First-Time 2009 Northstar 850 Owner with electrical issues
Hello again! I took a few key individuals advice and purchased a beautiful 2009 Northstar 850 XB popup truck camper...and we love it!! BUT...now I am having electrical issues. **A few disclosures: I am a first time Camper/Trailer/RV/etc. owner. Also, the guy I bought the camper from is prior military and now a cop, and I am prior military and now a cop; he was also aware that my wife and I knew his police chief personally. Doesn't mean I didn't get scammed, but it does lessen the likelihood IMO.**
Hears the timeline:
-While looking at the trailer before purchase, everything was powered on and working, using either propane (3-way Dometic fridge, water heater, stove) or 15 AMP shore power (lights, water pump, fantastic fan, Atwood furnace, etc.). When it came time to show us the furnace, the heater wouldn't light...just kept blowing cold air. Got $300 off the camper price due to this. The guy said he had it running just a few hours earlier
- Two weeks after purchase, I had a mobile RV repairman come by to fix the heater...and while running on battery/solar power, he could not get the furnace NOT to work! Hot air, quick starts, and firing up every time (still go charged for $140 housecall LOL)
-Later in the day, I hooked up the camper to my 15 AMP house power (normal extension cord, normal outlet) and the heater went back to NOT lighting. Furnace would turn 'on' with thermostat, the fan would blow...but no heat. Finally put two and two together and figured out it was the house power that was the variable in the equation. *NOTE: the volt meter was reading 14 volts while plugged in, it always read 12 volts when running off of solar)
-I kept the house power plugged in while I cleaned the camper; then when I tried to test the fridge on battery and 15 AMP, but it wouldn't turn on/get cold (but still worked perfectly on propane)
-Went outside and unplugged the camper from the 15 AMP(did not turn everything off first), and heard a 2 second electric 'beep' from inside the camper. Retested Fridge and heater on battery power; heater worked fine, fridge still only worked on propane. Everything else still working. I then plugged the camper back in to 15 AMP, turned off all electrical equipment (left propane appliances on) and left camper plugged in overnight
-The next day, when I unplugged the camper from 15 AMP house power, the battery system wasn't working AT ALL; no volts registered, lights wouldn't even turn on, nothing. Dead. The solar charging system still appears to be working (charging lights are on. I have checked/reset all fuses/breakers, left the camper plugged in to recharge the battery, but to no avail. Dead end.
Sorry...I tried to simply it as mush as possible. So PU/TC experts, did I blow the inverter? Blow the solar system somehow? I am kinda going crazy right now...just spent a bunch of money on a camper and can't seem to figure out the darn electrical system. I just know I am missing something and/or did something stupid. Thanks!
Dan
Hears the timeline:
-While looking at the trailer before purchase, everything was powered on and working, using either propane (3-way Dometic fridge, water heater, stove) or 15 AMP shore power (lights, water pump, fantastic fan, Atwood furnace, etc.). When it came time to show us the furnace, the heater wouldn't light...just kept blowing cold air. Got $300 off the camper price due to this. The guy said he had it running just a few hours earlier
- Two weeks after purchase, I had a mobile RV repairman come by to fix the heater...and while running on battery/solar power, he could not get the furnace NOT to work! Hot air, quick starts, and firing up every time (still go charged for $140 housecall LOL)
-Later in the day, I hooked up the camper to my 15 AMP house power (normal extension cord, normal outlet) and the heater went back to NOT lighting. Furnace would turn 'on' with thermostat, the fan would blow...but no heat. Finally put two and two together and figured out it was the house power that was the variable in the equation. *NOTE: the volt meter was reading 14 volts while plugged in, it always read 12 volts when running off of solar)
-I kept the house power plugged in while I cleaned the camper; then when I tried to test the fridge on battery and 15 AMP, but it wouldn't turn on/get cold (but still worked perfectly on propane)
-Went outside and unplugged the camper from the 15 AMP(did not turn everything off first), and heard a 2 second electric 'beep' from inside the camper. Retested Fridge and heater on battery power; heater worked fine, fridge still only worked on propane. Everything else still working. I then plugged the camper back in to 15 AMP, turned off all electrical equipment (left propane appliances on) and left camper plugged in overnight
-The next day, when I unplugged the camper from 15 AMP house power, the battery system wasn't working AT ALL; no volts registered, lights wouldn't even turn on, nothing. Dead. The solar charging system still appears to be working (charging lights are on. I have checked/reset all fuses/breakers, left the camper plugged in to recharge the battery, but to no avail. Dead end.
Sorry...I tried to simply it as mush as possible. So PU/TC experts, did I blow the inverter? Blow the solar system somehow? I am kinda going crazy right now...just spent a bunch of money on a camper and can't seem to figure out the darn electrical system. I just know I am missing something and/or did something stupid. Thanks!
Dan
