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Old 05-26-2010, 05:22 AM   #1
Bill and Lisa
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Loads powered by TV Bargman?

I need some help on understanding what should be available using only the TV for power via the umbilical. (i.e. the battery is removed or has discharged too low). I "believe" I should be able to connect the trailer to the TV and use that connection to power the front landing gear and the slides but when I found myself in that situation yesterday (battery had died) nothing worked.(once I charged up the battery from the generator I brought up to the storage yard everything worked.

My TV is an 01 Chevy 2500 Diesel and I have a 40 amp fuse installed in the 01 position in the fuse box (told that is the fuse that had to be added to allow charging the battery). Bothe Batteries on the truck are less than 1 year old. I visually inspected the fuse this morning and there are no visual indications that it is blown. I also did not test the pins on the plug with a volt meter (didn't have time). I do have a plug in the bed liner box as well as the one mounted below the bumper and I tried connecting in both locations with the same result.

I also just realized that the times I did operate the landing gear and the slides I was connected to the generator so DC power would have been supplied via the converter and maybe not via the battery. I was able to charge the battery so I am pretty sure that the fuse between the battery and the distribution panel is good (left the unit with the Fridge cooling down for tomorrows departure and the CO2 monitor light was on when I left and the only power available at that point was the battery.....)

Looking for:
1. confirmation that I should be able to operate the landing gear and/or slides with just the tow vehicle as a power source.

2. more reliable way to test the 40 amp fuse without relying on the old eyeball. (can I measure resistance across the fuse with a multi- meter?)

3. Best way to determine if there is power being supplied to the montie via the umbilical or I am just powering lights and brakes?

Any ideas/inputs would be welcome.

Thanks,
Bill



 
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Old 05-26-2010, 05:34 AM   #2
H. John Kohl
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Bill,
Pin 4 is 12 volt positive and pin 1 is ground. check with a volt meter to see if power is there. I have heard some trucks have to have the switch on for power to be there.
If you have power there and still no luck, check the wire junction box on your pin for Monty. I have seen a fuse in there.

You should be able to run the landing gear with your vehicle fuse at 40 amp. I found the slides can draw up to 40 plus amps so again the fuse is an issue as well as the size of the wiring in the truck.

Hope this helps.
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Old 05-26-2010, 05:57 AM   #3
Bill and Lisa
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Thanks John,
I will check that and if that check out then I will also make sure that the connections inside my plug are not corroded or bent as I could be having a poor connection. Either way I am going to check for a fuse in the connection box as well.

Currently the battery is 2/3 full. If after I hook up to the tow vehicle all the red lights on the monitor panel light up would that be an indication that the TV is charging the battery?

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Old 05-26-2010, 06:12 AM   #4
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Bill
Several vehicles I've had were only fused at 30amp. One touch of the jacks or slide pump would blow it immediately if the battery were dead or disconnected(ask me how I know) :-)
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Old 05-26-2010, 06:39 AM   #5
firetrucker
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Here are a couple of things to consider:

1. The wiring from your TV battery to the Monty is long, a smaller gauge, and goes through a fuse and a connector. All this means less current capacity and a lower voltage by the time it gets to the Monty.

2. When the Monty is connected to the generator, both the converter and the batteries contribute to the current supplied to all the dc loads in the Monty.

3. When the TV is hooked up, the battery monitor in the Monty shows the result of all the batteries in parallel. If the TV is not running, the Monty could be charging the TV batteries (not too likely, but possible) unless you've got a battery isolator in the circuit.

4. When the TV is running, you are charging the Monty's batteries and supplying current to anything that they are connected to.

5. There is a battery tester that you can put across the fuse that will show whether it is blown or not, just the same as the light on the dc fuse panel in the Monty. You can get it at most auto parts stores and Walmart, and it often comes in the fuse package that has the selection of fuses.

Bob

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Old 05-26-2010, 06:53 AM   #6
Bill and Lisa
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Thanks Bob,
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Old 05-26-2010, 08:09 AM   #7
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Now that I've said that, Bill,

1. Have a good voltmeter to check the voltage to the Monty so you can evaluate the condition of the connections. Use a good dielectric grease on the connector to eliminate corrosion and maintain good contact, and make sure it's seated properly.

3. If there is a battery isolator, it will drop the voltage to the Monty by up to 1 volt (that will figure into #1), and the Monty's batteries will not charge up 100%, but pretty close.

Bob
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Old 05-26-2010, 12:15 PM   #8
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Bob, You can check any fuse by setting your volt/ohm meter to ohms. Attach each lead to each leg of the fuse. If the fuse is good you will see some resistance. If the fuse is blown you will get no reading. Jim
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Old 05-26-2010, 06:39 PM   #9
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Bill, as far as powering from the TV, the truck's engine has to be running. Second, GM's sometimes come from the factory without a fuse installed to allow the power to flow to the battery. I've heard sometimes the fuse is actually in the fuse compartment but is not placed in the socket. Other times you might have to buy a fuse.
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Old 05-26-2010, 07:00 PM   #10
firetrucker
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Jim, the tester I mentioned tests the fuse without removing it. It's the same technique that is used in the dc fuse panel in the Monty.

Steve, thanks for the first hand experience on powering the Monty from the TV. Mine is set up a bit different.

Bob
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Old 05-26-2010, 07:06 PM   #11
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Steve beat me to it about some of the GM products not having the fuse in place to charge the Monte while the TV is running. I had a slide open up on me this spring while it was stored. I took the battery out for the winter so I backed up to the Monte, hooked up the umbilical to the plug on the TV, started the TV up again and hit the switch for the slides and in came the slide! I did not havae the battery in so I powered the slides and the front landing gear with the truck power flowing to the Monte. I did make sure that there was a fuse in place for the charging concept when I took the truck from the dealer.
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Old 05-27-2010, 01:46 AM   #12
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by firetrucker

Jim, the tester I mentioned tests the fuse without removing it. It's the same technique that is used in the dc fuse panel in the Monty.

Steve, thanks for the first hand experience on powering the Monty from the TV. Mine is set up a bit different.

Bob
Bob, I am familar with the test unit you refered to. I was just responding to Bills question in his initial post. Jim
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