Electrical woes!

Electrical issues, both 12 volt and 120 volt
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Jersey747
Weekend Camper
Posts: 65
Joined: Wed Dec 27, 2017 9:24 pm
B190 Year: 1994
WBCCI: 0

Electrical woes!

Post by Jersey747 »

Hi All,
My restoration saga continues ...purchased my B190 December .Already $9k to fix all the mechanicals Now turning to interior electricals..as nothing seems to work .Removed couch to inspect the hellhole(old aviation terminology for tight space where manufacturers seem to stick way too much stuff!)
Battery was dead not even deepcycle and not a sealed unit .mass of free unattached wires White Red black with taped ends Can anyone send me a pic of what’s attached where ???
Underhood battery pax side dead with no cables attached ?? Can any one send me a pic of that also...? Want to wire it up once new batts in place then replace converter etc
Thx from the Garden State
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skater
Site Admin
Posts: 2569
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2007 1:00 am
B190 Year: 1991
WBCCI: 13270
Location: Annapolis, MD

Re: Electrical woes!

Post by skater »

I'd skip the under bed battery for now and focus on the one under the hood. In mine, there are only two wires connecting to the coach battery, and it's pretty obvious which one is the ground, because it terminates under a bolt connected to the radiator support. Multiple wires beyond those at the battery aren't a great sign, because the coach should have a fuse panel under the couch that serves as a distribution point for all of the lights, fan, etc. (It's snowing pretty heavily out there right now, so I can't get a picture for you.)

(I think my fog lights were originally wired to the coach battery as well with a white wire. I removed that years ago, though.)
1991 Airstream B190 - bought, 2005; sold, 2011; bought 2017
1995 Airstream Excella 30' trailer

WBCCI #13270, Washington, DC Unit
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Sub2RainEN
Seasoned Traveler
Posts: 154
Joined: Sun May 08, 2016 5:13 pm
B190 Year: 1990
WBCCI: 0

Electrical woes!

Post by Sub2RainEN »

What year is your rig? I bought a 1990 in Dec also. Any chance you did a tour on YouTube? Someone in NJ put one up around that time, very informative.

I just took mine out for her maiden voyage and couldn’t get the appliances to work. I think maybe the propane is off, but by the time I thought of that it was pouring rain and after dark, so I just sucked up one more cold night.

Anyway, lights and fan worked, but not outlets and appliances. It took me a day or so to remember my mechanic had mentioned the inverter was off. Flipped it on, nothing.

Fortunately, the second owner wrote long memos after every service. There was a yellow cord, like an extension cord, plugged into itself. According to her notes, this was to bypass the inverter. To use the inverter, I had to plug the male end into the inverter. Voila! Power to the outlets. The furnace eventually kicked in with a van-rattling shudder and pumped out cold air for a few mins. Didn’t get microwave or fridge to work.

It was an after-market inverter, I think. Perhaps yours is installed similarly. It looks like a clear day, I can take some pics for you if you want, although I’m wondering if the installs changed over time.

Also, did your rig come with all the books? I have the manuals and most have electrical diagrams. I think the B190 book does, also.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Proud 1990 B190 newbie owner
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skater
Site Admin
Posts: 2569
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2007 1:00 am
B190 Year: 1991
WBCCI: 13270
Location: Annapolis, MD

Re: Electrical woes!

Post by skater »

I've finally posted pictures of the battery wiring underhood in my '91.
1991 Airstream B190 - bought, 2005; sold, 2011; bought 2017
1995 Airstream Excella 30' trailer

WBCCI #13270, Washington, DC Unit
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