Earlier, in Part 1 of this series, we discussed an overview of the 120-volt AC system and how electricity comes in from the shoreline source and supplies the appliances. In this article we will talk about what individual appliances require for electrical power, and how to manage your system to prevent overloading the source.
Most campground sources or shoreline power will have two or three outlets available for power. Smaller campgrounds typically only have 15-amp and 30-amp power which will limit the number of appliances you can run, and are usually not a good option for the bigger 5th wheel trailers or large motorhomes. To run both roof air conditioners and other appliances, these rigs require 50-amp power which supplies two “legs” of 120-volt power.
Proper energy management starts with an understanding of what power your appliances will draw in your rig. Most 120-volt appliances will have a data plate that has the model, serial number, and amp draw at maximum capacity. Maximum capacity means the amp draw when that appliance is working at the highest load. For example, an air conditioner that might only draw 8-10 amps during fairly cool temperatures but will draw a maximum of 14 amps when it is really hot.
Make a list of all the appliances in your coach that operate on 120-volt power and use the chart below to see what applies to your rig:
Notice there is quite a range in the amp draw for some of the appliances, such as a microwave that can be anywhere from 6-13 amp. It’s important to identify your specific model and calculate the draw. However, there is an easier way which we will cover later.
Let’s look at a typical RV plugged into a 30-amp shoreline plug. The power comes into the distribution center with a main circuit breaker and has individual breakers for appliances such as the refrigerator, air conditioners, and others. If you are running one air conditioner it could draw 8 amps at moderate temperatures and up to 14 amps during high load. Units built before 1990 might have air conditioners that could draw up to 18 amps!
Let’s say your refrigerator running on 120-volt power is drawing 6 amps, so in theory this rig is only drawing 14-20 amps during normal operation. But now we need to factor in the temporary usage appliances and the battery converter or charger! Interior lights, roof vent fans, LP appliances and other system running on 12-volt power draw from the house batteries and the converter or battery charger will kick on to recharge the batteries as they draw down to a certain voltage. This can draw anywhere from 4-9 amps without any warning! Most RVers understand that using a microwave oven, toaster, or other 120-volt appliances will create a spike in the amp draw and plan for it. However, you need to be aware of these items that will create a “peak” in amp draw such as the converter.
Now it is time to find the actual amp draw of your appliances. Keep in mind, anything that creates heat with a glowing coil or metal such as hair dryers, curling irons, or hot plates draw a lot of amps. You need to know what that appliance draws so when you use it temporarily, you might need to shut something else off, like the roof air conditioner. I use a meter called Kill A Watt which plugs into any 120-volt outlet and then plug the appliance in to find the amps or watts it draws. You can find these on Amazon or at any home improvement store in the electrical department.
Plug in all appliances that will be used even temporarily to calculate the amp draw. Don’t forget about the chargers for cell phones, laptops, and CPAP machines at night! Once you get all the data collected, you will need to physically manage the energy draw by shutting off items like the roof air conditioners, refrigerator, or electric water heater while temporary appliances are being used.
There is another option though, an energy management system (EMS) such as the Intellitec model which is used by several manufactures in larger units. This system has appliances such as the roof air units, refrigerator, and electronic water heater connected to a smart computer that will automatically shut off these appliances temporarily as the amp draw gets over the limit. In the case of the air conditioner, it shuts down the compressor, but the fan will still run to provide air flow, then the compressor if needed. For the refrigerator, it will shut down the 120-volt operation which means it switches over to propane. All this is usually is for about 2-3 minutes as the microwave or other appliance is drawing a higher load so food will not spoil and the interior temperature will not get uncomfortable.
Here is an example of the Winnebago version called Powerline which tells you the AC amp load and sheds appliances.
An easier option is the Surge Protector by Surge Guard which is a protection from a spike in voltage from the campground source and will shut down if the power from the source goes down below 110-volts. This protects motors and condensers in appliances but also shows the amps your rig is using at a quick glance. You can get this portable version, or a more secure option can be permanently mounted in your service compartment.
Whatever method you use, it’s important to understand the load your appliances and equipment will draw and manage it according to the power available.
To read more about 120-Volt Electrical Systems, check out Part 1: 120-Volt Electrical Basics!
I am looking to put a energy management system in my RV to handle a 3rd A/C
Standard distribution panel 30 amp input. Investigating burned wires in newly acquired used class B.
Hot wires to circuit breakers, bare copper wires to cas ground, neutral wires to insulated terminal block but with additional bare copper ground wire on the terminal strip to probably vehicle frame ground. Shouldn’t the neutrals be ungrounded in this scenario?
Hello Stacey,
Here’s what the experts had to say about your question:
The neutrals and grounds need to be separated in RV’s. This is to prevent hot skin conditions if there was an issue in the system. The chassis needs to be ground to the ground terminal block but neutrals need to be isolated.
Sincerely,
Dan
RV Repair Club Technical Expert
generator starts and runs but little power to the coach. Could it be the governor or voltage regulator and where are they on a Onan 5000 ???
Hello Paulette,
Thank you for contacting us. Great question! The ‘Ask an Expert’ section is currently for members of our online community. By becoming a member, you will have access to our expert’s knowledge in repairing and maintenance on RV’s. With your membership you will also receive discounts on products and hours of Premium video content.
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Sarah
RV Repair Club Video Membership
rv life with trial and error kinda project…..fridge thermistor had no ohms. i replaced and blew a fuse it seems, but in the process of troubleshooting i unplugged the wires from circuit board on fridge. There is a green and purple wire coming down from top of fridge. there is also a white wire not connected on either end to anything. the options are 12v, 12v ground, gv ground, and gv 12 volt……i think….
any help in direction is greatly appreciated. i found specs for circuit board, but none with wires attached so i can find where they go.
Hello Ashley,
Here’s what the experts had to say about your question:
I checked the service manual for that model and it doesn’t list the purple wire as part of the main schematic so I assume it is from the main eyebrow control board. Those are usually the only wires coming from the top, the eyebrow control board wires or the thermistor wires. Without being able to trace the wires to see what they do to I can’t tell you what they need to be connected to. I will share a link to the service manual, it does have a wiring diagram at the end of it that could help you trace where things might go.
https://www.liveworkdream.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/norcoldmanual.pdf
Sincerely,
Dan
RV Repair Club Technical Expert
The plug in the picture looks like a 20 amp plug and you have it labeled 15 amps, could this mislead someone?
Hello Richard,
Thank you for your feedback. I have forwarded your comment to the proper department. We value your opinion and it will help with the development of our online streaming community. We will continue to listen and work hard for your complete satisfaction.
Have a great day!
When I turn on the water pump the interior lights star getting low deem and flash a litlle, this just started, I was connected to the 30 AMP plug
I need to hook up to shore power at home, my RV is 30amp, the outside outlet at home is a 20amp circuit. I have the 30amp to 20amp stepdown. What guage outdoor extension cord should I use?
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On the 2004 Vectra they hav central air and heat with this unit there has always been like well sounds like a dry bearing, since day one we bought new. Been in shop nobody knows what it is .it just keeps running , making noise . Should hav insisted on a replacement ya got any input on it
Hello Gordon,
Thank you for contacting us.
Really the only thing I would think it could be is the fan motor. It is really the only thing that moves. It it only made the sound on AC then there could be an issue in the compressor but nothing else really moves to make noises. The there are two different fans as there is one for the inside and one for the compressor on the AC as well. If it only makes this noise when running the AC it could be the compressor fan but if it always does it the the main fan is the only thing I can thing of that would cause something to make that noise.
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Lindsay
RV Repair Club Video Membership
Rv is 50amp. Going to Yellowstone this June and one campground we are staying at only has 30amp service. If I get a 30 to 50 amp adapter, will it hurt my RV electrical system? As stated I will only be able to run one of me AC units.
Hi Ricky. It won’t hurt your system you just need to be careful what you are operating so you don’t over load the system. It gets a little confusing going from 50 amp to 30 amp using an adapter. If you look at your breakers you will see two 50 amp breakers next to each other. This means 50 amps is being supplied to one leg and then 50 amps to the other leg as well. The systems is split in half with 50 amps being supplied to each. This means you can run a lot of things without an issue. When you use a 30 amp adapter it just eliminates one of these hot legs and combines it to the two breakers. This now means you have 30 amps being split across both legs of the entire system. So instead of having 50 amps on each leg, you now have 30 amps total on the entire system. So yes you do only want to run one AC at a time but you also have to be cautious to not overload other circuits as well. Usually you are find camping as you were but just be careful if you are using a lot of electric sources like water heater, AC microwave, coffee maker, toaster, hair dryer etc. You just have to be careful. If you do overload the system your camper should be fine but you could trip the breaker at the power pole or even create enough heat to melt the adapter.
Dan
RV Repair club
Will a 50 amp surge protector work on a30 amp cord with an adaptor?
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Your chart really helps, but only if you have some knowledge in the electrical field. The column descriptions are really unclear (the “average required” column is actually AVERAGE WATTAGE OF THE DEVICE; and the “wattage amps” column is actually the AMPERAGE THE DEVICE CONSUMES) Use the basic electrical formula P=I*E, where P equals Power (in Watts), I equals Current (in Amps) and E equals voltage (in Volts).
Hi Jack. Thank you for your feedback. I have forwarded your comment to the proper department. We value your opinion, and it will help with the development of our online streaming community. We will continue to listen and work hard for your complete satisfaction.
Jean
RV Repair Club Video Membership
Your graphic at the beginning of the column shows a 20A receptacle but it is labeled 15A. While in some illustrations the mistake may be trivial, but for a tutorial like this I think it is important to have that correct, especially since it covers the EMS System which is 20A switchable.
Hi Dave. Thank you for your feedback. I will forward this on to the proper department. We appreciate your comments.
Thanks
Jean
RV Repair Club Video Membership
Your chart really helps, but only if you have some knowledge in the electrical field. The column descriptions are really unclear
I wanna know how I can get the heater working and is my electric also
I meant to say is my furnace electric powerd also or is it only propane powerd
Hello Richard,
What is the year, make, and model of your RV?
If you have any other concerns, please contact us at 1-855-706-3536, or chat with us on our site.
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Lindsay
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Spell checker messed last discussion. I am having to replace the power line management system board in my motor home. Replace part is upgrade and has three wires instead of four. Was told I would have to replace sensor and a modular. I would like instructions for doing this.
Hello Steven!
You would have to contact the manufacture of the EMS and get the schematic for the system and what sensors are needed and where to place them. These are specific to the manufactures system and where things need to be so you will have to contact them and see what is needed. I don’t have the information on your older system or the new one and can’t tell you what the wires would go to or how to set them up. Contacting the manufacture of the EMS would be the best thing to do as they should be able to walk you through their system.
Sincerely,
Dan RV Repair Club Technical Expert
Having to replace power line management system. New one is there sure instead of four and have to change senior and modular. Need to know how to do this.
Replaced heating element t-stat hi temp reset switch power switch still no electric hot water
You have to test the voltage at all of the components and see where the issue is. Start at the switch, then the relay if you have one (depends on the model), then the thermostat and eco and then the heating element. Most likely somewhere between these there is a voltage loss. If you have a switch inside the RV that will be 12v and send voltage to a relay. If you have the switch on the outside of the tank there is no relay. On any tank there should be 120v coming from the wires to either the relay or the switch, make sure this is there before testing anything else as the issue could be the breaker or wiring from the distribution center. Once you know you have 120v to the water tank you can then test everything else and see what could be causing it to not work.
Sincerely,
Dan
RV Repair Club Technical Expert
The frig power goes off while running on 120V. Runs fine on gas. After turning it off and back on, it runs okay, until it goes off again. It stays on for a long time. I thought it may be from a storm surge but nothing else goes off. The frig is 1 year old.
If it runs fine on gas then this indicates the cooling unit and thermistor are fine. Really the only things on the 120v side would be the control board turning on the heating element. If it does work sometimes, the heating element is fine. These either work or don’t work. Most likely the issue is with the control board. You want to check all connections on the board and make sure nothing is loose but if everything looks fine most likely the issue is with a bad board. Low incoming voltage can cause this too but it will usually switch to gas automatically and then back to electric if this is the issue. The control boards have a relay soldered on them and it sounds like it just gets stuck.
Sincerely,
Dan
RV Repair Club Technical Expert
I am wanting to trouble shoot the AC side of my DEL16SW Suburban water heater. Can’t find one. The
Hello Michael!
We’d love to help! What issues are you running into with your AC?
Thank you!
Jessica
RV Repair Club Video Membership
Where is converter?
Hello Lynne,
Thank you for contacting us. Regarding your question, in order for the experts to assist they will need to know the make, model and the year of the RV.
Sincerely,
Joan
RV Repair Club Video Membership
Im in dire straits ..I need a wiring diagram for my 5th wheel ..my lights in the kitchen and livingroom are shorting out could you plz help.. I’m new to the RV thing thanks
Hello Angela,
Thank you for contacting us. Great question! The ‘Ask an Expert’ section is currently for members of our online community. By becoming a member, you will have access to our expert’s knowledge in RV repair. With your membership you will also receive discounts on products and hours of Premium video content.
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Joan
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Newbie here. Plugged in with 50 amp shoreline power however only showing 30 amp is coming in. Is this has anything to do with the inverter? P.S. which brand of tire gauge would you recommend?
Alecia,
The amperage isn’t what is coming in, it is what the outlet you are plugged into is rated for. If you have an energy management system that tells you the amperage it is usually telling you what you are currently pulling from the outlet in amps. There is no way of knowing what an outlet amperage is without looking at the breaker or finding out what amp draw trips the breaker. Usually these amperage indicators are what you are actually using at that moment. It could indicate you are only hooked up to a 30 amp service if it recognizes there is only one hot leg activated. 50 amp service will have two hot legs and 30 amp only has one. If you are using an adapter to hook up to a 30 amp service it might recognize only one hot leg is being shared but if you are plugged into a 50 amp service without an adapter, most likely this is just telling you what you are using. As for the tire gauge I recommend Campbell Hausfeld, it is what I have used for years and they have been great and last a long time.
Sincerely,
Dan
RV Repair Club Technical Expert
Looking for the looping for electric schematic
Michel,
I am not sure what schematic you are in need of but we don’t have access to many. Schematics are provided from the manufactures and most do not post them online. Winnebago does offer a page to download schematics for their motorized only but there is no online resource for schematics from them or any other manufacture. The best thing to do is contact the manufacture directly and see if they can provide one. Many will only give to dealers so you would have to contact a dealer first to get one sometimes.
Sincerely,
Dan
RV Repair Club Technical Expert
Where to find location
Hello Robert,
Thank you for contacting us.
What is it you are trying to locate?
If you have any other concerns, please contact us at 1-855-706-3536, or chat with us on our site.
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Joan
RV Repair Club Video Membership
where is the reset switch for the converter to do his job on a fleetwood paces arrow vision 1999
Hello Guy!
That’s a great question!
The ‘Ask an Expert’ section is currently for members to our online community. We do have a promotional offer if you are interested. This would include access to expert advice (like this), plus discounts, hours of Premium videos, etc. Please feel free to take a look. You can message us right back with your question if you decide to become a member and you will have a response within 1-2 business days from our experts!
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Jessica
RV Repair Club Video Membership
I have 4 6 volt, CR-205 batteries wired in series/parallel.Other info is, A.H. Rating; 205 (20HR) and A.H. Rating; 170 (5HR). Please explain these and which one should I be using and why? My rig has a 1500 watt Xantrex converter. I have a Samsung Model RF18HFENBSR/AC refrigerator with a rated current draw of 3.0 amps. How long should my system run the refrigerator for? Thanks you!!
Bruce,
If they are 205 amp hour batteries, this is roughly how many hours they will last at 1 amp per hour. If you have more amps the number is divided by the amps, so it is no rated for 20 hours at using 10 amps. Since you have two sets of batteries in series, you will have 410 ah total. The inverter rating just means what it can handle, not what it is using. You have to go by the ratings of the components running wattage. Technically if your fridge was only pulling 3 amps you would get around 136 hours of run time but the 3 amps is mostly when the compressor is not on, this will be closer to 8-15 amps on that size fridge. It is really hard to tell how long a fridge will run because there are so many factors that come into play. It depends on how full the fridge is and what the temperature is inside of the RV and outside as well since it is by a wall. Also depends on how well insulated the RV is. It could last upwards of 5 days if it is really cold outside or closer to 2-3 days for normal operation. It could be different every trip. Most likely you would get about 3 days on 75 degree weather. This is of course if nothing else is using the batteries inside of the RV too. Again, there are many variables but these are the best calculations.
I hope this was helpful!
Sincerely,
Dan
RV Repair Club Technical Expert
Replaced inverter/charger everything works except the heaters. It is a forced air system. Cannot find a fusible link for the heaters. I have solar power in which the display states the batteries are charging and are approximately at 90%. According to the so called manual, that some systems will not work until there is sufficient charge. Question is are my heaters which are new and have been working efficiently until the converter went out. Any thoughts ? Thanks for your time.
Alex,
Voltage for furnaces to operate just has to be above 10.5VDC so if you are above this, they should be working. The furnaces will have a fuse on the main fuse panel that is fed from the converter. The only thing on the furnaces is a manual reset switch where the power wires go in and the control board. There won’t be any in-line fuses, just at the main fuse panel. You will want to start with that and check the output voltage of the fuse. You then want to check the input voltage at the furnace and the switch. Most units have the switch but there are some that just go directly to the control board so you will want to check the voltage there. This is the only way of knowing if the issue lies before the furnace or with the furnace components. You could also have an issue with the thermostat not working. Many times the thermostat shares the same voltage from the furnace so again the best place to start would be at the main fuse panel.
I hope this helps!
Sincerely,
Dan
RV Repair Club Technical Expert
all dash gages not working
Hello Dale!
Oh no! Let’s get that figured out.
Would you be able to reply back with the year, make, and model of your RV? I will then send that information to our expert!
Sincerely,
Jessica
RV Repair Club Video Membership
Everything will go back to Electricity from battery except the lights
Hi there Deana!
That sounds like an interesting issue. We’d love to help out!
The ‘Ask an Expert’ section is currently for members to our online community. We do have a promotional offer if you are interested. This would include access to expert advice (like this), plus discounts, hours of Premium videos, etc. Please feel free to take a look. You can message us right back with your question if you decide to become a member and you will have a response within 1-2 business days from our experts!
Please follow the steps below to receive the annual membership at the introductory rate:
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Jessica
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Sorry my trailer is at lake, so I don’t have all the information. But I have the larger side by side refrigerator. It cools great, but it NEVER shuts off. What causes this? Thanks in advance
Hi there Cheryl!
That’s a great question!
The ‘Ask an Expert’ section is currently for members to our online community. We do have a promotional offer if you are interested. This would include access to expert advice (like this), plus discounts, hours of Premium videos, etc. Please feel free to take a look. You can message us right back with your question if you decide to become a member and you will have a response within 1-2 business days from our experts!
Please follow the steps below to receive the annual membership at the introductory rate:
1. Click on the email link: https://go.rvrepairclub.com/c18665
2. Click on the Premium Membership offer.
3. The Checkout page will display your Premium Membership purchase.
4. Fill in your Billing Details and create an account password.
5. Fill in your debit/credit card information.
6. Finish by clicking Complete Order.
If you have any further questions, please contact Customer Service at 1-855-706-3536 at your earliest convenience, or chat with us on our site.
We greatly appreciate your business!
Sincerely,
Jessica
RV Repair Club Video Membership
When I change my converter will I need new batteries too? Or will the new converter recharge the drained ones on my RV ? I actually live in mine full time and I’m desperate my lights were dimming, batteries were low, then my ac compressor stopped kicking in so I got the parts for AC, a capacitor and jump start thingy but when I got back a couple of days later to fix AC, my fridge n stereo were dead n AC wouldn’t come on at all no fan nothing. So. Converter ordered but…I hope I don’t have to buy 2 new batteries as well. Ugh
Hey Leah!
In regards to your issue, we’d love to help! Could you please supply us with the following information:
-Year
-Make
-Model of your RV
-What you’ve already done to attempt to fix the issue
Once we have those bits of information, we’d be more than happy to forward your issue onto our experts!
Sincerely,
Jessica
RV Repair Club Video Membership
Does the pilot light on water heater work on battery or 120v dc.
Hi David. It will be 12v power to the direct spark ignition for the pilot light. If you have a manual pilot light, there is no voltage involved it is just gas only. If you have a combination electric and gas model the 12v will power everything except the heating element when electric is selected. Whenever you want to operate the water heater on gas you have to have 12v power going to the board. I hope this was helpful!
Thanks
Dan-RV Repair Club
Electrical
New to all of this for some reason I have been overheating my inverter could I be running my batteries to low do you guys just turn on the inverter when you need it and then turn it of or do you leave it on all day if the generator is on should you shut the inverter of
I’m confused on the chart of load management. What unit is the unit of average used? Is this time based? And what do you mean by wattage amps?
Hello Ed,
Sorry, yes the chart is set up a little off. The list of “average required” is the average wattage required to run the appliance. The second row is the average amps drawn by the appliance. The “wattage” should be moved over to the first row. These are based on the average range the item uses. They are different for every RV and what people put in it. An example would be smaller AC units will pull around 1400 watts and 9 amps, where larger AC’s will pull 2400 watts and 20 amps. For AC’s the amps will be higher when the compressor starts but the running amps will be lower. All of these averages are based on the different ranges components can be. To get an exact amount of what you use, you would have to check the model of everything you have and compare the watts and amps to what circuits they are on and what you RV can handle. These aren’t time based, it is based on when they are running. If you have multiple appliances on the same circuit you want to take into consideration of what wattage they pull when they are running and if you are going to run them at the same time. You can have higher draw stuff on the same circuit if you are careful not to run them at the same time. But if you want to operate them at the same time, you have to be careful not to overload the circuit. These are just averages and many things today can actually be lower than what is listed if they are energy efficient appliances.
I hope this was helpful!
Dan
RV Repair Club Video Membership
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Why does my 50 amp system keep tripping the surge guard when the two 120 legs get out of sync? I do know the sub-box I tied into does not have 4 wires from main box, so effectively g & n are wired together.
Hello Jim,
The 50 amp service uses two hot wires, 50 amps each. Make sure you are not using one 50 amp hot wire split in between the two posts on the receptacle. If there is only three wires at the box, make sure it is 2 hots and then the ground/neutral. Each leg should be out of sync since they are sharing the same neutral wire. If they were in sync, having two legs of 50 amps each, the neutral could spike at 100 amps so they have to be out of phase to prevent that from happening in RV’s and they are set to 180 degrees out of phase. I would check the wiring from the sub-panel and make sure it is set up properly for a 50 amp RV receptacle.
Thanks,
Dan
RV Repair Club Video Membership
Hi, just bought my used RV, heading to Florida Later in 2019. Concerned about heat, have a portable house air conditioner on wheels that plugs into 15 Amp and wonder if most RV sites allow using their other outlets for things like that?
Hello Carole,
It really depends on the camp ground. They all have different rules and how they charge for the power. Also depends on what they have for receptacles too. Some campgrounds charge you for what you use while most others include it in the price of the stay. Some sites might only have one receptacle while others might have more than one and options for different sizes, like 15, 30 and 50 all at the same post. I would assume if there are multiple outlets you are able to use what is there but you would want to double check with the campground first to make sure.
Thanks,
Dan
RV Repair Club Video Membership
We’d love to have you be a part of our community. We are convinced you will enjoy the benefits of becoming a member and having access to the best instructional how to videos and professional tips. We would like to offer you a special promotion for your first-year membership.
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Good Information
I would like to get a schematic on how my electrical system (converter and batteries) should be wiring for proper operation …I’m not sure the wiring is correct ..I have one deep cell and one regular battery
Charger\inverter is not operating need some help. What things should I look for.
Hello,
If I could get the make and model of your inverter that would be a big help. Most inverters don’t have repairable parts. If it has 12v going to the inverter but nothing coming out, it may need replaced. Some have a breaker that can trip that can be reset. Some have a fuse you can check but other models do not have anything that can be checked or replaced. If you are talking about the “converter” at the power distribution center, you would want to check for any fuses too. Some are on the outside, some hidden on the back and others can be separate from the center on the converter behind the wall somewhere. If you could provide some information on what model you have I would be glad to assist you in troubleshooting it.
Thanks,
Dan
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This RV is an “all electric” model, as there is no propane onboard. Hydronic heating. I think it has two Inverters to each run individual groups of circuits. I also believe that each of these Inverters are supported by their own battery bank. If I turn off one of the Inverters while not connected to shore power, will that show me what circuits that inverter runs? (due to lack of power)?
Also, my distribution panel has 4 – 30 amp breakers marked Inverter #1 or #2. Any idea why it would have 4? The Inverters are Xantrex ProSine 3.0. Thank you.
Hello Matt,
Yes, if you turn off one of the inverters while disconnected to shore power you will be able to find out what is on that particular one. You can use a circuit tester to help identify what outlets are on that circuit as well. Do you have a 50 amp shore cord? If you have a 50 amp, there will be 2 hot legs coming in and they may have split them into 2-30 amp legs. With this, you can have 30 amps on one leg and 30 amps on the other. If your shore power is only 30 amps, the whole system will share 30 amp total. Usually there is one breaker dedicated to the leg itself the other breakers to the circuits. You may have 2-30 amp legs and then a 30 amp breaker to each of the inverters for a total of 4. The inverters do have to be on their own breaker and are required to be 30 amps.
I hope this was helpful!
Dan
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I can not for the life of me locate my inverter, and there is no owners manual showing the location, I have looked in, and around the battery compartment but no inverter there just a bunch of auto leveling parts and pieces I see pictures of what it looks like but can not locate it?? Thanks Jim
Hello,
If you have a fifth wheel, I have seen them mounted on the ceiling of the large storage compartment in the front. It will have very thick wires running to the battery, the best thing to do it try to trace the wires. The inverter is usually located outside of the main living area but it could be installed by the distribution center. Since there are buttons and fuses attached to the inverter, they are typically not confined to a hidden area.
Hope this helps,
Dan
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AC has low power light and will not blow cold air.
I need help understanding how to connect the wiring in my travel trailer to my new on-demand tankless water heater. It is replacing my suburban 6 gallon water heater.
Hello Susan,
To provide more specific information on connecting your on-demand system we need the make, model, and year of your on-demand system. There are several on the market such as Truma, Girard, and Atwood.
Thanks,
David
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How does the inverter work
Hello,
An inverter takes 12-volt DC power from the house batteries and inverts it to 120-volt AC power for outlets and other appliances. Smaller inverters are used in the entertainments center to just power the outlet to the TV and DVD player. Larger inverters can power more outlets and appliance with some even running residential refrigerators on 120-volt power. However the more you power, the more battery capacity you need. These larger inverters also act as converters or chargers for the house battery bank as they have multistage charging for better conditioning and less sulfation.
Thanks,
David
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My control panel lights are always on when main disconnect is on. When unit was new ,you would have to push the switch to see all the tank levels,battery charge & lp level. Everything works fine but the light panel is always on. Is this common or will I have a problem down the line.
Hello Jack,
This is not normal, and since it did not work this way when new, somewhere you got a short in the monitor panel. Since the levels read correct, it’s probably in the switch itself staying in the closed or “connected” position. I would remove the switch and clean all the terminals or replace the switch as eventually it will burn out the lights and may create enough heat to melt some plastic component and cause more damage later?
Thanks,
David RV Repair Club Video Membership
Looking for repair and Maintenance manuals
do the back up batteries in the unit need to be unhooked in winter.irun the vehicle and generator for half an hour once a month.
Hello David,
If you have lead acid batteries, they need to have a multistage charge once a month which is a high voltage “bulk” charge (16-volts) that literally boils the acid and breaks up the sulfation and then goes into a bulk and equalizing stage charge. Running the generator once a month during storage is good, however if you do not have a large inverter/charger with the multistage charge, or a converter such as the Progressive Dynamics converters with Charge Wizard. Find out more info here: https://www.progressivedyn.com/rv/charge-wizard/
You can also install a Battery Minder available at Northern Tool which will condition batteries and break up sulfation.
Thanks,
David
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I have no power to my inverter control panel or to my inverter – have power when plugged into shoreline, and it appears that inverter is working, but control does not light up. Could it be just a bad panel?
Hello Richard,
To provide more specific troubleshooting information regarding your inverter, we need the make and model of the inverter. If you have power to all 120-volt functions when connected to shoreline power, do you have all the 12-volt functions as well such as lights, vent fans etc and all the 12-volt functions work when unplugged? If you have verified 12-volts and 120-volts coming out of the inverter since you indicated it is working, then it seems to be the control panel?
Thanks,
David RVRC Video Membership
location of converter 2005 fleetwood bounder ?
Hello John,
The location of the converter depends on the power option that was spec’d for that model and if it has an inverter/charger. Typically the 30 amp models had the converter incorporated with the distribution center, however larger models had a stand alone converter that was often times hid underneath the refrigerator or other cabinet in the kitchen area. Some were even put in the basement as they were noisy and got hot. You should be able to hear the fan running when plugged into shoreline power.
Thanks,
David RVRC Video Membership
Where do I find the Converter on this RV?
Hello Danny,
What is the year, make, and model of your RV?
Thanks
Becky RVRC Video Membership
Does any of your videos talk about older RV?
Dear David,
Thank you for contacting us. Please use our search bar on our website to look for content relating to your RV. You can also submit a question to our experts by using the chat feature on our website or clicking on the Contact Us tab at the bottom of the website.
Sincerely,
Taylar
RV Repair Club Video Membership
Having problem with my charging system and can’t seem to locate a manual.
Hi there Rhonda!
What is the year, make, and model of your RV?
Thank you!
Jessica
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Is the picture in your article correct? On the 50A plug it’s labeled 240v, but my understanding was that the hot leads in this plug are two separate in-phase 120v feeds. If this is correct, this is only 120v, not 240v. Thanks.
Hi Dave. Thank you for your feedback. I will forward this on to the proper department. We appreciate your comments.
Jean
RV Repair Club Video Membership
The 50A picture is correct. L1 to L2 is 240V, L1 to N is 120V, L2 to N is 120. This receptacle must be wired this way, and must be protected by a 2 pole 50A circuit Breaker