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RayChez1
12-25-2009, 10:53 AM
We had lots of Christmas lights hooked up to a AC plug in one of the compartments. It worked great for a couple of days until last night wife and I were watching TV when all of a sudden we lost power to most of the AC power outlets in the coach. Checked the circuit breakers in the bedroom and none were tripped. I also replaced the two plugs that have reset buttons with new ones in case they were bad and I still don;t have any AC power to most of the outlets. The only place that I do have power is to the frig, water heater, block heater, power booster to the TV and the Heart Interface panel shows the charger is charging twelve volts, but a red light did come on that panel showing the house batteries to be low even though I had DC power all night for my furnace and DC lights. What do you guys think is the problem. Now when I replaced the plug in the kitchen which has the reset button I tested to see if there was any power there and it did show on one post that there was current of 120 volts up to there, but the other posts for continuation of the circuit didn't have any power. So apparently there is power up to the RCPI plug, but it stops there. Could it be that one of the other plugs down that circuit could have failed? Need some help! Can't call any or take the coach to a repair facility today since it is Christmas day. Everything is closed today. Thanks.
Ray

hyall
12-25-2009, 08:20 PM
Do you have a GFI in the bathroom? check it I do and it controls what you have said so far

RayChez1
12-27-2009, 02:08 PM
OK, here are the results as to what was causing the problem with no power to the AC outlets. What happened was that there was a power surge and it fried my charger and transfer switch that is built in to the invertor/charger. So I have an inverter/charger that has been ordered and should be installed in a couple of more days as soon as it gets here. The inverter part was working, but not the charger and transfer switch, so in the mean time the tech bypassed the inverter/charger and we have direct shore power. Everything inside the coach works now. So in case it ever happens to any of you guys that is one place to start looking at. :roll:

GStream40
12-27-2009, 06:54 PM
A few years ago we had lightning strike the power line in a campgrounds we were staying in. Quite a few RV's had their systems fried.
Thank goodness I had invested in a Progressive Industries EMS PT-50 that is for one thing a surge protector. It took the surge and it was fried BUT our RV system did not have any damage. Progressive Industries replaced the unit free of charge because they said it did what they designed it to do, protect our RV electrical system.

If you haven't already, it sounds like you should invest at the least a surge protector.

Here's a link to Progressive Industries where you can read about the products they make to protect our RV's electrical systems:
http://www.progressiveindustries.net/

I am not saying that you should buy one of their products, but I advise everyone to at least have a Surge Protector to prevent the damage that you just received from a power surge.

Ron

David Bott
12-29-2009, 03:32 PM
I have also been down the road of a bad transfer switch and even a bad inverter.

Thus I highly second the Progressive Industries unit as I installed the hardwired 50 amp system. Researched for about a month and very happy with the choice. Customer Service is OUTSTANDING!

RayChez1
12-29-2009, 04:53 PM
Yes, I will invest on a surge protector. I had gambled without one and had been pretty lucky until two days before Christmas. There was a surge in the camp ground preserve where we were at in Las Vegas and it burned up the charger and transfer switch. Now I contacted my insurance and they refused to buy a brand new inverter, UNLESS it is not repairable. But they want me to take it to a Xantrex service center for repairs and that they will pay going that route. So I looked up for the closest service center on the internet that are approved Xantrex service centers and I was kind of surprised that this company is all over the world. So I chose one in California that is close to where my residence is. They say it takes about a week to get it back. We will see.

David Bott
12-29-2009, 07:41 PM
More than likely will not be fixed their as from what I had found, most "service centers" do not have the right parts. Thus they are sent out. It would be much better to get a new one IMHO.

Also you need to be sure it is put back in correctly!!!! Their are a number of wires. Not only power in and out, but battery and the other wiring from the coach like the generator connections.

RayChez1
12-30-2009, 04:43 PM
I agree tht it would have being better if the warranty would allow us to get a new one, but I am going to play their little game and see if they will pay everything. I called the service center in Costa Mesa and spoke with the manager and he said it would take about three to five days to get it repaired and that they do fix most of them. He said it would cost three to four hundred dollars to fix it if it takes repairing of the charger and the transfer board. I am hoping that they have somebody there that can also install it on the coach. If not I will have to go to an RV shop to get it done. I will not do it myself because I am not certified and if something is not done right and it goes bad, then they will throw it back at me as to not being a certified electrician. But RV Shield insurance claim that they will pay for everything. I hope they are right.

coolchas11
12-31-2009, 08:41 PM
I read the Progressive Industries info on the surge protector. Where does it go and how is it attached? Thanks. Charlie

Arthur Hayes
01-01-2010, 09:26 AM
You can purchase 2 types, one that plugs into the campground electric post and then you plug your plug into it, or you can get the hard wired one that is installed permanently in the motor home. I prefer the hard wired.
On my Tour Master it is installed under the bed next to the transfer switch. You will need a short piece of 50 amp shore cable to complete the connection. The vendor that sold me the unit gave me the cable. He is always at the Tampa RV show. He has a trailer that he operates from there in the show area. Be sure to mount the display unit where it will not be blinking in front of your eyes all night. I mounted mine low on the bed frame near the fuse panel, that way we can see it easily from the front of the coach. Hope this helps, you will get instructions anyway.

David Bott
01-01-2010, 11:21 AM
Mine is mounted inside the cord real bay of our Tour Master. I have the unit that also can have a remote display. So I can see the display inside the bay when I hook up and then switch the display so I can see it inside the coach in main meter area.

Going hardwired, while more cost to get installed, you ALWAYS have it in place and thus protection. You also do not run the chance of getting it stolen.

RayChez1
01-02-2010, 03:21 PM
I have something like what you guys discribe on the inside of the bed box by the circuit breakers, but I am not sure if that is the surge protector. But if it is, it seems to me that it is mounted past the inverter/charger unit which means that everything inside the coach is protected in case of a surge, but the inverter/charger would still get the surge and would probably cause damage to the charger and transfer switch inside the inverter like it done on my Scenic Cruiser. It seems to me the best place would be right ant the end of the anaconda fifty amp cable just before it attaches to the inverter. But I am no electician, so maybe it should be under the bed. :roll:

coolchas11
01-02-2010, 06:00 PM
Thanks for the answers. Charlie

coolchas11
01-06-2010, 10:01 PM
OK. I checked the parts catalog for the surge protectors. With regards to the portable units, do I need a protector for 50 amp and another for 30 amp? Thanks.

David Bott
01-06-2010, 10:53 PM
Hi...

What parts are you looking at? What company or better yet, what product?

Seeing you are a Tour Master, you are a 50 AMP coach, so you want a 50 AMP product. The 50 AMP with do UP TO 50 AMPS and thus anything below it.

Take care.

(Currently at the Indio FMCA Rally if anyone is here.)

coolchas11
01-07-2010, 02:46 PM
David,
I was looking at the Progressive Industries surge protectors in the Longview RV parts catalog. You answered my question. Thanks. Charlie

RayChez1
01-07-2010, 08:25 PM
David, So if I buy a 50 amp surge protector and lets say that the campground only has 30 amp which means I have to use a pig tail in order to hook up to shore power. Where do you put the surge protector? A 30 amp pigtail has to be at the outlet for shore power. Does the surge protector go between the pigtail and the 50 amp coach cable? I believe I read that you have to have one of each depending on what kind of shore power you are hooked up to. I was looking at the surge protectors offered by Progressive and it does show two, a 50 amp and a 30 amp. My coach is 50 amp, but sometimes you have to hook up to 30 amp.

coolchas11
01-08-2010, 06:26 PM
The service rep at Longview RV told me that the 50 amp will be good for 50 or 30 amp.

Fl Mike
01-14-2010, 08:35 AM
We have the 50 amp surge protector. If we are at a site that only offers 30amp I put the surge unit between the dog bone (adapter from 50 to 30) and the 50 amp plug for the RV. Still works fine and will show that when hooked to 30 amp only using one side....

Michael