Community Forums

schad · 07-27-2019, 01:43 PM

Only one day with the coach, and already I've got questions!

This was covered during the walkthrough, and I even asked a question about it, but I'm not sure I understood the answer. I'd like some clarification.

In short, there is a switch next to the entry footwell that says "Main Power" and it has an accompanying red light that turns on when main power is on. What exactly does this switch do?

My understanding from what the tech told me during the walkthrough is that this disconnects the coach from shore power (and generator too?), but does NOT disconnect the inverter. Any device (such as the fridge) that's powered by the inverter will continue to work. Additionally, the inverter still has access to shore power, so it will continue to charge the batteries.

If that is correct, then I should use that switch when plugged into 15A shore power at the storage facility to keep the fridge cold and the batteries charged, while also ensuring I don't trip the breaker.

Normally I would use the Vegatouch thing to see the inverter status, battery voltage, etc. But when main power is switched off, that screen turns off too, and I don't know any other way to check what's going on.

For context:

Yesterday we shut off main power when we left. Today when we came back, the fridge was off. It was still cold, so it hadn't been off for long, but it was definitely off. When we flipped master power on, we checked the control panel and it said there was a "LOW BATTERY" fault and they were indeed reading about 12.1V. We ran the generator for a few minutes, which cleared the fault and changed the charge state to "FLOOD" and inverter state to "PASSTHRU." After shutting off the genny, and while leaving master power on, the charge state was "ABSORPTION" and the inverter state was still "PASSTHRU."

It's very possible that what happened is that the shore power plug came out. We of course had the 15A->30A->50A trifecta going, so the plugs wouldn't fit cleanly in the box. The weight alone could easily have pulled the plug loose. My wife said that when she checked the plug it came out very easily in her hand.

But it's also very possible that I didn't properly understand the tech's explanation of this switch's function and when I should be using it.

royals1212 · 07-27-2019, 02:41 PM

Welcome to the forum.

This switch is the main 12 volt house battery disconnect switch, also called the salesman switch. There is a second switch next to the drivers arm rest panel. The house 12 volt system controls power to control circuitry (such as ac thermostats, Vega touch, etc) and your lighting. There basically 3 different electrical system in your coach: 110 volt, 12 volt house system and 12 volt chassis system. Not know your level of understanding< I recommend you read a Electrical tutorial article written by Cruiser ( one of our moderators). This was written several years back and does not reference the Vega touch system but it gives a really good explanation of all the components such as inverter/charger etc. Electrical Tutorial - Chapter 1 - Introduction to Electricity

If you are connected to shore power when you leave your coach leave the 12 volt main system on. Depending on the shore power amps you may need to lower the shore power charging amps on the magnum controller. If you are parked outside set your generator to autostart, that way if your house batteries are starting to run low it will recharge them.

For example, I store my coach at a undercover ventilated facility on a 15 amp 110 volt power. I leave the 12 volt main on, my charger set to 5 amps for shore charging, inverter off, and generator set to autostart. This allows me to keep my batteries charged and run my refrigerator. I also have connectivity to my coach thru my air card and a camera system that monitors my power, temperature and humidity so I am alerted when the coach looses power.

Hope my rambling gives you some insight.

Herb

brobox · 07-27-2019, 03:28 PM

Welcome to the forum, I will try to share my experience of low amp storage.

I'll try to give a quick use of storing on 15 amp as I store on 20 amp and keep the refrigerator running 24/7 along with a dehumidifier.

The 12v switch does nothing but disconnect 12v, which as you found out kills the Vega Touch panel. Remember that 12v switch for anytime you have a glitch with anything electrical, shades, vega touch, radio, gps, etc. Turn that switch off to reboot the electrical item, 90% of the time it fixes it. Also use that switch anytime you do an update on the vega touch. Like a computer it has to be rebooted for the updates to take effect. Sometimes more than once for all systems to sync.

For storing on 15 amp: on the VT home screen hold the inverter icon until the inverter and charger screen comes up. Turn off both inverters (green to red icons) and one battery charger. Now your usable 15 amp will power the refrigeration and one battery charger which is all that is needed to keep the batteries fully charged.

Running both inverters and chargers while in storage on 15 amps causes two problem. They take too many amps to run causing the 15 amp shore power to trip the breaker. If the breaker is tripped the inverters, if left on, will kick in draining your batteries in less than 12 hours.
Learning power management that Royal posted becomes very important when storing on anything under 30 amps.
If I can help with any of the setups, let me know. It's a learning curve that I am still learning and any refresher is welcome.

schad · 07-27-2019, 06:05 PM

OK. It seems like Entegra put in a system which is very similar to, yet still different from, what's on their higher-end coaches. It also seems like there are very few Reatta owners out there, at least so far. I'm a pioneer!

I'm going to have to spend some time with a screwdriver and flashlight trying to find things out. Let me tell you, coming from a travel trailer, it's a somewhat surreal experience to crawl entirely into one of the cargo bays and have plenty of room to move around. Also, I'm astonished by how great a job the builders at Entegra did labeling every single wire and connection. I have literally never seen such neat wiring.

You guys are pointing me in the right direction. I just need to figure out the details where our coaches are different. I'll do some more digging and if I find anything interesting I'll post back.

In the meantime, sounds like main power on and inverter off is the way to go. It means we'll lose the contents of the fridge if we trip the breaker at the post, but that's OK. It's cheaper to replace a jar of mayo than a couple of batteries.

Thanks for the tips!

Gary.Jones · 07-27-2019, 06:14 PM

But Schad, cleaning up the mess of a refrigerator that has a bunch of stuff in it and no chilling is not something you want to do even once....

I suggest that you look into a tempstik (available on Amazon). A tempstick connects via WIFI either to an internet based system in the coach, or at the storage facility or the McDonalds next door to the storage facility and reports the temperature and humidity every hour. It will also send you emails or texts to tell you if your temp exceeds a certain temperature. Some people can put them in the refrig... never tried that. Best to try to set your chargers to a low amperage on your input line (if you can do that) to keep that line and breaker working and the refrig running (or clean it all out... if we are going to be more than a week or so, we remove everything and shut down the refrigerator.

Good luck figuring it all out. My guess, you really are pretty much on your own on this forum, but we will be glad to try to help if we can.

Gary

royals1212 · 07-27-2019, 10:11 PM

The rev tech article I link you to is generic and the principles apply to all rv’s. Just remember, all of us read this site to learn.

Happy travels

Herb

brobox · 07-28-2019, 06:06 AM

schad, you have and assignment should you choose to accept it.

Since there are so few Regatta owners to relay correct information, once you have learned how to cut amp draws down for storage, please post so other may have something to refer too. It's hard for those that have different Vega Touchs to offer any assistance. Low amp storage is sure to come up again for Regatta's.

As for the refrigerator going out with a tripped breaker, yes that is going to happen. But if on inverter and you are not there while the batteries take over on inverter the refrigerator is going to go out overnight anyhow. Outside of beer, we only keep the heavy jarred items in there that could easily be replaced at the first Walmart stop for 5 bucks.

If you are on shared storage power like I am, other neighbor need to be educated as well. We have a great policy with new tenants what is allow. We have had some come in thinking they can run an AC unit, not knowing the power is shared.

Rollin101 · 07-28-2019, 12:07 PM

Also, I'm astonished by how great a job the builders at Entegra did labeling every single wire and connection. I have literally never seen such neat wiring.

Thanks for the tips!
__________________
2019 Entegra Reatta 39BH

Are you sure you talking about the same Entegra brand as we have!!

brobox · 07-28-2019, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rollin101

Also, I'm astonished by how great a job the builders at Entegra did labeling every single wire and connection. I have literally never seen such neat wiring.

Thanks for the tips!
__________________
2019 Entegra Reatta 39BH

Are you sure you talking about the same Entegra brand as we have!!

I was wondering the same thing. Maybe beginner coaches get labeling to help them along.

Gary.Jones · 07-28-2019, 12:54 PM

My Cornerstone sure as heck is not meticulously labeled..... maybe we all bought the wrong units.

Gary

Solo_RV_Guy · 07-28-2019, 01:19 PM

In addition to the fine folks here on iRV2, I suggest you consult Entegra. Seriously.
Entegra have a reputation for very good customer support and with the paucity of Reatta units on the road it might be a good idea to ask the Mothership. As mentioned, some of the features that are common to, or similar to those on other Entegra models may not be identical in implementation or feature set. Entegra will be able to help you with those differences.

oneknight · 07-29-2019, 05:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rollin101

Also, I'm astonished by how great a job the builders at Entegra did labeling every single wire and connection. I have literally never seen such neat wiring.

Thanks for the tips!
__________________
2019 Entegra Reatta 39BH

Are you sure you talking about the same Entegra brand as we have!!

Thinking that too. Is this a trend? Where do I get one of these Entegra's with "neat, labelled wiring?"
I sure would like to have one.

Seriously though, is Reatta built in Entegra's building or Jayco's?
Cause I know nothing in Entegra's building ever came out with "neat, labelled wiring"

Hmm, a tiny bit of digging shows Reatta is obviously all Entegra, a slightly smaller version of our coaches, on the same Spartan K2 chassis.

Tell me more about this "neat, labelled wiring?" Is your coach a 2020? Has Entegra turned over a new leaf? Does this "neat, labelled wiring" extend to other Entegra 2020 coaches?
I would consider trading for "Neat, labelled wiring. Up, Down, even sideways.

OP, would you pop off the woodgrain cover on the right side of the dash and post a picture of what you see there?

Rollin101 · 07-29-2019, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oneknight

Thinking that too. Is this a trend? Where do I get one of these Entegra's with "neat, labelled wiring?"
I sure would like to have one.

Seriously though, is Reatta built in Entegra's building or Jayco's?
Cause I know nothing in Entegra's building ever came out with "neat, labelled wiring"

Hmm, a tiny bit of digging shows Reatta is obviously all Entegra, a slightly smaller version of our coaches, on the same Spartan K2 chassis.

Tell me more about this "neat, labelled wiring?" Is your coach a 2020? Has Entegra turned over a new leaf? Does this "neat, labelled wiring" extend to other Entegra 2020 coaches?
I would consider trading for "Neat, labelled wiring. Up, Down, even sideways.

OP, would you pop off the woodgrain cover on the right side of the dash and post a picture of what you see there?

Jim, I’ll let you know on the wiring when our 2020 Cornerstone is delivered.

By the way is your awning remote working ok?

schad · 07-29-2019, 06:07 PM

It may be that the wires are marked clearly because they know you're going to be in there working with them sooner than later.

We've already made good use of what I now refer to as the "12V and Vegatouch Reboot Button." So far, it has done the job and ejected the electrical gremlins that keep trying to move in. You guys were literally solving problems I hadn't even had yet.

Fun example of a gremlin infestation: Flushing the macerating toilet caused the bathroom lights to turn off. I can laugh about it now, but at 3am last night I was not as amused.