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05-14-2021, 02:25 PM
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#1
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Member
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Sun Prairie, WI
Posts: 69
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Some power...not all
Plugged into 30amp shore power. No lights in the camper. No power to the slide. No power to the awning. Microwave works. We are mystified. Any suggestions?
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05-14-2021, 02:27 PM
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#2
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Site Team
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Goodyear, Arizona
Posts: 33,801
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PuppyDogMom
Plugged into 30amp shore power. No lights in the camper. No power to the slide. No power to the awning. Microwave works. We are mystified. Any suggestions?
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Lights, slide and awning are all 12v powered.
So something is interrupting the 12v side.
__________________
Dan-Retired California Firefighter/EMT
Shawn-Musician/Entrepreneur/Wine Expert
and Zoe the Wonder Dog(R.I.P.) 
2016 PrimeTime TracerAIR 255, pushing a 2014 Ford F150 SCREW XTR 4x4 3.5 Ecoboost w/Max Tow Package
4pt Equal-i-zer WDH and 1828lbs of payload capacity
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05-14-2021, 02:44 PM
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#3
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Member
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Sun Prairie, WI
Posts: 69
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Silly question, but how would I determine what that is. And is there a fix?
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You did what you knew how to do, and when you knew better, you did better. --Maya Angelou
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05-14-2021, 03:29 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Zephyrhills FL
Posts: 1,108
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The majority of things in the RV work from 12 Volts. The Microwave would work from 110VAC.
The 12 Volt side of the system uses a converter and a battery.
The first thing to check is for a battery cut off switch. If it is off the 12V will not work from the battery.
The converter is attached to the 110VAC and converts the 110 to 12VDC. It then charges the battery and provides power to all of the 12 volt things in the RV. If the converter is not working you will only have 12 volt things working until the battery goes dead.
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(Previous) Coachmen Mirada Select 37RB
(Previous) Coachmen Freedom Express 246RKS
(Current)2022 Grand Design Reflection150 226RK
2022 F150 Powerboost Hybrid.
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05-14-2021, 03:41 PM
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#5
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Member
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Sun Prairie, WI
Posts: 69
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DougW
The majority of things in the RV work from 12 Volts. The Microwave would work from 110VAC.
The 12 Volt side of the system uses a converter and a battery.
The first thing to check is for a battery cut off switch. If it is off the 12V will not work from the battery.
The converter is attached to the 110VAC and converts the 110 to 12VDC. It then charges the battery and provides power to all of the 12 volt things in the RV. If the converter is not working you will only have 12 volt things working until the battery goes dead.
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So...I need to find the converter and check to see if it's working if I understand you correctly. The switch from the battery is on so it's not that. Any suggestions on how I find and check the converter? Thanks much!
__________________
You did what you knew how to do, and when you knew better, you did better. --Maya Angelou
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05-14-2021, 03:47 PM
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#6
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Kanadian Kamper
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Southern Ontario
Posts: 8,171
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PuppyDogMom
So...I need to find the converter and check to see if it's working if I understand you correctly. The switch from the battery is on so it's not that. Any suggestions on how I find and check the converter? Thanks much!
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Do you have a digital meter and know how to use it?
You need to measure the battery voltage, before and after you connect to 30 amp supply.
Is this your first time out camping this year?
When were things working perfectly last time?
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Ken and Terry
2018 Sunseeker 2430S-CD, nicely modified and carried by a 2017 Ford E450 Sport
Former Georgetown 330TS owner for 10 years with more mods than I can count, pushed by our 2017 GMC Terrain
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05-14-2021, 03:54 PM
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#7
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Member
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Sun Prairie, WI
Posts: 69
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kenandterry
Do you have a digital meter and know how to use it?
You need to measure the battery voltage, before and after you connect to 30 amp supply.
Is this your first time out camping this year?
When were things working perfectly last time?
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I do not have a digital meter...therefore, do not know how to use one. I'll get one and learn how to use it.
Project started as a dewinterizing exercise. Didn't get past not being able to run the slide out. Things went downhill from there. Everything worked fine last fall.
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You did what you knew how to do, and when you knew better, you did better. --Maya Angelou
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05-14-2021, 04:01 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 733
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The power center is usually a brown metal panel with a door that exposes 110-volt circuit breakers and 12-volt fuses. Sometimes it's located below the refrigerator. The innards of this usually contains the converter, which converts 110 volts AC to 12 volts DC for charging the battery and operating lights, slides, furnace, etc.
Finding this will enable you to check for a tripped circuit breaker for the converter.
Have you removed the cover of the battery box to verify the cables are connected properly to the battery? If the battery was accidentally connected backwards, two red fuses in the power panel are probably bad, which would require replacements. Cheap but inconvenient.
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05-14-2021, 04:05 PM
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#9
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Member
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Sun Prairie, WI
Posts: 69
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 18LT
The power center is usually a brown metal panel with a door that exposes 110-volt circuit breakers and 12-volt fuses. Sometimes it's located below the refrigerator. The innards of this usually contains the converter, which converts 110 volts AC to 12 volts DC for charging the battery and operating lights, slides, furnace, etc.
Finding this will enable you to check for a tripped circuit breaker for the converter.
Have you removed the cover of the battery box to verify the cables are connected properly to the battery? If the battery was accidentally connected backwards, two red fuses in the power panel are probably bad, which would require replacements. Cheap but inconvenient.
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The battery is connected correctly, although not originally. Someone else had connected positive to negative, etc. I switched it. i have also had the cover off of the place where fuses and circuit breakers are so I know where that is (below the fridge). I will check the red fuses (I think they're 12v). Haven't done that yet. No circuit breakers have been tripped.
__________________
You did what you knew how to do, and when you knew better, you did better. --Maya Angelou
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05-14-2021, 04:09 PM
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#10
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Member
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Sun Prairie, WI
Posts: 69
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__________________
You did what you knew how to do, and when you knew better, you did better. --Maya Angelou
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05-14-2021, 04:21 PM
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#11
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Site Team
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Goodyear, Arizona
Posts: 33,801
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PuppyDogMom
The battery is connected correctly, although not originally. Someone else had connected positive to negative, etc. I switched it. i have also had the cover off of the place where fuses and circuit breakers are so I know where that is (below the fridge). I will check the red fuses (I think they're 12v). Haven't done that yet. No circuit breakers have been tripped.
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If someone reversed the battery cables, then either fuses were blown or the 12v resettable circuit breaker was tripped. It is a small gray box with a tiny black reset button you push.
https://www.amazon.com/Sea-Dog-42085...a-491382281987
__________________
Dan-Retired California Firefighter/EMT
Shawn-Musician/Entrepreneur/Wine Expert
and Zoe the Wonder Dog(R.I.P.)
2016 PrimeTime TracerAIR 255, pushing a 2014 Ford F150 SCREW XTR 4x4 3.5 Ecoboost w/Max Tow Package
4pt Equal-i-zer WDH and 1828lbs of payload capacity
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05-14-2021, 04:32 PM
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#12
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Just as confused as you
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: south central Wisconsin
Posts: 5,108
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PuppyDogMom
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Yes, and while your at it buy a AC outlet tester like this https://www.amazon.com/Receptacle-Te...1027645&sr=8-6
If you have a neighborhood hardware store or Walmart nearby you can purchase both items for around the same price.
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Richard & Jill
2014 Flagstaff 832IKBS Classic Super Lite
2018 Silverado 1500 Crew Cab Z71 4WD All Star Edition
Camping since 1989, Seasonal since 2000.
Car Shredder Op/Tech, Scrap Metal Recycling - retired
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05-14-2021, 04:46 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Maine
Posts: 1,544
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PuppyDogMom
Plugged into 30amp shore power. No lights in the camper. No power to the slide. No power to the awning. Microwave works. We are mystified. Any suggestions?
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As already said, that is the 12 volt side of the power box that runs those items. My guess is it is your converter-battery. The battery will run those items. The converter keeps the battery charged when plugged in. The converter (WFCO brand) itself will supply 12 power by itself without a battery installed.
Check your battery charge. I presume it is "dead". Then check your converter fuses and breaker.
At that point you need a multimeter. Check to verify that you have 120 voltage coming into the converter. Check the 12 volt going out of the converter. If you have 120 coming in and nothing going out and the fuses are good then you need a new converter.
There are numerous videos on YouTube on testing converters and how safely use a multimeter. I would strongly recommend that you watch a few of those before proceed. Actually, here is one.
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05-14-2021, 04:50 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 733
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As bikendan (I hope I got that right) mentioned, there may be a resettable 12 volt circuit breaker that needs to be reset. Mine are under the front of the trailer frame. Not the easiest to get to, but if yours are under there and you can take a picture of them, please posted a pic tire here.
I forgot to mention earlier that there may be more than one wire that connects to the negative battery terminal, possibly one that's connected to the frame at the other end. Sometimes this one gets missed when reconnecting the battery.
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05-14-2021, 04:54 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Maine
Posts: 1,544
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 18LT
As bikendan (I hope I got that right) mentioned, there may be a resettable 12 volt circuit breaker that needs to be reset. Mine are under the front of the trailer frame. Not the easiest to get to, but if yours are under there and you can take a picture of them, please post a picture here.
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There are prior threads with photographs. This is issue is a very common topic.
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05-14-2021, 05:21 PM
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#16
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Site Team
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Northeast Louisiana
Posts: 33,934
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bikendan
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Yeah, you have probably had the reverse polarity fuses blown to the converter if the battery cables were connected backwards. These fuses are there to protect the converter when this happens.
Please read this FAQ thread link below. The last post will explain what/where the reverse polarity fuses may be.
https://www.forestriverforums.com/fo...nt-152813.html
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 2011 Flagstaff 831 RLBSS
A 72 hour hold in a psych unit is beginning to intrigue me as a potential vacation opportunity.
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05-14-2021, 06:25 PM
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#17
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Member
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Sun Prairie, WI
Posts: 69
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Thank you all for the suggestions. It’s reassuring to know that I’m not the first person to have this problem. Have ordered a few things from Amazon and will do further investigating in the morning!
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05-14-2021, 06:49 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Box elder
Posts: 728
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__________________
2015 silverback 31IK
2023 f350
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05-15-2021, 10:49 AM
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#19
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Member
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Sun Prairie, WI
Posts: 69
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Thank you. Will take a little time to get through that but I will make the effort.
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05-15-2021, 12:16 PM
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#20
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Site Team - Lou
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: South Eastern PA
Posts: 23,269
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OK, in my experience, when there is 120 volts to the camper but ZERO 12 volts, it is not the converter.
A dead or shorted 12 volt battery will prevent the converter from connecting to it. Thus NO 12 volt power.
Remove the cables from the ground terminal of the battery and disconnect the shore power. WAIT about 10 minutes.
JUST plug in the camper.
If the lights and slides work, replace the battery.
If not, replace/troubleshoot the converter.
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Lou & Freya the wonder dog
2008 GMC Sierra 3000HD Allison Duramax
2019 Flagstaff 8529FL
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