Electrical Woes

[ahfox]

Question re 2004 trail-lite 22' motorhome by r-vision(B+)

Last nite I lost all my "shore power" . I was plugged in to a 50 amp using a converter adapter to my 30 amp cord. I am in Savannah Ga and was using my air conditioning system when the power went out. I could use my lights from battery power but no appliances or outlet, even when I turned on the generator! I would expect that I blew a AC fuse but I can not find any fuse panel or circuit breaker in this whole RV. I am a new(newbie) Rv'r and I bought this RV 2nd hand with 13,000 miles on it. I have made several modifications to make it more practicle and this is my first trip with it as I purchased it late fall and had no or little "shake down time" My wife is ready to call it quits so I really need to find this fuse box or breaker before very long! HELP!!! Thanks in advance Keith

[Bordercollie]

The following applies unless you have an automatic transfer switch which senses whether you are on shore power or generator power

You may need to plug the shore power cable into the side of the generator accessible through an adjacent compartment. Turn off the roof Air Conditioner and other 120vac items before starting generator, let it run 5 minutes then turn roof AC back on.

PS: If you shut roof AC unit down with generator running, wait 10 minutes before attempting to turn roof AC unit back on.

[samven1]

I hope you were able to find the panel by now. I would also caution that if you do not have an electric filter/analyzer and there was a voltage sag at the pedestal it can cause you to blow a breaker. Everything in your coach wants watts, so if the voltage drops the current rises to make up for it. Current is the only thing that trips the breaker though. If voltage sages and the breaker does not trip one or more of your appliances will. I will never plug into a campground pedestal without an inline filter/analyzer. Some are not wired correctly or dont get anywhere near 115v when they are full and its hot out or grounds are missing and spikes come through everytime someones air turns on.

[Photomike]

Did you check to make sure that there was power on the pedestal that you were plugged into? Does it have a breaker and is it on (try shutting off and turning on). If you can try another pedestal to see if this is it.

[Mandalay_Parr]

Maybe get a neighbor to help you locate it.

[LadyRVer]

Had the a/c breaker trip in a Monaco. Searched everywhere for the breaker/fuse/converter. It was in the only overhead storage cupboard I didn't look in .....in the bedroom.

[ScottG]

enblethen wrote:
Sounds like you tripped the rig's main breaker. Locate breaker panel in the rig. Turn off all breakers applying light pressure toward off, then turn on main, if equipped followed by the branch breakers one at a time.
I would investigate why it tripped. It is possible that there is a loose connection in the 120 volt distribution panel(breaker panel). It could be a loose neutral(white wires) in the back of the panel. Disconnect shore power before working in this area.

There's your answer. It doesn't need to be made any more complicated than that. Your probably running too many high current things at once like a water heater, AC, microwave, etc. Or you have a loose connection.
So you simply tripped your RV's 30A breaker. You need to familiarize yourself with where the breakers and fuses are and what they are responsible for. When they blow or trip it isnt a fluke - there's a reason for it.

[enblethen]

Sounds like you tripped the rig's main breaker. Locate breaker panel in the rig. Turn off all breakers applying light pressure toward off, then turn on main, if equipped followed by the branch breakers one at a time.
I would investigate why it tripped. It is possible that there is a loose connection in the 120 volt distribution panel(breaker panel). It could be a loose neutral(white wires) in the back of the panel. Disconnect shore power before working in this area.

[crasster]

RoyB wrote:
Thats a very big bummer getting on the road and having problems like this.

I always try to find out how everything works at home to try to keep ahead of events like this... Doesn't always work...

You know it will be something simple once it gets figured out...

Roy Ken

This IS experience talking to you as a newbie. Plug in, connect electric, hoses, run propane at home. Especially before a big trip.

[DrewE]

Often the electric panel will be someplace relatively close to the shore power inlet.

I would guess you simply popped the main 30A breaker. The air conditioner uses a good chunk of the 30A available, and using another high draw device and not too much more could easily pop the breaker. (Microwave, water heater on electric, hair dryer, some coffee makers, etc.)

[RoyB]

Thats a very big bummer getting on the road and having problems like this.

I always try to find out how everything works at home to try to keep ahead of events like this... Doesn't always work...

You know it will be something simple once it gets figured out...

Roy Ken

[handye9]

Sounds like a tripped circuit breaker. There is a breaker / fuse panel. Look for something that looks like this. Inside the door, you'll find a fuse panel for the 12 volt side, and a circuit breaker panel for the 120 volt side.

Look around the bed frame, refrigerator, furnace, thermostat, lower walls, etc. It may not be the exact model in the link above, but, it will look similar. Some do not have a knob, the door may have a spring latch.

[navegator]

In order to be able to help, we need a few pointers:

Make and model
year
general lay out, rear bed, or bathroom where is the kitchen on left side or right

What you are looking for is a brown or black square lid that has a plastic "knob" you need to use a coin or screw driver to turn the knob and pull the lid down.

Once opened you will see the braker switches and also the fusees, the braker that poped is going to be feel losse, turn the air conditioner off as well as the refrigerator, tv, inverter, any shore powered utensil, now turn the brakers all off and then turn them on, then turn the fride on and then the air.

navegator