DC power issue after installing inverter
Hi everyone, first post here. This question is in regards to an early 2000s Gulf Stream Seahawk 5th wheel RV. I've never owned an RV myself, but I've lived in trailer that I gutted and customize...
Forum Discussion
Thanks for all the responses, everyone. I had to go haul some rocks for a bit, so I didn't catch all these responses coming in, but I'll now try to respond to everyone in turn here.
Just a quick note: Initially while testing I disconnected the inverter from the battery, and applied a charging voltage from my car's alternator, just in case there was some kind of low-voltage shutoff involved. When we gave up for the night I then disconnected the positive wire from the battery for the RV DC wiring in order to allow using the inverter with the shore power plug (now the only way DC appliances work via the converter) without the charging loop occurring.
time2roll:
That was the idea I was going with when I started troubleshooting. I followed the heavy gauge dc wires from the battery and the first place they went was to the hydraulic pump, where I was able to test and verify that it was showing the same DC voltage as the battery. However, the wiring disappears up into some kind of pocket and I haven't been able to find another place to test the voltage. I do have access to the fridge panel (which has two modes, DC/LP and AC), but it has its own fuse in the main panel, so I know that if the panel isn't getting DC current, then the fridge also won't, so testing there is unnecessary. I did see a little carpet-covered conduit box thing in the bedroom that looks like it might be carrying wires, but I assumed that what I need to find is some kind of DC circuit breaker or main fuse, and such a thing wouldn't be located in a permanently sealed location.
larry cad:
Hi Larry, I can see where the confusion is coming from. The "shore power" I'm referring to is the inverted AC power, that I'm running from the battery to the shore power plug. I now understand that it created a "charging loop" (battery > inverter > shower power plug > converter/dc charger > battery), and I think that's caused something to trip/burn out/break. I hope that helps clear it up?
CA Traveler:
Thanks, this is what I've been thinking I needed to find, however, I haven't been able to find anything like that near the battery. I'm able to trace that wires from the battery, through a wall, into a cavity where the hydraulic pump sits (voltage tests fine there), but then the wires run up into the bedroom, and I can't trace them any further. The next area I'm able to find them is the fuse/cb panel in the kitchen (other side of the RV) and test there shows no voltage (unless the inverter is running and providing shore power, which powers the DC converter/charger, which provides that DC now to the panel). I have been using my multi-meter for testing.
Regarding the battery, by the look of it, it's less than a 100ah 12 volt battery, and completely agree that it's unsufficient. I'm working with the owner on designing a solar/battery system for the tiny home she's planning to build, but in the mean time I'm just trying to repair whatever it is I screwed up. :)
theoldwizard1:
Thank you for confirming that. However, the converter is actually still working- in fact using the shore power plug with the converter is now the ONLY way that the trailer gets DC power now.
I apologize if my earlier explanation was hard to follow. The main fuse/cb panel DOESN'T read DC voltage on the blocks when relying on battery/DC alone. It DOES read DC voltage if shore power is connected and the converter/charger is powered.
There IS a hard on/off switch for the converter/charger, and if I had known prior to switching it on, what I now know, I would have flipped that switch off, prior to plugging in the inverter. :/
Thanks again for the responses everyone.
Just to clarify, what I'm REALLY trying to get assistance with at this point, is figuring out where the DC power from the battery is being interrupted. It seems like there should be some kind of fuse or DC breaker or something that's been burned out or tripped, but I've searched through every panel and storage space I can find and not seen anything like it.
Again, I HAVE located the main power panel, where the DC fuses are, as well as several power switches (I can't tell if they're just switches, or breakers) are, but the entire DC side of that panel, where the fuses are, does not receive power FROM THE BATTERY. When shore power is connected (in this case, when I turn on the inverter and plug it into the shore power plug) then that DC/fuse side of the panel DOES have power.
I hope this helps clear things up. Thanks again.
Just a quick note: Initially while testing I disconnected the inverter from the battery, and applied a charging voltage from my car's alternator, just in case there was some kind of low-voltage shutoff involved. When we gave up for the night I then disconnected the positive wire from the battery for the RV DC wiring in order to allow using the inverter with the shore power plug (now the only way DC appliances work via the converter) without the charging loop occurring.
time2roll:
That was the idea I was going with when I started troubleshooting. I followed the heavy gauge dc wires from the battery and the first place they went was to the hydraulic pump, where I was able to test and verify that it was showing the same DC voltage as the battery. However, the wiring disappears up into some kind of pocket and I haven't been able to find another place to test the voltage. I do have access to the fridge panel (which has two modes, DC/LP and AC), but it has its own fuse in the main panel, so I know that if the panel isn't getting DC current, then the fridge also won't, so testing there is unnecessary. I did see a little carpet-covered conduit box thing in the bedroom that looks like it might be carrying wires, but I assumed that what I need to find is some kind of DC circuit breaker or main fuse, and such a thing wouldn't be located in a permanently sealed location.
larry cad:
Hi Larry, I can see where the confusion is coming from. The "shore power" I'm referring to is the inverted AC power, that I'm running from the battery to the shore power plug. I now understand that it created a "charging loop" (battery > inverter > shower power plug > converter/dc charger > battery), and I think that's caused something to trip/burn out/break. I hope that helps clear it up?
CA Traveler:
Thanks, this is what I've been thinking I needed to find, however, I haven't been able to find anything like that near the battery. I'm able to trace that wires from the battery, through a wall, into a cavity where the hydraulic pump sits (voltage tests fine there), but then the wires run up into the bedroom, and I can't trace them any further. The next area I'm able to find them is the fuse/cb panel in the kitchen (other side of the RV) and test there shows no voltage (unless the inverter is running and providing shore power, which powers the DC converter/charger, which provides that DC now to the panel). I have been using my multi-meter for testing.
Regarding the battery, by the look of it, it's less than a 100ah 12 volt battery, and completely agree that it's unsufficient. I'm working with the owner on designing a solar/battery system for the tiny home she's planning to build, but in the mean time I'm just trying to repair whatever it is I screwed up. :)
theoldwizard1:
Thank you for confirming that. However, the converter is actually still working- in fact using the shore power plug with the converter is now the ONLY way that the trailer gets DC power now.
I apologize if my earlier explanation was hard to follow. The main fuse/cb panel DOESN'T read DC voltage on the blocks when relying on battery/DC alone. It DOES read DC voltage if shore power is connected and the converter/charger is powered.
There IS a hard on/off switch for the converter/charger, and if I had known prior to switching it on, what I now know, I would have flipped that switch off, prior to plugging in the inverter. :/
Thanks again for the responses everyone.
Just to clarify, what I'm REALLY trying to get assistance with at this point, is figuring out where the DC power from the battery is being interrupted. It seems like there should be some kind of fuse or DC breaker or something that's been burned out or tripped, but I've searched through every panel and storage space I can find and not seen anything like it.
Again, I HAVE located the main power panel, where the DC fuses are, as well as several power switches (I can't tell if they're just switches, or breakers) are, but the entire DC side of that panel, where the fuses are, does not receive power FROM THE BATTERY. When shore power is connected (in this case, when I turn on the inverter and plug it into the shore power plug) then that DC/fuse side of the panel DOES have power.
I hope this helps clear things up. Thanks again.
