wolfe10

Let me restate the problem so everyone is clear on what is working and when. Please correct me if this is incorrect! From either shore power or generator, all 120 VAC circuits work fine EXCEPT for a few outlets. Those same outlets DO work from inverter power (when shore power DISCONNECTED and generator OFF). Are there any circuits that work from the inverter (when shore power disconnected and generator off) that DO work from shore power or generator (perhaps the microwave or other circuit that you can use from the inverter while dry camping)? If not, look in your inverter book and see if it has a "pass through" feature. Pass through means when the inverter sees 120 VAC (from shore power or generator) it merely "passes it through" to all circuits supplied by the inverter. Many models with this feature have an internal fuse-- it may be blown. Tell us the make and model of the inverter-- THE MORE DETAILED THE INFORMATION THE BETTER WE CAN ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS. Brett

A puzzler. From the OUT side (to 120 coach breaker box) of the ATS, wiring is exactly the same whether on generator or shore power. Said another way, there are two separate "IN's" to the ATS-- one from generator, one from shore power. But on the OUT there are just the four wires (with 50 amp: two hots, a neutral and a ground) going to the breaker box. If everything works on generator power, but not shore power, I am surprised you got the same readings on the OUT of the ATS while on shore power that you got while on generator. Here is what you are checking on the OUT side of the ATS: Since everything works on generator, you WILL HAVE: Hot L1 to neutral or ground= 120 VAC Hot L2 to neutral or ground= 120 VAC Please verify the readings on the OUT side of the ATS with shore power are the same. Brett

Your tests show that the ATS is working properly. If the ONLY thing(s) that don't work are the outlets on the coach, you need to locate and push the "reset" button on all your GFI's. Most coaches have two. I interpreted this to mean more than just the outlets: "all 120V circuits inside the coach went dead". If it is just the outlets that are not working, reset the GFI's. Brett

If you don't find someone familiar with your system, give these guys a call on Monday. They sell and more importantly repair a wide variety of RV cameras and monitors. They should be able to walk you through troubleshooting your system: http://www.rvcams.com/Default.htm Brett

Welcome to the FMCA Forum. First, some advice for all on electrical storms. Disconnect the shore power cord! Even turning off the breaker is not as safe, as lightening can follow a ground or neutral wire into your coach. Now, IF, repeat IF you are safe working around 120 VAC, to test the ATS, remove the top of the box. There will be two sets of wires on the IN side-- one from generator and one from shore power. Check for power on each when generator/shore power turned on. Next, there is one wire on the OUT side of the box (still in the box, but on the wires going to the main 120 VAC breaker box). Verify that you have voltage on the two hots when on shore power and then again with the generator running. An inverter sometimes confuses matters, as it can provide 120 VAC even when shore and/or generator circuits are faulty (in fact that IS when they do provide power. So make sure the inverter is OFF during your testing. Brett

Couple of points. First, surface rust does appear on rotors. Yes, it will appear quicker if exposed to salt air. And it is NOT good to start an engine and only drive a few feet. Better for everything (engine, transmission, wheel bearings, rear axle, brakes, all seals, tires, etc) to drive at least 25 highway miles if you start the engine. You want the engine OIL, not just coolant, to get to operating temperature for long enough for moisture in the crankcase to evaporate. Brett

Excellent question, as it is a good idea to check before plugging in. The two outer straights are both hots: L1 and L2. The center straight is the neutral The center round is ground SO: Between either outer straight and center straight or center round= 120 VAC Between center round and center straight= 0 VAC Outer straight to outer straight= 240 VAC Above are the readings for a properly wired 50 amp outlet. If the two hots L1 and L2 are wired from the same "phase" in the CG main breaker box which is NOT to code, reading from outer straight to outer straight will be 0 VAC. The danger with this is that you could overheat the neutral wire. The neutral wire in a properly wired circuit carries only the DIFFERENCE in amps between L1 and L2. If both hots are on the same "phase", the neutral must carry the SUM of L1 and L2. The neutral wire is not sized for this. If total draw is less than 50 amps (note, there are 100 amps available as L1 is on a 50 amp breaker as is L2) the power can be used with reasonable safety, as the neutral is sized to carry a maximum of 50 amps. Brett

Chuck, Mike and rhuffhines; I believe Chuck is talking about a DIFFERENT fan than are Mike and rhuffhines. With an A/C system, you have two different fans. The evaporator fan-- the one in the dash that you feel coming out the vents and runs for heat, defrost, etc as well as A/C. The other fan is the condenser fan. Depending on location of the condenser, it may have a separate fan or it may use the main engine fan or a combination. It does cycle. The cycling can be triggered by compressor on, freon/coolant pressure etc. BTW, your stick home has two fans as well, with the condenser outside and the evaporator inside the home. Brett

Yes, you have touches on two important issues when looking at power: 1. It is not just power, but POWER TO WEIGHT ratio that is important. 2. While a HP is a HP be it gasoline or diesel (they can all do the same amount of work), the RPM at which that HP is generated may (diesels) or may not (gasoline engines) be at an RPM that the engine can safely sustain for long periods of time. As a corollary, high torque at lower RPM's translates into less downshifting on grades. And, while power is important, there are many happy owners of coaches whose power to weight ratios mean they may climb those steep grades a few MPH slower than others. That bothers some people, not others. For an understanding of how HP and weight affect heavy vehicles such as motorhomes, you might read this from Caterpillar Corporation: http://catrvclub.org/Tech%20Talks/RV%20Performance%20.pdf Brett

Jim, First, the legal disclaimer-- this may not be legal where you live. If not legal, I am not recommending doing this. Determine what position the key is supposed to be in for towing-- i.e. steering remains unlocked. On a quiet, straight back street with no traffic, get up to 20 MPH or so. Shift to neutral. Turn off the ignition and immediately turn it back to the position recommended for towing. Do NOT remove the key from the ignition! Note mileage and see if it changes as you coast. Restart engine and continue on your way. Brett

The fact that you COULD pick up a signal from the RV park next door would indicate to me that the Wave WAS working properly. Like you, we have been in RV parks with some good and some really poor Wi-fi coverage. A booster can only do so much. If the park's signal is dropping/coming back as we have had in several parks, no booster in the world would keep you happily on-line. Brett

A good solid engine, transmission, chassis. Here are some detail on it: http://freightlinerchassis.com/images/pdf/Fleetwood/XC0105-2002.pdf Check the age of the tires-- they are likely near the end of their serviceable life if not already replaced-- even if the tread is in good shape. The last 4 digits of the number molded into one sidewall of each tire beginning with DOT indicates the WEEK and YEAR the tires were made. If original, they will be close to 10 years old.

Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Do you know what chassis it has? What engine? How many miles?

You are right-- definitely something wrong. In fact at that distance, you should have been able to pick up a signal with no external antenna at all. Brett

PLEASE, contact your chassis maker. Most fit an air manifold such as the one you mention that was meant to connect to things like an air chuck for filling tires. Do NOT just tap into the air system-- that can both be dangerous and put you under real liability. Brett

Clearly, if a hot spot is encrypted, no booster will get you in. The job of any antenna/booster is to bring in a signal. Whether you can connect to that signal depends on whether their site is protected or open. Sitting right here at the house, I can pick up 15 hot spots. But, all but two are neighbors and they are password protected. In the motorhome or boat, this is less of a problem, as many public wi-fi sites are not encryption protected.

Steve, Short answer is YES. We have used it inside the motorhome and even down stairs in the sailboat-- we used it all winter on the sailboat in the Bahamas to stay connected without having to lug the laptop into a marina. Clearly, you can pick up more distant hot spots the higher and less obstructions there are, but the antenna/booster is quite a lot stronger than any antenna built into a lap top that you don't have to get carried away with antenna placement. Brett

To add to Chuck's post, batteries with a bad cell can cause boiling and fuming, even with a perfectly working alternator, isolator and/or battery charger. The charging source knows it is supposed to maintain 13.2+ VDC. If the battery has a bad cell, the charging source will try to charge a 10 VDC battery (one dead cell) at 13.2 VDC. So, though the charging source is maintaining exactly the correct voltage, the battery(s) will boil and fume. IMPORTANT: Have you actually measured voltage at the battery? If so, what reading do you get? Brett

Craig, To very different sources for water leaks on roof top A/C's: 1. A/C to roof seal leak. Leaks when it rains, as well as when A/C running (assuming when A/C running that the condensate drain drains onto the roof). In many cases, you can slightly tighten the 4 bolts accessible by removing the lower unit cover. Do NOT overtighten-- this is a compressible gasket and either too loose or too tight will leak. 2. The condensate drain is clogged. Leaks only when the A/C is running. Requires clearing the condensate drain clog-- could be nothing more than a leaf or spider web in the drain.

Curley, Because of the different designs used by different coach makers for suspension, jacks, slide mechanism, etc, there is no "one procedure" works for all coaches as to the proper order in which to dump air, level and extend slides. No right or wrong order, but what may work fine on another brand coach may do damage to another brand. Please contact Winnebago or look in your Winnebago owners manual for the proper order for YOUR coach. IF, repeat IF someone with exactly the same coach happens to respond, that would be great, but, if not, please call Winnebago tomorrow. Brett

The coach/chassis maker generally select and install the gauge package, not the engine maker. So, contact Monaco for advice on troubleshooing-- they can walk you through identifying if this is a sender, gauge, wiring or interface issue. Brett

Gary, When you click on the link I posted above-- should be what you are looking for: Hehr Power Systems Hehr Power Systems, a division of Hehr International Inc., manufactures a wide range of electrical products for the automotive, RV, marine, transit, and emergency services industries--including POWERLINE Heavy Duty alternators, Aqualine marine regulators, and POWERLINE multi-battery isolators. The manufacturing plant is located in Ft. Worth, Texas, and the Division Director, Sales Manager and their staff work closely with OEM's and a strong distributor network for widespread product availability throughout the United States, Canada and other countries. alternator wpe1.jpg (2725 bytes) THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING POWERLINE ALTERNATORS REGULATORS ISOLATORS SPECIALTY APPLICATIONS Other Options from HEHR POWER SYSTEMS Distributor and Service Center directory POWER SYSTEMS Series 24 product applications POWER SYSTEMS Series 25 product applications POWER SYSTEMS Series 28 product applications (PDF file) Powerline alternator product output performance New Powerline products Series 25 Troubleshooting Guide (PDF file) Series 23 / 24 alternator Troubleshooting Guide (PDF file) Online Technical Library Warranty Policies About Hehr Power Systems

Gary, Hehr has some pretty good troubleshooting manuals on their website: http://www.hehr-international.com/hehr%20power%20systems%20index.html Brett

Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Since the 2012 Civic is a brand new generation of Civic, the best advice is to look in your owners manual. The previous series Civic was not towable four wheels down-- only the CRV and Fit were towable per Honda. I would NOT take the word of a salesperson or even service person at a dealership-- they are not the ones who would stand behind your new car if towing caused damage. The other option would be to e-mail/contact Honda and ask them to confirm in writing whether it can be towed four wheels down. Brett

Yup, as long as you can access the valve, easy to replace. I get even a little more carried away with the tilting. I tilt the coach TOWARD the side with the valve first and open the valve. After it has stopped dripping, I then tilt it the other way. Have never had to work with any water, etc. And I use pure silicone lubricant on the sides of the slide area of the new valve when I install it-- keeps it operating smooth all season. Brett