TomV48

Well SIR's

I go blind with JEALOUSY every time a see  wide open rear doors on a side radiator coach.   I wonder if mine would be that nice looking if I didn't have those big clumsy looking Radiators and Inter-cooler coils blocking my view not to mention my access to everything.

1 hour ago, JDCrow said:

Yes it is going to main 50 amp in panel. I’ll pick one up. What you discussed makes sense. Thanks 

Thanks that is absolutely where I stand right now. Headed back up Sunday with my tools to get in and see what the ATS looks like and see if anything is loose. 
 

The kicker to me is that it started with I work fine for 5-6 hours till we left. My step father was a lineman for many years and he said nothing worse than a self healing circuit. 

Well maybe it's as simple as you've gone on and off power and generator with high loads running and as a result have made the contacts in the transfer switch a little messy.   I have never forgotten my dad with just an Emory board.

Nothing's ever that easy but maybe it is this time and you can repair it.

Good luck.  

Tom

On 8/14/2023 at 11:44 AM, TomV48 said:

 

Ok, just for confirmation.   Your HUGHES IS "BEFORE" the transfer switch, so it is not reading generator, or transfer switch output.   Right??

Have you encountered the problem when on generator??

So, JDCrow,  I reread your post and come back to this.  Does the house work fine on generator or no.   I see what looks like open screws where the connections go from the watchdog to the transfer switch so you have that point at which to check AC volts.   If you're on a 50 amp pedestal you should have 240 volts between leg one and leg two and you should have 120 volts between leg 1 and common leg two and common also; and probably even leg one and leg two to ground will show you 120.   

If everything is good at that point and the generator is working on all systems then the problem is in the transfer switch on the shore power contact side.  If you're not getting good service with the generator either then it may still be the transfer switch but on both the shore power / watchdog side and the generator side.

That comes down to what I said in an earlier post about inspecting the contactors inside the transfer switch.  I didn't emphasize it before let me emphasize it now be d*** careful in there.  Sometimes you have to use a voltmeter probe with things hot and that can get dangerous.

Before you mess around with the inverter conversion and all those connectors other than just to make sure everything is connected tightly, not showing any burning, color distortion from heat, or evidence of arcing,  be sure you're getting power through the transfer switch the way it should be.

Don

My power steering reservoir on rear radiator 2005 Ambassador 34 is right rear corner near my oil dip stick.    

NO DOUBT.   The Monaco/Watts link on the front of our 2005 and the cross bar links in the back have saved my will to RV.   These days I bow toward Lancaster, CA  and say a thank you to Mike Hughes.   Still working toward the TRW but not a bunch of shops are itching to be responsible to do that for me.  Had a nice chat with Kaiser Alignment in Eugene and he is looking to see what he has in the way of parts needed and my local shop, Colton Truck Terminal, Colton, CA, will do it for me but they prefer that I find the correct TRW gear and Pitman Arm then have them R and R the job.  Working on that right now unless Kaiser comes up with a firm plan.

TOM CHERRY

I do not know about these Tech procedures THAT SAY TO take the wires off the device.   The RENOGY "engineer" (and after talking to him at length, that title is iffy) also insisted that I needed to disconnect the wires from my DC to DC charger to clear error faults. But electrons do not know if the wire is attached or not. They just know conductivity of none and turning off the POWER SWITCH or  In my case I have DC circuit breakers on both sides of the DC to DC which isolate the unit, works just fine.   Are they just suggesting detaching the CABLES because they do not trust us to otherwise be smart enough to DISCONNECT THE POWER.  Between my Magnum Inverter and the battery bank I have a BIG OLD RED KNOB THAT DISCONNECTS IT ALL.  Are they assuming that we MIGHT not have that full OFF SWITCH?

On 8/14/2023 at 1:52 PM, JDCrow said:

I understand what you saying, but forgive my ignorance in asking how the watchdog (circuit protection) would read no Amps coming in when it’s before the ATS? 
 

 the out of whack charging from DC/DC charger and Genny running at same time. 

If there is voltage getting to the WATCHDOG, IT SHOULD SHOW that VOLTAGE.   BUT,  if the coach is not  taking any of that voltage, then there will be 0 Zero amps.  Because nothing is flowing through.   They say, voltage is the water pressure and amperage is how much water is flowing down the hose.   So either, one of the output connections from the WatchDog  has an open connections , or intermittent connection,  OR some where in or out of the transfer switch is the culprit.    Of course, there might be a similar , intermittent connection or open circuit inside the transfer switch.  That could be repairable by you, or maybe not.  I would first open it up and look for arcing, or any other sign of heat damage.  Live and learn.  In a pinch, with bad looking contactor points,  I might be tempted as a temporary fix only, to sand on any  bad looking contactor points, the same way you would clean ignition points in an older style distributor.  I remember one car in a convoy of families going camping back in the 50's stalled/fouled out on a bad grade up to the mountains. My dad cleaned their points with my mom's Emory board (disposable nail file for you youngsters) and then set the gap with a match book cover.  Evidently match book covers were 15 or 16 thousandths.   That family car kept up the rest of the trip.

Good luck sir.  

Thanks to the contributors.  This is great info for those who need it and for the future for us all probably.

52 minutes ago, Dragracer said:

Yep I only have 1 outlet for the notsocold & a 12 volt DC hot & ground. From What I'm figuring out I'm going to need to get me another inverter to run the house fridge off battery power while traveling if I don't run the generator. Since I'm in Texas & it's 100 plus everyday we have been running the generator while traveling to power the AC's to stay cool. But when it cools off & we don't need the AC's that's when I will need a inverter to run the fridge. I don't think the WF 68100 is nothing but a battery charger.  

Well if you hunt around under behind and near the cavity from the no cold you might find a loop from your inverter. BTW what inverter do you have?   If you are planning long runs where you'll be living off the grid and off the generator then the operative word will be batteries and probably solar.   Be sure you have enough DC current for the new frig.

I built my lithium batteries from parts but at today's prices and availability you can easily put 400 amps of lithium batteries and probably 600 amps in the space formerly occupied by four golf cart batteries.   

If you do plan to install a separate inverter for the fridge I would suggest finding the most efficient one you can find and a good brand name as opposed to the dozen junkie ones you can get on Amazon.  I have enjoyed working with Don Rowe inverters out of Oregon.   Use something like a kill- a-watt meter and learn how much the new frig will use before you finalize your project plans.  Remember to fuse or, I prefer BREAKER, on all battery hook ups.   Study the victron Smart Shunt and use it to track battery use. 

So much to learn.   Study, learn and enjoy.

Good luck

5 minutes ago, Dragracer said:

When the generator is off & I'm not plugged into shore power the plug is dead. With the generator running the plug has 110 volts. Also when plugged into shore power the plug has 110 volts. So 1 wire must be for the generator & the other for shore power. Looks like the inverter is not connected to the plug. I guess the notsocold was operating off 12 volts when the generator was off & unplugged from shore power. The OEM Trace inverter has been replaced by a WFCO WF 68100 inverter. From what Incan figure out all this inverter does is charge the house batteries. When the coach is unplugged from shore power & the generator is off there isn't any 110 volts to anything. However the 68100 is plugged into a electrical plug in the compartment beside it. How can I hook up the plug to the inverter? 

Normally.  (I say that because who knows what modifications have been made that would be unnormal),,, Normally, that would not be how it works. The choice of generator or shore power occurs where your power cord and generator lines go in to the transfer switch and come out as the feed to the entire coach.   If you're Nocold had a ice maker they would normally be another outlet back there somewhere that is live on the inverter to make ice when you were running on gas.   Inverters "normally" pass shore or genset power right through and shut down their inverter function and let's their outlets run on the shore power/generator and If you had no ice maker,  that outlet probably isn't there

That looks like a single socketed outlet.  If so the Romex may be looping to the next outlet.   The secret in most of our rigs is two separate outlets for our Norcold frig.  One is on inverter, for the ice maker.  One is only on shore power or genset.  That is the one for the AC side of the Gas/AC operation of our frig.   When our gas side got too unsafe to use we ran by swopping the plugs.  But know what you are doing.  That frig pulled a bit over 4 amps AC but that is over 40 amps from the batteries to the inverter.   The Norcold on AC ran continuously but the saving grace of a res/compressor frig is that it cycles on and off.   I remember mom yelling SHUT THAT d*** FRIG DOOR,  to save electricity.   GOOD LUCK.

24 minutes ago, JDCrow said:

 

I have a hard wired Watchdog, ahead of the go power transfer switch, and thus ahead of Genny.

Ok, just for confirmation.   Your HUGHES IS "BEFORE" the transfer switch, so it is not reading generator, or transfer switch output.   Right??

Have you encountered the problem when on generator??

Not a Hughes user but volts, with no amps suggests to me,no load.  I'd be looking on the coach side.   If your Hughes is external, check it's out going side for voltage.  If voltage,then follow it in to the coach. If none move back to pedestal  I would still worry about an intermittent situation.   A poor or intermittent contact some where up or down stream may mean a lot of resistance even when appearing to be connected means HEAT.  A warm (poor) connection leads to heat, leads to fire.   

Good luck.

18 hours ago, Bandit411 said:

It’s a magnum ms2812 inverter/charger pure sine wave  

its 2800 watt 23.3amps

120 volt. 60 hz

Upgraded from the original me2012?   Did you do it?

I was just wondering if you had a comparison between the old one and the new one. Obviously not. Magnum and Don Rowe inverters out of Oregon both say it's just a direct bolt-in replacement.   Main reason I'm considering it is because my wife won't run the microwave oven on the old Magnum we have because "it makes it sound bad".  

And frankly square wave inverting is not the best thing for electric motors and many other electronic things.

9 minutes ago, Bandit411 said:

It’s a magnum ms2812 inverter/charger pure sine wave  

its 2800 watt 23.3amps

120 volt. 60 hz

Upgraded from the original me2012?   Did you do it?

2 hours ago, Dwight Lindsey said:

What's wanted for D+ is essentially "ignition key on".  Connecting this to the chassis battery would leave the charging circuit on at all times, which we don't want for fear of running down the chassis batteries.

I would like a better understanding of my Leece Neville alternator but I'm already sure that the connection I need there is not easily accessible to me . . . so I'd like an ignition key on signal from the front run bay.  I don't have a rear run bay . . . 

Dwight

I have a full time 200 amp relay in my battery compartment that cross feeds chassis to house batteries.  It activates from the boost button but  also from an  ignition 12 volt only from the IRD, ignition relay delay and comes on about 15 min after the engine starts, giving the chassis batteries a chance to recover.  It probably would have been okay to charge my 600 amp lithium Bank directly from it but out of an abundance of caution I put in a 40 amp DC to DC Renogy.  I took that IRD, 12 volt line and used it for the d+(if that's what it is called  and I don't remember from when I installed it).   I some times (often) get an error fault light.  Renogy engineer had no solution so I have a breaker on both the chassis and coach batteries.  Before we roll, I check.  If there is an error/fault I shut both breakers off,  turn em back on and all is well.

Is that 2810 the old black SQUARE WAVE or the newer (I would presume, upgraded) white Pure Sine?  Is the fault you see, a code, a message, or just an idiot light?  AC overload would have me looking for something off normal, down stream.  Our inverter just runs two legs.  One is the microwave and the other is the GFCI loop of out let's.   Is one of the circuits breakers on the inverter output popped.   Is be looking to see which output leg might be the problem

PS asking if the 28 is the upgrade because I am looking for an excuse to upgrade our old black box with the white, pure sine and maybe upgrade to the 2800 from the factory 2000 watt.

I roll then twist a paper towel. Shape it to go from cap opening to expected fluid level.  Poke it in. Pull it out. If wet hold it up to the outside to verify where that level is.   Can't see through mine without an ex ray machine.

8 hours ago, Ivan K said:

I would imagine load range J to be a bit stiffer no matter what since it is 18 ply.

They are a bit stiff but boy the first set gave good service for 10 years.  We bought it at about 8+ yrs and went right to our Hankook dealer. He pulled them off and inspected them.   They were spotless.   Nonetheless I shortly replaced the fronts.  At ten years I replaced the rears.  At around 30k miles they were still solid inside and out and so we now have  a full new set.  Our gvrw is 20000 rear and 13000 front. 95 psi rear and 115 front.   After carefully weighing. I am safe at 110 front and 90-91 rear.    And yup.  They are still a bit stiff, but only 55% of the Michelin's my buddy mounted the same week.  $600 per wheel versus $1,100 

Oh yeah and the Michelins are only " 16 ply rated ".

1 hour ago, Mike Wahl said:

Sorry I didn't explain it very well.  It was putting out 4 4.5 amps in the past.  Now it is putting out 0.00 amps.

I do not have one of those, but I had to re-solder the major contact strip in one for a friend.  And yes it's only a pwm controller but doggone good piece of hardware because it does charge both battery Banks and the one I worked on had plenty of wire gauge coming into it, like 10ga wire. And going out of it to the batteries too.  Real adequate for 30 amps.  Wound up adding two 100 watt panels in parallel.  Been several years now and still going strong.

On 8/5/2023 at 6:17 AM, daveyjo said:

Sounds like a problem I had on an old GM vehicle.  The starter solenoid had a copper disc that, when energized to start the vehicle, pressed the disk against the 2 battery circuit contacts and engaged the starter.  I took the disk out and sanded it clean - poof, no more problems.  Did that on several vehicles.  I don't know if your starter works that way.  I think my 2001 Diplomat had that system, but am not positive (can't remember).  FYI.

My first Chevy was like that and I think my old Mercedes Benz was too.  But the Benz had a different problem, arrissing from a lack of a heat shield between the turbo and the starter so when the turbo was getting old the surrounding area, ie solenoid on top of starter, suffered from the heat and failed.

And I too did what Brad did Even though mine were working they suck too much battery and I like to be off grid.   I even ordered some switches that gave me single pole double throw replacements for the switch on the end of the housing.  With that I was able to create a second 12 volt circuit and put a strip with just three little teeny LEDs in one of my lights for the bathroom and it is now our night light.

The only problem I've had is that probably due to the heat where I park it, some of those strips have peeled up.  I thought I had cleaned it well enough with alcohol but maybe not.  So I took the fixture down and cemented them back into place with thick gel crazy glue and they haven't moved since.

We are in southern california. Shade Pro is apparently in Southern California.

Their guy came to us did the measuring came back with a new acrylic slide toppers and installed them both in an hour.  I was not upset about the price and the service was top-notch. Call them they probably have an agent up in that neck of the woods.  1 (800) 328-5100.   We have only two slides and my invoice says $719 including California sales tax delivered and install just like the original acrylic material.

58 minutes ago, Gary 05 AMB DST said:

This only applies up to the 2004 and earlier frames. The Ambassador went on the Endeaver platform in 2005.

Gary 05 AMB DST

Wow Gary, I hope you are correct.   This was scary reading until I saw your post!👍

34 minutes ago, dholden_us said:

I ordered one from batteries plus only to show up at store and finding they were out of stock. Call before you go!

SUPPLY CHAIN!  Probably going to be worse when UPS goes on strike.  I'll be fine as long as they don't take my Amazon driver away.