UPDATED: Electrical Problem Game Show

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Laura & Charles

Laura & Charles

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Jun 10, 2016
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Could be anywhere. Originally from Ohio. Go Bucks!
OK, contestants...  Here are your clues:

Have been plugged into shore power this site for several days without any issue.

Today power went off for about 10 minutes... came back on for about 8 minutes... went off again for maybe 8 minutes... came back on for maybe 5 minutes... went off again and never came back on.

That seemed likely a problem on supply side so I did nothing for about an hour.  Called the office to confirm this was a known outage and learned this was news to them.  They sent maintenance over who metered the pedestal and said the problem was on my side.

Took the plug off the umbilical and cleaned and tightened the connections.  Still no power.  When turning pedestal breakers on, I can hear the ?chunk? sound of the transfer switch and the pedestal meter begins to turn, but it?s a double ?chunk? and the meter immediacy stops.

Fired up the generator and all works fine. 

Left genny running and went out to pick up a pizza (it was 90 here and wanted to let the AC get caught up a bit).  Got back and thought that possibly the genny kicked the transfer switch into working (thinking it was the issue) and so turned the genny off.  Shore power did not return to coach.

Went to restart the genny and it did not turn over.  Used the AUX button and it did start.  It continues to run now.

Batteries are only a couple of years old and I?ve kept them watered religiously.

Forecast here is ?AC needed 24/7? for next 9 days.  So far, so good with genny, but neighbors not likely appreciative.  Overnight lows are upper 70s... too warm for these lungs housed in this overweight bod.

Found a Mobile RV guy who will try to come out tmrw... but am trying to get a jump on diagnosing this.  Ideas?



 
I'm going with transfer switch. Not sure what's up with the genset start failure
 
Do you have an Electrical Management System that's rejecting the shore power because the voltage is too high or too low?
 
I have an Intellitec Smart EMS And I understand it would reject shore power for voltage out of range. How can I tell?  The maintenance guy put a meter on the pedestal outlet and said it checks out.  (However, I did not see the readings.)  We?ve been on this site for over a week and have not had an issue until now and we?re the only ones in the park with an issue.
 
UPDATE:  Ran the genny overnight and after breakfast and coffee, shut it down and shore power kicked on. It?s been on for about an hour without issue. Intermittent electric problems are the worst...  never know when/if they?ll recur and, until they do, there?s nothing to diagnose.  Hoping Lou?s thought about the EMS rejecting shore power voltage was it.  Still open to suggestions. Thanks to all who played ?
 
YOur on and off shore power sounds like low line voltage hut down not by an Intelletec EMS (Did/Do not know they did/Do that) but by a Progressive Industries EMS (That is what they do).

Generator no start may have been many things from overheat, to low oil (no that would not do it) to (if gaoline) Vapor lock to I frankly do not know.
 
The Intellitec Smart EMS won't reject shore power - it is solely intended to manage power demand to stay below 30A when you are connected to 30A or less shore power source.  It is NOT a surge protector or shore power tester.  Not to be confused with the Progressive Industries EMS products, which do validate shore power and do not manage 30A sources.  Or the similar Surge Guard units.  It's not unusual to have both the Smart EMS and a PD or SurgeGurad installed, so you may have both and that would explain what happened. 


Based on your description of the "clunks", I'd say your transfer switch was working.  It detected shore power and switched, then dropped back out again.  Could conceivably have an intermittent problem, though. A loose wire, perhaps, or a failing relay.
In a 2011 coach, the genset probably starts from the chassis battery, not house. Using the AUX switch brought the house batteries online to assist. 

What is the status of the house and chassis batteries now?
 
My 2010 Winnebago generator starts from the house batteries.  I recently had to use the boost switch to start the generator. All that switch does is jumper the house and chassis batteries together.
 
Diagnosis is transfer switch.  Voltage at the transfer switch was good on both legs, but the switch just wouldn?t hold.  (Admittedly do not have any knowledge about how this works... but the mobile repair guy comes with very high reviews and seems very knowledgeable.). Replacement switch is ordered.  Generator is happy to be useful.  Gas is about 3/4 and I?m hoping to have the new switch in by the weekend... Else, I?ll have to move to refuel and will likely stay out of this park for the weekend crowd.  (Management doesn?t like the genny but are understanding and not using the couple of sites on the genny side of the coach but that won?t be an option for the weekend.)
Thanks all for your thinking on this! 
 
Laura & Charles said:
Diagnosis is transfer switch.  Voltage at the transfer switch was good on both legs, but the switch just wouldn?t hold.  (Admittedly do not have any knowledge about how this works...
Click to expand...
A little off the subject, but a hospital transfer switch works by energizing a magnet with a coil that holds the switch in the primary power mode. 

When the power fails the spring loaded contact that is held closed by the magnet releases and makes contact with the secondary position to initiate the backup power sequence.

The RV transfer switch may not be anything like that but I thought it might be interesting to know.  Maybe there is a similar spring loaded mechanism in yours.

Just some general information.
 
I'm surprised the mobile guy didn't offer to bypass the defective transfer switch so you could use shore power until the new switch arrives.
 
Scott:  You win a fun filled evening tasting bourbons and ryes with the game show host. Come on by anytime for this never-expiring prize. Our paths are sure to cross eventually.

Gary: House batteries seem ok. They?re about five years old now. They?ve had an easy life while mine, but needed a big drink when I first got them. I water them every two to four weeks. We?ve only overnighted without shore or genny power a few times, so if they?re starting to go, I wouldn?t really be very aware.

Bill: I think you?re spot on... repair guy said something about a burned up electromagnet unable to hold any longer.

Lou: I did not know that bypass was an option until you mentioned.  So now that makes two of us surprised.
 
Lou Schneider said:
I'm surprised the mobile guy didn't offer to bypass the defective transfer switch so you could use shore power until the new switch arrives.
Click to expand...
Laura & Charles said:
Lou: I did not know that bypass was an option until you mentioned.  So now that makes two of us surprised.
Click to expand...

I learned that also when the switch went out on my previous rig. Not a huge deal to bypass as long as you're comfortable with high voltage and mark your wires to keep track of their original position. Essentially you have two "INs" (shore and genset) and one "OUT" (coach), and the switch flips back and forth between the "INs". The switch gets stuck in one position or the other (in your case stuck on genset so that works but the shore doesn't). You just open the box and move the shore leads over to the genset side and you're good to go with shore power. I suppose you could jumper the leads but not sure if that would create problems/dangers, perhaps Lou can weigh-in on that.
Laura & Charles said:
Scott:  You win a fun filled evening tasting bourbons and ryes with the game show host. Come on by anytime for this never-expiring prize. Our paths are sure to cross eventually.
Click to expand...

Best. Prize. Ever.  :D

I'll be in northern FL through March.
 
The auto-transfer switch can be bypassed completely but there is another option. Since the genset side of the ATS works fine, the genset and shore wires can be swapped. That would make the shore power solid but the genset may then be intermittent.
 
Rv AUTO transfer swirches work one of 3 ways

One is just like the hospital switch with the GENERATOR being in what the Hosp switch would call the Primary. Mine is like that. if the coils on the contactors (big SOlenoid/Relay) are not energized I'm hooked to "Shore"  When I fire up ye old Onan. after a period of time the coils energize and CLUNK i'm on Generator power.

Others have two sets of contactors. One is designated "primary" as above (Generator) then the Shore. if you plug in without generator running the SHORE contactors pull in (Make contact)

The 3rd type has a 3rd set of contactors (inverter)
 
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