redT2go wrote:
Question from an electrical novice. If the house batteries are dead or defective, do they prevent the shore power from working? We have a 50A circuit on our house and the breaker seems fine. Plugged in power cord and got nothing. That has never happened before. Thanks for your help.
shouldn't. what happens when you unplug and run the genny? and you have aero 120VAC...no outlets, no microwave, TV, aire conditioning, etc?
several EZ to check possibilities:
1-you don't indicate the type, year, make or model of your RV. if newer you likely have a "salesman's switch" located near the main entrance. you might even have two...one for the coach (house) batteries and another for the chassis (starting battery(ies). be sure they are in the correct position for travel. I've seen some that are labeled ON/OFF where ON meant TRAVEL instead of STORE.
2-when you plug in to your shore power pedestal you should hear a thunking noise. that's the sound of your automatic transfer switch switching to the shore power position. the ATS directs power from a pedestal or generator to the AC appliances and outlets in the TV. the default position for the ATS is GENERATOR. within a few seconds after plugging into shore power you should hear the electromagnet in the ATS switch to the SHORE POWER position. if you don't hear it your ATS might be "stuck". that happened to us a few times. a gentle tap or two with a rubber mallet on the ATS temporarily solved our problem but the long term solution was to open the ATS and ensure all of the connections are tight, no corrosion, pitting or burns. if your 120VAC works when the genny is running but not on shore power its highly likely the issue is your ATS.
