Travel Trailer Power Issue

[Shell666 0]

Okay, here's my problem.

I went out to winterize my trailer.

It's a 1999 Aerolite 21'.

It's plugged into a power source.

The ONLY thing in the trailer that is currently working is the microwave/convection oven.

NONE of the lights work and the pump for the water isn't working either.

I have checked all the fuses and they're all fine.

I have reset all of the breakers.

I've unplugged it to see if it will run off the battery.

Nothing.

Does anyone have any idea what might be wrong? I haven't been in it in about 3 weeks but everything was working then!

'Shell

[piisfish 140]

Are the cables still there and intact ?

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[CSpenceFLY 1]

You converter is not working. The lighting and water system is 12 volt. Hook a battery charger up to the 12 volt battery of the camper. That will power the system. The built in converter is just a glorified battery charger.

[Shell666 0]

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You converter is not working. The lighting and water system is 12 volt. Hook a battery charger up to the 12 volt battery of the camper. That will power the system. The built in converter is just a glorified battery charger.

I'll try that.

Any reason why it won't work when it's plugged into my garage?

And the lights and pump were working a few weeks ago as well.

And does this mean I'll need a new converter? And where the hell would that little devil be located?

'Shell

[Shell666 0]

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Are the cables still there and intact ?

Yes, they are. I took them off and put them back on just to be sure they were on there securely.

'Shell

[livendive 8]

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You converter is not working. The lighting and water system is 12 volt. Hook a battery charger up to the 12 volt battery of the camper. That will power the system. The built in converter is just a glorified battery charger.

I'll try that.

Any reason why it won't work when it's plugged into my garage?

And the lights and pump were working a few weeks ago as well.

And does this mean I'll need a new converter? And where the hell would that little devil be located?

You probably know what an inverter is...it changes 12V to 24V...like the little things you can plug into a cigarette lighter in order to charge a cell phone, run a laptop, etc. A converter does the opposite, switches 120V AC to 12V DC. Your garage is feeding your trailer AC, just like your house uses, so the microwave, TV, air conditioning, and anything else that runs off "regular"power should work. However the lights, fans, water pump, and anything else that normally works when you're not plugged in runs on 12V DC, and that's where your problem is. Before replacing your converter, check the main power fuse and circuit breakers...if 120V isn't getting to the converter, there's nothing for it to convert. Wherever your fuse panel is inside the trailer, your converter is behind it, or (more likely) an integral part of it.

I just winterized this afternoon, and I have a similar but lesser problem. Plugged in, everything works, and if I put a charger on the battery and top it off, everything works unplugged. My problem is that my converter seems to send 12V to all my fixtures (and I can hear it humming when I turn lights on while plugged in). However my converter does NOT seem to charge the battery. I'm not sure how to troubleshoot that, and I'd rather not replace the whole panel, as I just want to sell the trailer at the first opportunity. Anyone got any suggestions?

Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[Shell666 0]

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You converter is not working. The lighting and water system is 12 volt. Hook a battery charger up to the 12 volt battery of the camper. That will power the system. The built in converter is just a glorified battery charger.

I'll try that.

Any reason why it won't work when it's plugged into my garage?

And the lights and pump were working a few weeks ago as well.

And does this mean I'll need a new converter? And where the hell would that little devil be located?

You probably know what an inverter is...it changes 12V to 24V...like the little things you can plug into a cigarette lighter in order to charge a cell phone, run a laptop, etc. A converter does the opposite, switches 120V AC to 12V DC. Your garage is feeding your trailer AC, just like your house uses, so the microwave, TV, air conditioning, and anything else that runs off "regular"power should work. However the lights, fans, water pump, and anything else that normally works when you're not plugged in runs on 12V DC, and that's where your problem is. Before replacing your converter, check the main power fuse and circuit breakers...if 120V isn't getting to the converter, there's nothing for it to convert. Wherever your fuse panel is inside the trailer, your converter is behind it, or (more likely) an integral part of it.

I just winterized this afternoon, and I have a similar but lesser problem. Plugged in, everything works, and if I put a charger on the battery and top it off, everything works unplugged. My problem is that my converter seems to send 12V to all my fixtures (and I can hear it humming when I turn lights on while plugged in). However my converter does NOT seem to charge the battery. I'm not sure how to troubleshoot that, and I'd rather not replace the whole panel, as I just want to sell the trailer at the first opportunity. Anyone got any suggestions?

Blues,
Dave

Thanks, Todak!

All the fuses are fine and I reset all the breakers. Nothing. Guess I'll see if my uncle wants to come by to take a look at it!

'Shell

[Squeak 17]

Im assuming you have a battery in the trailer that takes it's charge from the alternator of the car or the AC power.
Sound like it might well be stuffed, if the M/wave is working at the others are not. the other run from a 12V battery feed.
If you have another battery laying about hook it up and see if the lights will work, if so replace the "Deep Cycle" house battery

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[sundevil777 102]

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You probably know what an inverter is...it changes 12V to 24V.

No, that would be a transformer. An inverter changes DC to AC.

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[Shell666 0]

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Im assuming you have a battery in the trailer that takes it's charge from the alternator of the car or the AC power.
Sound like it might well be stuffed, if the M/wave is working at the others are not. the other run from a 12V battery feed.
If you have another battery laying about hook it up and see if the lights will work, if so replace the "Deep Cycle" house battery

Yep, battery in there. Brand new one that I got in July. My other one wasn't holding a charge. It was charging, just draining REALLY fast.

I put the old one in and tried the lights, etc. Nothing.

Everything was working fine a few weeks ago. Now, nothing.

I'm going to have my uncle look at it and see what he thinks. From what others have said, sounds like my converter is shot.

At least this happened now and not when I was heading out on vacation!

'Shell

[kd5xb 1]

Find the converter and see if it has a fuse right there in the converter "box". If so, verify it's good.

I'm a jumper. Even though I don't always have money for jumps, and may not ever own a rig again, I'll always be a jumper.

[sundevil777 102]

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Find the converter and see if it has a fuse right there in the converter "box". If so, verify it's good.

Yes, or it might have a push to reset circuit breaker.

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[Squeak 17]

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Find the converter and see if it has a fuse right there in the converter "box". If so, verify it's good.

Yes, or it might have a push to reset circuit breaker.

do you guys run 12V or 24V in your trailers?
If 12V the lights (here in OZ) are pretty much direct feed from the battery via the 12V fuse panel.

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[Shell666 0]

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Find the converter and see if it has a fuse right there in the converter "box". If so, verify it's good.

I think I have to pull out the breaker/fuse panel to do that as I'm pretty sure that Todak was right about where it is -- right behind all that.

I don't have time now (plus it's DARK) or tomorrow but will check that Monday after work.

BTW everyone, I LOVE that I can come here with a random problem and have TONS of help!!!

It's a used trailer (a 1999) and the owner's manual tells you NOTHING about where stuff is! It does, however, tell you in great detail how to PARK it!

'Shell

[1969912 0]

Your water pump most likely uses 12 Volts DC so that when you are running on battery power it just runs using the battery, but when your trailer is hitched up to 120 V AC, there is a power supply that converts 120 V AC to 12 V DC to run the pump. That way you only need one 12 VDC pump. Ditto for the basic lighting (although there may be 120 V AC plugins for regular lights as well). If both the lights and the water pump are not working, I would suspect the 120VAC to 12VDC power supply and/or any associated fuses/breakers. The 120VAC to 12 VDC power supply may or may not have internal fuses, but it will pmost likely not have internal resettable circuit breakers. If you or someone else can verify that the 120VAC to 12VDC power supply is getting 120 VAC into it, you can then check to see if there is 12VDC at the output and go from there.

"Once we got to the point where twenty/something's needed a place on the corner that changed the oil in their cars we were doomed . . ."
-NickDG

[Squeak 17]

have you fixed that ricketty gate yet?

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[livendive 8]

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You probably know what an inverter is...it changes 12V to 24V.

No, that would be a transformer. An inverter changes DC to AC.

Yeah, that was a type-o. I meant 120V, not sure how I ended up with 24V.

Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[oldwomanc6 60]

All the back and forth, and you all have foegetten the F.M. factor.

lisa
WSCR 594
FB 1023
CBDB 9

[hcsvader 1]

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Okay, here's my problem.

I went out to winterize my trailer.

It's a 1999 Aerolite 21'.

It's plugged into a power source.

The ONLY thing in the trailer that is currently working is the microwave/convection oven.

NONE of the lights work and the pump for the water isn't working either.

I have checked all the fuses and they're all fine.

I have reset all of the breakers.

I've unplugged it to see if it will run off the battery.

Nothing.

Does anyone have any idea what might be wrong? I haven't been in it in about 3 weeks but everything was working then!

Shoulda told me about it when I was there,
Could'a hit something with a hammer and maybe fix it fur ya

Have you seen my pants?
it"s a rough life, Livin' the dream
>:)

[Shell666 0]

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have you fixed that ricketty gate yet?

'Shell

[Phillbo 11]

Is there a GFI plug that may need to be reset? Would look like the one in your bathroom.

[chutem 0]

Try jumper cables from your car/truck to the batt in the RV. Do you get lights now? if so problem is in your Batt/chg system.

James

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Okay, here's my problem.

I went out to winterize my trailer.

It's a 1999 Aerolite 21'.

It's plugged into a power source.

The ONLY thing in the trailer that is currently working is the microwave/convection oven.

NONE of the lights work and the pump for the water isn't working either.

I have checked all the fuses and they're all fine.

I have reset all of the breakers.

I've unplugged it to see if it will run off the battery.

Nothing.

Does anyone have any idea what might be wrong? I haven't been in it in about 3 weeks but everything was working then!

[billvon 3,085]

Check the battery with a test light. If you get no power then 1) the problem is in the 12V charger and 2) you're going to have to replace the battery. Even if you replace the charger and/or the fuse the battery is going to be toast.

If the battery is showing power then you likely have a problem with the 12V panel. Possibilities are blown main breaker/fuse/fusible link or just plain bad connection somewhere.

[Shell666 0]

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Is there a GFI plug that may need to be reset? Would look like the one in your bathroom.

Already did that. No go.

'Shell

[Shell666 0]

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Check the battery with a test light. If you get no power then 1) the problem is in the 12V charger and 2) you're going to have to replace the battery. Even if you replace the charger and/or the fuse the battery is going to be toast.

If the battery is showing power then you likely have a problem with the 12V panel. Possibilities are blown main breaker/fuse/fusible link or just plain bad connection somewhere.

A friend was by helping me with the roof on my deck and he did just this. NO power to the battery so I guess I'll go back to Costco and exchange it (bought it in July this year).

He's going to come by and look behind the fuse panel later this week to see whats up.

Thanks again, everyone!!!

'Shell