Community Forums

mrsgrubby · 08-18-2005, 10:50 PM

I was looking at my main circuit breaker as we have no power in the TT at all unless it is plugged in to shore power or the generator. I swear the breaker is hooked up backwards. There is a post that says bat and a post that says aux, and the wire coming directly from my battery is hooked on the aux post and the wires coming from inside the camper wall are hooked to the bat post.

If I am right and this is hooked up wrong, why would it have worked for a year and quit now?

I am guessing this is the problem or the coverter is, and I don't have a clue how to check the converter or fix it, and we are leaving tomorrow for a week,

mrsgrubby · 08-18-2005, 10:50 PM

I was looking at my main circuit breaker as we have no power in the TT at all unless it is plugged in to shore power or the generator. I swear the breaker is hooked up backwards. There is a post that says bat and a post that says aux, and the wire coming directly from my battery is hooked on the aux post and the wires coming from inside the camper wall are hooked to the bat post.

If I am right and this is hooked up wrong, why would it have worked for a year and quit now?

I am guessing this is the problem or the coverter is, and I don't have a clue how to check the converter or fix it, and we are leaving tomorrow for a week,

troth · 08-19-2005, 01:31 AM

If 12vdc things operate OK with the camper plugged into shore power or running the genny, your converter is OK.
Suggest you disconnect from shore power, don't run generator, and measure the voltage at the battery. Connect your red lead to positive, black lead to negative, and the meter should read 12vdc or slightly above. If it does, you know the battery is good, but the power is not getting out into the trailer. Look for a bad solenoid, possibly a bad "house power" switch. Both are usually located near the battery area.
The solenoid may have fuse(s) on either side of it; check them too.

mrsgrubby · 08-19-2005, 02:14 AM

battery is fine, and when hubby just started the truck (they are hooked up) all the inside lights came on, but as soon as he shut off, they went off.

what would the solenoid/house power switch look like. All I see is that main curcuit box with the two posts. Is that what your talking about?

camper1b · 08-19-2005, 03:39 AM

I had this exact problem. I tore everything apart, looked for and found the 12v reset switch, (it was OK). I had checked the batteries previously at the posts and they were good but nothing worked if I was off shore power. After several hours I finally found the problem. And I'm embarrassed to say it. There was enough corrosion around the battery posts that it prevented a good connection. Sheesh!! Check the obvious first!

Just in case, if your camper is like mine, there is a 12v reset switch that can pop if the battery wires get shorted. You might try following the battery wires and see if you can find it. That may be popped. Mine was INSIDE an electrical junction box under the trailer.

Good luck.

mrsgrubby · 08-19-2005, 04:39 AM

Found it this morning, went to local RV dealer and explaind problem, it turns out that the solenoid is the main fuse in the camper although it looks nothing like a fuse, more just a small box with two posts. Anyway, replaced it and everythign works fine, the best $3.95 I have spent in a long time.

troth · 08-19-2005, 06:24 AM

Glad you're all fixed up. $3.95 was a great price, by the way. Remember these are "constant duty" solenoids; they generally cost more than $3.95...

skipper · 08-26-2005, 01:03 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by mrsgrubby:
Found it this morning, went to local RV dealer and explained problem, it turns out that the solenoid is the main fuse in the camper although it looks nothing like a fuse, more just a small box with two posts. Anyway, replaced it and everything works fine, the best $3.95 I have spent in a long time. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>That thing with two posts is a automatic breaker it resets when cooled down until it just quits. the brass post faces the load (converter)the steel post line faces the battery .They are normally found on the wall by the converter on the RED wire coming from the converter ,This is a good place to test the output from the converter and also the breaker it self .Test brass to meter meter to ground. Then brass to meter meter to steel post. Out put should be 13 to 14 volts . Skipper entry level over fifty years