Electrical Anomaly ?

[Lmbrjk]

While preping the TT for our last trip I experienced a little issue. While bringing in the slide on battery power only with the interior lighting turned on, all the power went off. Evidently tripped the 50amp breaker on the battery feed because it reset automatically. However, the lights did not come back on. When I switched the panel rocker off (down) to see if it would reset all the lights came on and I was able to continue to bring the slide in. Now - down is on - up is off.
Everything else works normally. Thinking to myself that it is just a switch and maybe a relay - how can this happen? I requested a schematic from Jayco but they told me I would have to talk to my dealer. Where do I start? I just have the basic Jayco command panel with toggle switches and tank monitor - nothing special.
I did thoroughly lubricate the slide per recommendations on this site so that has not been a problem since.

[craigav]

Almost every RV that I have seen uses what is called a "Latching Relay" (for the battery connect\disconnect) which is a relay that doesn't use any power once engaged or disengaged and instead uses "pulse" of electricity to switch it from on to off or off to on. In any case, most that I have seen for RV's do the switching based on the current to the relay coil where a magnet pulls the switch open when positive power is on one side and then negative on the other, and vice versa which should keep the switch in sync so to speak. However I have seen and used other latching relays that simply use (in this case) a 12v signal to switch the relay from whatever state it is in (open or closed) to the other state. Similar to a click type push top ball point ink pen, where you push the top and the ink point comes out if closed or closes if it was open. From what you described it sounds as if the relay is a latching relay that takes a signal to change state, and when you lost power and then it came back sent a signal to the relay to change state (from on to off) and then you had to turn it off (on the switch) which simply changed the state again to on, even though the switch was off.

In any case, to correct this you could disconnect the battery(s) and then change the switch position and then reconnect the batteries and that should allow the inside switch to reflect the correct position of the latching relay. Or... you could just leave it as is for now as if the condition happens again, then the switch inside and the latching relay will again switch and this time be in the correct position.

This is my best educated guess, but one would have to check the relay type and switch setup to be for sure although based on what you described I feel highly confident that what I am saying would be the case here. Also, I don't see any danger if you left it the way it is other than being opposite of what it should be. ~CA

As I thought about it, if a pulse is sent every time the battery power is lost, then if my suggestion above doesn't set the switch proper again, then simply remove power (disconnect the battery(s)) and reconnect without changing the inside switch position, and that should put the switch back in the proper position for the relay. I would probably leave it the way it is but if the switch position is one of those things you would like correct then what I suggest should do the trick...

[Lmbrjk]

Hey: Thanks for the input! I turned on the lights - switch down, Disconnected the battery, Flipped the switch up, reconnected battery, All Good!! Didn't even have to get out the Voltmeter. I would never have guessed the lights would be controlled by anything but the switch.

[craigav]

Originally Posted by Lmbrjk

Hey: Thanks for the input! I turned on the lights - switch down, Disconnected the battery, Flipped the switch up, reconnected battery, All Good!! Didn't even have to get out the Voltmeter. I would never have guessed the lights would be controlled by anything but the switch.

Good deal!