Low voltage on one side

[PartyOf_Five]

Hi all. One side (bedroom, kitchen light and outlet, cab over bunk) of my rv is reading about 113 volts - but the passenger side is fine. This is true whether I'm running the generator or shore power. I know everything works, because I can plug in appliance that draw less.

Appreciate any suggestions before I contact an electrician.

[JamesJudasPries]

I highly doubt 113v wont power a 5 watt cell charger... Something's fishy here. Try plugging in a table lamp or something else to verify there is no power. I cant see how 113v measured with volt meter would not power a tiny charger even with a marginal connection. Are you sure this circuit isn't indeed powered by your inverter?

[PaulJ2]

I would say that the driver side outlets with 113 volts is wired to the inverter only. Someone has wired it that way.

[eddard49]

I agree.....sounds like a loose connection. I'd check the load side of the breaker that affects the problem circuit.

I once had to trouble shoot a home dish washer that exhibited the same symptoms. Although there was supply voltage, and all the circuitry checked out, it would not run. I finally found that when the load was applied, the voltage dropped to zero. The culprit was a loose wire nut in the junction box feeding the circuit. Not only was it causing the failure, it was badly burned and a fire hazard.

[Bobbo]

Since you have a 30 amp system, the issue is almost certainly a bad or loose connection in your breaker box. OR, a bad connection somewhere downstream from the breaker box in the line of outlets.

Those are the only things that would affect EVERYTHING on one side, or on one circuit.

Kill all 120v power, open the breaker box, and start checking connections. If you find nothing, find the breaker that powers the low voltage outlets, and trace those wires, checking connections.

[Gene_in_NE]

PartyOf Five wrote:
Sorry, don't really understand electrical but my symptoms are that the coffeemaker works on any of the passenger side outlets (they read 120) but not on the driver's side (these outlets read 111-113v). This is true whether via generator or shore power. It's also true for my cell phone charger and any electronics that I plug in.

The only difference that I can think of are that the driver side also has an inverter hard wired to the coach battery, but is only used while we're not using the generator or plugged in to shore power.

The RV uses 30A, not 50. We have an Onan 4000, and new coach battery. My Manual also mentions that we have a battery isolator and power converter, by those don't sound like the trouble as it'd affect the whole rv.

BelairBrian and EdGee describe circuits that I should check... I know where the battery disconnect is, but not sure where the breakers would be. Battery or generator compartment? Embarrassed to say that I didn't realize we had circuit breakers...

Thanks for your time!

When you state that the drivers side has an inverter, that means the outlet is only powered by your 12 volt house battery that inverts the plug to a nominal 120 volts. It is limited to the amperage the inverter can produce. If the load is greater than the amperage, the voltage will drop.

The converter is a device that essentially is a battery charger for your house battery.

[DrewE]

Are you reading 113 volts with anything plugged in and turned on? I'm guessing that it would go down to zero volts or something very close to that; the voltage otherwise is only from e.g. induction or something similar. 113 volts under load is plenty to operate a charger or a coffee maker.

I'd check that the GFCI is not tripped, that all the breakers are reset, and (if those check out) start looking for a loose or open connection in the wiring. I'm guessing it may be the GFCI.

[Sfla2]

whern all else fails read the manuel. should be a panel usually in kit or bedroom
you only have 1 hot coming in & 1 neutral look for loose connection

[PartyOf_Five]

Sorry, don't really understand electrical but my symptoms are that the coffeemaker works on any of the passenger side outlets (they read 120) but not on the driver's side (these outlets read 111-113v). This is true whether via generator or shore power. It's also true for my cell phone charger and any electronics that I plug in.

The only difference that I can think of are that the driver side also has an inverter hard wired to the coach battery, but is only used while we're not using the generator or plugged in to shore power.

The RV uses 30A, not 50. We have an Onan 4000, and new coach battery. My Manual also mentions that we have a battery isolator and power converter, by those don't sound like the trouble as it'd affect the whole rv.

BelairBrian and EdGee describe circuits that I should check... I know where the battery disconnect is, but not sure where the breakers would be. Battery or generator compartment? Embarrassed to say that I didn't realize we had circuit breakers...

Thanks for your time!

[Ed_Gee]

Sounds like some voltage loss in one line of the 50A twin circuits. I'd start with the 50A breakers to find out where the loss is.

[belairbrian]

Not much info to go on. is it a 30 amp service or 50 amp?

but you can figure out what is common to all of the bad circuits. The most likely cause is a common connection that is loose. Either on the hot or neutral side. it could be a loose wire nut or it could be a bad breaker.

Don't understand what you mean by draws less voltage? If it plugs into an outlet it uses 120vac. Are you saying some items don't work or do they trip a breaker?

[Trackrig]

What voltage are you describing as "fine" on the passenger side? 110, 120 or ?

Bill

[donn0128]

113 volts? That is well within the allowable 10%.