An ignorance question

Throwing an assumption out there: It's a 1997 Class C, so it's most likely 30A. If owner is adapting to 120V at home, and not at the CG, and the battery is getting a charge at home, and not at CG, I can't see how that works? Other than like was said, pedestal power not right at CG. Could be the cord itself I guess?

No matter what, JimD's guidance on use of a multi-meter/DVOM is clutch. 15 minutes with a meter would give most of the necessary diagnostic information. Just dropping it off at a dealer or service tech without any idea of what the voltage readings are and what they may mean seems like a questionable decision. Especially since taking voltage readings is super easy. You'd have to REALLY trust that tech. I have trust issues though, I'll freely admit that...
 
Thank you for all your comments and advice. I got some more meter readings this morning before breakfast.

1. Connected to shore power and the battery tender: 13.00
2. Connected to shore power only: 12.99
3. Turned off shore power at the box: 12.99
4. Turned on shore power and reconnected the battery tender: It bounced between 12.xx-13.42

I must note I forgot to wait 5 minutes or so between readings. My bad.

I'm thinking I will disconnect the battery tender for the morning and see what the reading is at noon and will report. You have al been most helpful way beyond my original request so it's only right I do this for you to help with you confusion. Personally, I intend to continue with the battery tender as a stop-gap until I get home and turn it over to a professional. If you've seen any of my other posts on this problem (see link above) you will recognize I am an electrical ignoramus.

Looking through your posts, it seems there may be a plethora of causes.
 
Camper_bob's post while I was composing mine reminded me of something I forgot. At home it is plugged into 30 amps. I had that installed years ago for use by visitors. I didn't even own an RV then.
 
One more reading. Disconnect the negative and get a voltage reading in the electrical panel at the lugs for the larger wires. Should be 13.2 or higher.. This way, you have a, no load, reading. It’s sounding like it’s working though.
 
SmokeyBear-JAY said:
Thank you for all your comments and advice. I got some more meter readings this morning before breakfast.

1. Connected to shore power and the battery tender: 13.00
2. Connected to shore power only: 12.99
3. Turned off shore power at the box: 12.99
4. Turned on shore power and reconnected the battery tender: It bounced between 12.xx-13.42

I must note I forgot to wait 5 minutes or so between readings. My bad.

I'm thinking I will disconnect the battery tender for the morning and see what the reading is at noon and will report. You have al been most helpful way beyond my original request so it's only right I do this for you to help with you confusion. Personally, I intend to continue with the battery tender as a stop-gap until I get home and turn it over to a professional. If you've seen any of my other posts on this problem (see link above) you will recognize I am an electrical ignoramus.

Looking through your posts, it seems there may be a plethora of causes.
Click to expand...

I would leave the battery tender out for the moment. We seem to be pretty confident it's getting the charging job done. Having both the tender and the converter connected will also cloud your diagnostics of the converter since they're "arguing" over what voltage to send.

Your #2 reading seems a bit low, but it could well just be voltage drop? 13.2V is what you would expect the converter to be putting out to a fully charged battery ("float" charge).

You do need to let things settle before taking readings after a change in parameters. If you unplug a charging source, then immediately take a reading from the battery, you're going to get something close to what the charging source was putting out, AKA "Surface charge". If you unplug, and immediately get something super low, you probably have a shorted cell in the battery. 1-2 hrs of "settle" time is usually enough to see where a problem may be.

If when you take the next battery reading, after it's been sitting without a significant load or charge, and it reads <12.0V, then you likely have a bad battery, or a significant load you're unaware of.
 
More confusion but maybe not. I turned off the Battery Tender/Charger about 10 A.M. Checked the voltage at the battery about noon. 12.8 volts. It's now 8 P.M. Voltage at battery still 12.8. Refrigerator has been on all day. Based on previous comments that on shore power the voltage should be 13+, I'm back to my original conclusion the converter is weak. I will continue to monitor the battery voltage at least twice a day.

This will probably be my last post on this thread until I have something definite. Tomorrow I am heading home, but will not get there until Monday. I will be on shore power each night.

I will let you know the outcome.
 
Just my opinion. I still say you need to remove Negative and read the voltage coming from the converter. IF the battery is drawing amps because it is going bad, then the 13+ output of the converter will be lowered because of the battery. You will especially not get a 13+ reading if the battery is very low and drawing a high current. Voltage drop will be higher under that condition.
 
Thank you Kevin. Stopped for a rest and using phone. Remove negative I understand.
Where exactly should I connect the black and red leads from the voltmeter to read the voltage coming from converter? As per the title of this thread, please do not assume I know anything. I am learning as I go. I will check back later after I am set up in camp.
 
Best place is. To take the front cover off the panel. On the right side (low voltage) there are some larger conductors connected to the printed circuit board. Try across the red and white(I think). If you check a couple of times on different larger wires, you will get the reading. If you do not feel comfortable doing that or just for a quick check, put the red lead on the battery, remove the negative, and put the black lead on the ring you just took off of the battery post. Either way will work within 1/10th of a volt.
Post your readings, and somebody will comment. Best wishes!
 
Early this AM I checked the battery voltage. It was the normal 12.8.

Later I tried the red lead on the battery, remove the negative, and put the black lead on the ring you just took off of the battery post. Indeterminate results: the voltage kept bouncing - a lot - and never stayed in one place long enough to get a reading. But, I found two posts on the panel labeled CONVERTER + and CONVERTER -. I put the leads on them and Viola! I got a good reading: 14.3. I think this suggests the converter is working properly.

Here's another development. There is an in-line, 15 amp, large blade type, fuse for the DC circuit to the refrigerator. It had blown, the second one this trip, the third in a few months. The first time I wasn't too concerned, but two in a matter of days got me thinking. I have concluded there is a short in this circuit. Agree?

Is it possible the short is intermittent enough just to drain the battery but then hits hard enough to blow the fuse? I will have this checked out when I get home.

Since the 2nd blown fuse was my spare, I didn't have a refrigerator again. However, there is a bank of 15 amp fuses on the control panel. I found one that is unneeded (TV antenna - I don't even have a TV) I pulled it and swapped it to the in-line circuit. Hooray - I have a refrigerator. Since I am on the road today, my first stop will be an auto parts store to get some more fuses.

Thanks for your assistance.
 
Ok great! Numbers one, the converter is working. Number 2, you have a loose or corroded connection between the electrical panel and the battery. If the two connections are tight and clean in the panel, then the bad connection most likely at the battery. First place to go would be follow the negative cable to the metal frame. No matter what it looks like, take out the screw and clean it. Make sure you can get good metal contact.
Please do not keep replacing the refrigerator fuse. Carefully check all of the conductors in the access panel behind the refrigerator. Look for any conductors that looks to be rubbing a metal surface. A rubbed insulation with dark around the spot is likely going to be the issue.
Hoping to hear an “All issues resolved” soon!
Best Wishes!
 
SmokeyBear-JAY said:
It's a group 27. 12 volt, deep cycle, Intestate, purchased and installed 5/24.

Thank you for your answer. The battery tender/charger seems to be doing it. Refrigerator is now working. We'll see how long. Hopefully long enough to bring thee temps back down.
BTW: This is a Class C forum, so no TT and truck to hook to. If I run the engine, will that also charge the house battery?
Click to expand...
No, it will not charge while driving
 
If the RV has Aux start in case of a dead chassis battery, the chances of it not being able to charge the house battery are slim to none.
Now, charging the chassis battery while on shore power is a different story. Some will, some will not.
 
Kevin Cooper said:
If the RV has Aux start in case of a dead chassis battery, the chances of it not being able to charge the house battery are slim to none.
Now, charging the chassis battery while on shore power is a different story. Some will, some will not.
Click to expand...
I have not heard of a Jayco Class C where the engine didn't charge the house battery when everything was working correctly. There may be some, but I haven't heard of any. Regardless, it's easy to check. Read the voltage at the house battery with the engine off, then start the engine and take the same reading. It should go up if the alternator is charging the house battery.
 
An Update.

Not fixed yet, but getting closer.

1. Definitely a problem with the ground. The screw holding the lug to the chassis is loose. I can move the lug with my fingers. The problem is that screw is behind the wire and I can not get to it without removing the wire, which is frozen solid place by the set screw, which is frozen rusted and/or encrusted. I have hit it all with penetrating oil to let it set overnight. Since the shore power ground is right next to it, I'll be doing the same to it.

2. I chased DC to the water heater and refrigerator as much as possible. From the fuse that keeps blowing, they immediately disappear into the chassis and do not reappear until the respective unit. From what I could see, I saw no sign of a short. Except...

3. The spade connectors on the refrigerator, both DC + and DC GRD were loose. I tightened, cleaned and reconnected.

4. See attached photo of water heater. The black piece where the wires connect is a piece of sticky-back foam-like material that was attached (I repeat, was) at one time. I pulled it out just enough to get a look behind and it appears the wires are attached to sensors held to the tank by the foam. I didn't go further because it is so fragile I didn't want to make matters worse. The writing is hard to read, so here's an explanation.
Top Right: P-T
Bottom Right: BRN BRN and TSTAT
Bottom Left: RED RED and E.C.O
What does P-T and E.C.O. mean?
 

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Bad negative (ground) connections can cause a multitude of different issues that seen very weird. Great that you found it. The fuse blowing. Does the one fuse give power to the fridge and the water heater? If so, try this. Take the 12 volt wires at each off of where they are connected. Then put in a fuse. If the fuse blows, then you know it’s the wire, if not, then it’s possibly the control board causing the problem. Plug one back in, if no issue, unplug it and plug in the other.
The black foam is over the temperature sensors. One for water temp control, one for over temp shut off.
 
Now properly grounded. It's been raining all day so neighbor and I can't check for short. Anyway, this is mainly just to keep this thread alive.
 
Fixed!!! At least we hope so. When we, my neighbor and I, took off the black foam (see post #37) he immediately noticed the problem. The sensors, which are held to the tank by dog ears, had come loose and were bouncing against the metal frame. It so happened he had a similar problem last year while in an RV park and it cost him $350.00. (RV park, no hot water, panicky wife. You get the idea.) We removed the foam and wires, reattached the sensors, tightened up the dog ears, cleaned the connections, applied dielectric grease, put some double-sided tape on the foam, and put it all back together. Actually, he did most of the work; I was the gopher. Tested it and Viola!, ignition.

Next will be to put some water in the system, turn on the propane, and make sure it gets hot. That's tomorrow's project. I always completely drain when in storage. I'm leaving on Wednesday for 5 days so this will be step 1 of getting ready.

If it fails again, I have an appt. at my friendly RV repair place on the 26th If I do not have a problem by then, I will cancel.
 
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