Inverter / Outlets

Sam0794 · 08-17-2020, 01:17 PM

Hoping someone can help a newbie. We recently bought a 2020 Vita 24P. it has a 1000w inverter as well as 2 solar panels. Batteries are brand new and fully charged. When I am hooked up to electric, all the outlets work, but when I switch over to batteries, none of the outlets work (however the refrigerator is working) We tried the outlet by the sink & the outlet next to the bed (the one that the salesman said would always work for CPAP machines) Leaving for a month-long trip and was hoping to do some boondocking. Ideally would love to be able to use a crockpot while we are driving (secured in the sink) and run a cpap machine overnight. Are we doing something wrong? My husband said the GFI isn't tripped because the fridge is working, but not sure what else it may be.

Winterbagoal · 08-17-2020, 01:47 PM

Are the "coach battery enable/disable" switch set to "enable", and is the inverter switched "on" at the One Place panel?
If they are, find the inverter physically, and make sure the black 3 pronged plug is plugged into one of the inverter 120VAC outlets. It feeds some of the AC outlets inside the coach, but I have no idea which ones. Also, check the inverter's litte display for error codes. I think E0 is normal functioning.

**creativepart** · 08-17-2020, 02:01 PM

While physically checking the inverter make sure that the GFCI button on that one main outlet on the side of the inverter is pushed in and not popped out.

Oh, I see you mentioned that your husband had already determined that wasn't the issue.

Then check to see if one of the inverter outlets near the kitchen or bathroom has a GFCI that might be tripped. Other outlets will feed off of one GFCI outlet in most cases.

AJMike · 08-17-2020, 03:06 PM

I have a 2018 Fuse and I assume it is similar to your Vita since they are both Winnebago Class C models of the same size and I assume Winnebago designed the electric system similarly.

In our Fuse there are only 3 outlets that work when the inverter is on - the outlet behind the front TV, the outlet for the rear TV and the outlet near the bed in the bedroom. No other outlets work when the inverter is on.

What we did was plug an extension cord into the 1000 watt inverter and use that in the kitchen. That is probably not a solution for you, but if you have a rear TV you might check to see if that outlet works with the inverter on and, if so, you can plug an extension cord into it.

Morich · 08-17-2020, 03:16 PM

Your wiring for this portion seems pretty close to what your husband is saying but there may be some connections that need to be checked.
If frig is working on the inverter and main TV or other outlet not working, I would lean toward checking in the blank faceplate in the wardrobe fore loose wire.
click drawing to make it come up bigger.
This is the snip of the drawing for that portion with power coming in on the left and feeding to and through the inverter:

EDit:
I should have said if the frig is working when not plugged into power or running genset so that the power is coming from the inverter making AC from DC.

AJMike · 08-17-2020, 03:24 PM

I should point out that our electric refrigerator (Norcold DC0061) is a DC only refrigerator and works regardless of the state of the inverter. Apparently the batteries power the refrigerator directly.

I don't know if the one in the Vita is the same but you might want to check.

Sam0794 · 08-18-2020, 06:04 AM

Thanks everyone. We played around with it last night and everything seems to be in order. What we did find is the outlet in the cabinet behind the TV works as does the outlet in the bedroom where we could put a second TV. I guess it's just not the outlets I wanted it to be! The only one I am perplexed at is the one next to the bed. It seems like that one should work off battery and the sales rep told us it would, but it doesn't seem to

Morich · 08-18-2020, 06:54 AM

Full drawing for all your 110AC portion is here:
https://www.winnebagoind.com/diagram/2020/000161435.pdf
Scrollway down to find the layout.

AJMike · 08-18-2020, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam0794

Thanks everyone. We played around with it last night and everything seems to be in order. What we did find is the outlet in the cabinet behind the TV works as does the outlet in the bedroom where we could put a second TV. I guess it's just not the outlets I wanted it to be! The only one I am perplexed at is the one next to the bed. It seems like that one should work off battery and the sales rep told us it would, but it doesn't seem to

Yes, I thought it would be like the wiring in my Fuse since the Vita and the Fuse are not very different.

One thing you might check is whether or not both outlets in the electrical faceplate in the bedroom are without power when the inverter is on. One thing we have found in our Fuse is that at least one faceplate only has one outlet actually wired. We have power in one, but not the other outlet for that faceplate. I am not saying that is the case with yours, but you might want to check.

As for the sales rep, they sell so many models that I am not sure it is easy for them to keep them separate. I know our sales guy got lots of stuff about the Fuse wrong.

Morich · 08-18-2020, 07:49 AM

Quote:

One thing you might check is whether or not both outlets in the electrical faceplate in the bedroom are without power when the inverter is on. One thing we have found in our Fuse is that at least one faceplate only has one outlet actually wired. We have power in one, but not the other outlet for that faceplate. I am not saying that is the case with yours, but you might want to check.

This seems like something I would want to take a look at as it may be as simple as a link between two screws on the outlet. The input wire often goes to one point with a link of some sort to the other outlet on the item, so if the link is loose or missing, one can be dead.
Fix is easy but getting the outlet in and out of the wall can get fussy!!!

tderonne · 08-18-2020, 07:59 AM

Go back and review the wiring in post #6. The inverter powers 3 outlets: 2 TVs, and the fridge. Nothing else. Salesmen was wrong (I know, shocker).

dStrange · 08-23-2020, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam0794

Thanks everyone. We played around with it last night and everything seems to be in order. What we did find is the outlet in the cabinet behind the TV works as does the outlet in the bedroom where we could put a second TV. I guess it's just not the outlets I wanted it to be! The only one I am perplexed at is the one next to the bed. It seems like that one should work off battery and the sales rep told us it would, but it doesn't seem to

We have the Porto 24P (same vehicle). You are correct that the inverter powers 3 outlets. One behind the refrigerator, near the TV mount in the bedroom and behind the TV in the galley. It also powers a 4th which is located on the inverter itself, but is difficult to reach.

There is a Vita / Porto Facebook group, and someone just posted yesterday how they added a flush mount outlet in the cabinets above the sink, which plugged into the outlet behind the TV. This gives them a plug that can be used on the kitchen countertop.

HobeVita · 08-24-2020, 04:45 AM

Hi there...I have the same Vita 2020 24P....my outlets do not work off the battery, only when running the gen or the land line is plugged in. Just my experience and it was never explained any other way to me to expect differently. My wife's apap machine runs off the outlet above the bed fine all night, IF again...the gen is running or the landline is plugged in....hope you enjoy your new ride !!!!

rx4fishing · 08-24-2020, 05:43 AM

I will just make a few comments, as I did not this see simple explanation as I would like. If you are not hooked to shore power or have generator on, and just on battery, none of the outlets, tv, etc will work. They require a/c. When you turn on the inverter, then only the outlets, etc that are on that circuit will then have power. So you need to know what they are. And the refrigerator will always be on.

dStrange · 08-24-2020, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HobeVita

Hi there...I have the same Vita 2020 24P....my outlets do not work off the battery, only when running the gen or the land line is plugged in. Just my experience and it was never explained any other way to me to expect differently. My wife's apap machine runs off the outlet above the bed fine all night, IF again...the gen is running or the landline is plugged in....hope you enjoy your new ride !!!!

Even if you aren't hooked up to shore power, or running the generator, if you turn the invertor on, then you will have power at the 4 outlets. (behind the galley TV, near bedroom TV, behind the refrigerator, and on the invertor itself). Just making sure you were aware.

AJMike · 08-24-2020, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dStrange

The refrigerator only runs if invertor is turned on, or you have shore power, or the generator is on.

It is interesting that Winnebago has such different setups for fairly similar RVs. Our 2018 Fuse has a DC only compressor refrigerator and it runs regardless of the state of the inverter, shore power or generator. If all 3 are off it still runs. Apparently that is not true for some other Winnebago Class C RVs.

Morich · 08-24-2020, 09:16 AM

The small features on RV are very much like we find when car shopping but only if we look very carefully. It has always been a problem in the car field for folks to go to one place, find a cheaper price on "the exact same car" only to come to another dealer and complain that the seats or some small detail are not the same. My family has been in the auto field for a long time and have always talked about folks who buy one place and come back to another to complain that they didn't get what they thought!
It's even harder on RV, simply because we often do not know as much and there are far more options to miss.
And that is also what makes this forum so much more difficult to get good inof when we often think of Rv as pretty much the same. If we want the complete and accurate answers, we have to drill down lots more even than we might on cars.
RV change by year and model but also by build date and what options each dealer has ordered on what he sells.
Small points like winter packages will sell better in New York than in Southern California! That means when we are shopping used we need to look because the RV may have been ordered in Florida without winter thinking but driven to New York to be sold!
The devil is in the details!

AJMike · 08-24-2020, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Morich

The small features on RV are very much like we find when car shopping but only if we look very carefully. It has always been a problem in the car field for folks to go to one place, find a cheaper price on "the exact same car" only to come to another dealer and complain that the seats or some small detail are not the same. My family has been in the auto field for a long time and have always talked about folks who buy one place and come back to another to complain that they didn't get what they thought!
It's even harder on RV, simply because we often do not know as much and there are far more options to miss.
And that is also what makes this forum so much more difficult to get good inof when we often think of Rv as pretty much the same. If we want the complete and accurate answers, we have to drill down lots more even than we might on cars.
RV change by year and model but also by build date and what options each dealer has ordered on what he sells.
Small points like winter packages will sell better in New York than in Southern California! That means when we are shopping used we need to look because the RV may have been ordered in Florida without winter thinking but driven to New York to be sold!
The devil is in the details!

Yes, it does make it hard to be sure that answers you get on forums like this apply to your RV as well as the one being referenced. And we need to keep that in mind when someone posts something that turns out to not be "true". It may well be true on their RV, but not on yours.

HobeVita · 08-25-2020, 04:43 AM

Thanks for that info...I verified those outlets just yesterday and you are correct...albeit that information is not in the manual.....one additional comment....if the GFI is tripped on the inverter the fridge is not going to work....found that out the hard way....thanks again !!!!!

steverosen13 · 09-05-2020, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam0794

Hoping someone can help a newbie. We recently bought a 2020 Vita 24P. it has a 1000w inverter as well as 2 solar panels. Batteries are brand new and fully charged. When I am hooked up to electric, all the outlets work, but when I switch over to batteries, none of the outlets work (however the refrigerator is working) We tried the outlet by the sink & the outlet next to the bed (the one that the salesman said would always work for CPAP machines) Leaving for a month-long trip and was hoping to do some boondocking. Ideally would love to be able to use a crockpot while we are driving (secured in the sink) and run a cpap machine overnight. Are we doing something wrong? My husband said the GFI isn't tripped because the fridge is working, but not sure what else it may be.

If it is like the Travato, this is the intended performance (sadly). Only the TV outlets work off of the inverter (possibly some others, but most not), at least when the generator and shoreline are disconnected.