Shore Power??

[Ty151]

Hey guys, new to RV'ing and have a quick question. I have done some research regarding this, but most of the things I'm finding pertain to different amperage and which type of adapters to use.

I have a Lance Lite 815 which uses a 30 amp connector. With the battery disconnected, I attached the truck campers power connector to the 30/15 amp adaptor and plugged it into a standard household outlet. Went to turn on a light to check for power, and nothing. Then I plugged the power cord and adapter into my Yamaha 2000 watt generator, and once again, nothing.

Then I connected the battery to check to make sure I didn't blow any fuses, and everything worked fine.

I need some help on understanding how shore power works. Does the battery need to be connected for shore power to work? My thoughts tell me that the power received from an outlet or generator would be used to charge the battery constantly? Orshould the shore power work indecently from the battery? Thanks for the help in advance

[wnjj]

mkirsch wrote:

Ty151 wrote:
I’m still confused as it seems there have been different opinions. It sounds like some believe lights and other 12v items should work with shore power independent from the battery. Some responses say battery needs to be connected no matter what.

That's because they don't all work the same way.

They are all just power supplies that output voltage. Some "require" a battery to smooth out the DC voltage or act as a capacitor when there are large current spikes (like slide motors). All should provide enough power for a 12V light bulb without a battery.

[mkirsch]

Ty151 wrote:
I’m still confused as it seems there have been different opinions. It sounds like some believe lights and other 12v items should work with shore power independent from the battery. Some responses say battery needs to be connected no matter what.

That's because they don't all work the same way.

[enblethen]

Verify to the receptacle the rig is plugged into.

[Rickj91]

I have a Wolf Creek 850sb and in the winter, now, I take the batteries out and store them. I often plug the camper into shore power and go out to the camper and do some work. I run the furnace and all the lights with no problems. Can run the fridge if I want, as well.

[Ty151]

enblethen wrote:
One item that causes lose of power to the rig is the 15/20 to 30 amp adapter. You may want to pick up a spare. The dogbone style last longer then the hockey puck style.
Valhalla, where are getting this info?

I have both, and neither worked. But I have some other things to check/test today when I get a chance to get over to the camper.

Was supposed to take it out this weekend for a “test” run, but supposed to be heavy rains. :h

[enblethen]

One item that causes lose of power to the rig is the 15/20 to 30 amp adapter. You may want to pick up a spare. The dogbone style last longer then the hockey puck style.
Valhalla, where are getting this info?

[valhalla360]

burningman wrote:

The power converter in camper does provide 12 volt DC power and everything should be working whether there is a battery present or not, when plugged into shorepower the battery is entirely unnecessary.
That’s why that device is called a converter.

Either your converter is dead or something is turned off or disconnected.

Some but not most do this.

Most want the battery in the loop.

[enblethen]

Look closely when you get back to it for a main fuse or a battery fuse in the 12 volt section. Use a meter or a 12 volt test lamp to check for power.
Take something to verify power to the rig. Light or drill

[Ty151]

enblethen wrote:
Many rigs have converter assemblies similar to this one. The converter, 120 AC and 12 volt DC are combined in a single unit.
converter

I did open a panel up yesterday while at the camper and it looked very similar to that. regular auto type fuses on the right side and 3 or 4 circuit breakers (similar to those seen in home panels) on the left side. All 4 breakers were in the "on" position, but I did cycle each one off, then back on individually.

[Ty151]

wnjj wrote:

Ty151 wrote:
I may run the furnace at night for a short time, but not 100% sure that I will need it.

We run about 2-3 nights on a group 29 battery with moderate furnace use and reasonable conservation of lighting.

Good to know, I don't plan on doing much more than 2 nights without hook-ups and I hope to be pretty conservative with lights and such.

[enblethen]

Many rigs have converter assemblies similar to this one. The converter, 120 AC and 12 volt DC are combined in a single unit.
converter

[wnjj]

Ty151 wrote:
I may run the furnace at night for a short time, but not 100% sure that I will need it.

We run about 2-3 nights on a group 29 battery with moderate furnace use and reasonable conservation of lighting.

[AnEv942]

NO 12v supply is almost instant-

I do recall reading warnings on using high draw, like jacks, on converter only/no battery as it 'could' damage converter. The only time I could see using converter 12v without battery is IF I had battery failure- otherwise no reason to take the battery out of loop.

As to whether or not 12v should work without battery? now I do not know, what I thought I knew was wrong. But I guess my question would be why?
My old converter didn't, battery had to be in place. New one (same camper) does supply 12v with no battery in place which I verified this morning by disconnecting battery cables. Unless the charger and converter sections are separate (doubtful) old converter along with overcharging failed to supply 12v to panel...

[Ty151]

My other question would be, does it require a short amount of time once plugged in to shore power to revive 12v power? The way I was doing it was plugging in my generator with a 30-15 amp adapter, then immediately went to the outside patio light switch and turned it on with no luck. Does it require some time to be “converted”?

Also, what’s the easiest way to test the converter once I locate it?