DC issues

Electrical issues, both 12 volt and 120 volt
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Abie Sea
Weekend Camper
Posts: 40
Joined: Fri Oct 23, 2015 6:29 pm
B190 Year: 1989
Location: Seattle

DC issues

Post by Abie Sea »

I have gone through all of the topics in the electrical forum and have ordered a new convertor after it fried my house battery.

I previously had not been able to detect the charger keeping the battery up charged and thought there might be a fuse in the circuit. I never found one.

I bought a new deep cycle battery and some funny things started to happen. The generator switch just buzzed rather than crank the generator. Then there was a metallic clicking every minute or so coming from the converter area that sounded like a bi-metalic relay going off. This was odd. I double checked the connections to the battery and they were correct. I did notice a substantial spark when attaching the white lead to the positive terminal, indicating a current flow, but as far as I knew, there was no DC load in the house. I measured no flow from the positive terminal to the disconnected negative leads that seemed to indicate no current leaks in the house. It might have been some current from the chassis battery.

Prior to putting the new battery, I did check the alternator and it was providing 13+ volts to the house battery. I started to pull apart the distribution box but the wires did not allow me to pull out the converter to examine what might have been making the clicking sound. It was filthy and it seemed there was an accumulation around the fan that might have indicated that it was not functioning. When I first got the van, there was a switch wired into the front. I never know what it did. When I had a RV service facility look into it, they removed it saying it was not necessary. In reading the topics I saw a post the mentioned three wires from the positive terminal, but I have 3 wires attached to the negative ground tereminal. I am still trying to figure out the wiring in the house.

Doers anyone have any suggestions that would explain this situation? Unfortunately we are off on a 2 week journey back and forth across the rockies from Jasper to Glacier. We will be dependent on shore power. It would have been nice to have some battery capacity to keep the fridge cold. Now during the day it will be a glorified icebox.

Thanks
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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: DC issues

Post by skater »

What voltage are you getting from the battery, and with the battery connected?
1991 Airstream B190 - bought, 2005; sold, 2011; bought 2017
1995 Airstream Excella 30' trailer

WBCCI #13270, Washington, DC Unit
Abie Sea
Weekend Camper
Posts: 40
Joined: Fri Oct 23, 2015 6:29 pm
B190 Year: 1989
Location: Seattle

Re: DC issues

Post by Abie Sea »

You can disregard most of this post. The problem was with the operator and not the equipment, except the converter which I will replace. I was so sure that the battery was hooked up. Most of the vehicles I work with have black ground cables. I should have tripped to the three positive cable comments. I turned the battery around and with all hooked up things are running properly again. I little knowledge is a dangerous thing
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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: DC issues

Post by skater »

Abie Sea wrote:You can disregard most of this post. The problem was with the operator and not the equipment, except the converter which I will replace. I was so sure that the battery was hooked up. Most of the vehicles I work with have black ground cables. I should have tripped to the three positive cable comments. I turned the battery around and with all hooked up things are running properly again. I little knowledge is a dangerous thing
Glad it was something simple!
1991 Airstream B190 - bought, 2005; sold, 2011; bought 2017
1995 Airstream Excella 30' trailer

WBCCI #13270, Washington, DC Unit
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