No shore power 1996 Holiday Rambler Endeavor

[coop2.0]

Well I'm about to drive home a 1996 holiday rambler i just purchased. it has no shore power. But if you start the engine it will power AC units as well as all lights. Where should I start?

[wolfe10]

By "start the engine" and you had 120 VAC, we ASSUME you mean the GENERATOR, not coach engine.


Do you have an ATS or do you need to switch plugs to switch from shore power to generator?

[Persistent]

1996 was many years ago. Many RV's with a generator had a socket on or near the generator to plug the shore power cord into.

In this case unplug the shore power cord from the generator and plug into shore power.

Some RV's with a generator have a transfer switch and the generator is hard wired to the transfer switch. The switch must shut off the connection to the generator and then connect the shore power. The switch can be automatic, or it can be manual. Look for a manual transfer switch.

Some RV owners modify their RV's. Anything goes. Some have installed high capacity inverters that power 120 volt appliances from the battery.

Many 120 volt appliances have 12 volt controls. They will not work unless 12 volts is applied. Starting the RV engine can provide 12 volts to the house 12 volt system. Dead batteries, converter "off", disconnect switches "off" can cause this.

Please provide more details for better advice.

[153stars]

If your talking chassis engine running while plugged in. not the genny then ACs ,fridge, water heater, furnace need 12v control power, the alternator is supplying it through diode battery combiner/isolator common that vintage. Most interior lights are 12v. Dead house batteries may kind of wake up for a bit on alternator. Inverter chargers will refuse to charge house batts or supply 12v if house batts less than 8-10v.
The auto transfer switch "ATS" main wire connections get toasted from bad connections.
Another issue that pops up is if random 120v circuit breaker or two is off or tripped that supply volts and powered to amp loops for information center and EMS energy management system. This can shed a high amp device like AC or washer dryer. I don't think that's your issue but it's good info to know lol.

[coop2.0]

I meant the chassis engine for sure. I have a charger on the house batteries as they were so weak that the only way the 12 volt lights would work was when running the motor. Have to get genny running! can get it to start but only runs for 20 seconds or so then dies. When I plug into shore I have no 12 volt lights inside at all, nor will the AC units work unless the motor is running and thats only the fans at that point havent tried any wall sockets yet.

[windsorbill]

I'd start by load testing the batteries and replacing if necessary. All your symptoms point to bad batteries. Clean all wire connections.

Then see if shore power will charge the batteries. If not, post make/model of charger.

[donr103]

Let's start with all the batteries 1st.. here is why.. if any are old or bad.. let's assume they are.. hi possibility that you will burn your alternator up.. so they all need taken to auto parts store and free testing.. 1st use your cellphone with flash on and record all the wires and which sides they go and yes label.. use duct tape and markers.. next you need to find your converter.. you could possibly have inverter but most likely not.. read up.. on converter..

Now I believe what's going on.. is your coach batteries are dead .. real dead.. so converter will not turn on if it scenes dead batteries.. you have to have converter to work.. before anything else will even work.. so.. when you plug in..the shore line.. and nothing comes on.. because converter knows you got dead coach batteries.. so when you start chassis engine.. the engine alternator is powering the chassis and coach batteries and converter sees proper voltage and then powers the stuff inside the coach.. this is very bad.. because you will at some point be replacing a very expensive alternator..

So.. 1st thing 1st.. replace all batteries.. do it with no shore, solar or generator power.. when you take each wire off.. you must use electrical tape to tape the ends.. they can under some conditions short out other stuff if bare ends touch ground.. label record..

The generator will not run and shut down if it sees you have dead batteries..

Now the generator problem we tackle later.. batteries then find converter and many have fuses mounted on or inside them..
Got it.. good.. if it's been sitting a while.. you got a lot of reading to do here.. find out who made the engine.. Chevy or ford.. and start at the last pages for that section and start reading forward.. there is so much here.. then check make, model and yr of generator and read in appliance section.. last to first..
This one piece of advice.. when things go haywire and don't make sense.. keep critters in the back of your mind all the time.. critters love to eat on rubber fuel lines and short wiring and nest in worst place..

You have to blow almost everything out with air.. post pictures if you can and you will get better opinions.. and post results of getting all new proper batteries..
That is where I would start..
Good luck and keep us posted

[donr103]

Sorry for 2nd opinion.. forgot to add.. clean the cables ends very.. very.. good.. they need to be nice and shinny.. so get small wire brushes and round ones too.. can't wait until you post back..
Good luck and keep us posted

[Iceclimber]

If you can find an auto electric/battery speciality shop, call them up and ask if they are RV friendly. You can just drive there and let them do all the work as I am 99% sure your house batteries are toast, happy to be wrong. Then they can help figure out the rest. You have to have functioning house batteries for anything to work right 12v wise. Generator sounds like a fuel issue and/or transfer issue.

[coop2.0]

thank you will get to all this today. I did charge batteries over night showing full charge on monitor. Started genny wahoo a little rough running but did run. I turned on one AC unit and it tried to work but it seamed to be drawing alot on the genny then genny stalled out. a friend is coming sometime today to help me pull batteries and get them checked. it does have a inteli power convertor model PD-9055 checked fuses on top and were both good. Havent tried shore power yet and it does have a transfer switch in the basement, yesterday i didnt hear a click inside transfer when i had wife plug it in.

[coop2.0]

Ok charged the batteries. Hooked up to shore and all the upper recepticles work the lower didnt. Found a breaker that was tripped. all good at that point had both AC units running although the vents blew some styrofoam beads out for a secont then all good. So I plugged in the convertor and the fan started for 1/2 second and tripped the garage breaker so I reset it and tried again and it blew again. What you think is it bad converter ? Or get new batteries and try again

[windsorbill]

Originally Posted by coop2.0

Ok charged the batteries. Hooked up to shore and all the upper recepticles wor the lower didnt. Found a breaker that was tripped. all good at that point had both AC units running although the vents blew some styrofoam beads out for a secont then all good. So I plugged in the convertor and the fan started for 1/2 second and tripped the garage breaker so I reset it and tried again and it blew again. What you think is it bad converter ?

the AC units are working fine on shore power, is that correct??

I don't understand what you did next. Did you try to run the AC units off the invertor? If so, that's not going to happen.

[wolfe10]

What happens when you JUST run the converter on shore power/all other loads OFF?

[coop2.0]

Yes both units are running so I have shore power now. I turned the AC units off before trying converter. The converter was unplugged and when I plugged it in it tripped the garage breaker i reset garage and tried again and it tripped again.