Brownout tonight - Update

[JudyJB]

I apparently still do not completely understand my electrical systems in this motorhome. Here is what happened tonight:

1.I have been parked in Napa here at a full hookup campground. Have not started vehicle in 9 days when I went out to get a propane refill. Been plugged in and using electric heater as well as furnaces because temps at night have been dropping to low 30s, even if it is “sunny California.”

2.Was gone about 5 hours, from 4:00 pm until 9:30 pm. It is very cold here, but I knew I was running low on propane so I unplugged electric heater and turned off furnaces. Hence, it was 52 degrees inside when I got home.

3.My son, who drove me home, plugged in my electric heater and turned it on high, while I turned on furnaces to warm it up while he helped me fish out a lid that had fallen behind my stove.

4.I noticed lights were not as bright as they should be and that refrig had check light on. That made me check battery indicators on control panel. I have two lights for batteries. The one showed a full charge, but the second showed only one light out of five, meaning very low. The light on my microwave was on, however, showing I had 120 volt power, but just in case, I went outside and checked plug, which was fine.

5.So, I tried to start generator, and it would not start.

6.Went to cab and started vehicle. Started fine. After it ran for a few minutes, I noticed second battery indicator was now showing four out of five lights, meaning almost a full charge. Also lights now became bright. Started generator easily and ran it about 20 minutes, but turned vehicle engine off.

7.Past generator hours, so I then turned generator off. Lights stayed bright.

Over the past several weeks, I have noticed my lights occasionally dimming briefly. Strangely, they get brighter when a blower motor turns on. TV has been working fine, as has refrigerator on 120 volt.

I also had a clicking noise that I posted about in the battery compartment a couple of months ago. I had the vehicle into Fleetwood in late October, and they checked coach batteries and said they were fine. Of course, the clicking noise was not evident that day, so I told them about it, but they did not check that. I have not noticed any clicking in the past few days.

My vehicle battery is a year-and-a-half old, and I have never had problems with it. Anyway, I have power and furnaces providing heat tonight. Refrigerator has not shown check light since I got home and did above. There is no decent dealer anywhere nearby, and we are headed to Disneyland on Sunday for a big family trip--taking my motorhome and son's trailer. I am hoping I can wait until after that trip. Going out for a drive tomorrow to get propane and maybe charge vehicle battery?? I am lost as to how the two systems are connected.

Any ideas what is going on?

[grammynmaggie]

Judy...when I had that clicking noise and low light...it was my house battery...I check the water level and thought maybe that was it...took it and RV to Autozone and had it checked there...was dead as a door nail as the saying goes...got a new sealed battery so I don't have to fool with water again...while I was testing it with lights and generator ..there was just enough juice to turn on light but not enough to start the generator....hope this might help...donna

[MelissaD]

Since you are plugged in and report power to AC appliance are ok I'd start with a simple voltage test of the shore power to ensure you have Proper voltage at post. Voltage below 105 volts or above 135 volts can damage electronic equipment and appliances. The clicking noise is probably your converter which converts 120 volts AC into 12 volts DC and vice versa (also acts as a battery charger). When on park power the converter supplies 12 volt DC to you lights and other DC loads. While plugged in the batteries just "float" and should not really effect the 12 volt DC system. I suspect you are having a converter issue.



http://rvservices.koa.com/rvinformation ... ricity.asp

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoF3iAnjSmY

[retiredhappy]

Had this issue when I was in Wyoming several years ago. Turned out there was low voltage at the campgrounds post. It was in the summer and I had been running the AC. I noticed that it was running but no cool air coming out. Turned out the brown out had blown the compressor on my AC. The repairman gave me a plug=in voltage regulator and an adapter for a 30 amp plug. After that I always checked the post before plugging in and found problems several times with the park's electric. If the plug was ok an then kept the regulator plugged in inside the rig to monitor the voltage. Had problems several campgrounds with the voltage dropping below 110 in the afternoons. If tht happened I either turned on the generator or turned off the AC.

[Azusateach]

Judy, do you have any kind of EMS in your rig? If you did, you'd get a read-out that would tell you what was going on, especially if you've got low power coming into your rig.

If you need a good shop to look at your rig there's one close to me. I don't know if they have the ability to let you stay in your rig while they look at it, but if they do, they're wonderful. Name is Benlo, and they're in Irwindale. You'd be welcome to stay with me, too. Apart from the dogs during the day, you'd have the place to yourself while I'm at school.

Hope it's an easy fix!

Laura

[Olive6001]

Don't know enough about electrical to have an opinion. Karen (retiredhappy) taught me about the big gadgets that plug in at the post and the little gadgets that plug into an outlet and I am religious about using them. They have to read between 110 and 135 or I use the genny. That's all I know, not even sure you're talking about the same thing. I do empathize and really admire your calm. You're a wonderful example of rolling with all the challenges of full time RV life.

Wish I could help.

Nikki

[JudyJB]

Called CoachNet last night and they are trying to find place to buy new batteries. Might have to wait until tomorrow. Right now am huddled under covers and warm enough. More later.

Thanks for help.

[JudyJB]

Just started generator and it is enabling enough power to run furnace blower motors so warming up. Will run more checks later in morning. Only 9 am right now here.

Thanks again.

[Azusateach]

Judy, if there are lots of people in their rigs at the campground, and they're all running their furnaces, that could be quite a power draw. Add to that microwaves, coffee makers, and anything else that heats up as it's used, and a brownout could happen.

I'd be careful about using any of your electrical stuff until you figure out where the problem is. If you can switch your fridge to propane, I'd do that, too, just to be safe.

And (at the risk of sounding like a broken record), if you don't have an EMS, think about it.

Laura

[Acadianmom]

I always have a volt meter plugged in an outlet in my motorhome to see how much electricity I am getting. I don't camp much and many times I have had low voltage especially in the summer when everyone is running air conditioners. In the winter people might be running electric heaters. One time on my way to New Jersey I had to turn my air off because everyone must have been cooking supper.

Martha

[Bethers]

I'm confused. You have power when you turn on the generator, but not with shore power? If that's the case, I believe it's bad shore power and you could be damaging your rig. Even before I had an EMS, I always checked the power coming in for polarity, amps, etc.

[JudyJB]

I am enjoying two new 6-volt batteries and everything is working fine. I am not sure why stuff worked better with the generator on, but somehow it did.

Last night I got back from my son's house in enough time to run the furnaces to get the place warmed up. I went to bed with everything except the TV and the electric space heater turned off, so I had a little power every once in a while to turn the furnace motor on in the back of my motorhome. I also closed my front slide so there was less space to keep warm.

This morning I called around and ended up going to Camping World in Vacaville to get two new batteries. I guess I should have replaced them a year ago and not tried to have them last so long.

[Bethers]

I'm still confused. Are you hooked up to electric?

[JudyJB]

Yes. Full hookups in Napa EXPO, which is their county fairgrounds. I don't completely understand why generator was giving me a bit of 12 volt but that is what seemed to be happening. CoachNet said it was acting like a constant trickle charge or something.

[MelissaD]

Yes. Full hookups in Napa EXPO, which is their county fairgrounds. I don't completely understand why generator was giving me a bit of 12 volt but that is what seemed to be happening. CoachNet said it was acting like a constant trickle charge or something.

The generator supplied power (enters my diagram by the 30/50 amp cord) to the converter which converts the 120 vac to 12 vdc to supply the 12 vdc system and charge your batteries. EXPO fairs and other such events are not known for reliable "shore power". I'd be careful of low voltage being supplied to your coach. I suspect the Expo's power was a low voltage and the converter was clicking as it tried to supply your 12 vdc system. When you started the generator the voltage was restored and the converter was able to do it's job.