2010 Itasca Sunstar: What Does the Inverter Power?

[Pullenpoynt]

Hello all
I’m a newbie so please excuse the question. -
Recently my inverter blew in my 2010 itasca sunstar
It is the dimension model 300 watt with a plug on the front
How important is this unit for running my rv and is the inverter plug only for that unit or does it power all my other plugs in the rv
Also
Do I really need it when I’m considering getting some solar panels for my roof
Appreciate any advice
Thanks
Bob

 

[Morich]

Okay, good question to sort before we start to do things! Figure out what we have first!
And that gets into a bit of swamp right away on your RV! Not becasue it is hard but becasue there are more than a few options to difn which has been ordered on your specific RV! Something like whether they ordered white sidewalls on a new car? It would be nice if there was a page in the info packet to tell you those detaisl but they are often not passed along to the next owner. So we need to do some guessing and olet youd o some looking or you may already have things spotted!
This is a link to the full drawing of your 110AC part of the RV:

https://www.winnebago.com/Files/Files/Winnebago/Resources/Diagram/2010/10_wire_173226.pdf

I snipped out the important parts for much of this question but also skipped some!

The green trail is how the 110AC power comes from cord to main breaker, then to one the label BRN (brown?) 15. That breaker sends it out to an option marked in yellow. Since you mentioned HAVING the inverter I went with option 40B. That options shows power goes to an outlet where the inverter may be plugged in to get the 110AC part.
When this is plugged in 110 passes through the inverter and powers the blue marked group with normal power.
Yellow marks are whether you have a dinete or buffet options??
If I read this correctly, unplugging the inverter will cut off power to thosemarked in blue!
But if we have no cord power and want to use battery to "make" 110AC, we can turn the inverter on and let it pass that to the blue marked items! There will be a 12VDC line connected to the inverter but they co not show it on the 110 AC drawings, we just have to know it is there?
So leave the inverter turned OFF if plugged and things work normal, but when no normal plug or genrator power, turning the inverter on starts using battey and you can still watch TV!
EDit?
Sorry about the poor quality of the drawing above. I got called and lost time to check it! Due to size, I got it too small to read very well as well as the link seems messed up! Call of other duties and such?
This link may work better to see it in original form:

https://www.winnebago.com/Files/Files/Winnebago/Resources/Diagram/2010/10_wire_173226.pdf

 

[Pullenpoynt]

Thanks for sharing so much information - but - do you mean that if the inverter is cooked my dinette plug won’t work - I’m usually plugged into the CG outlet and everything else works fine except that dinette plug - is there a way to make that plug work instead of running a extension cord from another plug or is there something else that you could suggest
Thanks

 

[klook]

That is an "it depends" situation. Maybe is the answer. I have an exact 300w original Dimensions inverter that I will ship to you for minimal cost and shipping cost. As to the depends, those units usually only ran the tv and a couple of outlets maybe. I used mine to run my residential fridge briefly last winter and upgraded a whole bunch.

 

[Pullenpoynt]

Sounds great - what are you looking for $$ wise - I’m interested in keeping the rv as original as possible
Lmk and I can venmo you - I’m currently in Terre Haute Indiana and have a local address

 

[klook]

I was looking for $25 for it. The shipping will be the real cost as these things were quality builds and are real heavy.

 

[Pullenpoynt]

Sounds good - my email is [email protected] I’ll send you the delivery address through email instead of posting it here

 

[Morich]

The definition of "cooked" is a biggie on what you will find. If the inverter electronics are no longer doing the convertion of DC to ac , then it may still be working to pass through the AC you are getting from the cord. But that part has several different ways thie inverter may have failed. It may be doing the conversion correctly but the switching of the path from cord or from what it makes, maybe the problem. sometimes changing the inverter is a good plan --- or not!

 

[Pullenpoynt]

Yeah I understand that but I’m thinking that half the circuit is toast as my battery is still being charged but the dinette plug is not working so I’ll take a chance and replace it and maybe see if the cooked one can be repaired so I’ll have a backup

 

[klook]

This unit does not charge the battery at all. It simply takes 12v DC on 10 awg wire and makes just enough 120v to run the TV and attached player equipment. Which has changed dramatically over the years. I do not believe the dinette outlet is attached to it, but worth checking. The outlets in these RV's are so cheap that they can lose connection anytime. I just replaced one in my 2004 that was working, but had loose plugs. It was corroded terrible inside. They just stab the wires down between blades that cut the insulation for contact.

 

[Pullenpoynt]

I’m not sure what the inverter does or doesn’t do as I’m really new - but - when I checked the online websites for a replacement they said that the newer ones don’t charge the battery while the older ones did - maybe I read it wrong
My inverter is 13”L x 6.1/4” W x 3.1/4” H
Part number 099048-04-000
Listed as 300watt dui /300t
I also disassembled the plug and checked the connection to ensure that the wires were connected properly and not corroded
I’m not to concerned about the Tv just the dinette plug as running a extension cord is a nuisance when I’m trying to work
Hopefully your device matches my current setup

Thanks for your help
Bob

 

[klook]

Pretty sure its identical. An inverter, inverts. A convertor, converts. Yes there are dual units in high end models and they are more powerful. And expensive. Can you verify that the wire to the dinette is connected to the wire where the inverter is? This inverter passes power thru when it is available, and automatically turns on when the power fails or is turned off. There is probably a button type breaker that feeds it 12v somewhere. It gets 30amps so it has its own breaker.

 

[klook]

It gets difficult telling people how to find why an outlet isn't working in a camper/MH. They are all tied together in strings. Any break in the string causes a problem downstream

 

[Pullenpoynt]

I totally understand with that - it’s a mystery to me that every other outlet works except the one that is convenient for me to use lol - the only reason I think it’s the inverter is that I went out to dump the trash and when I got back there was a smell of burnt wire or electrical system and the number 2 breaker was tripped and the inverter breaker was also tripped - I’m sorry I misquoted that the inverter charged the battery- that’s the converter’s part
I’ll have to check again tomorrow after the rain stops- I’ll disconnect the shore power and see what happens
The only 30 amp breaker is labeled as the main. Is that what you’re talking about

Thanks again - sorry for being so confused
Bob

 

[klook]

No problem. No on the breaker. That is your main AC line into the camper. The DC side is what feeds your inverter and you will find there is a panel somewhere with little white buttons and numbers on them. Should be labeled as to what they go to. They are the larger loads as the little blade fuses handle the lighter stuff. And fuses blow easily under a heavy load, breakers are slow blow.

 

[klook]

I will try and get a picture of it for you, I took it to storage as I didn't think it would move very soon.

 

[Morich]

Beware the quick answers that are often guessing!
One step is understanding how we often get the wrong terms! An inverter never charges! It uses battery to make 110AC. A converter does the opp[osite and uses AC to make DC. But where we get into trouble is the sloppy speaking we get into when dealing with what is actually an inverter charger! Those do both invert and charge or convert, but the "sloppy speak" just call it an inverter! And the RV world is full of "sloppy speak" when it comes to sales!
Look carefully at wehat the drawing shows is the path for the 110AC! That drawing is always prone to having been changed but it is pretty good to follow until we find it has been changed. In your RV, and with a small inverter, they did not build it with a 30 amp breaker for the inverter. One reason for that is your total RV is only a 30 amp RV! Normally we expect the main breaker which has to pas the totasl load to be larger than the small breakers for all the indiviual circuits as all those small have to pass throught the main first! If you have 30 amp main feeding a 30 amp sub breaker plus all the others, somebody has messed with the system!
I would not change the inverter until knowing more about any other faults that may have happened. If you have a smell and it may be smoke, I first would check that power is getting to the outlet that the inverter appears to have been plugged into. If a wire comes loose or arcs there, it is likely the inverter is not getting the 110AC power to pass on down the line. If that is true, replacing the inverter will be a waste as the new one will not work, either!
One quick way to test, if tools like a meter are not on hand, is looking at what works or not. All you need for that is something that uses 110AC. Maybe a small table lamp is handy? So look at the locations of those outlets I marked in green and find what works or not! If even some are handy to reach in that line and work, we can say power is getting to the outlet where the inverter appears to be plugged in. Next step is to try some of those outlets marked in red. Do any of them work or are some failed? Is there a breaker built into the back of the inverter and it may need to be reset? Maybe the inverter cord got loose in the outlet?
When new it may be handy to think of it as water and see if water gets to what points. If the power (water?) gets to the blue outlets and not the green, then it may not be getting through the inverter. But if power gets to most all the outlets but NOT the dinette, that puts it more likely to be at the dinette outlet if that is the only one that fails!
Not really rocket science but easy to find ourself confused if we are not used to thinking simple for getting power from point one to the other points!
Maybe it helps to look at it like you might if you were watering a large garden? If you know water is getting in at the faucet but not coming out at the sprinkler in the far corner, you know what to do. The same works for power in this case!

 

[Pullenpoynt]

No problem. No on the breaker. That is your main AC line into the camper. The DC side is what feeds your inverter and you will find there is a panel somewhere with little white buttons and numbers on them. Should be labeled as to what they go to. They are the larger loads as the little blade fuses handle the lighter stuff. And fuses blow easily under a heavy load, breakers

No problem. No on the breaker. That is your main AC line into the camper. The DC side is what feeds your inverter and you will find there is a panel somewhere with little white buttons and numbers on them. Should be labeled as to what they go to. They are the larger loads as the little blade fuses handle the lighter stuff. And fuses blow easily under a heavy load, breakers are slow blow.

Ok - like I said before I reset that small white button for the inverter and the recp2 circuit breaker - I just checked all of the 12v spade fuses and all were fine 13.3 v - tomorrow I’ll disconnect the shore power and see if the tv will work as there’s no external plug on the inverter just a gfi switch and another small white button circuit breaker
Thanks

 

[Pullenpoynt]

Beware the quick answers that are often guessing!
One step is understanding how we often get the wrong terms! An inverter never charges! It uses battery to make 110AC. A converter does the opp[osite and uses AC to make DC. But where we get into trouble is the sloppy speaking we get into when dealing with what is actually an inverter charger! Those do both invert and charge or convert, but the "sloppy speak" just call it an inverter! And the RV world is full of "sloppy speak" when it comes to sales!
Look carefully at wehat the drawing shows is the path for the 110AC! That drawing is always prone to having been changed but it is pretty good to follow until we find it has been changed. In your RV, and with a small inverter, they did not build it with a 30 amp breaker for the inverter. One reason for that is your total RV is only a 30 amp RV! Normally we expect the main breaker which has to pas the totasl load to be larger than the small breakers for all the indiviual circuits as all those small have to pass throught the main first! If you have 30 amp main feeding a 30 amp sub breaker plus all the others, somebody has messed with the system!
I would not change the inverter until knowing more about any other faults that may have happened. If you have a smell and it may be smoke, I first would check that power is getting to the outlet that the inverter appears to have been plugged into. If a wire comes loose or arcs there, it is likely the inverter is not getting the 110AC power to pass on down the line. If that is true, replacing the inverter will be a waste as the new one will not work, either!
One quick way to test, if tools like a meter are not on hand, is looking at what works or not. All you need for that is something that uses 110AC. Maybe a small table lamp is handy? So look at the locations of those outlets I marked in green and find what works or not! If even some are handy to reach in that line and work, we can say power is getting to the outlet where the inverter appears to be plugged in. Next step is to try some of those outlets marked in red. Do any of them work or are some failed? Is there a breaker built into the back of the inverter and it may need to be reset? Maybe the inverter cord got loose in the outlet?
When new it may be handy to think of it as water and see if water gets to what points. If the power (water?) gets to the blue outlets and not the green, then it may not be getting through the inverter. But if power gets to most all the outlets but NOT the dinette, that puts it more likely to be at the dinette outlet if that is the only one that fails!
Not really rocket science but easy to find ourself confused if we are not used to thinking simple for getting power from point one to the other points!
Maybe it helps to look at it like you might if you were watering a large garden? If you know water is getting in at the faucet but not coming out at the sprinkler in the far corner, you know what to do. The same works for power in this case!

So far everything works fine plugged into shore power like I mentioned above I checked all the 12v spade fuses and all read 13.3 v even the converter read 13.3v - if the inverter runs the tv then tomorrow I will disconnect the shore power and try the tv and other equipment
Thanks for your help I appreciate your input
Bob

 

[klook]

Beware the quick answers that are often guessing!
One step is understanding how we often get the wrong terms! An inverter never charges! It uses battery to make 110AC. A converter does the opp[osite and uses AC to make DC. But where we get into trouble is the sloppy speaking we get into when dealing with what is actually an inverter charger! Those do both invert and charge or convert, but the "sloppy speak" just call it an inverter! And the RV world is full of "sloppy speak" when it comes to sales!
Look carefully at wehat the drawing shows is the path for the 110AC! That drawing is always prone to having been changed but it is pretty good to follow until we find it has been changed. In your RV, and with a small inverter, they did not build it with a 30 amp breaker for the inverter. One reason for that is your total RV is only a 30 amp RV! Normally we expect the main breaker which has to pas the totasl load to be larger than the small breakers for all the indiviual circuits as all those small have to pass throught the main first! If you have 30 amp main feeding a 30 amp sub breaker plus all the others, somebody has messed with the system!
I would not change the inverter until knowing more about any other faults that may have happened. If you have a smell and it may be smoke, I first would check that power is getting to the outlet that the inverter appears to have been plugged into. If a wire comes loose or arcs there, it is likely the inverter is not getting the 110AC power to pass on down the line. If that is true, replacing the inverter will be a waste as the new one will not work, either!
One quick way to test, if tools like a meter are not on hand, is looking at what works or not. All you need for that is something that uses 110AC. Maybe a small table lamp is handy? So look at the locations of those outlets I marked in green and find what works or not! If even some are handy to reach in that line and work, we can say power is getting to the outlet where the inverter appears to be plugged in. Next step is to try some of those outlets marked in red. Do any of them work or are some failed? Is there a breaker built into the back of the inverter and it may need to be reset? Maybe the inverter cord got loose in the outlet?
When new it may be handy to think of it as water and see if water gets to what points. If the power (water?) gets to the blue outlets and not the green, then it may not be getting through the inverter. But if power gets to most all the outlets but NOT the dinette, that puts it more likely to be at the dinette outlet if that is the only one that fails!
Not really rocket science but easy to find ourself confused if we are not used to thinking simple for getting power from point one to the other points!
Maybe it helps to look at it like you might if you were watering a large garden? If you know water is getting in at the faucet but not coming out at the sprinkler in the far corner, you know what to do. The same works for power in this case!

this is just so wrong. I have a 30 amp camper and I have a whole bunch of little breakers for the DC loads like slide motor and inverter etc. It is a 30 amp AC!!! camper, not a 30 amp DC camper.