Electrical problems

[jal]

Electrical problems 2008 Jamboree 31GT. Purchased this past summer, used a few weekends and then lights would dim and come back up, heater would slow down then come back up. New US house batteries. Let grand kids & family use it, plugged into shore power . Lights went out, heater went out, AC outlets have no power, microwave works, TV works, owner is pulling hair out.
Also chaise battery dies after a few weeks. Had it to two garages, "no battery drain found". ???
Thanks for any help

[jesilvas]

Sounds like the batteries aren't staying charged, possibly from a bad converter.
Or, the converter is working and is not getting 120V power all the time. I'd start at the converter, see if it's good. Then I'd start hunting for the 120V issue. Bad cords, transfer switch if any, breakers, so on.

[jal]

The house batteries do stay charged, the house lights work. How does one check a converter? How does one find the transfer switch? All the 120 ac breakers are not tripped. Why does tv and microwave have power and none to 120 outlets? I don't think my meters are broken, the work in the house. I am confused, and confused and confused some more.
Thanks,
John

[milasman]

Reset GFCI

[BFlinn181]

Your converter changes 120 v AC to 12 v DC. In addition to supplying power for all 12 v systems in the RV, it also charges your house batteries and perhaps your chassis batteries. To test, use a multimeter to read house voltage when not on shore power and then again when hooked up. The voltage should go up when converter is working. The fact that lights dimmed and brightened points to either a failing converter or just dirty connections. Remove and clean all battery connections, including where ground attaches to the frame and see it that helps.
A transfer switch changes 120v power from shore cord to generator when you start it. Try to trace from shore cord, if you have an Auto Transfer Switch (ATS) it will be connected to the shore cord before shore cord goes to circuit breaker power panel. If you have to physically plug shore cord into generator outlet, you don't have a transfer switch.

[mfire1339]

1st thought is with "Milasman" the GFCI in the bathroom or kitchen area. 2nd thought is the same as 1st.



Mike

[jal]

Milasman, GFCI is working, at least the breaker is not tripped and the outlets are not tripped. Though the multimeter shows no voltage at the outlets. Thank you.
BFlinn 181 Multimeter reads no house voltage at all outlets. The outlet into which the converter is plugged also shows no voltage. All wiring behind the circuit breakers does show hot with a line tester, the converter power cord also shows hot. The shore cord does have to plug into an outlet in the basement in order for the generator to be effective. The transfer switch will have to wait till some more snow melts. Getting to old to be crawling under coach. Thank you.
Mike Thanks for the reply.
Thank to all,
John Larkin

[BFlinn181]

Save the crawl, you don't have an ATS if you have to plug the shore cord into the generator. That serves the purpose of an ATS. GFI's are used as the first outlet in a chain, all the downstream outlets are then protected by the GFI. If the GFI malfunctions, all the outlets on the circuit are dead.
I'm confused by your statements: "The outlet into which the converter is plugged also shows no voltage." and " ...the converter power cord also shows hot." A converter is usually hardwired into the 120 v Control panel, not plugged into an outlet. The converter/charger output is 12 v DC. The converter usually has 12 v fuses or circuit breakers built into the 'box' to restore 12 v power.
If all the black wires from the Control Panel are hot, then you have a loose connection, bad neutral connection, or bad GFI. I'd pull the GFI outlet out of it's outlet box and put a multitester on wires coming into the box from the control panel and wires out from GFI to see if it's getting power and passing it on.

[jal]

The converter is not hard wired, it has a three pronged plug which is inserted into the back of the control panel. It has two ten amp fuses and both are good. All fuses on the circuit breakers test good. None of the six circuit breakers are marked, so it will take a bit of time to find the correct one. Hope tomorrow is warmer.. Bob I am very grateful for your information and the time you are spending passing it on to me.
Thank you,
John Larkin
ops the converter is hard wired to the fuse panel which is next to the breakers.
Good Night.

[milasman]

You can only reset a GFCI if it is powered, trip and see if it resets.

[jal]

It will reset after being tripped manually.

[Gorlininc]

Your 120v coming in to the circuit breaker panel is split to 2 sides. One side runs the in inverter , A/C and other things. The other side runs the second A/C, water heater etc. so one of the 50 amp breakers could be bad. You also have 2 breakers on the inverter itself that power certain items like the microwave and front TV and certain 120v sockets. If your GFIs are resetting when you test them, then they have power. These are usually on the on the inverter power. I'd check the power on the breaker box first.

[milasman]

If the GFCI resets, then you have power there. Plug a light in or something and see.

[milasman]

OP's rig is only 30 amp, not 50 amp I think.