RV Electrical Question/Problem

[Dual EE]

I have a 1982 class C Jamboree motorhome. Yesterday I used the Onan 4. 0 generator to power a 10amp battery charger. I noticed during the charge the chargers amp guage kept going from 0 to 15. The generator was also fluctuating in rpms as the charger was going back and forth from 0 to 15. I discontinued the charge and the generator rpms returned to normal. However, I notice the charge guage inside the motorhome was jumping around in the charge zone. I could her a click also coming from the guage as it jump around. I turned on a light and the bulb came on, but then burned out. Thinking it may have been a fluke, I tried another. The same results. Light came on, then quickly burned out. I was also hearing a clicking noise from the inverter/battery charger. Similar to that of the charging gauge. A click like it is turning on and off.



I replaced the bulbs and everything that normally works on 12v, was working.

Turn the generator on and the light bulbs get burned out. All of the fuses are good in the inverter. The microwave and AC work when the generator is on.



Where should I start to look?

 

[DonTX]

I think you may be using the wrong terms, it probably did not come with an INVERTER, but a CONVERTER. A converter changes 120v to 12v for charging and 12v accessories. An INVERTER changes 12V to 120V for using 120v applicences directly from the battery power.

It would appear from what you said, that the CONVERTER transformer has shorted out, giving out more than 12v. Most of the older converters were big POS type, always going out, new ones are much better.

When you hooked up a 120v charger, you STILL had the overvoltage converter working away eating bulbs.

I have often just disconnected the 12v portion of the converter, and used a conventional battery charger instead, poor man fix. A new Intellipower converter is the real fix.

 

[Dual EE]

Don,

Where would you disconnect the converter at then? At the auxlilary battery?



Thanks for the help. I am very green when it comes to RV's.

 

[DonTX]

Just diagnosing from a distance, I would take the transformer out of the circuit, from what you describe it MUST be defective. One could just clip the in and out wires and forget about it.

MOST converters use a transformer to convert from 120v to 12v then rectifer to make DC out of AC, you did not say the make or age of yours.

If the transformer is shorted internally as I suspect, you need to not just disconnect it from the battery, but to put it out of the circuit completely.

 

[JimB1]

Just a saftey note here. You've got a fire waiting to happen. Might be worth it to hire this one done.

 

[Dual EE]

Thanks guys for your replys.



Tonight I looked a little further into the converter. With the cover removed from the converter, I can hear a low pitch "Dong" type noise coming from the area by a softball size wire wrapped thingy.



Tomorrow I will be taking it to either a auto electric shop or a RV repair shop. I don't need a fire, just want some light.

 

[Dual EE]

Update.....

The issue was the converter/power suppy. The lower half was replaced with new updated 45 amp model.



The dong noise was due to the unit over heating. Some type of breaker was turning on and off as it got hot. THe cooling fan was also froze up.



Thanks again for all your help.

 

[DonTX]

Typical. If the truth were known, PROBABLY the fan quit first, then the rest overheated causing failure.

Update.....

The issue was the converter/power suppy. The lower half was replaced with new updated 45 amp model.



The dong noise was due to the unit over heating. Some type of breaker was turning on and off as it got hot. THe cooling fan was also froze up.



Thanks again for all your help.