hi all. I posted this earlier today, but my post disappeared. I am having trouble with my B190 coach power. After buying the used van I drove it home...no problems with coach power for several weeks. Everything seemed to work fine. Then one day I got in it and there was no coach power. I checked the coach battery with a multitester and it was dead. The battery isolator seems to be working fine, because the van main battery holds a charge, no problem with driving it. I hooked up to shore power, and it did not bring back my coach power. So, I replaced the coach battery (an expensive and unusual size battery that fits under the van hood) and the coach power seemed to work fine for a few days of casual around town driving. During this time I made sure all appliances, lights etc. were turned off when the van was parked. Then after a few days I got in the coach and found that again I had no coach power. I thought I'd try hooking up shore power again to see if that would help. After an hour of charging I was pleasantly surprised to find that I did in fact have coach power again. I again made sure all appliances and lights were turned off and left the coach hooked up to shore power for a few days. After a few days of being left on shore power I checked the coach and lo and behold, my coach power was gone again. No interior lights, nothing. Can't start generator, even with shore power hooked up. I went into the breaker box under the couch and the breakers were not switched off. I switched them off and on again just to make sure. Did the same thing with the AC switch outside on the generator. Is there something obvious I am missing? I'm not smart with electrics so I have trouble even diagnosing what the problem might be. Thanks for any help you can provide!
If you don't have 12V while plugged in to shore power that would point to a bad converter (110 to 12V)/battery charger. (Univolt)
Do your lights come on when the motor is running (and charging the coach battery)?
__________________
Once you figure out how to do it,
the instructions actually make sense.
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WBCCI Member at Large
Peter, no the coach appliances and lights don't seem to be influenced by plugging into shore power or driving the van. I can't get them to work either way. Would a bad converter be suspected if this were the case?
I get 12V in the coach while driving without the converter and the coach battery gets charged. Only bad 50 amp fuses in the 12V distribution panel would prevent the above.
__________________
Once you figure out how to do it,
the instructions actually make sense.
_____________________________________
WBCCI Member at Large
I removed the main breaker which is a dual breaker, 2 breakers in one 1-inch space. One 30 amp (green switch), and one 20 amp (red switch). Took to electric shop and they tested continuity. The 20 amp side is not working. I don't know if this would be the cause of my problems, but I ordered 2 new 30/20 breakers online. Thanks for the tip...hopefully that wil be the cure!
Peter,
you may have hit the problem! I took delivery of two breakers, each 30/20amp models. Installed one last night (the other is a spare), plugged in shore power...voila! I got coach power! I haven't yet left it unplugged for awhile, so final judgement will have to wait...but it appears this is at least part of the solution, if not the total solution! Thanks!
Luckydog,
I also had some problems with a breaker but it was the main in my '77 Excella 500. It was not always opening when switched ON. I also had a 30 amp. plug problem which was the first thing I fixed before the breaker. During all the electrical problems, an electrician working in a factory ran a black jumper cable from ground over to the neutral block. This apparently will work in a non-GFI circuit but will not work with GFI. After I eliminated the jumper, the new plug and circuit breaker worked fine. I received a report several months later that the campground site I was on was still having problems "kicking" breakers. They finally had to rebuild the entire breaker box at that site. Sometimes everything goes haywire. A number of my friends now carry a replacement 30 amp. plug as well as spare circuit breakers so they do not suffer the anguish I went through this past summer.
__________________ Craig
AIR #0078
'01 2500hd ext. cab, 8.1 litre gas, 5 sp. Allison auto
3.73 rear end
Mag-Hytec rear diff cover
Amsoil Dual by-pass oil filtration system
Amsoil synthetics all around
265 watt AM Solar, Inc. system
interesting. Yes it does get exasperating. I'm sure I will have more problems in other areas (I'm trying to track down a water leak...I've gotten advice on how to go about it, but will wait for spring). And I have found my manual for the B190 to be very inadequate for pretty much anything. However, if all the knowledge on this forum were somehow distilled into an organized format that you could take with you (manual? CD?), a lot of the exasperation with owning an RV would disappear!
Luckydog,
My Airstream came with a Service manual but no Owners manual. I bought a copy of the Owners manual from Secretarial Services and then purchased a Dealer's Service manual off ebay for $79.00. It has more material than the other Service manual and has explained much I did not know. The forum has been instrumental in filling in the blanks and offering help. I'm a happy camper.
__________________ Craig
AIR #0078
'01 2500hd ext. cab, 8.1 litre gas, 5 sp. Allison auto
3.73 rear end
Mag-Hytec rear diff cover
Amsoil Dual by-pass oil filtration system
Amsoil synthetics all around
265 watt AM Solar, Inc. system
Craig, well I guess I gotta get me one of them full fledged manuals then. Hey I just noticed I got a rivet over here. Whats that about? Is that like a Corporal or something? How long does it take to make 5 star General Craig?
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