110v doesn't work

I'm boondocking my 5th wheel. I've got two 6v golf batteries in series and I use a couple small solar chargers to charge mid week, then run my little Honda 800w generator hooked up directly to the batteries for an hour or so when I come up on the weekends to top off the batteries.

All the 12v electrical seems to work fine (water pump, heater, 12v lights, fridgerator on gas), but the 110v plugs don't work, and the stove won't auto light (I need to use a match to light stove and oven).  I'm pretty sure when I had the 5th wheel hooked up to shore power at home, the stove lit automatically. Plus when we were cleaning the 5th wheel, while on shore power, we plugged a small vacuum into the 110v and it worked, but seemed to smell a burn smell, so we unplugged the vacuum and plugged it direclty into the shore power extension cord.

Would the vacuum burn out the inverter somehow? The inverter is a Magnatek,  Series 6300a, model 6345. Input 7.8 amps 120 VAC, 60 hz. output 45 amps, 12 V DC. Class CTL Panelboard Type 1 Electrical rating max  main 30 amp 120 vac.

I checked the fuses on the inverter and they are ok, but they all seem to be the 12v fuses. I haven't had shore power available to check with the trailer plugged into shore power. 

The 110v switches, which I assume are similar to the 12v fuses, are not thrown. I've tried flipping them off then on again with no luck.

Any ideas?

Ypur Magnatec 6300a does not have an inverter, it is a converter only.

Check your GFCI outlet to see if it is tripped.

Just to reiterate...the 6345 charging output is very small, only about 8-9 amp max. Takes a very long time to fully charge a discharged battery.

Carson FL

Your 120v outlets will only work when the generator is running or you are connected to shore power. You don't have anything that will generate 120v without an external source. The Magnetek 6300 is not an inverter - it merely converts 120v to 12v when you have external power available.

Your stove does not light automatically, nor does the oven. The oven has a pilot light that must be lit with a match. The stove may or may not have a piezo sparker in it to light the burners, but it is still a manual procedure.

Year make and model of RV would be helpful when asking questions about how things work. All RVs are not the same.

Re: the stove top not lighting automatically: Not sure what you mean by automatically unless you mean it is equipped with a pilot light. Most RV stove tops don't use a pilot light (which would have to be lit at least once by a match after the propane is turned on). Most seem to use a spark lighter where you turn on the gas and then use the igniter knob to light the burner(s). If this is the case, the spark can be readily seen when the igniter is turned and it usually sparks at all burners simultaneously, you don't have to have the gas on to see this. If no spark is seen, check the very small wiring under the cook top. and the proximity of the sparker to the burner. The lighting of a propane stove or oven has NOTHING to do with a connection to shore power.

The ovens (if equipped) often have a pilot light which can be lit with a match or, better still, a long BBQ lighter, and then the oven will light on demand. (Personally we always turn the pilot off after use of the oven is over.)

For the "inverter", as mentioned above the Magnatec is a CONverter, that is, it converts 120AC to 12V DC only, thus permitting all the 12V stuff to operate when connected to shore power and will also give a small charge to the batteries. You will not have any 120AC in the trailer unless you are connected to shore power.

The vacuum cleaner could  not affect the CONverter as it operates on AC whereas the converter puts out 12V DC power

Some RV's are equipped with INverters whose role is to invert 12V DC to 120V AC. Where these are installed,  only couple of AC plugs are usually connected to it. The balance are live only when connected on shore power.

HTH

Thanks for the replies. I assumed that the "converter" was an "inverter" - and would allow me to run 110v (or is it 120v?) off my batteries, but I see that the magnatek will not accomplish this. I'll check the stove for a spark lighter - I think it did the clicking thing to automatically light when you turned the knob, but apparently this is unrelated to the 110v issue.

I'll look into an "inverter" to use to charge my phone and laptop off the batteries.

Thanks!

YOu might to consider several upgrades to your power system

First, the Magnetek 6300 line is not that great as a converter/charger, it can and oftend does shorten the life of batteries. second you can never have too much battery if you are boondocking, Finally you want a inverter.

A Xantrex Prosine 2.0 is 2,000 watts of 120vac, that is enough for radios, televisions, computers AND your microwave. It likes batteries though, at least two pair of GC-2 (Golf car) such as the Trojan T-105 or the Interstate U-2200, though it will work with one pair.

Thrid it is a first rate converter, putting out up to 100 amps for battery charging and other 12 volt needs.  a true 3-stage plus with temperature compensation.

It is a TRUE SINE WAVE inverter as well.. This means, "If the device needs 2,000 watts or less... IT will work on the Prosine"  alas that is not always true with MSW inverters.

One note though:  A friend here is asking what generators can feed AC to his prosline.. He has a cheap "Contractor" type generator and the Prosine monitors waveform on the 120 volt side and says "NOT GOOD" to the generator and refuses to take or pass power from it.  (OH it has a built in transfer switch too)

If you only want to run a laptop and charge a cell phone, a small inverter of 200-400 watts can be added easily. They sell for under $50 and should be wired right to the battery (most 12v lighter outlets don't have enough power or adequate wiring for an inverter). A 300W inverter draws about 25 amps, so you want 10 gauge wire between inverter and battery. Put the inverter close to the battery and run an extension cord to where you need the power. You may find you want to add another battery too - a 20-25 amp draw by an inverter will drain a single battery real quick.

The Magnetek 6300 is a piece of crap and you probably want to replace it some day when the budget permits. They make a 7300 upgrade kit that slide into the existing Magnetek chassis. It's about $225.
http://www.bestconverter.com/Magnetek-63007300-Upgrade-Kit_c_64.html