Hydraulic Mystery and 12v issue

[trotline]

2003 Independence 35' Worked OK on 2 weeks trip except converter quit working about half way through the trip.
Current status:
Rear curb side slide out works.
Both roadside slide outs stuck in out and levelers (one down 3 up) not working.
Driver seat lockout has been bypassed and seat is forward anyway.
So...
In dry dock with 110v hooked up.
It appears the hydraulic system works. (rear slide out)
RV battery at 13.8v and charges with my charger or motor running. All interior 12v working OK.
Apparently the converter is not working because 12v quit charging from shore power on trip.

Anyone know anything useful about all this?

[Restorium]

I would guess that it started with a short then a breaker went.

The short could be a wire came off a switch and is shorting out. Like from vibration. It's going to depend on how and when the first thing/malfunction happened. That's your clue.

[Restorium]

2003 Independence 35' Worked OK on 2 weeks trip except converter quit working about half way through the trip.
Current status:
Rear curb side slide out works.
Both roadside slide outs stuck in out and levelers (one down 3 up) not working.
Driver seat lockout has been bypassed and seat is forward anyway.
So...
In dry dock with 110v hooked up.
It appears the hydraulic system works. (rear slide out)
RV battery at 13.8v and charges with my charger or motor running. All interior 12v working OK.
Apparently the converter is not working because 12v quit charging from shore power on trip.

Anyone know anything useful about all this?
I would check out the converter first. Could be a short in the convertor or it's wiring.

[trotline]

Since posting I have decided to replace / upgrade the converter. I will report back in a day or two.

[Frutza]

Do you have a Power gear system?
You can always supplement your 12 volt power with the boost switch and the engine running.
Is the pump not turning on?
Try starting the engine and releasing the park brake and with your foot on the brake pedal put it in gear, this should automatically raise the jacks.
Look up your model power gear and there will be a reset code,

[Restorium]

Do you have a Power gear system?
You can always supplement your 12 volt power with the boost switch and the engine running.
Is the pump not turning on?
Try starting the engine and releasing the park brake and with your foot on the brake pedal put it in gear, this should automatically raise the jacks.
Look up your model power gear and there will be a reset code,

On our model;
The 12 volt power is supplemented while the engine is running without the boost switch(no need to press it). The boost switch is for starting when the chassis/engine battery is low.

The levelers do not automatically retract.

[trotline]

Never heard of boost button. Anyway low voltage was not the problem with the hydraulics. Still have converter issue.
Slide outs and levelers:
I found 3 thermal breakers above the RV battery in the engine compartment (Ford V-10 front engine). These breakers are for high amperage devices, slide outs and levelers via the hydraulic pump. I have 3 slide outs so apparently the small one doesn't use hydraulics because only the 2 big ones were inoperative, the levelers too so that makes 3. When the breakers heat up they open. I have included a blurred picture but it will work for this explanation.
The red buttons are for testing the breaker. The black lever at 45 degrees at top right corner is the reset lever. It is open when at 45 degrees. Push down on it until it clicks into place. Problem solved.
Next problem:
Apparently the converter is not putting out DC voltage from 110v sources. (Gen and shore) More testing to be sure and then, most likely, new converter.
More later after converter fixed.http://cineflights.com/WP_20190325_17_29_13_Pro.jpg

[trotline]

The converter is not charging RV battery. I want to learn more about the RV wiring before I order a new one.

For example I Took the RV battery to the store to get a test. All good. When I went to hook it up, one of the 4 cables sparked when it touched on positive. Negative was not connected. It was a circuit involve in the breakers, the center one. (see picture in previous post). The current can get back to the starter battery since both batteries are chassis grounded and one of the cables on the RV battery positive comes from engine for charging.
I am naively assuming the RV battery should be drawing no current when all RV devices are off. I am not sure if RV engine charging RV battery causes both batteries to be able to draw current when, for example, the RV radio is on or lights left on. That would seem to defeat the purpose of having 2 batteries. Can anyone educate me?

So.... The real questions is... The cable that sparked was clicking something tracked to the 12v fuse compartment. In the attached picture you will see 2 cylindrical objects in the upper right of the picture. The one on the right clicked. I will have to remove it to see if there is any identification. Does anybody know what it is?
http://cineflights.com/WP_20190331_14_16_51_Pro.jpg

[Restorium]

The converter is not charging RV battery. I want to learn more about the RV wiring before I order a new one.

For example I Took the RV battery to the store to get a test. All good. When I went to hook it up, one of the 4 cables sparked when it touched on positive. Negative was not connected. It was a circuit involve in the breakers, the center one. (see picture in previous post). The current can get back to the starter battery since both batteries are chassis grounded and one of the cables on the RV battery positive comes from engine for charging.
I am naively assuming the RV battery should be drawing no current when all RV devices are off. I am not sure if RV engine charging RV battery causes both batteries to be able to draw current when, for example, the RV radio is on or lights left on. That would seem to defeat the purpose of having 2 batteries. Can anyone educate me?

So.... The real questions is... The cable that sparked was clicking something tracked to the 12v fuse compartment. In the attached picture you will see 2 cylindrical objects in the upper right of the picture. The one on the right clicked. I will have to remove it to see if there is any identification. Does anybody know what it is?
http://cineflights.com/WP_20190331_14_16_51_Pro.jpg

That is the solenoid that connects the two battery systems when the ignition is on.

[trotline]

The key was not on. Should it click when connecting positive to RV battery?
Maybe the other solenoid clicks when the key is turned on?

[Restorium]

The key was not on. Should it click when connecting positive to RV battery?
Maybe the other solenoid clicks when the key is turned on?
Besides the key, there's a switch that would make it click/connect. It's usually on the dash, depending on the model.

[trotline]

I'd give $100 for a wiring diagram.
I will be back to work on it tomorrow tracing circuits.

Thanks for your help Restorium. It looks like you have similar RV. Is it gas?

[Frutza]

Turn your coach and chassis switches on and off and see if those relays work off that, you have 1 bank of batteries for coach and 1 for chassis, do you have an inverter? Generator? Off your coach batteries you will have a wire for powering the coach, one from the converter, genny, inverter
But you say you have 12volt power in the coach, do you have a volt meter? I have one of those cheap ones that go in the cig lighter so I can see it on the fly, it sounds like your problem it all hydraulic, don't know were yours is located, mine is in the belly and it has a relay and a breaker on it, I would start looking there and work your way back, not to be the bearer of bad news, a friend of mine has the power gear system with 2 hydraulic slides and jacks and it all runs thru the same board and it went out, so like I said try to start coach and take it out of park and put it in gear

[Restorium]

I'd give $100 for a wiring diagram.
I will be back to work on it tomorrow tracing circuits.

Thanks for your help Restorium. It looks like you have similar RV. Is it gas?
Yes, V-10. From the look of your pics we have very similar systems. I don't have slide outs.
Glad to help.
So that switch on the dash that you didn't know what it does is pressed. That's why the solenoid 'clicks'.
Could be you just have a bad convertor. That happens.

[trotline]

There is a batt switch next to generator switch. It seems broken. It looks like we are getting close. :-)
My rig looks very similar to yours. I will post picture soon.

[trotline]

Battery switch panel.
The first one on left cuts the radio off/on.
second... I can't figure it out. Momentary push up.
third batt. Momentary contact push down
fourth. Gen switch. Momentary down or up. rest in middle.
I was told to push batt and gen at the same time to start gen.
Batt switch clicks a solenoid. Most likely connect the 2 batteries to start gen.
It is the same solenoid that clicked when I put the positive wires back on the RV battery. The one on the right in picture of previous post.
Not sure what is happening with batt switch clicking same solenoid.

And anyone know what switch 2 is for?
http://cineflights.com/WP_20190402_12_17_35_Pro.jpg

[THenne1713]

The three devices in lower right of your photo (#2-3 w/ SOLENOIDS) look like LOW-amp (20-40a?) dc circuit breakers(vs HIGH amp 50a-200a) (one has WHITE WIRE w/ yellow terminal insulator); CHECK the ends of THESE FOR small TRIPPED RESET BUTTONS (push IN to reset) and also go back to the RED button you showed earlier and PRESS all the RED RESETS? The solenoid clicking (maybe) because of a dash switch position?

[THenne1713]

re: CONVERTER, usually fused to battery on 12vdc side (40-60a) at the main Breaker/ Fuse Panel inside coach, (adjacent to/ same as?) REVERSE POLARITY FUSES? Hate to tell you how many hours we can waste chasing bad wiring, etc, WHEN it REALLY is something SIMPLE like a blown fuse or tripped breaker or bad bulb/ bulb socket :-( :-( :-( THAT WE OVERLOOKED.... I WAS A GOOD, SHARP Aviation Electrician, but that was 50-yrs ago... now it takes much longer to get the brain cells into proper gear :-(

[trotline]

Thanks for all the help. Here is the score. Stupid -1 and Me 1
Stupid -1: On the three thermal breakers above the RV battery. Friend had pushed red buttons did not notice arm flip up. He got a demerit on that one.
Me: Just replaced converter with PowerMax 55amp 3 stage charger. easy. All 12v running at specs.

I learned a lot about this RV. 2003 was definitely a different tech era. Hydraulic slides on the 2 big slide outs, electric on the small one. No wiring diagram is a huge problem when restoring or doing maintenance an RV. Driving business to the dealer? Yep.
She runs good and only has 4k on the Ford motor and running gear. Coach needs a little maintenance and updating.
I will most likely be back with some more tech drama but that is all for now.
Thanks again for the help.

[THenne1713]

GLAD YOU GOT IT, the small things get us sometimes

[THenne1713]

Now OPEN up the old CONVERTER AND SHOW US WHAT WAS BAD/ WRONG? CAPACITOR? RELAY? DIODE?