Forum Discussion

artburg's avatar
artburg
Explorer
Jun 18, 2022

2008 Northstar Arrow 8.5

New member with new to me camper.
Got from original owners, old couple who misplaced all literature on camper and gave me no hint on operation. My main issue is everything works on shore plug in power.When I unplug shore power nothing works,lights,water,etc..Is there a transfer switch from shore to battery power or is it automatic? I checked every fuse and breakers in box,all good.Desperately need help!
Any inf would be awesome!
Thanks in advance
Truck Campers
  • artburg's avatar
    artburg
    Explorer
    Jun 20, 2022
    When changing batteries I popped them with a wrench in dark lol.
  • mkirsch's avatar
    mkirsch
    Nomad II
    Jun 20, 2022
    Fuses don't blow for no reason. Probably will again. Just keep an eye on it and do not under any circumstances replace the fuses with anything rated higher.
  • artburg's avatar
    artburg
    Explorer
    Jun 18, 2022
    OK,GOT IT. Found 2 30amp fuses marked with tape as (batt main) under shower.
    Both blown,replace and currently running on batteries ??
    Thanks for responding
  • artburg's avatar
    artburg
    Explorer
    Jun 18, 2022
    JimK-NY wrote:
    I would start with some simple troubleshooting. Unplug the unit from 120v. Begin at the batteries and check the output voltages. Trace the wires from the batteries to the converter/charger system, probably an Elixir. It is possible a battery cutoff was installed. Check the input voltage at the converter/charger.

    Since you have 12v power when using a 120v input, it seems the converter/charger is working and you will find a problem with the battery input to the unit.
    It seems to have power at batteries and at converter. No switches in sight. Do they normally switch over automatically??
  • JimK-NY's avatar
    JimK-NY
    Explorer II
    Jun 18, 2022
    I would start with some simple troubleshooting. Unplug the unit from 120v. Begin at the batteries and check the output voltages. Trace the wires from the batteries to the converter/charger system, probably an Elixir. It is possible a battery cutoff was installed. Check the input voltage at the converter/charger.

    Since you have 12v power when using a 120v input, it seems the converter/charger is working and you will find a problem with the battery input to the unit.
  • artburg's avatar
    artburg
    Explorer
    Jun 18, 2022
    Sorry, forgot to mention I replaced batteries with brand new ones and connected them the same way as old ones.
  • joerg68's avatar
    joerg68
    Nomad III
    Jun 18, 2022
    The "literature" is just a collection of owner's manuals for the individual appliances (water heater, refrigerator, furnace, ...). They are usually available online when you look up the model numbers of the appliances. But they will not give a complete overview of the camper system.

    In your case, I would check if the battery is in good condition, and if it is correctly connected to the camper. If the camper has been sitting for a while, it is quite possible the battery is dead and can not be resurrected. If, for example, the propane detector has been connected all the time without a regular charge, it will have drawn the battery down after a few weeks.

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