Generator power not getting to coach

[DandD2015]

IF I run the Onan while the Chinook Concourse is sitting still (like boondocking), I don't seem to get anything in the coach. It won't run the AC. It won't put a 0 on the microwave (that's what happens when we plug into shore power). When I checked the monitor it indicated that the coach batts were "Fair" and it didn't indicate that the gen was charging them. I flipped the Tripp Light back and forth between charging and inverting, but no lights came on either way. The one thing that did come on: the light on the hood vent. Is that 12V, I wonder? Anyway I started the van chassis, and then it said the coach batts were charging. And before I forget, we did have a kill switch installed because our chassis battery was going dead unexpectedly after we'd parked the vehicle a week or two. I don't know if that's related, but I'll mention it.

So what say you? Is there a switch or a relay out, or is it maybe something I've overlooked? I did flip circuit breakers but when multiple things don't work, I assume it's a bigger problem. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

[DandD2015]

IAMICHABOD: That plug must be buried deep in there (if it's in there). I couldn't see it.

Old-Biscuit/gbopp: It was a circuit breaker on the gen. I flipped it...nothing. Flipped it back...nothing. Flipped again...nothing. Back...nothing. Flipped it...worked. With so many things RV there seems to be a bit of a delay before the effect kicks in or something. Maybe it's actually a circuit breaker at the beginning of its death spiral, giving out intermittently, or something like that?

Thanks again to all who posted!

[Old-Biscuit]

IF you have run gen is past and have been on shore power you would know if you had a receptacle that shore power cord was plugged into for gen power (THat pictured receptacle is the feed by gen....plug shore cord into it, turn gen on, get power----unplug shore cord, plug shore cord into CG power pedestal and get power)

No gen receptacle means 'auto transfer switch' (gen output and shore power cord feed transfer switch. It's output feeds rv main ac panel)

Either gen CBs tripped
OR
transfer switch stuck on shore power and will not transfer to gen power

[IAMICHABOD]

DandD2015 wrote:

IAMICHABOD wrote:

Thanks for the thought.

For what it's worth, the 30A cord to shore is on the driver's side; the generator is on the passenger side. Are you saying they would "share" the plug that sends power to the coach?

Yes,my old Class A had the same setup,generator on the passenger side in the rear and the power cord in a bay on the drivers side,the receptacle as pictured was inside that bay and not easy to get to,it had to be plugged in to get power from the generator to coach.

[DandD2015]

My Roadtrek wrote:
FYI the Chinook Concourse is a Class C, so you might get more help over in that forum.
I believe your gen-set is a Onan 4.0, and almost all Class B's use the Onan 2800.
Chinooks were really well built, and a great little RV.
Good luck with getting the problem fixed.

Thanks; I've seen Chinooks classified as B and C both.

Inside the closet door it says Onan 4KY-FA26100J-3/6KY. Of course we are not the original owners; it's possible that it was replaced.

IAMICHABOD wrote:

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Two ways gen powers an RV

Either it is hard wired to a 'transfer switch' along with shore power cord.
OR
You have to plug shore power cord into an outlet that is from generator output

As Old Biscuit has said look for the plug in like this,to make sure that the power cord is connected to the generator.

Thanks for the thought.

For what it's worth, the 30A cord to shore is on the driver's side; the generator is on the passenger side. Are you saying they would "share" the plug that sends power to the coach? We don't boondock, but I read that it's good to run your generator occasionally as routine maintanance. I also read that it's good to give it a load, so I have run the AC while the gen is going. I've never had to plug anything in to make that setup work, though. Or are you saying that's just a way of building them for the sake of easy removal for repair and replacement, swapping out old one for new, etc.?

Also by the way, I know if I were giving someone advice, I'd like to know if that solved the problem etc. I'll let you know when I find out---the unit is not here. We have a storage place about 30 minutes away, so I can't look at it right now. I'll try to get up and look at it again today and report back.

One other thing: I meant to mention in the OP that we did have a kill switch installed for the chassis batt. I can tell you that it zeroes our trip odometer, for example, to cut power and then restore it later. I don't know if that would affect anything with a generator relaying power or not.

[IAMICHABOD]

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Two ways gen powers an RV

Either it is hard wired to a 'transfer switch' along with shore power cord.
OR
You have to plug shore power cord into an outlet that is from generator output

As Old Biscuit has said look for the plug in like this,to make sure that the power cord is connected to the generator.

[My_Roadtrek]

FYI the Chinook Concourse is a Class C, so you might get more help over in that forum.
I believe your gen-set is a Onan 4.0, and almost all Class B's use the Onan 2800.
Chinooks were really well built, and a great little RV.
Good luck with getting the problem fixed.

[DandD2015]

gbopp wrote:
When you find the breakers on the generator, turn them off and back on. Don't just look and see if they tripped.
Sometimes they get a little corroded, it happened on my Onan.

Thanks, I'll have a look at that as well.

We have had some issues before with it not working, but then we thought maybe we just didn't wait long enough for it to kick in (since the AC draws some amps). These "intermittent" problems drive me batty.

[gbopp]

When you find the breakers on the generator, turn them off and back on. Don't just look and see if they tripped.
Sometimes they get a little corroded, it happened on my Onan.

[DandD2015]

Thanks for the reply!

When we bought it (last year) I know they delivered it with the gen running and the AC going etc. The idea was that we could just take off right then. So while we don't normally roll that way, I know it *has* worked.

Last summer we took a road trip out to NM, UT, CO, and back to TX. On the way we ran into various problems. A tech said our generator was going to need repair because it wouldn't start and there was oil in the gas. A few months later I tried it and it started. Um, cool.

So I guess I will have to look for a circuit breaker on the gen.

[Old-Biscuit]

Two ways gen powers an RV

Either it is hard wired to a 'transfer switch' along with shore power cord.
Transfer switch swaps relays/contacts to allow either gen power or shore power to feed RV MAIN power panel

OR
You have to plug shore power cord into an outlet that is from generator output


Also gen may have circuit breakers that are tripped.