50 Amp Power

[John Maguire]

I went out to the coach this morning and though it is all plugged in the power is off...not sure I did anything other than move the cable with some snow coming in but now I can't seem to get anything on...I am going to recheck circuit and all but barn electric is all on so I believe all is fine...is there something in the protection or automatic crossover that can cause this...just figured perhaps someone else has similar before I go chasing everything through...Many thanks and Happy and Safe  Holidays

[Jerry Carr]

Hi John, I am not that good with the circuits but I would always start with the simple things first for me I would check the salesman's switch at the front door it's easy to hit it by mistake.  

I would  then check my inverter to make sure its not off

[John Maguire]

I am not sure about this switch I have heard referenced...I don't see any switches around my door besides step and light etc...Am I missing it or is it absent from a 1992...lol...I have it running currently on the generator to play about a bit and all seems to be ok but nothing on the shore power side...I had this happen once before I believe and I just pulled power cord and all seemed to return to normal...

[John Maguire]

I see the bright red tag that says "make sure you set power off before connecting 120V"...what is the affected component in that circuit...I have power off the crossover switch...voltage sensors are also appearing active...

[Joel Ashley]

If you have a voltmeter, check for power at the female end of any extension cord you may be using, and any adapters.  I've moved such things myself in the past to protect them more from inclement weather, and discovered they were already messed up with melted rubber around burned prongs.  If you find evidence of overheated cord or adapter components, replace them.  This is not to say there isn't something else haywire... just one thing to check, especially given your having moved the cord to resolve it previously, and it was fine before you moved it this time.

Joel

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

If you haven't already done so, verify that the inverter control panel shows the AC Input indicator lit with the geni off and the shore power line plugged in. It should also be lit when the geni is running.

[John Maguire]

Many thanks gentlemen on some great thoughts...here's what I have so far...power is  fine incoming on the cord...have two legs of 118v as it should be...I have been going over what wiring diagrams I have found through the forum here and am digging in deeper...i still am not quite sure electrically what would be the fragile link in the referred to in the warning label on the panel...everything seems to be rather nicely isolated...I had some normal issues I had to deal with around here today and hope to have some more time tomorrow to figure this out...I am thinking that in moving the cord about I have in some way  upset what the warning label is referring to...ie blown a breaker/fusible link/solenoid type of affair.... :-/

[Edward Buker]

John,

I'm not familiar with your specific coach but in general the most likely places to look for missing 120V feed are starting where you plug in, including the breaker, feed contacts, and the plug for mechanical wear issues. These isuess are not the likely souce given you lost all power and usually one connection is at fault here unless the breaker is tripped. You then get to some kind of junction box that ties the power cord to the house wiring. Again given you lost all power that is not a likely fault point. From here the house wiring goes to the auto transfer switch or a set of manual switches to tie in the generator. I will assume that you have the automatic type. I'm assuming that your problem is here. When you start the generator you indicated that you had normal power. Because the breaker panel comes after the transfer switch and functions normally with the generator feeding power to the coach we know that the panel and follow on wiring is all right. You will need to locate the transfer switch, usually housed in a grey metal box maybe 10 inches by 10 inches by 5 inches plus or minus. On later coaches they are mounted on the ceiling of the storage bay but may be near the power cord area in the back of the coach.

This is a manual for an Esco version in the link below. With the generator off, measure for 120V coming into the relays, then measure to see if 120V is coming out. Many of these units require power to the relays, from the circuit board, to close the relay contacts when the house power comes from the shore power cord. If the relays are bad or the circuit board is not working the generator side will still feed 120V to the coach using the normally closed contacts. If the auto transfer switch is bad, replacement would be your best choice given the age of the relays. Sometimes you can get replacement parts but many times they are more costly then buying a new unit. Hope this helps.

http://www.escousa.net/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/ES50M-65NTrblShootRepair102506.pdf

Later Ed

[Wayne Tull]

On the my 94 Marquis (93 build) the transfer switch is located behind the breaker box's in the overhead above the bed.  Not convenient to get to at all, but doable.  Hopefully yours is located in a more accessible location if it is the problem.

[John Maguire]

Some interesting developments...older coaches really need a step by step going through to be sure...mine had basically gotten some really bizarre jumpering to get around a few basic failed components and replaced ones as well what I can only figure was a workaround for lack of 240V power at the home port. I have undone everything the past several days and added some far more robust wiring, junction blocks and contactors but boy every time I thought I was at the end I found something new...
I really want to thank you guys for ideas that shed some light on a good starting point and locations for stuff...anyone that still has some of these old contactor point relays for AC and Block heater I can point you to some nice and very cheap solid state units commonly found on eBay...I had a pretty good chuckle when I opened that 'High Voltage' box in my storage bay and then searched documentation and found another in the rearmost drivers side cabinet behind panel for block heater. I am going to add a small PLC and touch screen to give me a centralized access point for management once I have a few more updated logic inputs such as some input from the generator, furnace, fridge and a few other areas...should be a fun little project.
I will say this about Beavers though...damn this thing is built like a tank...everyone cuts some corners but damn they didn't cut many!
Many thanks and Happy New Year!