Need help with a 1976 Terry

westend wrote:
The first thing that will need checking is the battery.

Amen. Start here and be sure you have a good battery with a good charge. You will need it in any case.

The first thing that will need checking is the battery. You need one for emergency braking and the converter may not work without one. The converter may be primitive by today's standards and could be hidden underneath an interior fixture or in an exterior storage space. To check converter function, measure voltage across battery terminals. It should be 13.5V or greater.

Water pump and other appliances may not work without adequate 12V power. There should be some fuses in your rig and, possibly, a circuit breaker close to the battery. It's a good idea to check all connections, including inside any junction boxes, that you don't have any corrosion issues.

Thanks everyone for their responses, we're not looking to upgrade to new RV standards, just trying to get the basics working. If anyone has any other ideas, I'm definitely open to hearing them. Thanks again!

Yep, we had a brand new 1976 Taurus when I was a kid and some of the lights had 2 switches. One for 12v (the little tail light bulbs) and one for the 120v (regular 60w bulbs like in your house). There was no 12v without the battery.

When you plugged in the 120v (30 amp plug) I don't think it charged the battery, but it might have (I was only 13, so didn't remember).

The appliances all worked with manual pilot lights on gas and only the fridge on electric when plugged, in.

Not even most 2014 trailers will have inverters that will power the 120v outlets on just the battery..

What you bought is a very vintage RV and will need upgrades to all the systems to bring it up to today's RV standards and that will cost more than just buying a used one with all those newer appliances...

Good luck!

Mitch

Yes you are correct an inverter will change 12v dc to 120v ac. But inverters are rare on new travel trailers and I can almost guarantee you that your Terry does not have one. Well unless the previous owner told you they installed an inverter. Look at the wires from the battery to the trailer. If there is an inverter you'll have a some thick wires (like the ones from on your car from the battery to the started solenoid or thicker).

As was said some of the older trailers did not have a converter either. (all new trailers have a converter). The converter will change your 120v ac to 12v dc.

As far as the lights and water pump, they probably run on 12v dc. Do you know if the battery is charged? If so then look on the positive wire from the battery to the trailer for a fuse holder or circuit breaker that might be blown or defective.

Thanks very much, I was under the impression that an inverter would change the 12VDC to 120VAC to run everything, but there is separate lighting that only runs on 12VDC. That being said, I would assume the outlets won't work off the battery.

We had a 1979 Wilderness trailer where the 12 volt and 110 were separate at all times. There was not a converter or inverter. The interior light fixtures all had 2 bulbs in them, one that operated on 12 volt, one for 110a.c. Water pump was 12 volt only, furnace 12 volt only. Yours may be this way. The inside light fixtures should be a tell all.

Brian

I think you mean "converter"- that changes shorepower (120v) to 12v. An inverter does just the opposite, and is unlikely to be present in a rig the age of yours.

That said:

The converter is only necessary for 12v operation when running off shorepower or generator. 12v power is otherwise supplied directly from the battery or tow vehicle.

I have no clue where a converter would be located in your rig- try following the black (hot) and white(ground) wires from the pigtail; or the incoming 120v line. They all should eventually connect to the converter IF your trailer has one. Not all that vintage do/did- some just had two separate "systems" and used 12v when off grid and 120v when on.

If you do locate a converter, it likely has a switch marked something like "batt/off/shore". Switch must be in the right position for whichever source of power you're trying to use.

Per lighting fridge with a busted lever:

Lighting can be done from the back of the fridge, too. Turn fridge gas control to "on"; go outside and open the access hatch; there's a little flap-door on the right of fridge back-bottom you flip open to see the burner. A red button about dead center bottom is the gas pilot feed; while holding a lit match to burner, depress and hold upward the red button. Gas will flow and burner will light. Continue to hold button for one minute, then relaease. Flame should stay on.

Google Terry trailer and choose Vintage Terry Trailers on Pinterest. Join them and they should be able to answer your questions.