Results for "inverter fault"

Electrical Medium 2-6 hours 232 👍 1

ECM Low Battery Warning RV: Complete Diagnosis & Fix Guide

During a family trip, my 2005 Fleetwood Discovery 39S threw code 168-1 for low ECM battery voltage and went into full shutdown mode—is this dangerous with kids onboard? Engine cut out, transmission selector went dark, ABS warnings everywhere - the whole nine yards. Scared the heck out of me when it happened on the interstate!

I'm seeing this seems to be a thing with these diesel pushers, but I'm drowning in conflicting info online. Some say it's the chassis battery, others blame alternator issues, and I've even seen posts about ECM power supply problems on the Caterpillar engines. What's the actual step-by-step process to track this down? And more importantly, how do I fix it so it doesn't leave me stranded again? Really need a complete walkthrough of what causes this code and the proper repair approach. …more

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Electrical Medium 30-90 min 140 👍 0

No 12 Volt Power in RV: Complete Troubleshooting Guide

Turned the key and nothing works on 12 volt — no lights, no water pump, no slides. Batteries show 12.6 volts on the multimeter so they're fully charged. House batteries seem fine but zero power is getting to any of the 12V circuits inside the coach. …more

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Ac Refrigeration Medium 2-3 hours for diagnosis, professional repair likely needed 122 👍 0

Coleman Mach AC Fuse Blows With Battery On - Rockwood Fix

Found out the hard way that the previous owner of my 2019 Rockwood Minilite 2509s left me with a Coleman Mach AC that blows fuses instantly when I flip on the battery. The AC fuse blows instantly when I turn on the battery disconnect, before the AC is even activated. The fuse literally blows before it's completely seated in the panel.

This began two weeks ago without warning - the system had been functioning normally prior to this. Initial fuse replacement provided temporary operation, but the problem returned on the next trip with the fuse already blown upon arrival.

Given the immediate fuse failure with just battery power connected, what type of electrical fault would cause this symptom pattern in a Coleman Mach unit, and what's the most likely location of the problem in the AC circuit? …more

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Best RV Batteries

4.5 (15,400 reviews)

Solar Batteries Medium 1-2 hours 120 👍 0

Xantrex Freedom X 1200 Inverter Low Battery Warning: Critical 11.2V Fix Guide

Walked into my new RV and discovered the previous owner left the Xantrex Freedom X 1200 inverter constantly throwing critical 11.2V low battery warnings. My Xantrex Freedom X 1200 inverter is displaying warning indicators on the panel, and I'm seeing some concerning voltage readings that have me worried about potential damage to my electrical system.

Here's the complete situation: My house battery is reading 11.2 volts, while the chassis battery shows 13.1 volts. The inverter panel is lit up with what I assume are low voltage warnings. I've been noticing the interior lights dimming significantly, especially when trying to run any appliances through the inverter. To make matters worse, it's currently overcast and getting dark, so my solar panels aren't generating any meaningful charge to help recover the battery.

I'm particularly concerned because I know lead-acid batteries can be permanently damaged if they're discharged too deeply. The voltage reading of 11.2V seems critically low to me, but I want to understand exactly how urgent this situation is and what my immediate next steps should be. Should I be looking at shore power connection, generator use, or is there something wrong with my charging system that caused this in the first place? I need to know both the immediate fix and what might have caused this failure. …more

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Electrical Easy 10 min read 100 👍 0

RV Battery Disconnect Switch Guide: When to Use, What Loses Power & Staying Safe

Wondering if I can skip the $400 shop diagnosis for my electrical issues and just figure out this battery disconnect switch myself, even though I'm getting conflicting advice.

Specifically, I'm concerned about what happens to things like my LP gas detector, carbon monoxide alarm, and refrigerator when I disconnect the battery. Will I lose all my radio presets and clock settings? Are there certain situations where I absolutely shouldn't use the disconnect switch?

I want to use it for storage to prevent battery drain, but I'm also wondering about daily use scenarios. What are the best practices to avoid any problems or safety issues? I really don't want to mess anything up or put my family at risk. …more

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Engine Medium Varies by issue 95 👍 0

Onan Generator Fault Codes: Complete Troubleshooting Guide for RV Owners

During my latest camping trip my Onan generator threw a fault code — got my multimeter ready and just need to figure out which diagnostic approach will crack this thing.

I'm seeing 12 or 13 blinks on my generator error display and want to understand what these codes might mean. Are these codes consistent across different Onan models? I'm hoping it's a minor issue and not something requiring a major repair.

Can anyone help me decode what these blinking fault codes typically indicate? …more

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Solar Batteries Medium 2-3 hours 88 👍 0

Magnum MS2012 Inverter Not Charging Battery: Complete Fix Guide

Finally got a second opinion after my RV tech insisted I need an $800 replacement for my entire Magnum MS2012 inverter just because it won't charge my 2011 Fleetwood Providence's battery. I've got dual Magnum MS2012 inverter chargers that seem to charge the batteries fine through all the stages, but once they reach float mode, the voltage just keeps dropping and the chargers won't kick back in to maintain them.

I've already replaced all the batteries (both coach and chassis), cleaned and tested every solenoid I can find, and I'm still having the same issue. The coach is plugged into shore power, so that's not the problem. I've been digging through the control panel menus looking for float settings but I'm not finding what I need.

Could this be a settings issue with the Magnum units, or am I dealing with some kind of power drain that's too much for the float charge to handle? I've been chasing this problem for months and I'm really hoping someone has run into this before and can help me figure out what I'm missing! …more

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General Easy 15 minutes to verify 87 👍 0

Southwire EMS Built-in vs External Surge Protector: Do You Need Both?

Opened my 2022 Holiday Rambler 38N DP and discovered it's eating through surge protectors way faster than normal, despite having the built-in Southwire system. Dealer says I might not need an external surge protector like a Watchdog since it's already built in.

Does a built-in Southwire surge guard provide the same protection as a standalone EMS unit? Should I still install an external surge protector or is the built-in system sufficient? Want to make sure I have proper protection without buying unnecessary equipment. …more

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Electrical Medium 30 minutes to 2 hours 85 👍 0

RV Red Fault Light No Power: How to Fix Partial Electrical Outage

Tried rewiring my RV's electrical system yesterday but something still doesn't seem right — red fault light is on and half my outlets have no power. My Class A has this red fault light glaring at me from the power panel, but it's not a total blackout situation. AC is running fine (thank goodness!), but my fridge, microwave, and some outlets decided to take a vacation.

I already tried the usual suspects - reset every GFCI I could find inside and messed with the main power cord panel outside where shore power comes in. Still got that annoying red light mocking me.

This partial power thing is driving me nuts. What should I be checking next to get everything back online? …more

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Appliances Easy 10 minutes 84 👍 0

Complete Guide to RV Control Panel Lights and Display Meanings

Dashboard has about 15 different indicator lights and half of them just came on after hooking up at a new campground. Some I recognize from the manual but a few aren't even documented. Need to understand what each light and display reading actually means before I start troubleshooting. …more

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Electrical Medium 1-2 hours for diagnosis 82 👍 0

RV Battery Boiling and Sulfur Smell: Emergency Fix Guide (2024)

The storm that rolled through our campground this weekend left my RV house batteries boiling and releasing that terrifying sulfur smell. After a long road trip, I discovered one of my deep cycle batteries was actually boiling and giving off a strong sulfur smell. This isn't the first time - I've had two different house batteries do this exact same thing over the past year, including one that was less than a year old and another that was about two years old. Both times when I found the boiling battery, my RV wasn't connected to shore power, so I don't think it's related to being plugged in. The sulfur smell was really strong and concerning - is this dangerous? What actually causes a battery to start boiling like this, and what should I do when I find a battery in this condition? I'm worried about safety and also want to prevent this from happening again with my next battery replacement. …more

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Best RV Refrigerators

4.3 (9,200 reviews)

Electrical Easy 30 minutes 81 👍 0

Transfer Switch Ground Wire Not Connected - Winnebago View Fix

Nobody expects to find their 2021 Winnebago View 24D transfer switch ground wire completely disconnected at 11 PM when you're supposed to leave tomorrow morning. While replacing a damaged shore power cord, I opened up the transfer switch box and discovered that the main coach power ground wire isn't connected to anything - it looks like it was just cut short with barely any copper showing.

The RV has been this way since we bought it new, and I've never opened this box before. I'm wondering if this could somehow be intentional (maybe related to how the inverter is wired?) or if this is a serious problem that needs fixing right away. Should I be concerned about safety issues, and is this something that typically happens at the factory?

I'd really appreciate some guidance from more experienced folks - I want to make sure I handle this correctly and safely. …more

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Electrical Medium 4-6 hours for complete installation 81 👍 0

F53 Triton V10 High Output Alternator Upgrade - 250A Install

Before I drop $800 on having a shop install a 250A high output alternator on my mid-2000s F53 Triton V10, wondering if this is something I can DIY without breaking anything. I need to upgrade from the stock alternator to handle a large inverter battery bank, and I'm looking at high-output units in the 250A range.

I found this Tucson alternator that puts out 190A at idle for under $500, but I'm worried about whether the existing wiring and belt system can handle it safely. Could I damage the engine or electrical system if I just swap it in? What upgrades would I absolutely need to do this safely?

I've worked with high-output alternators on boats before, but RV chassis systems seem different and I don't want to create a fire hazard or burn out expensive components. Has anyone successfully done this upgrade without major issues? …more

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Engine Easy Informational 80 👍 0

RV Residential Fridge Battery Drain: Generator Usage in Hot Weather Explained

My 2017 Pace Arrow 38B's residential fridge is forcing me to choose between running the generator nonstop or risking food spoilage during Phoenix boondocking in 80-degree heat.

I splurged on new AGM batteries just a few months ago, so these babies are practically still in diapers. But every morning I'm waking up to dead batteries like some sort of RV Groundhog Day nightmare. I have to fire up the engine just to get the generator going again!

So here's my million-dollar question: Is my power-hungry residential fridge just being a normal drama queen in this Phoenix heat, or did I somehow get cursed with defective batteries? I'm starting to wonder if running the generator twice daily is just the price I pay for having cold beer and ice cream in the desert, or if there's actually something wrong with my setup. Help a confused RVer out! …more

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Engine Medium 1-2 hours 79 👍 0

RV AGS Generator Shutdown Trips Inverter Off - Complete Fix Guide

Opened my 2006 Fleetwood Providence yesterday to find my Onan 7500 generator automatically shutting down and tripping my Xantrex Freedom 458 inverter off every time.

The AGS does its job perfectly - kicks on when needed, charges the batteries, then shuts down like a good little robot. But here's where things get spicy: about half the time when the generator shuts off, my inverter decides to throw a tantrum and shut itself off too. Then I get to do the walk of shame to hit the reset button like I'm apologizing to a moody teenager.

This has been going on for literal years, and I'm tired of playing referee between my electrical components. Anyone know what's causing this voltage drama and how I can make these two play nice together? Is it a transfer switch timing issue, some kind of sensitivity setting, or do I just have the world's most dramatic RV electrical system? …more

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