12 Volt System

[davidd9999]

When my surge protector does what it is designed to do it cuts my 12 volt system off and I have to re-set it. Not a problem except on the weekends. I live in my unit through the week and go home on the weekends. If my 12 volt my system cuts off I can and have lost everything in my refrigerator. Is this normal or do I have a problem with either my surge protector or with my 12 volt system? My coach is a 09 Tour Master.

Thanks!!!
David Durbin

[Chuck v]

My 2007 Tour Master has a residential refrigerator, and I thought they all did...and it runs exclusively on regular AC 120 volts. I do not know of any Tour Master coaches that use a 12 V DC refrigerator -- and even those other model coaches that do not have residential units use propane to keep the refrigerators cold. Your coach also may have the option for the generator to start automatically when the shore power is lost. There is an INVERTER that can run the refrigerator for short periods (8 to 12 hours minimum) and it is powered by the 4 golf cart batteries behind the door just under the windshield -- when were they last serviced/watered/replaced? These are separate from the "house" and "chassis" battery pairs just behind the curbside rear wheels. In total your coach should have 8 batteries -- 4 each 6-volt golf cart style, 2 each deep cycle 12-volt house batteries and 2 each high CCA diesel start batteries. All need regular maintenance and inspection.

If you are plugged into shore power, is there an external surge protector on the AC system via the shore power cable? When this surge protector trips, does everything on the coach stop working? The front TV and the air conditioners are all AC power only, for instance...as would be the microwave and the residential refrigerator.

It is true that the AC supply does power the 12VDC converter that supplies power to the small lights when connected to shore power and charges the house batteries, but if it is not getting any power the "house" batteries should provide lights for quite a while. The on-board diesel generator also charges the house batteries through this convertor by means of an automatic transfer switch.

It sounds like you are experiencing a surge protector trip quite often. Is this coach located at a commercial RV park? If not, is the service connection for the shore power 50 amp 240 volts to match the needs of the Tour Master coach? Perhaps it is more of a ground fault trip than a surge issue...but we need more specifics to know what to suggest from here.

Chuck

[Chuck v]

David,

Well, I looked it up and the T-40F floorplan was in fact offered with a 12.3 Cu ft Dometic refrigerator which runs on propane OR on 120 VAC...but non 12 V DC so I take back my earlier statement that they all had residential units.

Let us know more information on your symptoms and on which model of Tour Master you have. I suspect that your surge protection device is tripping the shore power (AC) and causing loss of your frozen food.

Chuck