Electrical Issue

[rae10rae]

So we opened up the camper today and found we had an electrical problem. When plugged into shore power only the microwave would turn on.

So, I figured maybe the battery needed to be replaced. So off to Sams Club I went to buy a new battery. Purchased said battery, got it home, hooked it up and hooray we had power.

Now, the problem...my daughter was out here playing for about an hour, AC was on, some lights in her bunkhouse. No issues. We went to get ready for bed came back outside and as soon as I turned on the lights in the main living area everything shut off. Checked all circuits, nothing tripped. Not in the camper or on the house end all circuits were ON. Then it came back on for no reason...and went off again...this went round and round for about an hour. One time the AC breaker did trip, so I reset it. After that, the only thing that seemed to work, was I turned the breaker for the microwave off...(camp driveway, won't be using it) it's everything's been ok...except I haven't turned those main lights back in. I don't know what could be going on. It's so weird.

I do have the camper plugged into a 30 amp receptacle. Don't know if this is effecting anything, but we added a second AC last year, but it's wired to its own separate 20 amp receptacle.

We used this set up for over 10 days last June. We were at Fort Wilderness so we needed to run lights, microwave, and both ACs.

Long story short, I have no idea what's going on! Converter issues? Idk...advice appreciated.

[SprinklerMan]

check the connections where the power cord comes into the camper . Friend had something similar

[westend]

Did you wire the pedestal you are using or did someone else?
In the pictures, the 50 amp double breaker is off. Depending on how the pedestal is wired, all or some of the receptacles on the pedestal could be protected by that 50 amp breaker.

If you have no 12 V lights with shore power disconnected, there is a problem with wiring between the distro panel and the battery or the battery is dead. There is typically a circuit breaker between the battery and the 12 V distribution. If it's a manual reset, it needs to be reset. If it is auto resetting, it may have failed.

A hand-held meter is going to be your best buddy for this.

[stratcat]

check your main power cord is plugged in and the collar is tight. Had a friend with a 5th wheel that lost all electronics in the rig because someone removed the collar on the power cord that was with the unit when purchased new. took 3 trips to dealer before someone finally found the problem.

[myredracer]

If the DC fuses are okay, check the ground connections in the A-frame area next to the battery. There will be one or two lugs. These can be poorly installed or corroded. Check the connections at the two mini circuit breakers beside the battery. These also can be poorly installed or corroded. I was upgrading all the wiring there recently in our TT and the positive wire at the circuit breaker literally fell right out of the ring terminal. Actually, I would check all this anyway even if you weren't having problems at the moment. There will be a #10 bare ground wire from the converter to frame on the side of an I-beam. Same there, it could be poorly installed or corroded.

Since there is a separate 20 amp power inlet that gets plugged into a 20 amp receptacle at home or pedestal, both AC units should be able to run fine at the same time (if voltage is good). Does the second start okay?

If you did connect the battery with reversed polarity, you may hear a mini circuit breaker clicking on & off next to the battery (every 10-20 seconds or so) and maybe a rotten egg smell. Friends of ours did that and had the smell and clicking but did not blow any fuses.

If a TT is 30 amps and you have a 30-50 adapter and if you have a choice at a CG, it can be a good idea to plug into a 50 amp pedestal even if you don't need 50 amps. An area or row of 50 amp pedestals will be interconnected with heavier wiring that will reduce voltage drop. Also, 50 amp receptacles are typically in better shape and you have a lower risk of a loose or bad connection. Wiring to/between pedestals in a CG are not sized for a 30 and 20 amp receptacle simultaneously so the voltage drop can be higher. If voltage gets too low, it can damage AC units.

I would recommend getting a plug-in voltage monitor that you can leave plugged in inside so you can keep an eye on voltage. If you have a voltmeter, you can use it to check the voltage at a pedestal before backing into a site. Buying an EMS unit like Progressive Industries make is an excellent investment.

[TNRIVERSIDE]

enblethen wrote:
The two red 40 amp fuses are the reverse polarity.
Sounds like the converter is having problems.
Need a meter to read out put of the converter.

If you recently replaced you battery. And you indicated you did. If you reversed the wires. Even for a second. One or both of the 40 amp fuses will be bad. Been there.

[enblethen]

The two red 40 amp fuses are the reverse polarity.
Sounds like the converter is having problems.
Need a meter to read out put of the converter.

[RedRocket204]

Which AC unit is working fine?

Is your 2nd AC unit 100% independent from the converter and distribution panel and all original RV wiring? If so, have you had any issues with it? Assuming not. If that is the case, look towards the problem being on the circuits running on the original electrical system.

Low lights on the DC circuit indicates a problem with battery charging. Cycling 120VAC running through your converter/distribution panel would seem to point to your converter too. Have you confirmed if there is constant 120VAC entering the RV as someone posted to check and for a 120VAC protection unit to see if that was an issue? If that is a direct connection from your pedestal and you know there is good 120VAC from it , to me, your converter seems suspect. Although very strange you would be having issues with it on a 2012.

[rae10rae]

More weirdness...AC is working fine, but lights are very dim.

Monitor says the battery is EMPTY, but lights and stuff worked when I disconnected from shore power...also I was plugged into shore power all night, so the battery shouldn't have drained...also it's a brand new battery.

Argh!!!

[TNRIVERSIDE]

If you are using a voltage protection device between the camper and shore power it could be cycling. This has occurred to me when shore power voltage dropped too low. The could answer the power cycling on and off.

[rae10rae]

Hey everyone. Thanks for your replies...so now the radio was on and then randomly started turning on/off...

Here are pics of my set up here at home.

This is where I connect the chord that runs the second AC.


This is where I connect my power chord. This is what came with the camper when we bought it.


This is my set up at home. 30/50/20 amp connections. I currently have the 30 Amp plugged in at the left, and the chord all the way to the right powers the 2nd AC.

[rae10rae]

myredracer wrote:
Head scratcher... Maybe a bad connection somewhere that is intermittent? Take a voltmeter and check the voltage to ground from each 120 volt breaker in the panel and make sure each circuit is working at the panel. I found one totally loose wire at a breaker in our KZ TT. Check ALL connections at the converter/panel for tightness. Make sure incoming 120 volt 30 amp connections at the panel are good. 120 volt issues like microwave only working should not be affected by the 12 volt system like that.

I don't have a voltmeter, but I will pick one up later to try what you've suggested.

myredracer wrote:
Maybe whoever added the 2nd AC caused something?

I suppose, but we used this same set up without issue last year...

myredracer wrote:
BTW, you may find it a problem to run two AC units at once on 30 amp, especially if the voltage gets too low. What is the voltage at the panel in the trailer when connected to the house? Low voltage in CGs is a common problem.

Ok...so my second AC runs on its own 20 amp (don't know if I'm saying this right). Would I be better off trying to run everything from my 50 amp with a converter for my 30 amp power chord?

Thanks again!!

[rae10rae]

enblethen wrote:
Lights work. Could be problem with converter. Late models have reverse polarity fuses built into them. Locate the converter, look on end where the 12 volt wires connect. Fuses should be there, if equipped. Make and model of converter?

So...lights work disconnected from shore power.

Here are some pics of the converter:

[rae10rae]

PaulJ2 wrote:
When you replaced the battery, are you sure you have the polarity correct?

Yes, I am pretty sure it is correct. I'll double check though.

[PaulJ2]

When you replaced the battery, are you sure you have the polarity correct?