Coach Electricial Status from the Aladdin

[Bill Staley]

We were tripping the pole 50A circuit breaker so I wanted to check the AC amps we were using.  Turned on the Aladdin and went to the Coach Electrical Status screen.  The AC information was blank.  I have checked this before and the info was there.  Does anyone know where the sensor point for that information is located?  Also, any information on how to troubleshoot will be greatly appreciated.

Hope everyone is have a great beginning to their summer!

[Stan Simpson]

On our Monterey, the Aladdin interface module is in the bay just forward of the rear curbside tires. It's also the bay that has the the black and gray water tanks. Ours in on floor in the lower left corner. It has several gray telephone cables plugged in to it. I believe the cables and the sockets are both labeled.

[Larry Moore]

The information comes from the transfer switch located in the electrical cord bay. If the electrical works fine on the generator and you are blowing the pole breakers, you may have a transfer switch failure.  We have replaced one on ours.  Easy enough to do but the switch is a little pricey.

[Steve Huber]

Bill,
Did this happen when you plugged into shore power or had everything been running normally on shore power for a while? Also, do you have a Surge Guard or similar input AC power guard and if so, does it show a problem with shore power input? If it says shore power is OK, problem is probably in the coach. If no Surge Guard and problem occurred at plug in, I'd suspect faulty shore power.

Try disconnecting from shore power and see if everything runs normally on the generator. If so, the problem is somewhere between the shore power box and the coach transfer switch. Also check to see if the monitor shows the amperage being drawn and if it is normal. If not, isolate the high amperage draw by turning off the AC circuit breakers one at a time.

If everything is OK on generator and AC input is OK, problem is probably the transfer switch or wiring to it.
Steve

[Joel Ashley]

I’ve run into several instances with similar symptoms.  Though it could entail what the other guys mention, my experience was always a bad park post installation, and is what I’d investigate first.  A good idea is to carry a device that can check 15/20, 30, and 50 amp outlets before plugging in.  Below is one I assembled a couple years ago from various sources.

Joel

[Jim Nichols]

Check the phone cable for the automatic transfer switch labeled ATS at the Aladdin modules in the curbside water bay. You would be looking for green corrosion on the cable ends. Also that same cable at the transfer switch. Corrosion on the cables is not your friend. Just thinking maybe.

[Bill Sprague]

First question is why you were tripping the dual 50 amp breaker.  If both are tripped, that is a one hundred amp load!

Second question is where is the pickup for the Aladdin amp gauge.   In out '04 Monterey it quit.   

The pickup was behind the circuit breaker panel in the bedroom.  There are two very small rings around the primary wires coming from the transfer switch for each 50 amp leg.  Those rings have tiny wires from them.  First thing in the line is a fuse with the smallest rating I've ever seen.  Mine was blown.  I had to go to a electronics supply to find a fuse with a rating so small. 

[Mike Shumack]

Bill,
was the small fuse for the 12V side?

The diagram I have shows a 1.5A fuse (looks like DC) and the AC line sensor. So the AC sensor is in behind the circuit breaker panel. That's good to know.

The other sensor looks to be in the transfer switch (which looks like it's for Generator and Shore Power).

These coaches are complicated machines.

[Jerry Emert]

In my coach the sensor is in a junction box next to the transfer switch in the bay with the inverter.  I became very familiar with my electrical system when I plugged into a miswired plug at a storage lot.  That was the first time I ever plugged my brand new (to me) coach after taking it home.

[Bill Staley]

Thanks for the replies.  I will need to go searching based on you're advice.  I'll report when I find the problem.

The reason the pole circuit breaker was tripping was that it had gone bad.  They changed the breaker and the tripping problem went away.

[Bill Sprague]

Bill,
was the small fuse for the 12V side?

The diagram I have shows a 1.5A fuse (looks like DC) and the AC line sensor. So the AC sensor is in behind the circuit breaker panel. That's good to know.

The other sensor looks to be in the transfer switch (which looks like it's for Generator and Shore Power).

These coaches are complicated machines.

Mike,

I'm going by memory.....

My issue was that the Aladdin stopped displaying amps on one leg.

The diagram does not seem to show what I remember.   I only see one sensor for the 120v system.  In our '04 Monterey the Aladdin readout had Leg 1 and Leg 2 in amps and volts.  The amp part came from a little ring around the wire at immediately behind the top breaker in the panel.   The fuse was withing inches of the ring.   I found the rating on the fuse itself. 

[Bill Staley]

Going to dig into this issue this week-end.  Where is the transfer switch normally located in an '05 PT?  I looked in the breaker box.  No pickups there.

[David T. Richelderfer]

Our transfer switch is located, I believe, in the basement storage, one bay door ahead of the water bay door on the street side on the ceiling just inside the frame rail.  Being located there, it's only a few feet forward of the inverter/charger.

[Joel Ashley]

For many it’s integrated in a Surge Guard, near any cord reel device you may have:
https://rvpower.southwire.com/products/transfer-switches/50a-hardwire-model-41260-automatic-transfer-switch/

Joel