inverter not charging

[btulskie]

HI, I am new to RVing.  Our Fleetwood 2013 Expedition might have a problem with the inverter.  We were at a KOA and put the inverter on.  We were already attached to 50amp shore power.  After a while, we lost total power to the coach.  Thought it was a GFI issue, couldn't figure it out.  The next day while driving noticed the inverting was inverting, at next destination, after connecting to shore power, the inverter was still inverting, not charging.  After a period of time, when the batteries ran down, we lost power again.  For some reason, the inverting does not charge while ion shore power.  Any suggestions?

Thanks

[dickandlois]

btulskie, Welcome to the FMCA Forum !

From the information you offered it sound like the Coach batteries are charging from the alternator ! and the inverter is making power until the batteries run down.

Do you travel with a multimeter  ?  you need to check the charging voltage supplied from the inverter when you are connected to shore power.

Is the inverter circuit breaker in the power panel turned on - or need to be reset by turning it off and back on?

Any error codes showing up?

What is the make of the charger / inverter installed in the coach?

Do you have 120 volt power to any of the receptacles when connected to shore power?

Rich. 

[manholt]

2 other items.  If Acid batteries, are they to the full line, if not add distilled water and check to see that all connections are clean and tight on battery posts.   Also  look at Inverter ground wire, is it tight and no corrosion?

[wolfe10]

btulskie,

Yes, welcome to the FMCA Forum.

If 120 VAC is not reaching the inverter/charger, that is exactly what would happen.

So, assuming you have all other 120 VAC things working when on shore power (or generator for that matter) except proper operation of the inverter/charger, start by flipping OFF and back ON the breaker on the main 120 VAC breaker panel for the inverter. 

If that doesn't correct it, there is a fuse in most of the inverter/chargers that may be bad.  Tell us exactly what inverter/charger you have and perhaps we can tell you where to check for the fuse.

[wildebill308]

1 hour ago, btulskie said:

HI, I am new to RVing.  Our Fleetwood 2013 Expedition might have a problem with the inverter.  We were at a KOA and put the inverter on.  We were already attached to 50amp shore power.  After a while, we lost total power to the coach.  Thought it was a GFI issue, couldn't figure it out.  The next day while driving noticed the inverting was inverting, at next destination, after connecting to shore power, the inverter was still inverting, not charging.  After a period of time, when the batteries ran down, we lost power again.  For some reason, the inverting does not charge while ion shore power.  Any suggestions?

Thanks

Welcome to the forum. Let's review what is going on. I see some confusion in terminology. I still get confused sometimes with what different systems do. 

You said you (put the inverter on). The inverter generally only power some circuits. What a Inverter does is convert 12V power to 110. If you are plugged into 50 amp shore power it will just pass power to the circuits. It will not take power out of the auxiliary batteries when on generator or shore power. It does not charge the batteries. 

"Thought it was a GFI issue, couldn't figure it out." Is your GFI receptacle button popped out and won't reset?

That leaves the converter.

A converter is an electrical device for converting 120-volt AC power into 12-volt DC power. Most RVs with electrical hookups will have a converter, since many of the lights and some other accessories run on 12-volts DC. Most converters also have a built in charger for the coach batteries. The better ones have at least a 3 stage charger. 

Make shure power is on to your converter.

Let us know what you find.

Bill

 

[wolfe10]

Yes, we need to know if you have an inverter (inverter only) in which case you will have a separate converter OR

do you have an inverter/charger (one unit that does both).  Since yours is a 2013, I ASSUMED (perhaps incorrectly) that you have an inverter/charger.

[btulskie]

Hi, My inverter is a Magnum Series Pure Sine.  I looked at it and the 30amp breaker was thrown so I pushed it back in.   I started the generator and wanted to see if the ME_MR inverter remote control showed that the unit was charging.  the menu had the following "CHARGER No AC in" message.  This was the same one that we had on shore power.  I take this to mean that the inverter/charger is not getting any external power and is working as the invert function and running down the batteries.  

I will post again after I do the hard reset on the inverter.

 

Thanks

 

[wolfe10]

You will want to figure out what tripped the 30 amp breaker. 

Was this the coach's main breaker or a breaker dedicated to the inverter/charger?

[btulskie]

Hi, I forgot to respond back to the solution of the problem.  I had to do a hard reset of the inverter.  After that, all was good!  Thanks

 

[wolfe10]

Thanks for the update.