converter

[mike24]

I have a 2003 Coachmen Catalina 29 FT Class C. When I plug into electric the coach's ceiling lights do not come on shouldn't there be inverter for the coach to make 12 volts. Thanks

[time2roll]

mike24 wrote:
I have a 2003 Coachmen Catalina 29 FT Class C. When I plug into electric the coach's ceiling lights do not come on shouldn't there be inverter for the coach to make 12 volts. Thanks

Yes there is. Find it close to the breaker/fuse panel.
Post the model number of the converter or the breaker panel for best answers to diagnose and repair.

[tenbear]

Sorry, I was confused.

[Bobbo]

Check the battery voltage at the battery terminals before and after plugging in. If the voltage goes up to 13.5 or better when you plug in, then your converter is doing its job. That means that you can not disconnect the batteries and still have power since the converter is on the battery side of the switch.

If the voltage does NOT go up, you have either a converter, fuse or connection problem between the converter and battery.

A multimeter is your friend.

[enblethen]

What about the 120 volt devices? Does the micro wave work? What about receptacles?
If they work it narrows down to the circuit feeding the converter or the converter power getting to the 12 volt DC distribution panel.
Have you checked the fuses yet?

[DrewE]

mike24 wrote:
Yes when I turn on the battery the lights come on. when I turn off the battery and turn on the electric no lights.

I think your converter (assuming it's present and working) is connected to the battery side of the 12V switch, not the load side. I'm pretty sure that's how my '98 Coachmen is wired up, and I can't think of any great reason not to do it that way. (That's not to say that it wouldn't also be reasonable to connect it on the other side of the disconnect switch, just that there's no big reason I can think of to prefer one or the other.)

[mike24]

Yes when I turn on the battery the lights come on. when I turn off the battery and turn on the electric no lights.

[tenbear]

Do your lights come on when not connected to the 120v power?

[DrewE]

The device that produces 12V power from 120V power is called a converter or sometimes a converter/charger since it also charges the house batteries. An inverter works the other way around--it takes 12V DC and produces 120V AC. (To add to the confusion, some inverters also function as converter/chargers, but you can ignore that detail for now.)

Anyhow, yes there should be a converter. There are several possible reasons why you wouldn't be getting 12V as you expect, including (but probably not limited to) these:

• The converter is missing or broken
  
• The circuit breaker on the 120V panel controlling the converter is popped
  
• There's a separate switch for the converter that's turned off
  
• The "salesman switch" that disconnects 12V is not turned on
• There's no house battery connected--some converters need a battery to function properly
  
• You have one or more blown 12V fuses
  
• There's something disconnected or otherwise broken in the wiring
  

If the converter is the original one, there's a good chance it's a ferroresonant design and produces more or less of an audible hum when in use. That may help in tracking it down. Often they're integral with or near the 120V and 12V distribution panels, but certainly not always (and Coachmen, at least at times, tended to prefer to use separate deck-mount converters).

[enblethen]

Yes, there should be a converter. I would check for a blown reverse polarity fuse in the converter or a blown fuse in the DC panel that comes from the converter.
DC power distribution panel is normally to one side of the 120 volt circuit breakers behind a small metal plate held in place by a thumb screw.

[2oldman]

It's easy to edit your own posts.

[mike24]

Sorry I wanted to call the piece of equipment Converter That takes 120 volts and makes it 12 volts.