should be gas and electric. One or the other should work.
Is the inside switch on for the gas igniter? Is the 120 outside switch on the water heater (If a Suburban). The propane tank turned on?
__________________
2011 Keystone Sprinter 323 BHS. Port Charlotte Fl/Hinsdale MA. Retired Master Electrician. All Motor homes are RV's. All RV's are not Motor homes.
|
|
|
01-06-2019, 08:57 AM
|
#12
|
Member
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Corona, CA
Posts: 37
|
Sorry wrong choice of words. By ac heater I ment ducted furnace. When it was working, you could hear the blower spinning and feel heat coming out of the exhaust. Both furnaces , one located behind the entrance door on the passenger side and other located on the rear driver side corner, were both working.
In regards to the water heater, I can't recall 100% if there was a switch on the actual unit but my setup looks like the Atwood below.
I'm going to try to make it out to the inlaws today and diagnose things. Working graveyard and being on call makes things hard to get stuff done during the day.
|
|
|
01-06-2019, 09:15 AM
|
#13
|
Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 45
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by cavie
OP stated the clicking sound as that of a card in bicycle spokes. Transfer switch would be a one time click and would most likely not be under the fridge. Chances are he is hearing the Converter cooling fan stopping. Blades rubbing on something.
|
Makes sense.
|
|
|
01-06-2019, 09:25 AM
|
#14
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Capistrano Beach, California
Posts: 4,465
|
Agree with all others who suspect a 12 volt issue. From your description, you still have some 12 volt functions, like the slides water pump and generator, so a complete disconnect from all the batteries may not be the issue. Most RVs have the generator, water pump, and slides wired to the house batteries, and if yours is the same, then you have house battery connectivity.
I would suggest the first stop would be to locate your 12 volt fuse panel and check continuity through each fuse with a multi-meter. Don't depend on the look of the fuse. If you have push-button breakers, push each one. The devices you mention that do not work all require a 12 volt input, as others have mentioned. That is where you should begin your troubleshooting, IMO.
__________________
Larry, Eileen, and Finley
2004 Alpine 36FDDS
Third motor home, first Alpine, no need for another.
|
|
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
Thread Tools |
Search this Thread |
|
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Recent Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|