Generator not charging battery but shore is?

[tanglemoose]

We were thinking converter toast.... when generator running our battery (in-command) system would immediately show 13.4 when breaker was flipped on. Then last week it was not changing, battery showing 12.4, turn generator on, 12.4.. turn on furnace battery showed 12.2 to 11.9... run generator for an hour, battery no change.
Now this week on shore power, battery shows 13.2 all the time.
Using same cord.
Solar working great! In-command shows 14 with full sun...
We did pull out panel to get model number of converter last week.

No, haven't plugged back into generator this week..
Thoughts????

25rdswe
340 watts solar, xantrex 2000 inverter 2 six volt batteries...

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

First thing I'd check is if AC is making it to the converter when running the genset. If it's working on shore power then there's no difference with generator AC.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

The charger end is the same whether the 120v comes from shore or generator, so the problem had to be at the generator end. Either the generator wasn't putting out power (tripped breaker, maybe?) or the power cord wasn't making good contact.

 

[tanglemoose]

The charger end is the same whether the 120v comes from shore or generator, so the problem had to be at the generator end. Either the generator wasn't putting out power (tripped breaker, maybe?) or the power cord wasn't making good contact.

The generator was giving us power to outlets when running.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Then somehow that power was not reaching the converter/charger. You need to trace out how the 120v gets from the breaker panel to the converter and look for something that could interrupt that.

 

[Armin]

The symptoms sound similar to a problem I ran into on my trailer. I was able to resolve it with with some advice from the forum. Check out his thread for details:

Yet another electrical bonding question

A few of years ago I purchased a used 2005 K-Z Jag 21Q travel trailer. Love the interior layout and everything else about it. However... the original owner had installed solar panels and the associated electronics, which were subsequently removed before I bought the trailer from them. All 12v...

www.rvforum.net

 

[Kirk]

Then somehow that power was not reaching the converter/charger.

If the battery is charged from shore power but is not charged from the generator but your outlets have power that is really strange. Just to test, plug a lamp into the outlet that supplies the converter, if it is connected that way and then test from shore power and then the generator. If your converter is hardwired, you will need to do that test with a multimeter. The converter gets 120V power in the same way from either source. Are you using a portable generator with your shore power cord plugged into it?

 

[tanglemoose]

We were dry

If the battery is charged from shore power but is not charged from the generator but your outlets have power that is really strange. Just to test, plug a lamp into the outlet that supplies the converter, if it is connected that way and then test from shore power and then the generator. If your converter is hardwired, you will need to do that test with a multimeter. The converter gets 120V power in the same way from either source. Are you using a portable generator with your shore power cord plugged into it?

We were dry camping when we discovered that when generator was on it was running all the outlets, but not charging battery. We thought converter went out. But now we have moved to hookups and battery showing 13.2 on our Keystone in command system and solar controller.
But... another weird is, before we left for trip, we plugged into home. Usually battery shows 13.2 immediately. It didn't, showed 12.6, took like 30 min. And when I checked again it was 13.3. Did this twice.. so..

 

[Kirk]

Usually battery shows 13.2 immediately. It didn't, showed 12.6, took like 30 min. And when I checked again it was 13.3. Did this twice.. so..

A typical flooded cell, 12V battery when resting open circuit but fully charged should read 12.6V. What you have observed indicates that your converter is applying a charge voltage. The charging voltage should reach about 14.5V at full charge and then drop back to a float charge voltage between 13.3-13.8V, which would seem to be what you have. The source of the 120V to the converter should not matter and it should always be the same. What you saw was normal.

 

[tanglemoose]

A typical flooded cell, 12V battery when resting open circuit but fully charged should read 12.6V. What you have observed indicates that your converter is applying a charge voltage. The charging voltage should reach about 14.5V at full charge and then drop back to a float charge voltage between 13.3-13.8V, which would seem to be what you have. The source of the 120V to the converter should not matter and it should always be the same. What you saw was normal.

yes, I know... strange that when we turned on shore power, it stayed at the 12.6.... for a bit and then went to 13. something... usually the minute I flip the breaker, it jumps to showing I am on shore power. Going to hook generator up today and mess with it a bit. Thinking something electrical, but we are not "electric" people!
ha...

 

[Kirk]

.. strange that when we turned on shore power, it stayed at the 12.6.... for a bit and then went to 13. something...

Nothing strange at all. A fully charged battery that is then taken out of the circuit will slowly decline from the last charge voltage of about 12.3-12.6V from a trickle charge to a full charge, resting voltage of about 12.6V, depending upon the type and condition of the battery. That takes about 2 hours or so off circuit, less if there is anything connected. When you close that circuit breaker you would see that voltage change if you were actually watching the voltage with a good enough multimeter. It doesn't take very long but it does happen, whether you see it or not.

 

[kdbgoat]

You said when running your generator that you read 110 volts on some outlets. Are they powered by your inverter?

 

[DonTom]

Is the generator running ALL of the other 120 VAC stuff okay? If half of the 120 VAC stuff is working, I would first check the circuit breakers on the generator itself. If it's a 50-amp RV, there will be TWO circuit breakers on the genny, one could be tripped and then half the AC stuff will not work, and your converter could be on that half.

-Don- White Rock, NM

 

[tanglemoose]

Update, converter was dying... had a new one installed and all is good! Thank goodness for our extended warranty! It has paid for itself 3 times now!

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Hope that fixes the problem, but the same converter charges from generator or shore power. So if shore power was providing charging (per the title of this thread), then the converter must have been OK.