Main power on to charge batteries?

[pstandiford]

Just bought a 2018 Seneca 37RB. Have not even camped in it yet. Our storage site has 15 amp plug with I have hooked up to the 50 amp power cord. Does the main power switch have to be turned on for the batteries to charge? We had the main power off and the batteries seemed a bit low. The dealer put in a new fridge that is 12 volt only and we left it on thinking that the converter would keep the batteries charged since we are plugged in to 110. Am I way off base?

 

[Robbbyr]

First thing to check is your adapter. Some of those adapters only pass power to one leg of your 50-amp system. So while you are plugged-in, the breaker feeding your power converter may not have power.

And with everything working properly, your coach main power switch does NOT need to be on. It SHOULD pass power from the converter to your batteries regardless of position of your "salesman" switch.

Back to the adapter, if it is passing power to both legs of your coach ALL breakers should have power. One way to tell is to try just the fan (only) of both your air conditioners momentarily. The two air conditioners are each on a separate leg of the coach's 50-amp system.

 

[pstandiford]

Thank you for the reply. I'll check out both ACs when I get back over to the storage lot.

 

[pstandiford]

Made it over to the RV and checked both A/C. Neither would come on at all. Then I thought about the GFCI and checked it. It was tripped. Reset it and heard a clunk from the RV. Went in and tried both A/Cs again and neither would state. However, I tried several of the 115 volt outlets and they were all okay. Also, the display for the inverter was now on so I think we are okay.Thank you very much for your help.

 

[Kevin Cooper]

The suggestion was to run the fan only not start the AC units. It was to see if you have power on both sides of the panel or one side only.

 

[Robbbyr]

The inverter does NOT charge your batteries, it only sucks power from them. Those outlets might be fed from the inverter and as a result, energized. But that does not guarantee you have power coming into the rig. As I mentioned, the true test of incoming power on BOTH legs of your 50-amp service is the air conditioner fans running when you are plugged-in. They do NOT run on the inverter, only when you are plugged-in or running the generator.

And if the outside receptacle you are plugged into is a GFCI, sometimes they do not "play well" with the coach's GFCI. Tends to trip the one the rig is plugged into.

 

[pstandiford]

The suggestion was to run the fan only not start the AC units. It was to see if you have power on both sides of the panel or one side only.

Understood. However, there is only one control for the A/C units. I have to toggle through the various settings with the first one being the Fan. But the display was off. Could not toggle through it at all. Not sure why since now that we are set up in a campground connected to 50 amp the display is fine.

 

[pstandiford]

The inverter does NOT charge your batteries, it only sucks power from them. Those outlets might be fed from the inverter and as a result, energized. But that does not guarantee you have power coming into the rig. As I mentioned, the true test of incoming power on BOTH legs of your 50-amp service is the air conditioner fans running when you are plugged-in. They do NOT run on the inverter, only when you are plugged-in or running the generator.

And if the outside receptacle you are plugged into is a GFCI, sometimes they do not "play well" with the coach's GFCI. Tends to trip the one the rig is plugged into.

I understand that the inverter does not charge batteries. (I've had discussions with camping friends that think the inverter and converter are the same thing.) However, the inverter display was off prior to resetting the GFCI. Then the inverter voltage display came on. The display is right above the button to turn the inverter on an off so that is what I am calling it but it may not have anything to do with the inverter.

 

[Kevin Cooper]

Ok, it sounds like you do not need to turn on both fans. What else besides the HVAC controls is not working. It sounds like you only have voltage on half of your panel. How are you getting from 15a 120 volts to your 50a 120/240 volt cord plug?
I’m still confused by your term “main power switch”. There is a main breaker in the electrical panel, and a DC disconnect switch. So, as you can see, you used a word from each. Both should be on except when storing and no power available, DC OFF. The reason I’m confused is, the HVAC controls are 12VDC and should work either by converter power or battery only. DC Sw off, no controls.

I suggest that if you do not have an electric test meter, you buy one. You cannot tell us much if you do no investigation.
I would suggest this one. DC amps is very helpful in RV’s.
ANENG Digital Clamp Meter Multimeter Tester with AC/DC Current,Voltage, NCV Amp Ohm Volt 4000 Counts Meter Measures Capacitance, Resistance, Diodes, Continuity Frequency Backlight Electrican Tools Amazon.com

 

[pstandiford]

I’m still confused by your term “main power switch”.

I am referring to the 12-volt batter disconnect right inside the door. That is how it is labeled so that is what I called it. Sorry for any confusion the name might have caused. The owners manual calls it a 12-volt disconnect switch. I believe someone called it a "Salesman Switch". I do have test instruments but the main question I had is if the switch needs to be turned on to charge the batteries when plugged into a 15 amp circuit. Robbbyr posted that it did not have to be turned on to charge the batteries. On our previous motor home (Thor Chateau Super C) it did need to be turned on.

 

[Kevin Cooper]

On our Thor it did also! On our Alante, it does not have to be on. Thanks for clarification! Sometimes people ask questions that you think you know what they are asking. 20 posts later, as Paul Harvey used to, you get “The rest of the story”