Inverter or converter

[Gjanis]

Ok our radio...step..levelers ..privacy shade..etc.even when plugged in ..are not working even when the engine is on.. we are so confused our 97 didn't have any of this stuff ..some one checked. .power going to inverter but it's not putting out. Does the inverter help run all this stuff or what please help and what does the converter do....

[DavidM]

An inverter has nothing to do with powering DC devices. It takes DC from the batteries and converts it to AC to run low wattage or short term AC loads like an AC fridge or a microwave.

A converter takes AC shore power or generator power and converts it to DC to power DC devices and charge the batteries.

Sometimes in aftermarket installations they are combined into one unit.

Do the other DC devices like lights, water pump, fans, etc work? I presume so. The ones you mention are often powered by the chassis batteries. There may be a breaker that has tripped that serves those devices.

David

[creativepart]

As I posted yesterday... those items are powered by your Chassis battery not the house batteries (or your converter or certainly not your inverter). Do you have the chassis power disconnect turned on? Do you have problems starting the RV?

[Gjanis]

No problem starting the engine ...this is fustrating where would the chassis disconnect be located

[Gjanis]

If anyone would know where this breaker could be located we'd love to know. ...we have been looking for it for days if there is one

[Morich]

I do not know where there is a chassis battery disconnect or even if there is one, so I can't help with that but I can help with some of the confusion as your friend is not giving the correct information on the inverter.

I made a small snip of the drawing of this part. It comes from page 8 of this drawing:
https://www.winnebago.com/Files/File.../000037328.pdf

I snipped out some of the details to make it more clear to spot what I am saying.
Click this picture to get a better view. Or go direct to the drawing for the full picture and more details.

When the cord is plugged in 110AC goes first to a 30 amp breaker at the load center, (near door?) and that main breaker feeds the other 15 and 20 amp breakers in that panel. Counting from the left, the last 15 amp breaker, fed by the 30 amp, then feeds the line going to the inverter!

When power is reaching the inverter, that 110 volt power simply passes through the inverter to feed the refrigerator when on AC power and the TV's.
IF the inverter is turned on and there is no ac power getting to the inverter, it is designed to use power from the batteries to make the 110AC to power the frig and tv's---until the batteries go dead! I use it only if I really, really want to watch TV as it will use my batteries very quickly.

The inverter only does this very small amount of work, so it is not part of the steps and radio!

What is involved in both the dash radio and the steps is the battery which starts the engine, so looking for breakers or fuses under the hood is more the place to look but hose are considered part of the auto portion and Winnebago does not give us much info on that wiring.

There are tow switches which I would want to leave on until I got it all working and turn off only when storing the RV. There is a big coach battery disconnect switch which will kill many of the lights, vents and pumps, so leave it on. Also there is a step switch I would leave on while looking for trouble and only turn off when I am at a campsite and down want the steps moving every time I use the door.

Three other things to know and look at as they may need change. The radio power switch changes the power used from the start battery to the coach batteries and may help clear the problem.
Picture as looking from behind drivers seat toward windshield with breaker panel don near drivers left foot?

[Morich]

I did closer look at the breaker panel near the driver's left foot and spotted a lable that may mean something and you should perhaps check it closer as it is labeled "sunvisor".
Would sunvisor sound like one of the problems you need to get power to?

Also I see a label next line down for "radio coach " which may also be for the radio question?

I might have expected these to be out under the hood but these labels say I am wrong??