DKLilly67
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Re: Doris is Dead!
Hey everyone! Doris is alive and kicking!! We found the problem and got it fixed - hopefully I won’t get this wrong- the distribution J box had a meltdown - there was a short and it actually melted old wiring together. Brand new everything - I have the melted mess in my hand. We are so so lucky. It could have been way worse. I’m grateful for everyone’s help and advice here. We have had our first real life lesson in knowing as much about your RV as you can and always be willing to learn. Many thanks to everyone who contributed and taught us so much!! You all are the salt of the earth!!!!819Views0likes0CommentsRe: Doris is Dead!
Okay- good morning to all- please keep sending your thoughts and instructions we will try everything you want us too! So update- we ran the generator last night ( huge onan in its own huge compartment where most engines go, right under our front windshield) that made it possible for us to have lights, start engine and one plug at kitchen table that works. Fridge is running on propane. We shut everything down last night and went to bed, but by 3:21 am the light under the tv was out so back to generator on - and we thought that way we would at least be able to get to the same spot we were at yesterday before bed. We have now been running generator for about 20 minutes and we can see the charge in the batteries going up, but it still not enough to start engine, let alone turn anything else on. Still no power elsewhere. That’s where we are at. I do have a repair scheduled for later - but I still really believe I’m just missing some step.819Views0likes0CommentsRe: Doris is Dead!
I promise we will definitely reinstall gfci as soon as we figure out where the issue is. Everything we looked at up until that moment lead us to believe the gfci were old and probably needed replacing- and possibly could have led to the problem. The reason we believe the new gfci s were of no help is because before we installed them we had 118 - then after they were installed ( incorrectly) there was 118 at one pole and 2 on the other. When I read the literature that came with the gfci it said to use the yellow sticker and had big warnings everywhere that said if it was hooked up in the wrong way that it would create a hard lockout. There was no way to even remove it, reset it, reinstall it correctly- they were just toast. So we moved on and figured okay we will just take it to basics. That’s when we just put regular receptacles in . We installed both the replacement receptacles as instructed. They read 118 volts, but nothing works when plugged in. We are going to try the unplug from shore power, reset breaker , reset everything right now including inverter.819Views0likes0CommentsRe: Doris is Dead!
A few more details as requested: We have not fixed the gfci- we just put normal plugs in even though I cringed at the thought because I am positive I’m supposed to have them. Our goal was just to get power going then fix power. We are doing the breaker by breaker test right now as you suggested Breaker panel update: 1- front a/c panel lights up but no action 2 microwave / clothes washer ( has separate switch under cabinet to toggle back and forth no joy) 3 appliances- no receptacles work 4 rear a/c - lights up panel - but no action 5small appliance - we can’t determine what that is even supposed to control. Tested all poles on breaker and all have 118 We get 118 on the tester at both plugs. Last night we were getting 118 at one end and 2 at the other and I knew it was hooked up wrong making a bad issue even worse. The hook up was line and neutral reversed. I learned that there are two push buttons on my inverter that I have to push simultaneously to reset that. Love the tip about rotor lock- I will remember that . Please please please keep it coming we are so grateful. You guys are amazing angels- every single one!!!!!205Views0likes0CommentsRe: Doris is Dead!
Hi again everyone - I am so grateful that you are willing to help me!! I will try to answer everything I can and tell you what’s going on as I do- I am so grateful! We are members of Thousand Trails. We stay 21 days park to park and so far have only been to two parks because this happened. I do for an extension week so we could try to fix this. We plug into 30 amp shore power. Pedestal- to autoformer- to our line - to our coach. We tried unplugging everything and taking a beat then acting as if we just pulled in, thinking we somehow forgot a step. I was told to make sure gold screws went to positive on the gfci, and silver to negative. I know they ( my son and friend) went round and round about how to hook it up and then the friend told my son he was supposed to put the yellow sticker in a certain spot and copy it exactly, and that since he didn’t the two new gfci were hopelessly locked up. This morning we got plain outlets ( just trying to close circuit and go from there) my husband very carefully hooked them up ground to ground, white to gold, black to silver. We can now read power to the outlet but nothing to the outlet works . Just now, he tried to start the engine and it would not start. I immediately had him disconnect from shore power and start the generator, then start the engine. Thankfully it is running right now but we still have no a/c or any working outlets on the right side , and one outlet ( under kitchen table) is working on the shore power side. Before this catastrophe, everything worked- fridge, lights , lava fan - a/c , outlets, tvs. Now fridge is on propane. One outlet on shore side, and no joy anyplace else and something is stealing my battery charge as well , right? It was just jumped this morning-205Views0likes0CommentsDoris is Dead!
Hello all- I sure hope you can help me! We have a huge problem. We are in the middle of a trip, and our youngest daughter ( we became guardians at age 50 because the girls were being abused) in one of her episodes - tried to turn on the A/C units both at the same time by rapidly dragging the levers up and down thru all settings four times before I could get to her. My husband and I are both disabled - he is 70 I am 60. Anyways, when she did that everything went black. No power to anything. I assumed we tripped a breaker, so we reset everything. It didn’t work so I repeated it several times( definition of insanity) then I tried unplugging the autoformer from shore power waiting a bit and rebooking everything up. Back inside I turned on each breaker . For some reason everything was back. I went thru the coach and put all the unused lights in off position. I made sure anything not in use but plugged in was not plugged in. We had lights and air again fridge was working- world was back to normal. Then after several hours - blammo- everything out. We were able to restore power to our not shore side - but outlets are out a/c is out everything is out. We tested and found that we were getting power to the two gfci outlets but plugging anything in got nothing to turn on. So we replaced the two gfci. Well we thought we did. Turns out if you have your adult son do it and he does it backwards they will never work. So we got up this morning and the entire coach was dead. Had to call roadside assist to jump the battery. I am lost. I have no idea what we should do now. I’m in tears. I just have no clue what I’m missing. Please anyone - if you can help me figure his out- I’m desperate.2.9KViews0likes21Comments
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