inverter issues

Smokey · 01-06-2020, 06:24 PM

Smokey is our 2018 sunstar 35 lxf, w magnum energy inverter/charger. We have used the coach w no power issues 50+ times.

last month we were winterized by a local camp ground using a their own generator to power the wash/dryer. Upon next time in coach inverter was not working properly, running hot, w power panel showing 30 amp in coach, all other reading show 121 for each line of the 240 at the post, and at the auto switch in power bay.

Camp ground denies it was them, local winne dealer says 6 weeks for an appointment plus additional time for parts.... thanks WINNEBAGO.

we did everything but a hard reset, did not disconnect battery from inverter....

any thoughts??

appreciate the help!

**creativepart** · 01-06-2020, 10:25 PM

Could you possibly explain more fully the whole “ last month we were winterized by a local camp ground using a their own generator to power the wash/dryer”?

And this as well “w power panel showing 30 amp in coach, all other reading show 121 for each line of the 240 at the post, and at the auto switch in power bay.“?

Smokey · 01-07-2020, 06:04 AM

Sure, i will try....

to winterize the washer/dryer they would need power. they apparently take the coach's 50 amp power cord, attach a 30 amp reduction plug to cord, and plugged it into a portable electric generator..... what type or power output i do not know. My thought is this may have caused an issue w inverter.

Smokey · 01-07-2020, 06:12 AM

part 2,

with an electrical tester, we tested the campground power pole that we plugged into, the 50 amp plug read normal, 120 on each leg.
Then went to auto switching box in power bay and tested power coming out of box going to rest of coach, again each leg showing 121... normal power...
all outlet in coach showed 121, normal readings.

on the digital power control panel in coach, when looking at different readings on the screen on showed that i was attached to a 30 amp service, and that leg one had 121 v line 2 had 8v.....

so power at pole and auto switch showed normal 50 amp, power in coach reduced to 30, w only one leg having full power.

**creativepart** · 01-07-2020, 07:46 AM

Thanks, that helps understand what you were meaning. Unfortunately it doesn’t help with understanding why your inverter is giving you problems. There is a lot to unpack there.

sajohnson · 01-12-2020, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smokey

part 2,

with an electrical tester, we tested the campground power pole that we plugged into, the 50 amp plug read normal, 120 on each leg.
Then went to auto switching box in power bay and tested power coming out of box going to rest of coach, again each leg showing 121... normal power...
all outlet in coach showed 121, normal readings.

on the digital power control panel in coach, when looking at different readings on the screen on showed that i was attached to a 30 amp service, and that leg one had 121 v line 2 had 8v.....

so power at pole and auto switch showed normal 50 amp, power in coach reduced to 30, w only one leg having full power.

That sounds like an unusual problem.

If you can provide a link to the AC wiring diagram for your coach that would help.

What I've found is that electrical problems, even simple ones, can be hard to both explain and trouble shoot without a schematic.

Morich · 01-13-2020, 05:47 PM

At th9is point, it will take some guessing to start to sort out what's up as we don't really have any way at all to say what happened until we can find what it is that has happened. We often will not ever get a full idea of why things break down.
But for a start, I would go with a plan to look at it as a simple breakdown and that breakdown happens at a time to make it look like something was done wrong. Just bad timing until I saw something different?
The generator use should not be problem to cause a simple failure on one leg of the 220 AC. Much of the info you've given is not really useful.
I would start with the info that one leg of your 220 is not getting the full 110 it is expected to have, find the cause of this and then if it should show some definite signs of abuse, perhaps look for what to do with that info, but knowing it will likely be a steep hill to prove anything that is worth the effort.
However, I would more more expect to find something common like corroded or loose connections. A genset blowing anything would be really odd, while things going bad as they come loose, etc. is very common, so I would look for the common things first. Pick a spot where power is good on the leg which shows bad later and begin to work along the trail to find where and then perhaps why, it is not getting through.
Perhaps an easy way to start is listing what works? Perhaps it is only a problem with the reading at the panel?

Kevinbrown01 · 01-14-2020, 08:43 AM

I have a 2011 win Journey 40U that has an MS2800 Magnum inverter. I used it a few times this past summer, with the generator and it worked just fine. We took off a few weeks ago for the winter season in Florida and found it died sometime while in the storage garage., so no 120 to power the fridge while driving. the charger was also dead, so I put a 30 amp charger on for 12 volts, hot wired the 110 line (only one side, I guess) while at the RV park and have pulled the inverter. there are quite a few places here that will repair it. Cost estimates are around $500 for the "likely" board and $200 - $300 labor. If more than one board is out, new inverter time - $1800 or so. I hope to get it in Wednesday the 15th/Jan and back for the weekend. I will let you know the results and likely causes of the failure. I have asked the technician for cause and he said it would be difficult to tell, but he may be able to figure it out after seeing the unit.

Morich · 01-14-2020, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevinbrown01

I have a 2011 win Journey 40U that has an MS2800 Magnum inverter. I used it a few times this past summer, with the generator and it worked just fine. We took off a few weeks ago for the winter season in Florida and found it died sometime while in the storage garage., so no 120 to power the fridge while driving. the charger was also dead, so I put a 30 amp charger on for 12 volts, hot wired the 110 line (only one side, I guess) while at the RV park and have pulled the inverter. there are quite a few places here that will repair it. Cost estimates are around $500 for the "likely" board and $200 - $300 labor. If more than one board is out, new inverter time - $1800 or so. I hope to get it in Wednesday the 15th/Jan and back for the weekend. I will let you know the results and likely causes of the failure. I have asked the technician for cause and he said it would be difficult to tell, but he may be able to figure it out after seeing the unit.

This is where we often wind up on electronics. Something goes down but it is not possible to say what causes it on the newer stuff. Older, we can often see something like a relay burned or diode out but new is not going to be things we can see and certainly won't want to say WHY it failed. A tech might find a burned spot on a board but he can't say it burned because there was something done wrong or it was just an ant walking around and shorted things. Unless he gets lucky enough to find the ant carcass burned to things!
Thinking of the old days when we had point in the ignition of cars? We could look under the hood, spot the burned contacts and shine them enough to make them work but now all we have to look at is the black box and it stopped working! It used to be worth taking a look under the hood but now we might as well just call the tow truck because there's not much under there to look at anyway.

**creativepart** · 01-14-2020, 02:32 PM

You probably already checked this... but are you sure the rotary disconnect switch in the basement cabinet holding the inverter didn’t get turned off when the RV was put in storage? That would have the same symptoms as a defective inverter.