Generator is not charging house batteries

[Hotwheelbill]

Hello all and thank you ahead of time.

I have a 1998 Georgie Boy Cruise master Diesel. My generator is not charging the house batteries and has never in the 3 yrs I have owned it.
I did replace the 2 12 volt last year and read that that is a problem in itself as they are HD truck batteries. Picking up 4 6 volt from Sam's tomorrow. Any way. The batteries do charge on shore power and every thing else works when generator is running. Does the shore power have its own charger for the batteries? The inverter/charger is a 50amp.

[toolttime]

Check the breaker on the generator to make sure it is not tripped

[MrWizard]

Year and make/Mfg of RV and generator would help
With generator time up instructions

[mowermech]

MrWizard wrote:
120v from shore or generator to transfer switch
From TS to breaker panel
From panel to converter

There are two possibilities that I can think of
Somebody wired the converter in front of the TS directly on the shore input
Or
Your converter electronics do not like the generator output wave form, and is refusing to turn on
This is the much more likely possibility

IMO, this is likely the problem. Have the generator tuned up and checked for voltage and frequency. The output of the generator should be 115 (110 to 120) volts @ 60 Hertz (cycles). If it is an "inverter generator", the wave form should be at least modified sine wave, preferably pure sine wave. These tests require calibrated special equipment that the average RVer does not have.
If you have it tested, be sure to ask when the equipment was last checked for proper calibration.

[Chris_Bryant]

From the 900 series converter manual:

"Magnetek" wrote:
Special Note for use with RV AC Generators
The output of many RV AC generators will vary in frequency with different RPM settings. Your converter
charger has been designed to operate at maximum efficiency with an AC input frequency of exactly 60
hertz (cycles per second). For best results, RPM settings that provide 60 to 63 hertz should be utilized.

[Hotwheelbill]

Note
I did replace the main house battery switchs 2 years ago as the old one was toast.
The ones inside the door that control the steps, lights and main battery cut off to the house.

[Hotwheelbill]

wa8yxm wrote:
let's run down the suspect list:
First: Do the house batteries charge on SHORE POWER? (yes/no)
If yes, then Else skip to "not on shore either"
Is the RV 30 or 50 amp?
Two thigns.. Does EVERYTHING inside work on Generator.. If not, or even if it does, check the circuit breakers on the Generator.

"Does not charge on shore either"
Check circuit breaker marked CON, CONV or Converter
Check Converter
NOTE: make sure battries are CONNECTED (in use) as well.

There are other suspects but this is the start

Does charge on shore power, not on gen power.
Everything works on shore power
Everything works on gen power
50 amp rv, but I run 30 amp shore power. Again, everything works.

[wa8yxm]

let's run down the suspect list:
First: Do the house batteries charge on SHORE POWER? (yes/no)
If yes, then Else skip to "not on shore either"
Is the RV 30 or 50 amp?
Two thigns.. Does EVERYTHING inside work on Generator.. If not, or even if it does, check the circuit breakers on the Generator.

"Does not charge on shore either"
Check circuit breaker marked CON, CONV or Converter
Check Converter
NOTE: make sure battries are CONNECTED (in use) as well.

There are other suspects but this is the start

[Chris_Bryant]

That cloth covered wire looks like what they use on the Magnetek 700 and 900 series ferro-resonant models, which are very sensitive to frequency, and will not charge if the genset speed is off. Buy a Kill-a-watt meter which measures frequency, and adjust the governor on the genset.

Converter looks like this:

[dougrainer]

1. Your pic does NOT show the Inverter/Charger system.
2. An Inverter/CHARGER is connected DIRECTLY to the Coach batteries(12 volt positive with a LARGE 2/0 battery cable.
3. From your description and Pic, you have a POWER CONVERTER, not an Inverter/Charger
4. Your Inverter/Charger will be about the size of 2 shoe boxes.
5 The Converter will be about the size of 1 shoe Box.
6. IF it charges on Shore Power, it WILL charge on Genset Power. NO other wiring or devices are installed. ALL the Genset does is supply 120 to the RV as does Shore Power. Are you POSITIVE you have full 120 power to the complete RV when on Genset?
7. RV Genset's do NOT charge batteries. They supply 120 power to the RV and the Inverter/Charger or the POWER CONVERTER then charges the coach batteries. Doug

[time2roll]

Looks like the 12vdc side. Need to see where the 120vac power source is connected.

[Hotwheelbill]

time2roll wrote:

Hotwheelbill wrote:
When no shore or generator power, everything that should work then is working, so that would mean that the inverter side is working right??

Yes.

Need to verify if the inverter/charger is getting power from generator.

Could easily be wired: Utility ---> Inverter ---> Generator ---> breaker panel.

Needs to be: Utility ---> Generator ---> Inverter ---> Breaker panel

I would not even know where to start with that one.
I have two cables coming out of the inverter/charger. White goes into the top of my fuse panel and the red goes in under and into as pictures show.

[time2roll]

Hotwheelbill wrote:
When no shore or generator power, everything that should work then is working, so that would mean that the inverter side is working right??

Yes.

Need to verify if the inverter/charger is getting power from generator.

Could easily be wired: Utility ---> Inverter ---> Generator ---> breaker panel.

Needs to be: Utility ---> Generator ---> Inverter ---> Breaker panel

[Hotwheelbill]

MrWizard wrote:
120v from shore or generator to transfer switch
From TS to breaker panel
From panel to converter

There are two possibilities that I can think of
Somebody wired the converter in front of the TS directly on the shore input
Or
Your converter electronics do not like the generator output wave form, and is refusing to turn on
This is the much more likely possibility

How would I check of fix that?

The Onan LP generator is original to the MH. Not sure about the Inverter/charger

[Hotwheelbill]

Hotwheelbill wrote:

time2roll wrote:
Since it works on utility power I assume it works.

Not getting generator power or is sensitive to the lower quality of the generator power such as frequency, voltage, or wave form.

I assume that the charger is getting power from the Generator because everything inside works without any problems. So I think the problem would be from charger to batteries?

When no shore or generator power, everything that should work then is working, so that would mean that the inverter side is working right??