Converter not connected to trailer power

[SMurray]

Found out after tracing power that the ground going to the inverter was not connected to the batteries inside the case! Problem one solved. Now have power to the inverter only to discover the converter isn’t even connected to the trailer power! Found these two hanging wires behind the utility panel in the basement. There are no corresponding open connections to hook these two! Anyone know where to connect these? Thank you!!

[rohrmann]

Your converter should be powered by a breaker in your main panel.

[SMurray]

Thank you. The converter is on a breaker which is fine. The converter is plugged into the Inverter BUT the converter is not connected to anything in the trailer as shown in the photo so no power is being transferred into the trailer. Seems odd these leads are just left hanging; they should be connected to something. Power dead ends there.

[Daryles]

Originally Posted by SMurray

Found out after tracing power that the ground going to the inverter was not connected to the batteries inside the case! Problem one solved. Now have power to the inverter only to discover the converter isn’t even connected to the trailer power! Found these two hanging wires behind the utility panel in the basement. There are no corresponding open connections to hook these two! Anyone know where to connect these? Thank you!!

They could be for connecting to a generator or a transfer switch if your rig is pre wired for that. Or wiring for another option you don't have.

[Daryles]

Inside your circuit breaker panel you should have two 4 gauge wires. Red one goes to the battery compartment. You will see it coming up from the hole in the wall behind the battery. It will go to one of your red 50A self resetting circuit breakers.
You should also have a 4 gauge black wire going from the converter to chassis ground.
If you have a Progressive Dynamics converter, they have all their manuals and troubleshooting on their website.

[BB_TX]

If you do not have a manual, find the model number on the converter and google that model manual. On-line manuals are easy to find. That should tell you what those wires should be connected to.

[Carl n Susan]

What year and model Montana do you have. It greatly helps the diagnosis.

This pic appears to be taken from the pass through with the back wall removed. I am not current on the newest wiring.

Do you have the Super Solar or the (default?) solar prep?

I thought the Montanas came with a Progressive power center with an integrated converter. Does the MHC come with a different, separate. converter?


Those labels imply they are not connected on purpose and are for a dealer/user installed option.

What do you mean the converter is not connected to shore power?

How was this determined? Is it not getting 120V AC or not producing 12V DC?

This implies a standalone one. They usually plug into a single outlet receptacle located near the stairs (way back in the utility compartment)

[SMurray]

Sorry; 2018 Montana 3561

[SMurray]

I am new to this 5th Wheel (2018 Montana 3561). The inverter is connected to the battery bank and has power. There are two outlets on the side of the inverter. The converter is plugged into one of those outlets. The other is free. My assumption is the power cords (blue cords in the photo) would connect to the power in the camper to power the refrigerator when not connected to power. Maybe I'm off here but with the inverter working the residential refrigertor still does not have power. Confused for sure.

[Carl n Susan]

Originally Posted by SMurray

I am new to this 5th Wheel (2018 Montana 3561). The inverter is connected to the battery bank and has power. There are two outlets on the side of the inverter.

Is the display active on the inverter and is there 120V available on the outlets?

The converter is plugged into one of those outlets. The other is free.

A 2018 3561 should have a Progressive integrated converter as part of the fuse/circuit breaker panel. It would not be plugged into an inverter. It gets its power from the circuit breaker in the Progressive panel. That said, a previous owner may have replaced the converter with a stand alone one. But it is crazy to plug a converter into an inverter unless you believe in perpetual motion.

My assumption is the power cords (blue cords in the photo) would connect to the power in the camper to power the refrigerator when not connected to power.

Do you mean the black cables in the photo? I am sure they are for a future addition. The refer gets its power from the inverter. When on shore power the inverter passes 120V to the outlet. If shore power goes away, the inverter takes 12V DC from the batteries and produces 120V to the outlets.

Maybe I'm off here but with the inverter working the residential refrigertor still does not have power.

The inverter doesn't have power or the refrigerator doesn't have power? Time to take a hard look at the inverter and ensure it is is getting 12V DC input along with 120V AC input and produces 120V at the outlets.

Confused for sure.

You are not the only one

[SMurray]

First of all thank you very much! The inverter is flashing 0.00 and 13.6. Plugs working on the inverter. Frig just does not run. Must be missing something obvious.

[Carl n Susan]

Yup, the 0.0 is the load being drawn (aka nothing) and the 12V supply is at 13.6 which says the converter is working (otherwise the battery would only supply 12.4 or less).

Is there 120V at the inverter outlets?

You can try moving the power cord from the inverter (which has to be the feed for the refer) and plug into a good working 120V outlet and see if the refer then works?


One last thought. The inverter is turned "ON" isn't it? I don''t know if there is an On/Off switch but it might be worth verifying.

[RipNC]

Makes no sense that the converter would be plugged into the inverter, you'd literally be using 12v to make 120v and then turn it back into 12v again! Sounds like that inverter has no shorepower pass thru (only make 120v off the batteries). So, that plug may go into the panel to feed a circuit (hopefully bypassing the shorepower). So whatever runs on the inverter only gets power from batteries, shorepower to converter recharges those batteries. Those wires you see look like inverter prewire for an inverter with 120v transfer switch to pass thru shorepower (doesn't sound like yours has this).

Suggest you diagram where the wire really go, or take some other photos to post here so others can better assist.

Attached photo is my inverter that has transfer switch (120v in from SP and 120v out from inverter or SP).

[SMurray]

The outlets work on the side of the inverter, 120V. Nothing is plugged into this aside from the converter which I believe you said was not necessary. Need to find the plug for the refer.

[Carl n Susan]

Are you sure that is the converter plugged into the Inverter outlet? This isn't realistic for the reasons I documented above.

You can test this by removing the plug and see if the 13.6V display changes. Without a converter, you will get true battery voltage (after waiting a period of time to let the float level assimilate).

Check the power cord at the refer and see if you can follow it back to the plug.

[RipNC]

Only necessary if that truly feeds your converter and is the only source of 120v to your converter (which I doubt). If the inverter powers the converter and there is no other battery charge source, your batteries would quickly run out of charge.

Is you converter attached to your power center? Usually a Progressive Dynamics power center and converter with the converter fed off of 1 of the breakers in the power center (not from a plug).

Do you know if the fridge has ever run on the inverter?

[RipNC]

Sorry, Carl - missed your post when I went out to shoot that photo! We're both saying the same things...

[miatadoc]

Depending on the inverter, the transfer switch may be internal, and the reefer may be hardwired. We're wired like that. We have a WFCO inverter. We have a 120V plug for shore power to the inverter (with internal pass through) and a 3 wire electrical cable out of the back. We also have cables from the battery bank as well as a chassis ground. Hope this helps.

[SMurray]

Thank you!!!

[SMurray]

How long does it take for the refer to start off 12V once power is turned off from the 50 Amp?