Power Drain

Question

Sorry this is so long.&nbsp; I was lucky enough that all trailer systems seemed to be working for a couple of years (except for day and night shades), so I got out of the habit of checking in to the forum discussions.&nbsp; Things seem to have changed.&nbsp; But now I have a problem that I can't figure out, but someone else might have an answer.&nbsp; Last week, when I used the trailer (a 2004 SunnyBrook Titan 5th wheel), I woke up to no AC power on the second morning.&nbsp; The trailer batteries were okay, so I didn't even notice this until the coffee maker didn't work.&nbsp; The trailer was plugged in to a solar power system, so I started there.&nbsp; As best I could tell, the solar batteries weren't dead, but they wouldn't start the inverter, and the controller screen was blank.&nbsp; I eventually got the system running, but the inverter showed a 400-watt load.&nbsp; This load disappeared when I unplugged the trailer.&nbsp; So, I turned off the inverter, left the solar system to recharge, and started a generator for the trailer.&nbsp; The following night, I measured the voltage drop from using the heater while in bed.&nbsp; The loss was not quite 1 volt (from about 13.7 to over 12.7) from two 100-amp AGM batteries in parallel, which calculates (crudely) to about 40 watts per hour.&nbsp; So, I seem to have a 400-watt, continuous load from somewhere between the trailer plug and the trailer batteries.&nbsp; 400-watts for 24 hours comes to 3600 watts per day.&nbsp; This is more than the solar panels produce through winter's fog, clouds, short days, and long nights, not counting my own use, which explains why the solar batteries were low.&nbsp; All that I can find between the trailer input cord and batteries is a transfer switch and the power converter.&nbsp; Is this a symptom of a dying power converter?&nbsp; Can it be tested with the converter still installed?&nbsp; Any thoughts would be appreciated.

stircrazy · Answer

ok so a few things I need some clarification on, you talked about getting the inverter going so you could make your coffee, but then you said you unpluged it.&nbsp; were you pluged into shore power and trying to use your inverter at the same time?
a 400 watt load on the inverter, could it be the converter breaker was on so it was trying to charge your batteries?&nbsp; thats close to a 35 amp 12V output
my auto transfer switch died two seasons ago, but I had it set up so shore power was one input and my inverter output was the second one, I don't use a genny.&nbsp; so with mine I went to turn on mu inverter and I wasn't hearing the ATS change over and wasn't getting any 120V at all, but I also hade my converter power wired into the input shore power side of the ATS so there is no way my converter will start if I am not pluged in through the rv power cord.&nbsp; if you are not wired up this way and the converter power still comes off the in put to the power center then you have to run off the braker.&nbsp;
could it be a dying converter sure, easy test, just look up the testing voltages and procedure for your converter.&nbsp; I know for most I have had it is a spicif voltage with no batteries hooke up.&nbsp; it could be a few things, with out knowing exactly how its wired, I am just throwing a few things out there.&nbsp; the ATS usaly is a easy one, just take the cover off see if it is obvioulsy burnt, then try to change over to the two different inputs and see if it actualy switches.&nbsp;&nbsp;

grit_dog · Answer

Electrical gremlins / draws are sometimes difficult to figure out.
You’ve done a pretty good job trying to describe the issue but not enough for me to understand your setup.
You have effectively a residential solar power system that you’re powering the camper with but it’s only just a glorified battery bank that is supplyingDC power or is there an inverter and it’s effectively a shore power setup? AC power to the camper?

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Power Drain

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