When your RV appliances aren’t working, it’s not always right to assume the appliance itself is broken. Many times it’s the power system that’s broken down somewhere between the source and the appliance. Using common sense RV troubleshooting methods can narrow down the possibilities, helping you to figure out exactly what kind of repairs you need.
RV distribution center troubleshooting can show whether the electrical problem is in the wiring, the outlet, or the circuit breakers, which service the electrical system that feeds into your appliance. The problem could even be at the source in the campground or storage facility. Doing the diagnosing and repair on your own can eliminate expensive repair visits, ferreting out small problems you can fix yourself.
How to Diagnose the Issue
In this video, RV maintenance and repair expert Dave Solberg walks you through the process of RV distribution center troubleshooting. You’ll learn simple methods for checking circuit breakers inside and out by using non-contact voltage testers. Specialized testers are important in checking circuits, and Dave shows you how to safely ground these testers to avoid sparking and shocks.
This video shows commonsense tips for tracking down electrical problems, including checking GFCI outlets that might trip in one room and affect the appliances they’re ganged with in another. Tracking down the power through the RV will tell you exactly where the problem resides, which may save you hundreds of dollars in bills from needless repair visits.
Starting at the Center
First things first, when you notice that an appliance or multiple appliances aren’t working, you should check that power is indeed reaching the distribution center. Use a non-contact voltage tester to ensure 110 volts are coursing in the circuit breakers by removing the panel and clamping onto a ground surface.
If all is good in the center, you should go to the appliance(s) giving you trouble. In Dave’s case, he has removed the refrigerator from its cavity to check for power at connection points and in the wiring. If power is flowing, the issue could be in the appliance itself. You can verify this by checking the status of other 110v outlets.
Next, Dave inspects power in the microwave. He says that most outlets located near water sources are ganged to a ground fault circuit interrupter. Should this be the case for your appliance, he recommends testing whether other circuits are connected. In the bedroom or bathroom, for example. On this example RV, there’s a GFCI circuit located in the bathroom. He ensures that it isn’t working before tripping it. And lo and behold, the kitchen outlet that feeds the microwave isn’t working either! So we know that these outlets are ganged, and we might have found our problem.
Next Steps
Once you’ve gone through the process of RV power converter troubleshooting and know where the issue lies in your RV’s power problem, you can begin to address it. We have a full library of videos that can help you repair and maintain your RV electrical systems, including a distribution center overview that gives you a quick rundown of the center. With Dave’s help, you’ll discover the right solution and be back up and running in no time flat!
I have a Freedom Xi xantrex 2000 inverter. When connected to shore power I cannot turn power off inverter. There is a steady green light on battery voltage. Any suggestions to resolve this would be very much appreciated!
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Hello. I have a 1998 Fleetwood Boulder it has 36.000miles when I plug it in yhe generator sounds like it’s on when ii unplug the generator turns off or nothing works
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My converter went out and as work-around I connect a 10A Noco Genius charger / maintainer to the battery. Is there any harm in just sticking with this configuration or is there a compelling reason to replace the converter? Thank you!
2012 Tiffin Phaeton, have a Magnum ME-3112 Inverter. Now experience a Inverter fault when I am stationary and connected to shore power, but start my generator to exercise it under no load condition. Obviously there is a connection of some sort that affects the inverter. Any ideas on this. Thank you. Jerry
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Sarah
RV Repair Club Video Membership
My converter charger isn’t charging the batteries. When I disconnect the negative lead from the converter charger I put the positive lead from a volt meter to the positive (input?) terminal from the converter charger and the negative volt meter lead to the disconnected negative lead from the converter charger the voltage is 13.6v… exactly what I would expect; so far so good. Reconnecting the negative lead from the converter charger to the terminal for it on the dc panel and then test the same terminals I get the battery voltage (12v or less). The converter never applies the 13.6v to the board and thus doesn’t charge the battery. Suggestions?
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Sarah
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Hello, picked up my 97 29ft majestic. I’ve come to find out that it’s a one off and a bit of a Frankenstein. As I’m attempting to remodel it I’m starting to think not much thought was put into the placement of most of the items. Such as that entire compartment above your microwave I don’t have, my power converter is under the bed etc. what I’m writing about is my unit overloads the breaker I’m docked to regularly and 1/3 times I’ll have a melted plug. There’s something not right for sure, it’s not unusual for me to smell something heating up. I recently took the front panels off the magnetek power adapter 45 amps and the fan on the bottom isn’t working. I dusted everything off figured it would be best to google.
Hello PJ,
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Sarah
RV Repair Club
Join Date: Jun 2021
Posts: 4
Electrical issue
We have a 2006 Forest River Flagstaff 27BHSS and we are having issues with the 12V power on one half of the camper. The light over the bathroom sink and bathroom light and fan, vent hood over the stove, the lights over the couch and the power awning are not working. We have checked every fuse we can find, the battery is fully charged and we cannot find what the issue is. We need some help!
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I was replacing my motor for defroster and now I have no power. Why?
Hello Dale,
We would love to answer this expert question for you but I would need the year, make, and model of your RV. Once we receive the information, we can pass it along to the experts.
Please let us know if you have any further questions
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Danesha
RV Repair Club Video Membership
Please tell me what could be wrong? My coach has good 128 volts at the terminals in the convertor – PD450060. When I lose shore power, My low voltage lights go out… Is that right or is something wrong?
Hello Charles,
We would love to answer this expert question for you but I would need the year, make, and model of your RV. Once we receive the information, we can pass it along to the experts.
Sincerely,
Danesha
RV Repair Club Video Membership
If I plug my camper into 120v everything works. When I plug my truck into the camper everything works, when I use the new fully charged camper batteries some lights come on but flash. can anyone help??????
Hello Fred,
Thank you for contacting us.
What is the year, make, and model of your RV please?
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Lindsay
RV Repair Club Video Membership
We are boon-docking at Kern River BLM. Using a Honda 2200 watt generator a 5 yr old battery. Last night we turned off the generator when we went to bed. Expected the heater and fan to work off the battery. We had lights and fan when we went to bed. In the morning all battery power was dead. Knew it was an old battery so went to town and bought a new deep cell. Connected it the same way. No battery power. Made sure the battery was charged. Ok. No battery power still. We only have electricity when generator is running. No lights or radio or fan on battery. No circuit breakers popped. No fuses blown. What’s up? Help. We’re going to the beach next weekend! Camper is Heartland Mallard 2017 32 ft.
Hello Claudia,
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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Have a 05 eclipse attitude toy hauler. My wife stays at it 2 to 3 days a week at her dad’s house. Just had a meter on pole installed and wired last Wednesday. We have 100 amp service to meter with 120 volt with 30 amp receptacle. All was good till today. The fridge and freezer always stay on, today my wife had some lights on and turned on a small ceramic space heater, on high is 1500 watts, 15 to 20 minutes everything shuts off, no power. Her Dad checked outside plug, its good, they plugged into his shop, still no power in camper. Any idea what might be going on. Thanks for any help, Darrell W.
Hello Darrell,
What is the year, make, and model of your RV? I would gladly get the question submitted after I get that additional information.
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Lindsay
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Hi we bought a Thor ACE 2018 29.3 last month. We are on the road and we have no power when the generator is off. It’s like our batteries are not storing any power.
We are getting conflicting information on our panels, it says that our batteries are full and it also reads that we have no power.
We didn’t get a good walkthrough when we bought it, they keep on saying “We don’t know what the problem is!”
Trying to get someone to check it out is impossible like two months out for an appointment.
Does anyone have any idea what we can do?
We are in Bellingham Washington.
Hi Brenda. It sounds like there is an issue with the inline safety device. There is usually a fuse or breaker inline from the battery to the fuse panel. Since everything works when using generator power the converter and fuse panel are fine so the issue is directly with the battery. The monitoring panels can sometimes be connected directly to the battery which would mean it could be saying the battery voltage is good but it may not be sending it back to the fuse panel because of a blown fuse or breaker. It could also be a bad connection as well. You will want to check all connections at the batteries and at the fuse panel. Check all fuses and breakers near the battery and at the fuse panel. Another important thing to check the is negative connection on the batteries. It will connect to the chassis framing at some point creating a ground connection. If this connection is bad it will prevent the batteries from working properly. Also check for any disconnect switches and make sure they are in the “on” position when in use. These are the most likely causes for this issue. I hope this helps!
Dan
RV Repair Club
My motorhome has something weird happening. I have power when I’m plugged in ir when the generator is running. But, when those things are off, I have no power. So, I have to be plugged into run generator to have fridge work and any lights, microwave, outlets, etc. The entire motorhome is “dark” and it shouldn’t be. We dry camped for years, so I’m wondering I’d there is a switch or something??? Its a 1990 Georgie Boy, Cruise Air 3. Thanks! – LakaMama
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Shelley
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How long can I keep a battery charger hook to my RV because I think my converter is out and everything is working now
Hello Bill!
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Jessica
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We just bought a 1998 Fleetwood Savannah fith wheel trailer. Everything was working fine and suddenly we lost power at all of the outlets , breakers and fuses look good
Hello Don!
We’d love to help!
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Jessica
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Fuse in converter keeps blowing.
Hello Patty!
We’d love to help you out with the burnt out fuse!
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Jessica
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None of the breakerswitches have tripped but I still can’t get power from my generator into my outlets inside the motor home
Hello Kerry!
Oh no! We’d love to help!
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I have a 83 Sunrader. Should I have 110 for my appliances when my vehicle is running?
Hi there Robert!
That’s a great question!
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I have a 2008 Forest River Lexington 24′ motor home. My converter is WFCO 55amp power converter. My battery is new This May 2019. I was just camping in Thousand Island’s, it had 30amp hook up, and it was Cold! I used the furnace the first night and off and on the next day. That next night it wouldn’t stay on. I shut it off. The next day in the morning it seem to work again. That night my lights were dim and the furnace once again wouldn’t work. I not sure if there is a breaker for the converter or not, and I do understand that it is likely that it isn’t charging the battery properly. I also read that you may be running too many things at the same time and the converter can’t keep up. I don’t think that is likely because I am cautious about my light use. The furnace would be the only thing running in the evening because lights are out!.. I just learning of the workings of the converter and understand it’s due process, just don’t know exactly how to figure out if it is actually running correctly. The fuses for both 12 volt and 110 volt seem to be working correctly.
Can you help with any direction?
Hi there Dawn!
We’d love to help!
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Jessica
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We have a 2011 heartland cyclone toy hauler. Our generator & everything inside runs fine until we use the microwave. After only a few seconds it kills the generator. After shutting everything off & trying to restart the generator starts but will die shortly after. When the generator is running after this happens we hear a clicking noise under the stairs when the microwave clock tries to come on & the generator eventually dies. If we unplug the microwave the generator works fine. We have replaced the battery & everything runs fine when plugged in to a hook up.
Sherry,
We definitely would love to help!
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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We have keystone Avalanche trying to hook up a 6500 generator in case electric goes out during hurt Dorian but the only thing the only thing that comes on is the a/c in bedroom nothing else no breakers are being flipped cause when we plug back into parks electric everything comes on HELP
Hey Sonia!
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
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Trying to solve a problem. Been on our second trip and the power would cut off and come back on. A/C and inside lights go off. Refrigerator and out side outlet would stay on. Any suggestions. Thank you
Hey Tom!
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
2002 Minnie Winnie, class c… Plugged into power and lost all power. fuse/breaker is good. surge protector is good and showing power. Is there a reset ? we a cannot find it.
Our 2016 impact toy hauler has two plugs that aren’t getting power. Trip to Big Bend all is fine. We get home bathroom plug and plug to main TV have no power. All other plugs are hot. Any suggestions?
Dear Joette,
Thank you for your patience. In response to your question-
The bathroom outlet should be connected to the GFCI so I would check and make sure it isn’t tripped and works fine. If the other outlets on the GFCI circuit are fine, there is most likely a problem with the connection on that outlet or the one that it feeds off of. There are usually only a few circuits for the outlets so a lot of times they feed off of each other. If there is a bad output connection on one outlet it will cause the other ones to not work properly. The same will go for the TV outlet. Before taking apart the outlets I would check the breakers and make sure nothing is tripped. You also want to check all of the connections there as well, the hot, neutral and ground wires. Most likely it is the outlet it is feeding off of though. They will sometimes cram a few output wires together and they don’t stay put well and a wire can come loose. Really removing and inspecting the outlet connections is the best thing to do. I hope this helps!
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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Dan
RV Repair Club Technical Expert
Electric
I own a 2016 Jayco Redhawk when I plug into shore power no electrical works.RV. I have an electrical problem. Using just my battery everything works. When I plug into shore power everything stops working.
Converter problems. When plug into shore power everything is fine, but when power is disconnected to dc power to the ratching relay to disconnect the batteries for storage.
Hello I have a 1985 Coachmen Van RV. I have power on the two main red and green wires that go to the battery on the right side of the fuse panel. The ones that go directly to the house battery. But I don’t seem to have any power at the fuses themselves. Inadvertently shorted out both green and red wires at the battery. Heard a whining sound that increase to a pop sound. Now no power to the furnace. But somehow have power to lights and refrigerator both plugged in and unplug from Shore power. Even though I don’t seem to be getting power at the fuses themselves? Totally confused no power under any circumstances to furnace those are the only 12 volt electrical appliances. Also have AC unit works fine plugged in. Totally confused how I can have no power at the fuses but some appliances work anyway. Totally confused trying to get my furnace to work when it works before I shorted out house battery wires with sure power connected to inverter.
Dear James,
Thank you for your patience. In response to your question-
There could be a couple areas that could have the issue. It is possible the fuse panel was damaged itself. When checking the fuse panel, connect the negative lead to the negative wire coming from the battery. Then use the positive to check the terminals on the fuse holders, on each side when a fuse is plugged in. If there is no voltage to the furnace fuse terminal then the fuse panel itself has an internal failure and would need replaced. If there is voltage there but not at the furnace you would want to inspect the furnace. If the AC and furnace run off of the same thermostat, that is a good thing. The furnace gets the 12v power from the thermostat. You would want to check the furnace itself next. There is an on/reset switch on the furnace where the wires are coming into it. This switch will also trip if there is a short or high amp draw going to the furnace. See if it has tripped into the “reset” position and set it back to on. If this switch is OK, check the voltage at the furnace board. There could be a problem with the board itself. Tracing the voltage loss one component at a time is the best thing to do. You said there was no voltage at the fuse itself so I would double check and make sure that is accurate before proceeding to anything else. Again, if there is not output voltage to the fuse and everything else is still working the fuse panel could still be bad. You could temporarily move the wire connection from the furnace at the fuse panel and switch it to another fuse and see if it turns on. This will tell you for sure that the fuse panel has a faulty terminal spot. I hope this helps!
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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Dan
RV Repair Club
I have a 2001 Keystone Montana 5th wheel. We cannot find the battery.
I have a 2001 Keystone Montana 5th wheel. We are having problems with the power and cannot find the Battery to check it. If anyone knows where it is located, I would be forever gratful
Dear Patricia,
Thank you for your patience. In response to your question-
On 5th wheels the battery is usually located in the front or side storage compartments. If it is not there, I would check under the stairs and underneath the rest of the RV. Some manufactures would put them in a box that is mounted to the frame and can only be accessed by crawling underneath the unit. It has to have ventilation to the outside, so if in a compartment it would have to have a vent. If there are no vented compartments, it is most likely under the stairs or mounted on the frame underneath. I hope this helps!
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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Dan
RV Repair Club Technical Expert
2002 Damon Class A. Everything was working fine this past weekend. We had to use electric heaters along with our furnace. Came home, plugged the RV in and I set up our heaters cause of the cold temps we had. Well, I plugged one into our bathroom into the GFCI outlet. The other, in the main area, in the dinette outlet (this too is on the GFCI line) Ran fine. Check in the morning and both heaters were dead. I had no power to ANY of the GFCI line outlets. Replaced the GFCI, and still no power. Beakers are fine, converter and inverter are fine, we have power to all NONE GFCI outlets, both A/C’s work fine. On the GFCI outlet, I have NO power going to the top or one line, and only 11v AC going to the bottom. Rest all have 120v AC. What is going on??? I’m lost to find the issue.
In a 2004 keystone laredo, just arrived in New Orleans from Orlando fl, where everything worked fine. I’ve been here four days. 30 amp. Suddenly my 12v amenities are flickering while my 120v fan & heater will wane for the split second that the 12v’s flick. What’s happening?? It’s very windy and there was rain earlier, but….?
No ac power
My 50 amp system doesn’t work, when I use the parks 30 plug, I get power. Is this something in my Solitude or the park power supply?
Elx-45 converter giving audible alarm
We have a 1998 Jakyko Eagle 12 SO, when hooked to power supply the outlets work but when we try to plug in the battery the only thing that comes in is the carbon monoxide detector. The deep cell battery is fully charged and I replace the 4 car type fuses and the color units are all up and appear fine. What should we try next?
When I plug the camper into electric, the lights and fridge settings are flickering and pulsating.
1996 sunrise i am trouble with the power converter box is hot and it makes a clicking sound and it never shuts off unless i turn the bedroom curcuit breaker off. The outlets in the bedroom always work but the rest of the outlets in the rv work when they feel like it. Can you tell me why the coverter box is getting hot and making noise.
simple question? on my 20 yr old Coleman fleetwood pioneer pop up, I have a voltage drop between my battery at 12.5V and the wire going in to the converter (10 feet of wire away) at 9.5V? I found this while trying to fix my interior lights which don’t work while switched to battery. (everything works while on AC feed) . I suspect a converter replacement required there (B-W manufacturing series 6400A model 6409). Is the voltage drop a sign of a bad ground?
I have a 2001 Horse trailer with a factory conversion. For the past 17 years it has operated normally in all aspects, Recently while towing I received a warning from the truck that there is a wiring fault and the trailer is disconnected. Although the marker lights, brake lights, etc are all functioning. When I disconnected the trailer from the truck the marker lights were still on. I suspect drawing from the onboard
12 volt battery. The lights finally went out when the battery ran down. When I connect the 120 V ckt, I get all the running lights, etc. when I should not. At this point I’m not sure where to start. Any recommendations?
Non contact voltage sensor unreliable. So is your other fisher price/sesame street voltage tester. Buy a meter and don’t instruct anyone on electrical issues anymore. Get someone hurt or cause them to damage equipment or start a fire.
We have a 2016 Puma RLIS. We were having issues with our AC not working properly so switched over from 30 amp to 50 amp extension cord. Now our outside outlet and outlets on the island aren’t working. How do I visually determine if we have blown a fuse?
I have a 2018 Heartland Fuel 305, my 30 amp fuse is tripping when running generator. Appliances on are AC, ceiling fan, radio, lights and skillet. That should be a standard load. later while cleaning after camping, AC and water pump tripped the breaker. How do I prevent this?
My ac was working one min and then its like we are not getting any elec.to it but we are pluged in to generater
The lights in our trailer work when it’s plugged into power, but won’t work when we are unplugged. My husband says the batteries are working, because the pop out will go in and out when we are not plugged in. Any ideas why this would be?
We have purchased a 2005 Fleetwood Mallard 180CK that we are “rehabbing.” I have had it checked by an RV dealer/repair shop which said the electrical system checked out, have talked to two other shops who offered various possibilities, none of which have panned out, and still experience the problem intermittently.
I’ll describe the problem and provide any amplifying details I have. When we brought the trailer home, it was connected to 30 AMP service at the house that I had installed for a welder prior to the trailer purchase. I know that it provides the rated amperage. The problem has also occurred when connected to the post at campgrounds. We have had the trailer plugged in for extensive periods, weeks at the house, but only hours at the campgrounds, when the problem has arisen. Everything was working fine, A/C on, interior lights, refrigerator, and small TV, when the fault indicator on the CO detector began chirping and then steadily alarming. Switching various lights or the refrigerator off would silence the alarm, but when turned back on, the alarm would sound again. I unplugged and reconnected the cord from the post numerous times without success. After leaving the power unplugged for several hours, I was able to plug it back in and everything worked normally for two more days until we departed the campground or weeks at the house. Our surge protector, Surge Guard 44260, normally shows three green LEDs during these episodes, although once, it did indicate reverse polarity when first reconnected to the house service. I have not found anything unusual at the control panel, but I do suspect that the converter has been replaced, and by someone who may not have known what they were doing. I say this because the converter was accessed by hacking through the wood on the side of its compartment instead of through the distribution center, and the Molex connector has electrical tape wrapped around it.
The shop that physically checked the trailer said that everything worked correctly for them and that it was because the battery was disconnected. As I understand, the battery is not necessary when the trailer is plugged in, so this didn’t make sense to me. I suspect that everything worked correctly for them, as it has for us at times, and they just reconnected the battery, which is a brand new marine model. Another, that I’d only spoken with, suggested that the converter had failed, but then said they’d never heard of one failing, then coming back on. The last one I spoke with suggested that it might be an external circuit added by a previous owner. This circuit is to several external lights and is connected directly to the positive battery terminal, interrupted by a 12V automotive switch, and grounded to the frame. The circuit does not presently work, but I have not done any troubleshooting on it.
Lastly, and I only include this because I know water and electricity don’t mix, the trailer experienced significant water damage to the front bulkhead, but I did not find any water damage to the converter compartment. The solid copper grounds, from the converter, in the rear storage compartment, do have corrosion on them due to water entering that compartment as well. All leaks have been fixed, a new roof installed, etc., and this problem has not been noticed only when it was raining.
Please provide any help that you may be able to.
Thank you,
Hello Ed,
There are a lot of “gremlins” in this scenario that will take physically examining each and every component! First I would suspect your CO detector operates off 12-volt DC power from the house batteries since it will sound the alarm but go off when items are shut down and the batteries are allowed to recharge? Next you indicated there is a new “Marine” battery installed? My guess is the battery is probably a discount store battery that is not sufficient for the power demands of an RV? Probably a group 24 with limited amp hours and is probably already gotten sulfation on the plates due to improper charging? Deep cycle batteries need to be charged with a multistage charge every month or sulfation will form on the plates and not provide the energy storage they were designed for. If you do not have an inverter with this capability, your conventional converter/charger will recognize the battery is at 10.5 volts and throw a 13.6 volt charge to the battery until it reaches 12.6 volts and shut off. If the battery is sulfated, it will draw down to 11-volts very quickly which would make the CO detector chirp. Shutting off other lights and such will allow the battery to regenerate somewhat which is why the CO detector shuts off.
Since you are “rehabbing” I would suggest getting a new battery or 2 batteries that are Group 27 and GOOD! Winnebago is using Napa Deep Cycle batteries as the lead plates are thicker, welds are more secure, and they last! There are a ton of cheap batteries being sold as Marine/RV that you should stay away from! Reputable brands are Trojan, Lifeline, NAPA, US Battery, or Optima if going with AGM. Then replace the converter! Go with Progressive Dynamics and their “Charge Wizard” technology chargers/converters that will condition the battery or get a Battery Minder at Northern Tool.
Thanks,
David
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I have a 2018 Thor Freedom Elite, when connected to shoreline power there is no problems and the inverter says about 13.6. When off shore power the inverter just shows 3 red lines and the red light is on for fault. The battery used to charge when the car is running but now its just blank as well.
Hello Matt,
To provide more specific troubleshooting information on your inverter
issue we need the make, and model of the inverter. It sounds as
though you have an issue on the inverter side or even the batteries?
When you are connected to shoreline, the converter or charger is running
and showing you the 13.6 volts as your batteries should only be at
12.6? Does your inverter have a reset switch that might have gotten
tripped? If you have checked these out, I would get your
batteries checked first and then the inverter as this should all be under
warranty?
Thanks,
David RVRC Video Membership
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Just bought a 2008 Winnebago destination…..while boondocking and not using generator we can’t get invertor to work…green in light is “on” …no breakers tripped…everything points to it should be working…..any ideas?
Hello Angela,
To provide more specific troubleshooting information on your inverter issue, we need the make and model of the inverter. I would start by using a multimeter and check the condition of the batteries. They need to be 12.6 Volts, then check the voltage coming into the inverter to make sure there isn’t an issue with a Battery Isolator Manager (BIM) or other solenoid? Then you should be able to measure voltage coming out which evidently is 0? With the brand and model number we should be able to research if it has a reset sequence as well.
Thanks,
David RVRC Video Membership
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Hello
I have a 1991 vagabon 32 foot travel camper. Everything was running fine we are hooked up to a generator we also have a battery on board to use when the generator is off we took off the battery the other day to bring it into the house to charge. Assuming there would be no problem with that 5 hours later when we were turned the heater was not working but the outlets were. After troubleshooting we found that plugging the battery back in worked. But then the battery died and the heater stopped again. How do I specifically test the converter itself? I’m assuming the converter is bad but all looks well inside. Did I burn up the converter having it run so many 12 volts options without a battery?
Hello Ravan,
I doubt you burned up the converter, rather the battery is required to create a circuit for the 12-volt system? When you are plugged into a 120-volt shoreline connection the converter will sense when the battery goes below 10.5 volts and charges the battery at 13 volts until it reaches 12.6 volts at which time it shuts down. When you remove the battery and nothing works, it indicates the converter is only connected to the battery and now you have an open circuit? Some models are wired so the converter can still provide 12-volts to the system without the battery, however it does not appear this is the case with yours? You should be able to use a multimeter on the battery and plug the system in and see it raise from current charge to a higher voltage coming from the converter.
Thanks,
Becky RVRC Video Membership
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My inverter fan keeps cycling from high to low speed, is this normal?
Hello Rick,
To provide more specific troubleshooting information on your inverter fan
cycling, we need the make, model, and year of your inverter. I’m
sure it has an internal temperature sensor that is hitting a hot and cool
point?
Thanks,
David RVRC Video Membership
i am not getting any dc power to power my inside lights from my battery- it is new and so is the converter. yes i do get power from shore power, not from battery
Hello Doug,
Do you have DC power to any other interior appliance? The house battery/batteries provide 12-volt DC power to not only the interior lights, but the roof vents, stove top spark assembly, refrigerator module board, furnace, and water heater. When you are plugged into shoreline power, the 120-volt power goes to the distribution center and then to a converter which provides 12-volt DC power to the components through automotive type fuses. Have you checked the fuses? I would first verify 12-volt DC power at the battery, then to the distribution center and each fuse. You may have a battery disconnect switch that is over ridden when plugged into shoreline?
Thanks,
David RVRC Video Membership
We just purchased an ’85 Pace Arrow. We have been trying to get it in shape to travel but… the latest trick is for nothing to work electrically. When hooked to residential power all that is available is the lighting. All 3 batteries are new and installed correctly. Engine won’t start, no juice. The power converter appears dead. At one point the refrigerator turned on but only briefly. The water pump worked yesterday but not today. I think I need a new power converter but the unit by Progressive is no longer produced. Any tips, anything else I should try before I try to change out the unit?
Hello John,
You have several things that could be going on here both 12-volt and
120-volt electrical. The first thing you need to do is spend some
time with the owner’s manual and our videos on what components work in
12-volt and the ones that are 120-volt electrical before swapping out
the power center. When you are connected to a residential source
which you indicated, you are probably downsizing to a 10 amp or 15 amp
residential plug in which will provide limited 120-volt power and you will
run the risk of tripping the residential breaker. Your ’85 Fleetwood
Pace Arrow needs 30 amp power to run the roof air conditioner, the
refrigerator and power the converter which charges the batteries.
When plugged into a 120-volt/30 amp outside power source, 120-volt power
is provided to the distribution center with circuit breakers just
like your home for the 120-volt appliances such as the outlets, roof air
conditioners, and refrigerator on the “electric” mode of operation.
If you are plugged into a reliable 120-volt/30 amp source and nothing is
working, then you need to verify the circuit breakers are not tripped
and working properly. There are several videos on this
procedure, however the easiest is to use a non-contact voltage tester
after the circuit breaker.
120-volt power is also provided to the converter which is a 12-volt
charger that charges the house batteries to supply 12-volt power to the
lights, vent fans, and module boards for appliances that run on LP such as
the stove top, water heater, and others. The three batteries you
referred to are probably 2 6-volt batteries connected in series that are
deep cycle and are the house batteries and the third is an automotive
battery designed for starting the engine. You may also have a
battery disconnect that is off which is usually located in the entrance
step area?
I would suggest spending some time going through the tutorials on the site
regarding operation of the batteries and appliances, then visit the
troubleshooting 12-volt batteries. Then, find a campground with
120-volt/30 amp service and walk through the operations and I believe you
will find things working better. Not to say you don’t have issues
with the converter or other operations, but we need to get the batteries
properly charged and an appropriate 120-volt source to start with.
Thanks,
David RVRC Video Membership
I accidentally ran the microwave in my 1990 fleetwood pace arrow, while my air conditioner was on. It was on generator power. Now neither the microwave nor the air conditioner will turn on. Also, none of the plugs will work. Not even to charge a phone. Weve checked all the fuses and circuit breaker, everything seems fine except for one fuse. It was a 15 and said it was fir the aux starter. We put a new fuse in it and the fuse tester is not lighting up green. Im not sure what to do. I dont know how to fibd the converter or anything like that. We are just running the generator and battert.
Hi Shae. A couple of things could have happened, first the generator probably has 2 lines coming off the generator, one going to the distribution center, the other to a back air conditioner if so equipped? There should be 2 circuit breakers on the generator itself for these two lines, check those first. Next, you will have a main circuit breaker on the distribution center that shuts off all 120-volt power inside the coach and then individual circuit breakers for 120-volt appliances and outlets. You should physically turn each of these off and then on to get the “click” rather than just visually check them. I would also recommend using a multi-meter to verify power coming off them. Then, check in the kitchen or bathroom for the GFCI outlet. Typically there will be one in the RV usually in the kitchen or bathroom but several other outlets such as the microwave outlet and others will be “ganged” to that outlet but will not have the test/reset button so people don’t know they are connected. I would suspect the GFCI outlet has tripped and they are all dead? Hit the test button and the reset button to see if you get power. If not, then you have something wrong with the distribution center.
Thanks
Dave-RVRC
We have a 33ft. 2004 Keystone Hornet travel trailer which has been permanently parked in a campground since we purchased it in 2004. We use it about 5 months during the summer and winterize it for the winter, disconnecting the battery and storing it at home in a warm, dry basement. This season, I have noticed that the DC lights are dimmer than they ever have been. I’ve also noticed that for example, plugging in and using a blow dryer, the DC lights brighten. Any idea what the problem might be? Do we need a new battery? Thanks for your help.
Hi Dianne. It’s good you are taking the batteries out for the winter, however if you are not using a multistage charger to charge and condition them while they are in the basement, they will become sulfated and lose energy storage capacity. Thus the dimmer lights. I would recommend getting a Battery Minder from Northern Tool which will connect to the batteries and send high impact waves into the battery and not only charge, but condition them and they will last longer and hold a charge longer. You should also use this at the camper while connected for the summer as your typical converter will not have the multistage charge and your batteries will sulfate. I would suggest getting the Battery Minder and try it for a few months to see if your battery comes back to a better operating capacity, if not, you will need a new battery. Another item I would install is LED lights as they will draw 10 times less battery power and your battery will again last longer!
Not sure why your lights get brighter when you use the blow dryer since it uses 120-volts from a completely separate source, unless you are not plugged in to shoreline and when you do to use the blow dryer the lights get brighter which means the converter has kicked on and charging the batteries…brighter lights.
Thanks
Dave-RVRC
We have a 2005 Attitude Eclipse FK-19 TH. I started seeing an issue with the radio about a year ago (couple years after we bought the trailer). The original radio would not turn off but would also do nothing else. We purchased a Pioneer unit and wired it in both according to the old wiring diagram and the Pioneer one (they were the same).When I’m hooked up to my truck the radio works fine. If I go to “Shore Power” the radio will not work and the yellow (Keep alive) power fuse holder glows orange and gets extremely hot. The fuse doesn’t blow however which has me somewhat stumped. My batteries won’t hold a charge however, when on battery the radio plays fine. Seems to me something is putting 120 vac on the yellow wire but not blowing the fuse has me stumped. And, why only on shore power and not on straight dc?
This is a good one. I have a 2005 Attitude Eclipe fk-19 toyhauler. My problem started about a year ago when the factory radio would not shut off but no sound would come out. We replaced it with a new Pioneer unit and wired it up exactly like the original. My wife is a Micro mini soldering tech so we used the original plugs and wired all the wires in exactly like the old one (they were the same). The radio works fine when I’m on the umbilical from the truck (12vdc) however, when plugged into “shore power” the yellow (keep alive 12 vdc) fuseholder will glow orange, get extremely hot and the radio does nothing. My batteries are shot so I’m getting new ones soon. Oh and the fuse DOESN’T blow, it just gets really hot.
We have a Frigidaire Galley refrigerator in our rv. It’s only 2 years old. We had computer board and inverter replaced 8 days ago because it wasn’t getting cold. It stopped working again today. I’m at my wits end!!! We’re traveling and can’t find people to come out. I’m tired of spending money on this. Is there anything we could check ourselves???
I have a 2009 Forest River Wildcat Travel Trailer that is parked year round at RV park place, with a 30amp service. the problem I’m having is my converter malfunction this going to be my fourth replacement if I buy another one the battery slowly goes down and the furnace goes slow and the lights dims inside the RV and when I turn on the microwave or the electric heater the converter kicks in again what do you think the problem is can you please solve this problem I would greatly appreciated
Hi, James. If this is your fourth converter replacement, you need to stop swapping parts and find the problem! My first question is what symptoms did you experience initially that caused the first converter replacement? The only thing the converter does is charge the batteries which is on the 12-volt DC side so turning on the microwave or the electric heater should have nothing to do with it? I don’t think your problem is the converter, rather your batteries? Lead acid batteries must be charged every month with a multistage charge that is a high voltage initial (Bulk) charge that boils the acid and breaks up sulfation, then an equalizing and float charge. If you don’t have the large 2000W inverter, just plugging in all the time will not properly charge the batteries and they will sulfate and go bad in a very short time frame. To check your converter, use a multimeter and place the probes on the positive and negative post of the battery. Plug the unit in or start the generator and see if it goes from 12.5V up to 14V or more. My suggestion, get a Battery Minder from Northern Tool instead of the archeic converter and just shut off the existing one and use the Battery Minder which will condition your batteries and last much longer.
I’m having the same problem. It appears that my converter does not always engage when plugged into shore power. If the battery is disconnected I don’t always have DC, yet when powering up an appliance that’s plugged into an AC outlet, the DC returns. If I turn the appliance off, the DC drops out. The converter eventually engages although it takes numerous attempts with disconnecting and reconnecting the battery and turning appliances on and off. Any further ideas?
I am replacing the radio in my 2010 Rockwood TT. For some reason I am not getting a constant 12 VDC on the wire coming from the converter to the radio location. There is a red light at the location of the 15 amp fuse in the panel that glows when connected to the tester to read voltage. This is the same wire the previous radio was connected to before removal. My thought is the red light would glow when the fuse / circuit would be open. What am I missing
Hi, Larry. Thank you for visiting the RV Repair Club site and the opportunity to assist with your radio issue. What you are describing is a similar distribution center we worked on for the videos on a 2014 Raptor which has automotive style “plug in” fuses for all the 12-volt components and an indicator light the lights up if the fuse is blown which would be the “open” you indicated. If that light is on, 12-volt power is not going through the fuse to the connecting wire and ultimately the radio? Take a test light and ground the alligator clip to a metal component on the distribution center and touch each metal point of the top of the fuse. The light should come on both sides, if not, the fuse or wiring is bad.
I have a 2003 Thor Wanderer Lite Travel Trailer and I have lived in it full time for the last 4 years. I have been plugged into a 30 amp outlet at an RV park thats been around for 40 years. About 2 years ago my electricity started turning off and on alot when it was raining or moist outside, mainly during the night while not much was turned on. After several power surges my refrigerator, stereo and 1/2 my lights stopped working. Occasionally during the next year they would suddenly pop back on usually during the middle of the night (the stereo would come on at full blast volume). I would turn the volume down to mute and then turn it off. A while later it would happen again….full volume. This would happen several times during the night. The next day these items would stop working again. Every few months this repeats again. A couple months ago my electricity kept turning itself off and on again but more often. Several times an hour and when on my lights are continuously flickering. Then 2 weeks ago the prongs on my plug melted in the outlet. The park replaced the oulet and I had a new plug end put on. Now my electricity turns off for hours at a time and then will turn itself back on for a brief moment, but then shuts off again. I don’t know about my battery since I thought being plugged into electricity was all I needed. I am a senior woman who lives alone on a limited budget. I don’t know what to do next. Does it sound like a converter issue, battery, electrical wiring or a bad outlet?
Hi, Nora. Thanks for visiting the RV Repair Club site and the opportunity to assist with your electrical issue. Electric power turning on and off, issues when it rains, and prongs melting in the outlet are all serious issues that need to be addressed by a qualified technician. It’s not acceptable to just put a new end on a cord and replace the outlet…something is wrong and the campground needs to verify proper voltage, amps, and wiring to every location. What typically happens at the older campgrounds is larger rigs come in needing more power and the campgrounds do not upgrade which causes these issues.
My dc power goes off after 5 minutes
Hi, John. We would be happy to assist you; we just need some more information. What is the make/model/year of your RV?
we have a 2014 coachman cross country class a rear diesel. when we plug into shoreline we get 120 volts everywhere as well as control panel reading. however, when we plug it into the Honda generator we get 120 everywhere EXCEPT the control panel reads only 65 volts. Any ideas on cause?
Hi Trent. Thanks for visiting the RV Repair Club site and the opportunity to assist with your electrical issue. I’m not exactly sure what reading you are getting 120-volts from on a “Control Panel”? How are you reading 120-volts everywhere else, multi-meter, am-watt, or digital monitor? Typically a coach of this size is 50 amp so if you connect to shoreline power you have 2 legs that provide 120-volts to each side. What size is your Honda generator? I would guess your genset is too small to provide power to a 50 amp coach? Most of the surge protectors such as the Surge Guard will show voltage on the display. This could be the pigtail version at the plug in, or a permanently mounted protector inside the electrical compartment?
Hi my wife and I just bought a 2016 StarCraft Launch Ultralite 21BS. My question is does this come with a built in surge protector or do I need to buy a aftermarket one and where would I install it at. Thanks Gary
Hi Gary. Thanks for visiting the RV Repair Club site and the opportunity to assist with your surge protection question. Your Starcraft comes standard with a 30 amp distribution center and minimal surge protection through common circuit breakers and 12-volt fuses. This does not protect against low voltage as well, therefore I would recommend getting an aftermarket protector such as Surge Guard or Smart Surge from Progressive Dynamics.
Hi Gary. Thanks for visiting the RV Repair Club site. Typically your rig comes with a standard distribution center that would have circuit breakers for the 120-volt systems and automotive type fuses for the 12-volt systems. To get a true “Surge Protection” you would need to add an aftermarket product such as Surge Guard and others by Progressive Dynamics.
I have a 1994 Winnebago Brave with a Magnetek Power Plus model 6345 converter. Recently, I heard the cooling fan running louder than normal and now I don’t hear it at all. Is the replacement of the cooling fan something an owner should try to repair?
Hi, Steven. Thanks for visiting the RV Repair Club site and sorry about the issue with your converter fan. Magnetek does not recommend replacement of just the cooling fan on the older models such as your ‘94 Brave. I would recommend upgrading to the newer digital model which will provide a cleaner power source, runs cooler, and is much quieter. We did a replacement in a ‘92 Itasca Suncruiser which would be probably be the same model. There is an overview video in the electrical section.
Holy cosince data batman. Lol!
We have a 2009 Forest River Salem Travel Trailer that is parked year round at a resort wtih 30 amp service. The problem we are having is that our ceiling fans will run for maybe 5 minutes and then stop. The wall switch gets hot when the fan is running on high for the 5 minutes, running them on low they will keep running but the switch gets warm. Also, the AC when running on high trips the breaker switch, running on low it will keep going. We have a four slice toaster and that will not toast properly when using all four and if we have our griddle plugged in it will hardly toast at all, so we unplug the griddle to make toast. And our microwave does not seem to putting out the power it should. We put in a new battery last year so that was fully charged. The fans are DC I believe. When I put a meter in the kitchen outlet and turn on the toaster the voltage drops. Shouldn’t the AC outlets work pretty much like in a house? I checked the voltage at the post and it seemed ok with no load. Not sure what to do. It is really hard to get the rv guys out there to look at it as we did not buy the camper from them and they serve the buyers first. Could this have something to do with the converter or maybe where the power cord comes into the camper? Thanks
Hi Gary. Thanks for visiting the RV Repair Club site and the opportunity to assist with your power requirement issues. The first thing you need to do is identify what components operate on 120-volt power and what draws from the 12-volt DC system. Next, what Amp draw you are getting from each appliance and component. This can be done using a multimeter or purchase a device called “Kill-o-Watt” from your local hardware or home renovation store. Plug in your toaster, microwave, and any other appliance you might be running. Larger microwave ovens can draw as much as 10 amps and toaster are “amp hogs” drawing just about as much. The roof AC in your unit can draw up to 14 amps at peak and your converter is probably drawing 6-9 amps trying to keep the batteries charged! You need to calculate what items are running such as the refrigerator (4-10 amps), television (2-4 amps), and anything else like clocks, computers etc. If the wall switch is getting hot after 5 minutes running your ceiling fan, I suspect it’s running on 120-volt power, not 12-Volt DC? It sounds like you’re running a higher demand than the 30 amps provided by the campground source, which is another place I would test. Use a multimeter or simple analog electric tester and make sure you are getting 120 volts from the campground source. I’ve seen some that drop down below 100 volts when several spots are plugged in at the same time. This will also cause similar issues.
I have the older model electrical box. My circuit breakers are all on. The fuses appear to be fine. My lights throughout the trailer are very dim and the exhaust fans are running slow. My husband who is away at the time says the batteries may not be being charged from the converter box. If so, what do I do to check this and how would I go about ordering and replacing this? Thanks.
Hi, Dianna. Thanks for viewing the RV Distribution Center Troubleshooting video and posting the question regarding your low 12-volt power issue. Your husband is probably right, the batteries are not getting charged properly which could be due to the converter, low voltage coming from the campground, and even weak batteries that will not accept a charge? It could even be a situation where you are using too many 12-volt operated items at one time for the converter to keep up. First we need to know the make, model, and year of your RV so we can identify the size of distribution center and how big the actual converter is. Then next step would be to verify there is 120-volts coming into the RV from the outside source. If you have low voltage (110-volt or less) it will not keep up. Are you connected to a 30 amp power source? If you are connected to a residential plug in, they are typically only 15 amp and by the time you run a roof AC at 10-14 amps, the refrigerator at 6-10 amps, and other appliances, there isn’t anything left to charge the batteries. And the last thing I would check is the condition of the batteries. Check the fluid levels and have them tested, if they are sulfated or there is a cell shorted out, you’ll experience this problem as well. Unfortunately there isn’t a quick solution to low battery power other than pulling out a mulitmeter and testing the 120-volt electrical coming in, the draw used in the coach, the voltage going to the batteries from the converter, and the condition of the batteries with a digital battery tester. In the mean time, try turning some of the appliances off and limit your 12-volt usage. Another option would be installing LED lights that draw about 10 times less power? Good luck and hope things get “brighter” for you down the road.
Diana, get a cheap multimeter (Harbor freight 5$) and check the converter output.
RVIA says a properly working converter needs to show a minimum .5 volt rise at the converter.
Also, check all of your 120 volt circuit breakers (they look kind of like switches), make sure they’re all on.
Then, check all the 12 volt fuses (they’re small, plastic and colored)
Replace any blown fuses, (visually verify they’re blown or get a cheap fuse tester)
Lastly, check the batteries a properly working converter should run the entire 12 volt system even without a battery (though it’s not recommended due to the tendency of converters to let transient AC voltage through, the battery acts like a “filter”). Dirty batteries can seriously impede the charging circuit and can and will draw voltage directly off the battery.
Good luck.