2013 Cyclone 4100HD. We have 4 golf cart batteries. We don’t run on generator often so I kept forgetting to post this issue. First clue; Lippert hydraulic jack panel reports low voltage when operating the jacks. Second clue; circuit breakers blow for no apparent reason for things that work fine on shore power. Third clue; batteries are dead. Fourth clue; batteries only charge when connected to shore power. Last clue; Norcold fridge reports “low DC” when mode set to AC auto and generator is running. What the heck is going on? Family emergency finds us parked at a Walmart, running generator in -10 weather and if the generator stops, we aren’t going to be able to start it back up again with no batteries. Mind you this is temporary, we are moving to shore power at my brothers house (50 amp), before we wear out our welcome at Walmart, but the threat of losing power in this weather is stressful on top of our family emergency. Any ideas where our trouble lies?
Batteries not charging on generator
- Thread starter mixie57
- Start date
Oregon_Camper
Well-known member
Are you getting AC power in the RV when on generator? (quick check is to see if microwave works)
I am wondering if you have an issue with your transfer switch and not the generator.
I am wondering if you have an issue with your transfer switch and not the generator.
carl.swoyer
Well-known member
Check out the breakers on the genset. If they are not tripped check for the in line fuse near the battery. It looks like a pencil lead.
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danemayer
Well-known member
It all seems to add up to you getting only 1 power leg of the 2 coming out of the generator. Since you're getting some power, L1 is ok. You're missing L2. Your Power Converter, which changes 120V AC to 12V DC to charge the batteries and help run 12V DC lights, appliances, etc. is apparently on the leg that isn't getting any power.
Start at the generator. There are 2 circuit breakers on the front. One of them is likely tripped. If that's the issue, as soon as you flip the breaker on, everything should start working normally and the level-up control panel should read 13.2-13.6V DC. The push-to-test tank/battery level indicator inside should show 4 lights.
If that's not where your problem lies, you'll have to trace power through the junction box near the generator, to the automatic transfer switch, usually behind the rear wall of the pass-through basement storage, to the back side of the main circuit breaker panel. I'd start with the transfer switch.
While it's safe to check the breakers on the front of the generator, it's very dangerous to start tracing the power from generator to circuit breaker panel unless the power is OFF/disconnected. So you may have to wait until you get to your brother's house.
A workaround for the 12V DC problems is to get a battery charger from the Walmart and use it to manually charge the batteries.
Start at the generator. There are 2 circuit breakers on the front. One of them is likely tripped. If that's the issue, as soon as you flip the breaker on, everything should start working normally and the level-up control panel should read 13.2-13.6V DC. The push-to-test tank/battery level indicator inside should show 4 lights.
If that's not where your problem lies, you'll have to trace power through the junction box near the generator, to the automatic transfer switch, usually behind the rear wall of the pass-through basement storage, to the back side of the main circuit breaker panel. I'd start with the transfer switch.
While it's safe to check the breakers on the front of the generator, it's very dangerous to start tracing the power from generator to circuit breaker panel unless the power is OFF/disconnected. So you may have to wait until you get to your brother's house.
A workaround for the 12V DC problems is to get a battery charger from the Walmart and use it to manually charge the batteries.
alwaysbusy
Well-known member
As Mr Dan can attest to, I just been through this last month. Do not discount the connections in the junction box beside the gen, by all means start there first. Undo/redo them and then move to testing each leg on the contactors at the transfer switch.
porthole
Retired
In case the OP doesn't know, the breakers referred to on the genset are behind the full panel front pull off cover.
The cover is held on by rubber grommets on the genset and pins on the cover.
And since it is so cold it may be difficult, but it just pulls off.
And while you are at it, look to see if both breakers are 30 amp. Some versions have a 20 and 30 amp breaker.
The cover is held on by rubber grommets on the genset and pins on the cover.
And since it is so cold it may be difficult, but it just pulls off.
And while you are at it, look to see if both breakers are 30 amp. Some versions have a 20 and 30 amp breaker.
Yes. I forgot to mention it blows one of the breakers on the generator. As soon as we reset it, it blows again. Bought a battery at Walmart, hooked it up to the generator and were able to start the generator. Pretty sure our 3 yr old bank of 4-6 volt batteries are bad. It doesn’t look like they are maintaining a charge. But…would these old dead batteries keep blowing that breaker? I’m thinking, if we replace them with 4-6 volts or 2-12 volts, we will see the issue end?
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danemayer
Well-known member
The connection between generator and batteries would be by way of the Power Converter. The Power Converter has its own circuit breaker inside the main circuit breaker panel inside the trailer. If you shut off that breaker and then turn on the generator's breaker that's been tripping, you'll know if the problem is related to either the Power Converter or the batteries.
Another way to test when the batteries are tripping the generator breaker would be to turn the battery cutoff switch OFF and then reset the generator's circuit breaker.
In either test, if the generator circuit breaker stops tripping, you'll know it has something to do with the thing you turned off.
But my guess is if you open the junction box near the generator, you'll find a problem with the wiring connections there.
avvidclif
Well-known member
Mine had the circuit breaker tripping problem. Turns out a wire in the flex conduit from the genny to the junction box had shorted. Easy enough to check with an ohm-meter. Just make sure everything is off and disconnected. Measure from the hot wires in the junction box to ground. With the breakers open should show infinite resistance.
wdk450
Well-known member
My thought is that you could use some more electrical circuit monitoring devices. Look on E-Bay for 2 - 110 volt AC digital monitors (https://www.ebay.com/itm/Digital-Vo...839582&hash=item3cd30795ab:g:1qkAAMXQTZhR0HtB ) and 1 - 12 volt DC digital monitor ( https://www.ebay.com/itm/Red-LED-Di...177719?hash=item1c514e69f7:g:QZUAAOSwpDdVLH0n ) . Wire the 110 volt monitors to each of the 2 AC phases from the circuit breaker box, I have my 12 volt meter wired to the test switch on my systems (water tanks) monitor panel. I actually have the Progressive HW-50 EMS system, and have the remote readout with voltage readings mounted in my electrical control panel.
porthole
Retired
You should clarify this a bit, since both the generator and converter have both AC and DC sides.
And back to the OP, there is always the possibility that the breaker on the genset is bad.
The breaker is subject high heat and high current loads. And they go bad.
You have a 50 amp service trailer which is actually 2 50 amp circuits supplying 100 amps total.
You have a 5500 watt generator which is rated at 45 amps total.
So the reality is you have about 23 amps on each leg available where you potentially have loads of 50 amps each.
These gensets will run at close to 25+ amps on each leg, but that does get everything good and hot.
And keeping in mind, as altitude or temperature increase, genset output drops.
