justinae
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Re: Had batteries replaced, now inverter/charger issue?
Thanks Peg Leg. This was super helpful. The update is that I think it's all fine. When I plugged in later all the lights functioned as they were supposed to. I has mistakenly thought that the lights were always on to indicate battery level but they only do that when it's actually charging. In terms of what runs off the batteries I understand that more too thanks to all the helpful responses. We'll mostly be dry camping along the way, so I guess the rule is to get the inside chilled as best we can and then keep doors closed. I do have a genny but don't plan to use it that much depending on where we camp. thanks again! Peg Leg wrote: justinae wrote: Hi all. I'm still new to RVing but learning a lot more thanks to the kind people here. I just had the two cabin batteries replaced at Les Schwab today and when we went to test them the inverter didn't have any LED lights on. Apparently the inverter was left on while they replaced the batteries. Does that fry the inverter? You may have inverter and converter mixed up. These are two separate things. A converter which most RV's have is used to charge the battery and provide 12V DC power to things like the lights, furnace fan and water pump. An inverter which most RV's don't have is used to invert 12v DC back to 120v AC for things like air conditioner and microwave. Things that plug into a receptacle like in your house are 120v AC. Everything seems to still work, but the fridge uses gas instead of AC when in auto mode. Shouldn't it use battery power first now that the batteries are fully charged and new? The fridge will use gas unless you have the RV plugged into a power source via the power cord. When on gas there is usually 12v DC from the battery for the control board. Once you plug the RV in it will automatically switch to AC it it's in the Auto mode. Also, can my air conditioner run off battery power? Not unless you have an inverter. Even then with one battery your not going to get an hours worth of air before the inverter shuts down due to low voltage, normally at 10.5 volts. A battery is considered to be at 1/2 capacity and needing recharged at 12.0 volts. Anyway, my understanding is that the inverter/charger is supposed to have a constant LED light indicating battery charge level. If your referring to the converter, each one is different. The only easy way is to have a volt meter to monitor battery voltage. A hydrometer is used to check the specific gravity of the acid in each cell for state of charge of that cell for really detailed battery condition. When I turn the inverter off, wait a minute, then switch to auto like the manual says to reset, the LED lights come on for a second and then go off. I probably don't have a full understanding of it all so any insight is appreciated. thanks! Justin448Views0likes0CommentsHad batteries replaced, now inverter/charger issue?
Hi all. I'm still new to RVing but learning a lot more thanks to the kind people here. I just had the two cabin batteries replaced at Les Schwab today and when we went to test them the inverter didn't have any LED lights on. Apparently the inverter was left on while they replaced the batteries. Does that fry the inverter? Everything seems to still work, but the fridge uses gas instead of AC when in auto mode. Shouldn't it use battery power first now that the batteries are fully charged and new? Also, can my air conditioner run off battery power? Anyway, my understanding is that the inverter/charger is supposed to have a constant LED light indicating battery charge level. When I turn the inverter off, wait a minute, then switch to auto like the manual says to reset, the LED lights come on for a second and then go off. I probably don't have a full understanding of it all so any insight is appreciated. thanks! Justin2.4KViews0likes11CommentsRe: How to sleep 4 in Roadtrek SS Ideal
Thanks for all the tips. Sounds like it's one of those things that just works out. I talk with my wife about the kids sleeping with us. Last night I woke up with my 4 year old taking half the bed, my wife just about the other half and well you get the idea. thanks!206Views0likes0CommentsHow to sleep 4 in Roadtrek SS Ideal
Hi all, I'm pretty new to RVing. My family and I are taking my grandfathers RV on a road trip that was supposed to happen last summer. We're from Portland, OR and headed as far as Colorado. My question is about sleeping with two kids. I have a 4 year old and a 1.5 year old. I experimented with making the passenger chair into a bed for my 4 year old last year and that worked ok. Now I've got the wee one. I'm thinking about stringing up a hammock. This particular RV has a king sized bed. I suppose we can all cram in there if needed. Heck, maybe I'll sleep in the hammock! But like I said, i'm new to RVing and would love to hear from those that have blazed trails ahead of me. thanks! Justin1.4KViews0likes6CommentsRe: Newbie with plugging into house question
Ok all, I've got an update after being out for a few days. I took it to a local place to have the batteries looked at. The water level was below the plates. They topped them off and said to charge them up and I have a 50/50 chance they'll survive. When I got home I plugged it in (used a heavy extension cord this time) and the air conditioner fired right up. I was even able to turn the AC, fridge and fan on at the same time. I learned that I have a Tripplite system and sat with the manual for a while. I reset the system as it suggested when batteries have been discharged too far. I don't know if reseting the system worked or if adding water worked or if it's just RV juju. I set the Tripplite to "charge only" mode and will leave it plugged in overnight to fully charge the batteries. How do I know if the batteries are going to hold that charge very well though? Is there some sort of test or do I just have to turn stuff on and see how long it lasts? Thanks again for all the help. Feel like I've gotten a good crash course in RVing.309Views0likes0CommentsRe: Newbie with plugging into house question
Hot and neutral are not switched. I do have one of grandpa's old multimeter's, but it's from the 80s or 90s and not sure I trust it. I have a Klein voltage tester but basically tells me if there is voltage or not. I don't have to do anything to start the generator except make sure the LPG valve is open then push the start button you see in the photo. I agree that the batteries might be dead, or at least very low charge. I do have a trickly charger. Should I hook that up or perhaps take a Sunday drive? If I drive to charge the batteries, how long does it usually take? Thanks again for all the help so far, this is great.309Views0likes0Comments
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We all start out new. Share lessons learned or first-time questions!Jun 15, 20174,026 Posts
