No DC power.

[oilcan]

Hi Airstreamers,

Got back from NM Ballon Fiesta where I used the battery a lot. I've got a generator and charged my battery and all was fine till I got home, started to unhook and lower my electric jack and there was no power, nada. I checked my battery and to be sure took it to two local parts stores and they came to same conclusion. The battery is good. I looked at my fuses located in univolt and all look good. Where else should I look for fuses and does anyone have any suggestion?

Thanks

[TBRich]

Do you have 12v power in the rig ... or is it just the jack that is not working? Your jack should be wired directly to the battery. At least it is on ours... On ours there is an in-line fuse located on the wire that runs from the jack to the battery...it can blow or it can be loose. The fuse casing on ours came undone one time and the jack didn't work, but everything else did.

[oilcan]

HI TB,

Thanks for responding. I have no DC power anywhere. I just noticed it frist when I went to lower the jack. I dreamed about this all night and it seems to me it must be a loose or broken ground. Does the battery's ground wire connect to the frame of the trailer?

[HowieE]

Get your meter or test light out. Test the batteries directly on the terminals. Now test directly across both battery leads. Now test battery positive to trailer frame. Now test buss bar in 12 panel to trailer body. now test the output side of each fuse in the 12 volt panel. The point that you lose voltage is the problem.

[Al and Missy]

On my trailer (may not be the same as yours) the negative cable from the battery goes inside to a busbar. Another cable from the busbar goes to the frame. I lost my DC from the battery when the battery negative cable pulled out of the busbar. Everything DC still worked from the converter. The busbar will be near, or a part of, your converter and DC distribution panel.

Al

[dbj216]

I assume you are not getting 12v when plugged into shore power. The converter circuit energizes the 12v circuits independent of the battery(s). In fact the batteries become "takers instead of givers" when plugged in. That's how they charge.

If you are not getting any 12v power from the converter or the batteries, then Al's scenario makes sense. Maybe there is a loose wire in the fuse panel. Howie systematic testing will certainly narrow the cause.

On my 66 Trade Wind, the 12v ground is located on the rear curb side frame where the body attaches to the frame. The white ground wires disappear into the inner skin. The head of the bolt is in the C channel, and the nut is in the frame channel. Your wiring diagram may direct you to the 12v ground.

Let us know when you find the cause of the "black out".

David

[Al and Missy]

If the trailer is wired like mine, and DC works from the converter, but not the batteries, the converter or one of the wires to the distribution system is bad. If no DC from either source then the wire from the distribution system to the frame is bad.

Al

[jwo9958]

I'm trying to locate the converter. Would that be between the battery and the fuse panel?

[Foiled Again]

Univolt = converter

[dbj216]

The converter is a 115v AC to 12v DC "converter". It's about a foot square box. It may plug into a 115 AC outlet, mine does. The DC wires from the converter go to the fuse panel. The fuse panel wires feed the 12v circuits in your trailer.

Airstream invented the "univolt" system in the early 60s. The idea is to have all trailer electrical operate on 12volts, furnace, water heater control, roof vent fans, fridge controls, lights, water pump, etc. Then you can boondock in relative comfort. So when you plug into shore power 115v AC, that energy is "converted" to 12v DC so your trailer runs the same.

Airstream used many locations for the converter and batteries. My 66 is in the rear, my 86 is located in the front. It needs to be in a place where you can access it. I have to remove the front couch in my 86 to get access to it. Here is the converter wiring diagram from my 66 Trade Wind. The converter is the heart of your 12v system.

David