Dead battery? Or dead converter? Help!

ultralite · 10-06-2011, 09:31 PM

I've searched a ton of threads and I'm not seeing an answer to what I'm seeing.
We just spent five days at a campground with no electric issues. We moved to a new campground today. After set up the AC came, fridge works, but the lights were dim. The battery indicator reads "E" for empty bc it'sthe same light indicator for the tanks.
I've now been plugged in for several hours and there's been no recharge of the battery.
My marine battery is now 3 years old so it may be done.
It's a long way to an RV supply store so I'd like to go get a battery but I don't know if I need a converter. How do i check this? I don't know where the converter is or what it looks like.
I have a 2008 Surveyor. The manual is generic and written for a bunch of RVs.
Sorry if this is hard to read. I had to type it on an iPhone.

LadyWindrider · 10-06-2011, 09:38 PM

Check the breaker for the converter. Could be that simple. Mine will pop on occasion when I connect at a campground with with no breaker in their panel.

ultralite · 10-06-2011, 09:57 PM

I looked at my breaker panel and nothing looked like it tripped.
Plus, on the breaker ID sticker, none of them say "converter".
Could the breaker for the converter be separate from the main panel?

ultralite · 10-06-2011, 10:12 PM

That did it! Thanks!

LadyWindrider · 10-06-2011, 10:15 PM

Glad it was easy. Was going to say turn them off and back on one at a time, then you know. I have also learned, when hooking up where there is no breaker control, I turn off my main in the camper, plug in to the pedestal, then turn the main "on" in the camper. Seems to prevent the problem you just had. Also prevents arcing of the plug, which is never good.

**Herk7769** · 10-06-2011, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by windrider

Glad it was easy. Was going to say turn them off and back on one at a time, then you know. I have also learned, when hooking up where there is no breaker control, I turn off my main in the camper, plug in to the pedestal, then turn the main "on" in the camper. Seems to prevent the problem you just had. Also prevents arcing of the plug, which is never good.

I have yet to find a pedistal without a breaker; but this is a great tip for plugging in at the house. It beats going through the house to the panel and using the breaker in the panel to kill power to the socket like I have been doing! Duh! Sometimes I feel so stupid.

TURBS · 10-06-2011, 11:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ultralite

I've searched a ton of threads and I'm not seeing an answer to what I'm seeing.
We just spent five days at a campground with no electric issues. We moved to a new campground today. After set up the AC came, fridge works, but the lights were dim. The battery indicator reads "E" for empty bc it'sthe same light indicator for the tanks.
I've now been plugged in for several hours and there's been no recharge of the battery.
My marine battery is now 3 years old so it may be done.
It's a long way to an RV supply store so I'd like to go get a battery but I don't know if I need a converter. How do i check this? I don't know where the converter is or what it looks like.
I have a 2008 Surveyor. The manual is generic and written for a bunch of RVs.
Sorry if this is hard to read. I had to type it on an iPhone.

Btw just so you know your converter is in the same housing as your breakers.
You have to pull the whole housing to access it.

Thurman · 10-10-2011, 06:25 PM

I was trying to find info on checking a converter and found this. I just posted (Grand Surveyor) about hooking up at a campsite that recently had all new electrical boxes installed, with a bad result. The 120v/30 receptacle I plugged into was actually wired for 220v. When I went into the unit the microwave was smoking, I had forgotten to unplug this, and a table fan stored under the table was smoking (I thought I had unplugged it). The microwave and fan are fried. Fortunately the fridge was "OFF". I'm now thinking the converter may have been fried also. The interior lights are dim on shore power, and won't work on DC. I've got some things to check out for sure. This is a campground operated by a city and all the work was done by city employees. They found four other boxes, out of 44, that were also wired 220v. The City Public Works manager told me "I should have checked the voltage before hooking up". I will from now on.

Koodog · 10-10-2011, 08:27 PM

That bites!
I wonder how many private electrical companies would get away with such a statement?
Oh, wait.....they understand happy customers mean more business and TEST their work!

Anyway thanks for the report. I guess I'll add another device to my tool kit to check this also. A meter is much cheaper than a fried trailer.

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