No electric in coach with Generator but works with Land Line

[TallPaul]

Originally Posted by FIX-IT-BOB

1) Main CKT breaker at generator ( assuming gen stays running, If it turns itself off theres issues to be found in genset)
2) Throwover switch malfunction
3) Wiring issue between THROWOVER and GENSET

GOOD LUCK ON YOUR QUEST !

Definitely seems the problem is in the genset, but a workaround appears to be very simple, see post 9.

[TallPaul]

Originally Posted by Tha_Rooster

I would think if genny starts and runs it would not be a battery switch. More likely breakers on genny or transfer switch are the best chances.

Yep, bad habit of jumping to conclusions, but your advice pointed me in right direction and i got to the resolution in post 9, will know for sure tomorrow when I "fix" it.

[TallPaul]

Originally Posted by Ray,IN

I doubt your genset is set for 240V output or even has that capability. What is the make/model of your genset and MH?

Well, it is 1 am here and I still have to brush the dogs teeth, my teeth, and get ready for bed, so I will have to just say it is a Generac 5500 watt. It has two hot leads and the one hooked up is putting out 6 VAC but the one capped has 125 VAC, so I concluded it must have two 120 circuits. Else what explains two hot leads at 120 each (at least both would have been 120 at some point before the one went to 6 VAC. Surely it is not set up with one at 120 and the other at 6, and somehow they switched on me. But I really don't know. Maybe I can get the model number tomorrow and post it.

[twinboat]

Originally Posted by TallPaul

The switch i called a Battery Switch (what the dealer called it when they replaced it) under the unit with cables from both batteries coming to it and one small wire on a separate terminal, must be for charging the engine battery from 120.

That solenoid the dealer replaced is for 12 volt charging only.

It combines the chassis battery to the house battery when the engine is running so that both batteries charge while driving.

120 volt charging has a different solenoid, but it is called the battery disconnect and has a switch near the door.

[twinboat]

Your generator is not 240 volts but it has 2 120 volt outputs.

The red wire showing 6 volts from the generator may not be passing 120 volts thru the breaker on the generator .
The next check is a juntion box near the generator that connects to the RV wiring. The red wire may have a lose wire nut.

All else fails, switch to the unused black wire.

[TallPaul]

Originally Posted by twinboat

Your generator is not 240 volts but it has 2 120 volt outputs.

The red wire showing 6 volts from the generator may not be passing 120 volts thru the breaker on the generator .
The next check is a junction box near the generator that connects to the RV wiring. The red wire may have a lose wire nut.

All else fails, switch to the unused black wire.

Generator is Generac Model 09592-3 The manual says it can run 120 or 240, shows a set up for 120 volt with both the black and red wired connected (mine only has one of them connected) and says for 240 to remove the jumper, which connects between them.

Good point about looking in the junction box, but I may as well just use the other wire that is full 120 and currently capped off.

[TallPaul]

Originally Posted by twinboat

That solenoid the dealer replaced is for 12 volt charging only.

It combines the chassis battery to the house battery when the engine is running so that both batteries charge while driving.

120 volt charging has a different solenoid, but it is called the battery disconnect and has a switch near the door.

Oh, so that switch may be fine, all I have to do is start up the motorhome driving engine and then check it is charging the house battery. Makes sense. Thanks for the clarification. It helps to understand what is going on with these components.

[Archer2]

First, assuming the generator worked at some point in the past, you should not need to re-wire it to get it to work again. Second, the generator is wired for 120V. The way it works is that there are two outputs from the generator stators that are connected. The two are actually jumpered together at the “generator-side” of the two breakers and should always read the exact same voltage. So the only possible way for you to measure 6 volts (essentially 0) on the red wire and 127V on the black wire is for the circuit breaker that the red wire is connected to is bad or open.
As usual, twinboat has it exactly right in post #19. The problem with just connecting the black wire instead of the red is that you will then have voltage to the ATS but you will have eliminated the 30Amp breaker, leaving only the 20Amp breaker. So you will no longer ne able to draw more than 20 Amps (instead of the original 30A + 20A = 50A).

[TallPaul]

Originally Posted by Archer2

First, assuming the generator worked at some point in the past, you should not need to re-wire it to get it to work again. Second, the generator is wired for 120V. The way it works is that there are two outputs from the generator stators that are connected. The two are actually jumpered together at the “generator-side” of the two breakers and should always read the exact same voltage. So the only possible way for you to measure 6 volts (essentially 0) on the red wire and 127V on the black wire is for the circuit breaker that the red wire is connected to is bad or open.
As usual, twinboat has it exactly right in post #19. The problem with just connecting the black wire instead of the red is that you will then have voltage to the ATS but you will have eliminated the 30Amp breaker, leaving only the 20Amp breaker. So you will no longer ne able to draw more than 20 Amps (instead of the original 30A + 20A = 50A).

All i need is 20 amps. The only high electric use item I have is the AC, single unit and it runs on 20 amp. If I run it on land line (home is 15 amp) it will sometimes kick the breaker but 20 amp is fine. I usually hook to the 20 amp at campgrounds if they have 20, else I go 30. Never 50.


If there is a jumper, why is the black wire capped off? And if the jumper is present, then both the black and red wires should read the same. Now the question is, if both black and red wires are to be used for 110 (see wiring image I will post in my next post), then am I really getting 5500 watts or half that, or as you said maybe 5500 watts but half the amperage?

[TallPaul]

Hmmm, so it looks from this that the red is 30 amp and the black is 20 amp. I can do 20 amp for now, but perhaps should not run the AC while making coffee. I have no other high energy applicances, no TV, no microwave, etc. May plug in a laptop but that should not take much power, and so if I kick a breaker, just shut the extra thing off and turn things back on. It will work for now, and it may work for the long haul. Can try ti figure what happened to the red wire sometime too.





This is where I am working:

[Archer2]

I think your reasoning is correct. You can think of how it’s wired as if it were two separate generators, one good for 30Amps at 120V (red wire) and a second one good for 20Amps at 120V (black wire). As far as your original problem just in case you want to fix it the most likely problem is either the 30Amp breaker is tripped/defective/open. Another possibility is that the ATS may be bad and it is shorting the red wire causing the 30Amp breaker to trip instantly. If that is the case then the 20Amp breaker is going to do the same thing. The last possibility is that the 30Amp stator inside the Gen may be bad.

[TallPaul]

Originally Posted by Archer2

I think your reasoning is correct. You can think of how it’s wired as if it were two separate generators, one good for 30Amps at 120V (red wire) and a second one good for 20Amps at 120V (black wire). As far as your original problem just in case you want to fix it the most likely problem is either the 30Amp breaker is tripped/defective/open. Another possibility is that the ATS may be bad and it is shorting the red wire causing the 30Amp breaker to trip instantly. If that is the case then the 20Amp breaker is going to do the same thing. The last possibility is that the 30Amp stator inside the Gen may be bad.

Excellent analysis and the three potential problems really help:

1. 30 amp breaker defective

2. ATS bad and shorting the generator.

3. 30 amp stator in generator bad.

if 1 or 3, my cure works.

If 2, my cure will toast the generator and then I am in big trouble.

So, a way to test the ATS before I blow it. My chance of a good result is 2 out of 3, but I am not feeling that lucky.

Safest bet and one I am thinking is the best solution here, is to wire the generator to an outlet in the land line compartment, and then just plug into the generator when using it. That will be 100% fail safe and a pretty easy installation.

[twinboat]

They capped the second output off because you only use 30 amps in your RV.
You generator is capable of about 49 amps and the second output was used for RVs with 2 air conditioners.

I had the same unit and the 20 amp breaker did nothing.

If you were to wire it as a 240 volt unit, that would split the total output in half or only 24 amps per leg.

[TallPaul]

Originally Posted by twinboat

They capped the second output off because you only use 30 amps in your RV.
You generator is capable of about 49 amps and the second output was used for RVs with 2 air conditioners.

I had the same unit and the 20 amp breaker did nothing.

If you were to wire it as a 240 volt unit, that would split the total output in half or only 24 amps per leg.

But the diagram from my generator manual seems to show both wires connected for a 120 volt setup. Or am I reading it backwards.

So what do you mean the 20 amp breaker did nothing? I get voltage past the 20 amp breaker on mine.



Oh, i tried taking the panel off to test voltage before the breaker but one screw rounded off inside the phillips.