Electric issue

[skiatom]

I have a 97 Fleetwood Bounder. I cannot get the Refrigerator to cycle to AC, and the air conditioners will not come on when I am plugged in to shore power. When I run the generator, the air works, but the refrigerator stays on gas. Also the heater wants to run even though it is not on. I have an Intellitec Master Control unit 00-00591-200. When I start the generator, I hear the transfer switch click. Any ideas?

[Jim]

skiatom wrote:
Well, found the source of my electric issue. Bad extension cord. Relocated RV to location closer to pole and used different cord. All back to normal, except the fridge. I will just run it on propane for my trip, then fix it over the winter. Thanks a lot Jim@HiTek. Your guidance has been invaluable!

You are very welcome. Hope every problem you have from now on is as easy to solve. BTW, I did have that same problem years ago. Bad extension cord. One day it was fine, the next, it open circuited. Took a bit of head scratching before figuring it out.

The refer problem is likely the heater as they tend to be the high failure item but remember there's also a fuse and relay involved on the control board, which is behind the refer (under the outside vent cover). There are 2 black wires that come from the chimney...that's the heater. And usually they can be pulled off wire terminals at the control board. The other red wire heading to the chimney is the spark/thermocouple device. With power off, check for resistance on the two heater wires. I suspect it will be under 10 ohms or so. If your meter reads OL or similar, it's an open circuit.

Good luck! Happy travels.

[skiatom]

Well, found the source of my electric issue. Bad extension cord. Relocated RV to location closer to pole and used different cord. All back to normal, except the fridge. I will just run it on propane for my trip, then fix it over the winter. Thanks a lot Jim@HiTek. Your guidance has been invaluable!

[skiatom]

Will do. Will check over shore power issues this weekend.

[Jim]

That's good to hear. Make sure you check the grounds too. Those connect to the frame and often are exposed to road water and salts so can tend to rust and corrode along with the terminals right on the batteries.

Remember to take a picture or make a drawing of the battery wiring if you're going to continue with the battery maintenance at this point (suggested).

But all that battery stuff wouldn't have anything to do with the 120 Volt circuits (shore power). The shore power comes into the house at the transfer switch, through the Normally Closed contacts of that big relay and routes to the Circuit Breaker panel. From there to all the house circuits. No battery power involved.Take all the batteries out of the rig, and it'll still have TV.

So keep us posted about what you find with the shore power issue.

[skiatom]

Well Jim@HiTek, looks like you nailed the problem with your suggestion about the battery issue. I have 2 6 volt batteries set up for 12 volt. There was corrosion at the connections. Cleaned the cable ends with sand paper then plugged the converter into my house outlet overnight. Power off on my 30 amp cord. This morning I turn on the 30 amp and all back to normal.

The fridge still runs only on gas, so I think I do have a bad electric heating element. But I can live with it running on propane until I can afford to fix it.

Heater is silent too!

Thanks for your help!

[wa8yxm]

Skiatom. You sure got that straight....
I've written many posts on many subjects. been published in several areas including part of a Medical Textbook (I have an Associates degree is all so that last is kind of scary) but I do a LOT of personal research.

I do have a tendency to give people more credit than I should on occasion.
Thanks for the reminder.

[skiatom]

Thanks Jim@HiTek. Think I have updated my profile as per your suggestions. I have a buddy coming over this weekend who has the equipment to test with as you recommended. Thanks for your help!

wa8yxm: Thanks for the info. I knew I had 30 amp, but on forums, always assume you are dealing with the lowest common denominator! 🙂

[wa8yxm]

Is your rv 30 or 50 amps two ways to tell.

1: Master 120 volt breaker box. Look for the MAIN breaker. the answer is printed on it, also if they are 50's there should be two ganged together 30 will have only one MAIN

2: Look at the shore plug 30 amp is 3 wire (Two flat and a round safety ground)

Round pin may be D or U shaped

50 amnp has 4 wires (3 flats and a safety ground as above)

It's that easy to tell

NOTE: THis is the 120 volt side of life. Now some have asked "How can I have a 55 amp converter on a 30 amp RV

The answer is 30 apples and 55 oranges the 55 amnps is on the 12 volt side. Within limits the two have very little to do with other

[Jim]

Still don't know if you have a 30 amp rig or a 50 amp rig. Having that kind of basic knowledge helps us help you. Consider putting some basic info in your signature. Like the Bounders age, length, whether it's a gas or diesel, and if it has slides.

If it's a 30 amp rig, we've been through a long period of hot weather. A 30 amp power head on the end of your shore power cord is the first thing I'd check. They do open circuit after overheating for weeks at a time. While inspecting that, I'd look at the 30 amp power socket. How's it look? Then I'd measure the voltage.

If that was good, then I'd head to the power compartment where the power cord enters the RV and if there's a junction box, open it up and check that the wire nuts are nice and tight and none of them are melted. Then plug everything in and measure the voltage right there.

If that's good, then I'm afraid you'll have to pull the transfer box and check in there for loose or open circuit wires, a bad relay (available at Amazon), broken terminals, or loose terminals because that's exactly where the power goes. The power wires from the genset meet up in there and ALSO attach to the transfer relay, just like the incoming shore power. When the genset runs, it actuates the transfer switch so it closes and routes the genset power to the RV. When you're on shore power, the transfer switch just sits there, but the contacts are closed to allow shore power to the rig's Circuit Breaker panel.

Guess what...every equipment test I've mentioned in this post I've had a problem with at least once in my '94 Bounder over the 12 years I owned it. And each was solved or found using my handy digital VOM.

Good luck. Hope you find a good mobile tech. Check in your area on RVServiceReviews.com for a good tech or shop.

[skiatom]

Well, Its possible my house batteries may be bad, or if i have corroded connections, the batteries, even if charged, may not give required juice! I will check that out! THanks!

But trying to get a mobile tech anyway!

[Jim]

Hmmm. Curiouser and curiouser. Rapid clicking noise could indicate low battery voltage. Climate control closes a relay (click) but the battery supplying it is too low or corrosion of wiring terminal(s) is causing a high resistance (unclick), which decreases the load so the voltage goes back up (click) - back and forth.

And you have problems with not getting AC shore power. Which means no AC power to keep the batteries charged up so they slowly fade away. Except you told us you plugged the converter into shore power separately. GAH!

Yeah, hire a mobile tech...

[skiatom]

Yes, I have a Dometic Fridge. Thanks for your input! When the Gen is running there is power to the Fridge. I suspect Mr. Wizard is correct about the electric heating element. Checked the fuses on the Dinosaur board and they are good. I can live with the fridge running on gas, just wish I could figure out why I have no shore power, why the heater comes on all by itself, and why the the Electronic Climate Control Energy Management Unit Master Controller sings to me (rapid clicking noise).

[wa8yxm]

THe fridge on my RV is a Dometic. do not know if yours is the same.

120 volt operation starts with an outlet in the OUTSIDE Fridge compartment. Check for POWER at that outlet.. Eithe ACE or True Value sells a nice little plug in pass through "path light" indicator light. I can not find it online but I have 3 of 'em in the RV. not quite clear plastic/rubberish block with 3 pin plug and outlet and NEON light in the nmiddle.. Plug one of these in between the Fridge Plug and the outlet. NO LIGHT problem found.

Next the power goes to a board on the bottom of the outside compartment, all exposed terminals and glass cartridge fuses..

THEN it goes to the control board and relays

[skiatom]

Well, an update on the Bounder...no AC power at all when plugged into shore power. I think this one is over my head...going to call a repair man tomorrow. I did plug my converter into an ac outlet to my house directly to keep the batteries charged.