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RE: low voltage in receptacle
I have 120 volts in all recepts except refridg and convertor...They have 41.8 volts with all breakers off or on except the A/C and M/W..I used extension cord to power up the refridg....Tried plugging up the convetor on ext cord and had a pop and smoke from the conveter so I guess it will haveto be replaced...Keeping batteries charged with batt charger..
Between camping trips so can't stay with this.
Not clear from above if the two receptacles are on the same breaker. If so, suggest not plugging the fridge back into its regular receptacle until it measures 120v. Same with a new converter to its receptacle.
No idea why the converter problem would back up to its receptacle (and breaker?) to measure 41.8v. New one on me.
I would suspect the actual breaker, but it is not clear. In the past, I have had a suspect breaker in the 120v panel, and swapped out the black wire(s) going into it to another breaker next door. That showed things worked again on the next door breaker, so that first breaker was replaced.
The fridge's receptacle outside behind the access panel can get wet from water down from the roof vent or however (not supposed to happen), but that would just trip the GFCI on that circuit.
Some forum guys better at RV electrical might have a notion what is going on here. ????
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BFL13
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07/14/19 06:08pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: low voltage in receptacle
I had a power strip catch on fire..Nothing was plugged into it but the strip was turned on...lucky I was in the rv when it happened or all would have gone up in flames...It tripped all gfi and a circuit breaker..It also blew out my convertor...Now on the receps at the refrig and convertor shows 41 volts...The fridge went to gas and I am afraid to plug it back up to see if it works on elec...Why do I have 41 volts on those two recept?? Thanks for any replys
Really strange comments above :(
Perhaps you had plugged in the shore power to 240v instead of 120v? Or you got 240v by having two sources of 120 at the same time? A transfer switch is supposed to prevent that. Did it not?
Use your multimeter on 120v (the 200v setting on the dial) to check the pedestal for 120v where the shore power is connected. What other 120v source might be on at the same time -- inverter? generator?
Yes do not plug back in until you get this solved. 12v and propane should get you by for a day or two same as being off -grid.
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BFL13
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07/06/19 06:59pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: charging batteries with truck
Solar is a better solution.
Sometimes. :)
http://i64.tinypic.com/zn55w2.jpg
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BFL13
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07/04/19 10:11am |
Tech Issues
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RE: charging batteries with truck
Seen it often where folks use jumper cables from truck battery to trailer battery for a quick recharge. Theory is the jumper cables are shorter and fatter than the long skinny wires back to the 7-pin.
Neither method gives you much of a recharge, but it can keep you going. Better to have a small generator and use your converter for a higher amp, faster recharge. Solar can sometimes help too.
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BFL13
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07/04/19 08:15am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Favorite multi-meter for RV / Solar
I went through some $10 meters that have the DC 10 amp limit, frying them. ( I am a spaz) I then got the same sort of meter only with a fuse in it for the amps. I have replaced the fuse a couple of times, which "paid" for the extra cost of the fused meter over the basic one.
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BFL13
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07/04/19 07:50am |
Tech Issues
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RE: 12v not working
1996 northland slide in pick up camper
Probably has a 6300 type converter, which needs a battery to filter the "dirty" 12v to run some things like the fridge's circuit board. The dirty 12v is ok for lights and fans.
What was the replacement converter? If a modern type, it makes only clean 12v and you are ok for no battery as a filter.
Meanwhile you need to get the 12v working on battery for when not plugged in. Also check for 12v when you are plugged into the truck and the truck engine is on.
There should be a fuse or DC circuit breaker on the positive wire near the battery, which is the first suspect. Or just a dead battery.
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BFL13
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07/04/19 07:39am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Switch to LIFePO4?
Can you set the charger to stay at 12.4v if that keeps the Li under 80% loaded with fridge etc?
The fridge will cycle 300w on and off or 30a DC. Don't know what that would do for loaded vs unloaded voltage. Might pull voltage down to 12.3 when on 12.4 when off?
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BFL13
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07/03/19 02:45pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Switch to LIFePO4?
AFAIK, PT has those two high amp switches for recharging one bank at a time. Normally, you would not have any disconnect switch between inverter and battery bank with those high amp fat wires. You might have a high amp fuse in a holder that would be easy to take out of its holder, not sure how those things work.
To isolate the Li bank from the I/C draw even on standby, you would have to shut off the I/C. I don't know, but assume there is an on/off button for that.
For the battery meter to show 80%, that would need it to be resting at some voltage where that is 80%. If the battery is under load and shows that voltage, it could be at a way higher SOC.
So to run the fridge and other loads off the battery to keep the battery under 80% but over 50%, how are you going to measure the SOC?
I think you have to get the battery down to 80% and isolate it from all loads. Now the meter on the battery is right, and you have to get your 12v somewhere else.
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BFL13
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07/03/19 08:00am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Switch to LIFePO4?
One way to have the I/C shut off and Li battery disconnected from RV 12v systems (but still connected to the I/C and sitting at 80%) and run the fridge is-
to run an extension cord to the back of the fridge outside and plug the fridge into that instead of the RV. (No complication about using the shore power cord and its connection to the inverter input)
Also plug the converter into that extension cord and clamp its 12v output to the fridge 12v input, say at the DC fuse panel. Now you get 12v lights too.
What happened to the OEM converter? If still there and you can have shore power while the I/C is by-passed and the Li bank is isolated, then you can do it all without using the extra converter.
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BFL13
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07/03/19 06:56am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Switch to LIFePO4?
The I/C in standby mode will be drawing from the battery bank at whatever amps, so the bank will not stay at 80%. If you use the converter to back that up it will also bring the Lis up to 100%
You need 12v for the fridge on 120v. Why have the inverter on standby instead of all the way off? And you don't want it on to supply the fridge either.
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BFL13
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07/02/19 07:12pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Switch to LIFePO4?
So at home on shore power you want to float at 80% SOC? So you have to disable the charger and solar, get the 120v in from shore power and your 12v from battery for if you want to do anything out there in the RV
If you get them down to 80 and disconnect then your inverter/charger is dead plus no 12v. With the marine shore connection, can you by-pass the dead inverter with the shore power cable and use your spare converter for 12v?
On the way home from camping where the batts are above 80, you can kill the #4 pin supply from the truck (Chev, pull Stud 1) and no solar, and as suggested run the fridge on 120.
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BFL13
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07/02/19 09:44am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Lippert slide adjustment
With our 5er, the slide room carpet had a flap out past the slide room floor that was to hide the gap with the white plastic round down when the slide was out. The flap was not tucked in under. It went out a little onto the main floor with the slide out all the way.
The whole slide floor underneath went in and out without touching the main floor it seemed--but somehow it scratched it in a couple of spots. The slide had no rollers under there. Once out the slide floor dropped down to be level with the main floor. Coming in it had to first climb up the round down and then be higher than the main floor
With a strip of carpet at the edge of the main floor a few inches wide (the Komfort guy said make it at least 4 inches) the slide room carpet flap was now on top of that main floor carpet strip instead of vinyl. That was said to be enough to stop the scratching of the vinyl part.
Many floor plans I have seen keep a strip of carpet along there, but I think that is more for comfort where your feet go when sitting on the couch in the slide room. Your feet seem to go right on the edge where the flap is and the strip of carpet on the main floor under the flap evens it all up so your feet are not on a sort of bump. I can't say if that strip of carpet also acts to prevent scratching the rest of the bare floor with no carpeting when the slide comes in and out.
My cure without having the strip of carpet along the main floor edge was to use a mat. The mat also helped for the feet on the gap issue when sitting on the couch, when the mat was tucked in under the flap.
I wanted to put in nice wooden flooring, but it would have been too high and get ruined by the slide scratching it. the OEM floor plan had carpeting on the main floor except over by the door and in the kitchen, but the slide didn't go where the tile was. My tile job got scratched, but it wasn't too bad and when shiny waxed, you could hardly see the scratches.
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BFL13
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07/02/19 08:47am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Prodigy P2 Flashing Underscores
I had some trouble with the "trailer plug" pins after a while in the fuse panel down by your left foot in the 2003 Chev. Had to rig an alternate power wire to the controller as it turned out, while the other three wires were ok. You could fiddle with yours to see if that might be what is going on.
Also with nothing in the truck's 7-pin the controller should not do anything? Perhaps there is corrosion in the 7-pin that is confusing things.
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BFL13
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07/02/19 07:38am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Vent under sink cause of smelly trailer?
They used to warn against going down the road with the RV roof vents, range hood vent, and any windows open in case of losing the water in the P-traps. Would smell up the RV.
With AAVs this could be worse? I got confused about negative or positive pressure with AAVs and what pressure type happens if you drive with the windows open, but whatever--it could be a factor?
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BFL13
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07/02/19 07:23am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Vent under sink cause of smelly trailer?
That RV one seems to say they can't use one instead of a roof vent, in that the grey and black tanks must have roof vents. Perhaps it allows for longer horizontal distances away from the roof vent stack for sinks to be located.
The battle with actual stick house codes is to persuade the code makers to allow for no roof vents at all, but then they don't have black and grey tanks.
Freezing seems to be a problem with AAVs. Perhaps another thing to worry about with RVs for de-winterizing procedures?
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BFL13
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07/01/19 02:42pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Vent under sink cause of smelly trailer?
AAVs are required under NFPA standard 1192 which is specifically for RVs. They call it an anti-siphon vent device.
When was the AAV added to the standard?
I don't think my 1990 Winnebago has one.
No idea about RV timing , but reading some stuff I Googled, it looks like they came into use in Can/US about twenty years ago, but only started getting code approvals around 2008 give or take. Those limited use approvals have since been expanded allowing more in stick houses/apartment buildings than originally.
That could be why I never saw any in my 2003 5er. Of course "standards" and "guides" are not "codes" AFAIK. (RVs are not stick houses for all code things apparently)
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BFL13
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07/01/19 02:10pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Questions about wiring for Samlex inverter/charger/converter
I was told on here that you cannot operate the 12v system with no battery if you have an inverter/ charger, because it needs battery 12v to power it up to use in the first place. Unlike a converter, which does not need the battery.
I don't know if there is a likely scenario with the Li bank if you would ever want to run the 12v with no battery in the future. If so, you could hang onto the converter as a spare for doing that.
IMO hang onto it anyway. You can use cut off jumper cables in the output terminals and use it as a portable charger with the jumper cable clamps to the battery. Makes for redundancy in case the charger in the I/C is not working for some reason.
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BFL13
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07/01/19 01:57pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Questions about wiring for Samlex inverter/charger/converter
What is the "shore power receptacle" in the RV? Only thing mine has is the shore power cord going to the Main breaker. ( with no installed generator and transfer switch)
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BFL13
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07/01/19 12:35pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Switch to LIFePO4?
It was a several years ago that came up about the false amps reading with whatever brand inverter/ charger it was, but it has come up a few times since with the added info about the low voltage input making all that worse. ISTR he saw 100a on the display but was really getting 80. It was not reading actual amps, but doing some calculation that was bogus as designed. The remote display had it correct. Something like that.
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It does look like there is something in all this for the Trimetric and Victron owners to consider when going Li.
I don't think it would change how I do things with my Trimetric, because I have always hated the way they do "full" and % SOC, so I don't use that. I never did set P1, 2, or 3. I did have to disable the auto reset of the AH counter.
I keep track of approx. SOC by comparing the AH count wrt to my notion of what the bank capacity is at the temperature prevailing and the voltage when there little load. My AGMs lose 15% capacity at near freezing compared with 77F/25C ambient. Wets similar. Don't know Li for that.
I use the Trimetric's ammeter to see when the AGMs are at 0.5a/100AH. I also like to compare the solar amps with the amps to the battery on the Tri, which tells me how much the solar is doing for loads.
Whatever, IMO with an Li bank and a Trimetric, I would do what I do now and never mind setting any P1, 2, or 3 and just use it as a voltmeter, ammeter, and AH counter, doing your own resetting of the AH counter as required. YMMV (probably will! :) )
Let the Li battery SOC meter do that, and use the Tri for the other things.
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BFL13
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07/01/19 11:45am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Vent under sink cause of smelly trailer?
I never heard of an AAV until this thread started, so no help with that. I Googled to see what they are.
My 2003 5er didn't have any, and my stick house doesn't have any. Sort of reminds me of the dishwasher drain, where you have to leave the sink drain open as a vent for the dishwasher, but not exactly I guess. Learned something new again on this forum!
EDIT- seems they had to amend the plumbing codes a few years ago to allow these AAVs. As alternatives to roof venting, they could be handy for RVs, not just for island sinks.
https://garynsmith.net/venting-101-air-admittance-valve-pros-cons/
In 40 years and still working as a RV tech, I have never really seen a RV Gray Tank drain system from the sinks NOT HAVE a AAV. They are standard. The usual fix besides replacing is to install a ziplock bag over the AAV and secure with a rubber band. That usually fixes the smell problem. Doug
All I can say is my 2003 Komfort 5er didn't have any that I could tell. Just same sort of plumbing as the stick house. I have done work on the house and the RV plumbing at times.
The 5er had two grey tanks, one for the kitchen (galley) and one for the bathroom tub/shower and sink, each with its own roof vent. I worked on the bathroom sink drain when I changed the sink doing a reno, and also the kitchen sink double drain so I could get underneath its tap I was changing.
I don't see how I could have not noticed any AAVs. Was the same sort of plumbing as in the stick house (roof vented).
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BFL13
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07/01/19 10:59am |
Tech Issues
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