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Old 10-09-2021, 05:38 PM   #1
Majik Mermaid
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M.O.C. #29835
Electrical Dilemma HELP

*Problem Resolved- Many Thanks to All.

Help desperately needed
We just hauled our 2009 Montana Mountaineer 295RKD from NY to AZ, had zero electricity issues at any of the campgrounds we stopped at.
Now we are in our destination spot for 3 months and the electric keeps flitting in and out, lights and AC are dimming intermittently and the fridge won’t stay on.
We are a 50 amp rig and plugged into a 50amp receptacle. We tested the receptacle and it showed that it was working properly.
I don’t understand why all of the sudden our electric is just freaking out
 
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Old 10-09-2021, 06:20 PM   #2
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M.O.C. #19944
My EMS in a recent campground was showing Line 2 @ 126v steady but Line 1 was fluctuating from 90-109v. Taking a one time reading might be missing the problem.
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Old 10-09-2021, 06:25 PM   #3
Carl n Susan
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M.O.C. #4831
Do you have an EMS? If yes, what does it say the voltages are?


If not, start measuring voltage at the post ((both legs), then at the Circuit Breaker panel. If they are not the same, then there is a problem in the cord, rear connection, or transfer switch (if installed).
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Old 10-09-2021, 06:40 PM   #4
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Is your power cord long enough to reach another pedistal?
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Old 10-09-2021, 06:46 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Carl n Susan View Post
Do you have an EMS? If yes, what does it say the voltages are?


If not, start measuring voltage at the post ((both legs), then at the Circuit Breaker panel. If they are not the same, then there is a problem in the cord, rear connection, or transfer switch (if installed).
Getting 120 from both feeds.
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Old 10-09-2021, 06:51 PM   #6
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M.O.C. #20477
Recommend check the connection of the power cable to the rig.
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Old 10-09-2021, 07:05 PM   #7
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M.O.C. #29835
Update

I removed the Power Watchdog surge protector and switched to the 30amp receptacle. Could it have been a surge, and the watchdog is fried?? I had it connected and all green lights were displayed.
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Old 10-09-2021, 07:06 PM   #8
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M.O.C. #29835
It reads 120 on both feeds
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Old 10-10-2021, 05:35 AM   #9
DadsHemi
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M.O.C. #20472
Sometimes these parks are just janky on there wiring at the pedestals, last park we stayed at had under size wire on the 50 amp on one leg and it caused low voltage. I was glad to get out of that place.
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Old 10-10-2021, 07:20 AM   #10
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M.O.C. #22835
If your house lights are dimming, you've got something else going on too, because the house lights run on your 12 volt battery system. If they are going bright to dim and back again, your house battery may be failing.
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Old 10-10-2021, 08:11 AM   #11
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Originally Posted by DutchmenSport View Post
If your house lights are dimming, you've got something else going on too, because the house lights run on your 12 volt battery system. If they are going bright to dim and back again, your house battery may be failing.
This is a good place to start. Lights, AC, and fridge all require 12V to run. Most lights are straight 12V. Thermostat runs on 12V so the AC, or furnace for that matter, won't run without 12V. Fridge running on 110V still requires 12V to run the controls. I might suspect that the converter is going bad. If that's the case then check your batteries as well as they could be bad.

Basically without 12V your trailer is dead...though you could still watch a DVD on the TV.
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Old 10-10-2021, 08:22 AM   #12
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M.O.C. #29835
Thank you

Quote:
Originally Posted by DutchmenSport View Post
If your house lights are dimming, you've got something else going on too, because the house lights run on your 12 volt battery system. If they are going bright to dim and back again, your house battery may be failing.
It was the battery, the cutoff switch was in the wrong position and we ran it dead.
We changed it to the “On” position and let it charge overnight and everything seems to be working now.
The previous owner had blacked out the switch position marking and just write “No” over them, so we didn’t know where it should be positioned while connected to shore power.
Thank you so much for your assistance.
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Old 10-10-2021, 08:23 AM   #13
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M.O.C. #29835
Thank you

Quote:
Originally Posted by jsb5717 View Post
This is a good place to start. Lights, AC, and fridge all require 12V to run. Most lights are straight 12V. Thermostat runs on 12V so the AC, or furnace for that matter, won't run without 12V. Fridge running on 110V still requires 12V to run the controls. I might suspect that the converter is going bad. If that's the case then check your batteries as well as they could be bad.

Basically without 12V your trailer is dead...though you could still watch a DVD on the TV.
It was the battery, the cutoff switch was in the wrong position and we ran it dead.
We changed it to the “On” position and let it charge overnight and everything seems to be working now.
The previous owner had blacked out the switch position marking and just write “No” over them, so we didn’t know where it should be positioned while connected to shore power.
Thank you so much for your assistance.
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Old 10-10-2021, 08:28 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Majik Mermaid View Post
It was the battery, the cutoff switch was in the wrong position and we ran it dead.
We changed it to the “On” position and let it charge overnight and everything seems to be working now.
The previous owner had blacked out the switch position marking and just write “No” over them, so we didn’t know where it should be positioned while connected to shore power.
Thank you so much for your assistance.
Glad to hear it and good to know. Good lesson for everyone...troubleshoot the simple things first
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Old 10-10-2021, 07:52 PM   #15
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What was the resolution?
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Old 10-10-2021, 08:04 PM   #16
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See the post above, I explained it there. This is a wonderful group, I appreciate the help.
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Old 10-10-2021, 09:37 PM   #17
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M.O.C. #12947
When the battery disconnect switch is in the open position, the plastic key can be pulled out. When the switch is in the closed position, the key can not be removed.
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Old 10-10-2021, 09:52 PM   #18
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I've thought of pulling the Battery Switch and putting both cables on one terminal. Any concerns for that?
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Old 10-11-2021, 08:48 AM   #19
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I've thought of pulling the Battery Switch and putting both cables on one terminal. Any concerns for that?
I'm not following the logic. It wouldn't hurt anything, but wouldn't that just bypass the switch? There would be no disconnect.
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Old 10-11-2021, 11:40 AM   #20
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What does the switch really do? Other than causing issues. It does not completely disconnect the battery. I have a switch on the ground cable that does completely disconnect the batteries.
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