bchoate
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Re: DC power issue after installing inverter
I do recall that the output of the converter is 45 amps, though I don't recall seeing any text on the breaker after I pulled it off, except one side indicating "battery" and the other something else... (maybe "aux"). The CB that was tripped was the middle one. If you look closely, you can see by the color of the posts that it's installed in reverse order than the others. The copper color post is on the "battery" side. I'm assuming that it was done this way in order to provide surge protection from the converter charger. The bottom line runs to the hydraulic pump. The other two (including the one that was tripped) run into conduit and go wherever they go. The middle ends up running straight to the main panel (and converter charger) but where the top one goes is still a mystery. It was live the whole time, but there didn't appear to be anything receiving DC power when the converter wasn't providing it.822Views0likes0CommentsRe: DC power issue after installing inverter
Also, just in case anyone was curious, I have kept the inverter connected, but moving forward instead of connecting it to the shore power plug, I have just run an extension cord over near the door. If more than 150~ watts is needed, then she can walk around, turn on the inverter, and then pull the extension cord inside for temporary use. I would be all for modifying and customizing things, but ultimately this is her father's trailer, and she is only using it for one season, so it needs to be returned in similar condition.822Views0likes0CommentsRe: DC power issue after installing inverter
RESOLVED! Thanks to everyone that contributed. It looks like CA Traveler was our overall winner, but everyone's comments were helpful in getting to the end. So... what I assumed to just be a kind of "mount point" for splitting the current off to other devices near the battery, was ACTUALLY a set of 3 DC circuit breakers. After spending a couple of hours tracing and testing, pulling out the main panel and checking behind the power converter (and ultimately finding nothing) I went back to the storage area where the battery is housed and tested each of those points (link to a photo below) and discovered that one of those points was not passing current. I humorously assumed that they must instead contain fuses, so I then spent 25 minutes turning those nuts off in tight quarters with needlenose pliers and removing the whole unit, only to then bump the little reset button and discover that it's actually a CB. LOL. Link to the photo here. Thanks again everybody. Just wanted to let you know of the resolution. -Benjamin823Views0likes0CommentsRe: DC power issue after installing inverter
Thanks for sticking with me on this, guys. It sounds like I have some more searching to do. I did notice a few rocker switches right by the door, but in my naivete just assumed they were light switches, but thinking back now, I recall that there were labels on some of them (though I didn't look more closely and attempt to read them). I'll go back over there and investigate further.822Views0likes0CommentsRe: DC power issue after installing inverter
time2roll: Thanks for the idea! I didn't check the undercarriage at all. It is a 5th wheel trailer though, so the battery is actually in a storage area in a vented box near the rear of the trailer (under the bedroom). From there, the heavy gauge wire goes straight through the wall, further to the rear to the hydraulic pump, THEN it goes up into a wall cavity and (I am guessing) to the front of the trailer in the kitchen area where the main panel is. But, like I say, I'll have a look at the undercarriage, maybe there is some kind of box...823Views0likes0CommentsRe: DC power issue after installing inverter
MEXICOWANDERER: I see what you're referring to, but there was only ever one source of AC (from the inverter I installed). We're in an off-grid situation, so my intent was to allow her to use the installed AC outlets off her existing battery.822Views0likes0CommentsRe: DC power issue after installing inverter
BFL13: Thanks for the idea, I know I didn't switch anything like this, and the current resident of the RV says she doesn't know of something like this (the RV belongs to her father). I'll do some more looking (especially around the door). Is it possible there's a switch that automatically disconnects the battery when shore power is connected?822Views0likes0CommentsRe: DC power issue after installing inverter
Thanks for all the responses, everyone. I had to go haul some rocks for a bit, so I didn't catch all these responses coming in, but I'll now try to respond to everyone in turn here. Just a quick note: Initially while testing I disconnected the inverter from the battery, and applied a charging voltage from my car's alternator, just in case there was some kind of low-voltage shutoff involved. When we gave up for the night I then disconnected the positive wire from the battery for the RV DC wiring in order to allow using the inverter with the shore power plug (now the only way DC appliances work via the converter) without the charging loop occurring. time2roll: That was the idea I was going with when I started troubleshooting. I followed the heavy gauge dc wires from the battery and the first place they went was to the hydraulic pump, where I was able to test and verify that it was showing the same DC voltage as the battery. However, the wiring disappears up into some kind of pocket and I haven't been able to find another place to test the voltage. I do have access to the fridge panel (which has two modes, DC/LP and AC), but it has its own fuse in the main panel, so I know that if the panel isn't getting DC current, then the fridge also won't, so testing there is unnecessary. I did see a little carpet-covered conduit box thing in the bedroom that looks like it might be carrying wires, but I assumed that what I need to find is some kind of DC circuit breaker or main fuse, and such a thing wouldn't be located in a permanently sealed location. larry cad: Hi Larry, I can see where the confusion is coming from. The "shore power" I'm referring to is the inverted AC power, that I'm running from the battery to the shore power plug. I now understand that it created a "charging loop" (battery > inverter > shower power plug > converter/dc charger > battery), and I think that's caused something to trip/burn out/break. I hope that helps clear it up? CA Traveler: Thanks, this is what I've been thinking I needed to find, however, I haven't been able to find anything like that near the battery. I'm able to trace that wires from the battery, through a wall, into a cavity where the hydraulic pump sits (voltage tests fine there), but then the wires run up into the bedroom, and I can't trace them any further. The next area I'm able to find them is the fuse/cb panel in the kitchen (other side of the RV) and test there shows no voltage (unless the inverter is running and providing shore power, which powers the DC converter/charger, which provides that DC now to the panel). I have been using my multi-meter for testing. Regarding the battery, by the look of it, it's less than a 100ah 12 volt battery, and completely agree that it's unsufficient. I'm working with the owner on designing a solar/battery system for the tiny home she's planning to build, but in the mean time I'm just trying to repair whatever it is I screwed up. :) theoldwizard1: Thank you for confirming that. However, the converter is actually still working- in fact using the shore power plug with the converter is now the ONLY way that the trailer gets DC power now. I apologize if my earlier explanation was hard to follow. The main fuse/cb panel DOESN'T read DC voltage on the blocks when relying on battery/DC alone. It DOES read DC voltage if shore power is connected and the converter/charger is powered. There IS a hard on/off switch for the converter/charger, and if I had known prior to switching it on, what I now know, I would have flipped that switch off, prior to plugging in the inverter. :/ Thanks again for the responses everyone. Just to clarify, what I'm REALLY trying to get assistance with at this point, is figuring out where the DC power from the battery is being interrupted. It seems like there should be some kind of fuse or DC breaker or something that's been burned out or tripped, but I've searched through every panel and storage space I can find and not seen anything like it. Again, I HAVE located the main power panel, where the DC fuses are, as well as several power switches (I can't tell if they're just switches, or breakers) are, but the entire DC side of that panel, where the fuses are, does not receive power FROM THE BATTERY. When shore power is connected (in this case, when I turn on the inverter and plug it into the shore power plug) then that DC/fuse side of the panel DOES have power. I hope this helps clear things up. Thanks again.286Views0likes0CommentsRe: DC power issue after installing inverter
Thanks Bob, The problem I'm trying to fix is that I'm not able to "go back" to the pre-inverter setup. When shore power is disconnected the previous DC-only setup no longer works. It seems like something is tripped or burned out and DC power is no longer reaching the main fuse block from the battery. But it DOES work if shore power is connected. I'd like the option of being able to use that setup because inverting, then converting back to DC wastes a lot of power when off-grid and relying on solar/battery power.290Views0likes0CommentsDC power issue after installing inverter
Hi everyone, first post here. This question is in regards to an early 2000s Gulf Stream Seahawk 5th wheel RV. I've never owned an RV myself, but I've lived in trailer that I gutted and customized with AC power, water, etc. I was trying to help a friend get AC power to her outlets while off grid, and thought I could just connect an inverter to her battery and then run an extension cord to the shore power plug. What I didn't realize was that there is a DC converter/charger that tries to charge the battery and provides DC power while shore power is connected. Having hooked it all up and trying it, AC and DC power were now both working, however, after turning the inverter off (after seeing a pretty big voltage drop on the battery due to the charging loop) the DC power no longer works while the inverter isn't running. I've looked through every panel I can find, and I did locate the main fuse/breaker panel, but all of the fuses were intact, and no breakers were tripped. However, I've tested the blocks where the DC power comes to the panel and it isn't receiving any voltage. I was able to find one point where the heavy gauge DC wiring terminates (where it connects to the hydraulic pump) and was able to find the expected voltage there, but somewhere between there and the main panel something has burned out or tripped, but I'm not able to find it. Does anyone know the solution to this, or can you point me in the right direction? I'm planning to call Gulf Stream tomorrow, but I thought I'd try my luck here in the mean time. Thanks! Ben5.3KViews0likes26Comments
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