fan running under bed

[Stepheninfl]

hello,
i purchased my 25FB flying cloud 4 months ago and recently seem to have a problem. There is a fan under the bed which runs constantly. I believe this is the inverter fan but I dont know much about electronics. I had the airstream at the dealer to fix a water leak and the next time I used it, the fan under the bed runs all the time. I had to switch off a breaker just to sleep. everything I read about this seems to point to batteries charging.... but this is a brand new airstream. If the batteries were dead would they charge up over night and make the fan go off?

Supposed to go camping this weekend but may go back to the dealer instead. Thank you for any help you can offer.

Steve

[mandolindave]

Unplug power cord to trailer and see if the sound stops. If the sounds stops, it is most likely your charger fan. They are very quiet, and shouldn't keep you awake, but mine is in a closet away from the bed. There may be something wrong with your charger fan, but I can't say without hearing it. You may be hearing a vibration from the fan. If that's the case, you could dampen the sound by installing carpet, rubber, or something underneath it. Rubber grommets under the unit where the mounting screws are, might help. If all else fails, mount the charger on a piece of plywood, put foam underneath it and bungee the assembly down. There is also a chance that the mounting screws are loose just enough to allow a transfer of vibration.


Sorry Steve that's the best I can do from 1000 miles away.

[Landrum]

Both the inverter and converter are under the bed. The inverter is located close to the front very close to the bedside table. The converter is located on the opposite side facing the hall, and is located inside the power center (where the breakers and fuses are located). So.....is the fan noise coming from the power center? I'm not sure it should be running non-stop, but it will run more in warm weather. The inverter has a switch above the kitchen with an indicator light. If the switch is off but the inverter fan is running something is wrong.


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[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, my trailer has the converter under my bed too. The fan is really quiet, but you can still hear it. It should not run constantly. Mine runs for a few minutes at a time. Mostly when we have more lights on, using battery power. You battery/ies could be low or bad causing the converter/fan to run constantly.

[RVDreamer]

I think you are hearing the inverter fan. It is very noisy.
Most likely you are leaving the inverter on which is not necessary. There is a little switch in the galley area that glows green. Push the switch to turn it off. That should stop the fan noise.

[Stepheninfl]

Thank you for the responses. I will try to clarify my issue.

The fan is coming from the box where the circuit breakers and fuses are located. It is definitely a fan and not just a rattle or something.

The inverter button is off and I am plugged into shore power.

I read somewhere that this fan may come on if the battery is low on charge and the battery is charging, but my airstream is new. It has now been on 24 hour straight so I would think if the battery was a little low it would be charged up by now. It does not go on and off, it just stays on all the time.

Thanks again.
Steve

[AnnArborBob]

Originally Posted by Stepheninfl

Thank you for the responses. I will try to clarify my issue.

The fan is coming from the box where the circuit breakers and fuses are located. It is definitely a fan and not just a rattle or something.

The inverter button is off and I am plugged into shore power.

I read somewhere that this fan may come on if the battery is low on charge and the battery is charging, but my airstream is new. It has now been on 24 hour straight so I would think if the battery was a little low it would be charged up by now. It does not go on and off, it just stays on all the time.

Thanks again.
Steve

What you are describing is the converter/charge fan, not the inverter which is located under the bed in your model. Before we switched to a Magnum inverter/charge we had the same stock model you have. The fan would run intermittently and for relatively short periods of time. Certainly not continuously. I believe that the fan is supposed to be thermostatically actuated so either things are really hot down there (and it should not be that hot all the time) or the thermostat is defective. I suggest a trip to the dealer is in order.

[lsbrodsky]

That is the converter fan. Mine ran a lot on my original converter, which is a piece of junk. Following many recommendations on this forum I replaced my converter, look at some of the threads. The new converter fan runs quite infrequently. Do not try to figure out what the problem is, just replace the converter. It is worth it to have something that charges the batteries properly.
Larry

[RVDreamer]

OK, thanks for clarifying. Like everyone says that is the converter fan. It shouldn't run continuously but it is noisy and can run for quite awhile if the battery was low. Also if it is warm in the trailer it might run more. It is there primarily to cool the electronics and works off of an internal thermostat.

Probably the best solution is to get something like a Magnum Inverter/charger and replace both the old converter and inverter. I haven't done this yet but it will be one of my first mods. I plan on upgrading to inverter/charger and either lithium or AGM batteries when my current interstate batteries are shot.

[iowaroots]

It's a small cooling fan for a part of the electrical system. Be concerned if you don't hear it from time to time.

[Landrum]

I replaced our converter with a Powermax boondocker, and I don't think the fan is as noticeable. I could be wrong, but I believe the converter is working and generating heat anytime you are using 12v in the Airstream. Your battery could be 100% charged, but the converter is still applying a charge to the battery AND you may be using interior lighting etc. Even with the store/use switch set to store your converter is supplying 12v to the Airstream and therefore generating heat.



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[Gnorts]

Your battery (batteries?) may be toast, even if the trailer is brand new. The dealer probably didn't keep it charged, which is common. Batteries that have been left in a discharged state for more than a few days will be permanently damaged. Get the dealer to replace it under warranty.

[Stepheninfl]

UPDATE:
We went camping this weekend after charging for 24 hours, the fan went off. I think when I had it at the dealership last, they left everything on and killed my batteries. Once it charged up fully, the fan went off. hopefully the batteries are not permanently damaged. It was evidently the "charging fan" some of you mentioned. Thank you for the help. If not for this forum, there would be nowhere to look for guidance. My dealer is new to airstreams and they are not much help. Its too bad Airstream does not have an information hotline. That would be extremely helpful.

Thank you,
Steve

[Jammer]

Steve

I run into that on my rig also. Your batteries are probably fine.

The fan will also run if there is much in the way of electrical loads in the trailer, lighting, furnace, water pump.