2012 Suncruiser 37’ selective things not getting power

[Steve W-WO]

Hello all! We are in a 2012 Suncruiser and when getting ready to leave from Hurricane, Utah, we noticed the camera wasn’t working. When we disconnected the 50amp, the refrigerator, interior Coach lights and water pump have no power. We figured out that the button on the dash (eng- radio/house)was switched to Radio/House so we switched it from Radio/House to Eng and the camera came back on.

Yet the refrigerator, the water pump, all interior lights are still not getting any power. I checked all fuses and couldn’t find anything popped or amiss.

Any ideas on what to check.

We’re currently en route to Torrey, Utah for the night.

Thank you soooo very mucho in advance for any suggestions.
Email:[Email Removed]

 

[Steve W-WO]

Additional note: Everything works (all electric) when we’re plugged in to the 50 amp as we tried that before we left.

 

[Scotty B]

Sounds like maybe your inverter is turned off...

 

[Steve W-WO]

Sounds like maybe your inverter is turned off...

Thank you!! It was the Elect/Lights switch at the foot of the stairs! Somehow it got switched offf!! Well, I learned another lesson and am grateful it was simply a switch!!!!

 

[Morich]

Does this mean the RV is a new one to you? Sounds like there "might" be some confusion and it could run you into letting the batteries go down if not alert!
Do you mind if I say you are confused if it means I'm trying to save you some trouble?

Beg pardon if I'm missing the truth but I think you may have the wrong name for the switch?? Is it the bottom switch, far left end of three at the door?
Click this snip to get a better view!


If you are new to the RV and maybe the sales folks were not totally clear, you may get the wrong idea about this switch. It DOES turn off lights and things like the pump but that is because it disconnects them from the battery! But at the same times it does several things that you may need to know about. Most of us will want to leave this switch ON most of the time and only turn it off under certain conditions when we store the RV!

This disconnect does cut off a large portion of the RV coach items but that also means that if we are camped and plugged into power the converter which normally uses the AC power to make DC and charge the batteries is ALSO cut off from charging them! No big thing when we are using the RV as we soon find the lights don't work and turn it on again.
BUT the problem can come up if we store the RV and turn this switch off because we think there is no need to have anything inside running over the winter and we'll just let the converter keep the batteries topped up!
WRONG! since the converter is cutoff, the batteries WILL be dead if we come back in a month or so!

Part of the tricky part of dealing with RV batteries is that there are safety items left connected, even when we have turned the cutoff open.
So you get a situation where the charging is cutoff but the small items like steps, CO and propane detectors are left powered!

Be alert if new to dealing with motorized RV as it can get to be a battle to get some of the small points down!

Again, Sorry if telling you things you already knew but we do get lots of questions about what happened to the batteries! And the spring is when they come up like the flowers!
Enjoy the trek and welcome to the group!

 

[Steve W-WO]

Thank you Richard!!! One could say I’m “new” to the our RV. We’ve had it since 2013. Steve is my hubby and has always taken care of the mechanics of it. He’s not as able to do as he used to so I’ve had to step into that role in many ways. So all you shared with me was well received.

Regarding the diagram you shared, from left to right, it was actually the 3rd switch on the top row that was switched off. I couldn’t read anything on your diagram as it was very blurry zooming in. Yet, when Steve suggested I look at that panel, I did. And when I switched that 3rd switch back on, everything worked well again!

Again, thank you for taking the time to walk me through the issues. It helps me to think through things a fresh perspective and with more clarity.

Fortunately we created the opportunity to build our home around our RV so it’s nicely “stored” in a 50’ climate controlled garage/bay. So, it’s always plugged in when not in use, which is wonderfully helpful yet, it’s good to understand all you shared.

With sooooo mucho gratitude for your time and expertise!

Lynnie

 

[creativepart]

I couldn’t read anything on your diagram as it was very blurry zooming in.

Just an FYI, if you click/tap on the image Richard posted once it will enlarge on the screen, if you then click/tap on that enlarged image it will open in a new window at full size.

I say “click/tap” because I don’t know if you are reading the post on a desktop computer with a mouse or a mobile tablet or phone.

 

[Morich]

Okay, good to know more about the situation! It's much harder to give the right "spin" on things when we don't know who we are speaking to and can't look at what we each point to when speaking! Fully understand it being difficult to get the details when switching who does what! I hope I never have to take over cooking! I sure would miss my biscuits!

The third switch from left on top row, should possibly be labeled "compartment lights"?
Do the switches have labels that you can still read? They tend to rub off!

Sounds like you may be using a cell phone to look at the postings, so it does get super hard to read details on drawings.
But I now have the time to do as much indepth looking as we need to get things cleared!

But the idea should be that the top row RIGHT hand side is compartment lights. Then the bottom row LEFT end is the cutoff for the coach battery. Next to it in the center of bottom row is the chassis or start battery cutoff.
So you have three different groups of electrical stuff in the motorhome.

One is the chassis and powers the things we would find on most any truck.
Headlights, horn, wipers, etc.

Second is the coach and gets charged from the cord plugged in. It powers the smaller stuff added to make it an RV that run on 12Volt battery power.
Inside lights, water pump, fans, and an important one is the controls on things like the furnace and air conditioner!

Third is the 110AC that we get when we plug in or run the generator! That powers the main motors on the air cond., microwave, normal Ac(house type?) outlets where plug hair driers. One of the big things this AC powers is the converter(charger?) that charges the batteries.

These connect together at times and not at other times, so it is often really confusing to get straight!
Like the cord? It seems to power the inside lights when we plug in but then if we unplug, they stay on, so it is the batteries that power the lights! Right! but if we unplug and the batteries run down, we still go dark!

Best of luck and keep asking questions if it is needed. Very few of us were born knowing anything about an RV, so we've all been there and been confused.

I bet you are a better cook than me so I'm willing to swap if we get in a pinch!

 

[Steve W-WO]

Best of luck and keep asking questions if it is needed. Very few of us were born knowing anything about an RV, so we've all been there and been confused.

I bet you are a better cook than me so I'm willing to swap if we get in a pinch!

Hahahaaa!! Thanks for everything Richard!!