RV's - the sequel: Powerless

[Wingnut]

RV\'s - the sequel: Powerless

OK folks, get your thinking caps on and give me a clue ... 'cause, as many of you know, I'm clueless.
Finally got the generator running properly on my mini-winnie ... but I'm feeling pretty powerless. After finding no power inside ... I got out the meter and checked the outlet box in the rear ... which is supposedly where the generator sends the generatee (electricity) ... and measured about 12-12vac ... which seems to be about 10% of what I'd expect.
We're talking a 2.2KW Kohler generator designed for RV's.
I've checked the reset switch on the genset ... made sure that the revs are high enough to put out juice ... but no joy in mudville tonight.
What whould I be looking at / for / etc??

too bad that common sense ain't

 

[skent]

Re: RV\'s - the sequel: Powerless

Is the generator running at rated RPM? or is it running at an idle? If its at its operating RPM, sounds like the regulator. (Could just be a loose wire) Without a wiring diagram. . . . I would just be guessing.

Steve

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

Re: RV\'s - the sequel: Powerless

Seems I had a buddy who's generator/welder wouldn't output. Turned out it was the magnets in the generator part. He called the manufacturer and they told him after the unit has set for awhile the magnets needed to be re-energized (still sounds like BS to me). Anyway, they sent him a replacement set of magnets that they said eliminated the problem. He dropped them in and sure enough it worked.

SHF

 

[skent]

Re: RV\'s - the sequel: Powerless

My 6KW has a wound field controlled by a regulator, not perminant Mags, so that could be his problem, but like I said before, without a diagram, it's just guessing.

Steve

 

[gordon]

Re: RV\'s - the sequel: Powerless

Wingnut, where exactly are you measuring the voltage at? There should be a thirty amp breaker right on the genset. This breaker is sometimes right in front of the genset on other models it's on the side and very hard to see. Make sure it's not tripped or turned off. Twelve volts sounds like your only getting neutral votage feed. Just a guess.

Another thing that is easy to check is the brushes could be dirty. These are just guesses.

On your unit do you have to plug the 110 shore power plug into the genset plug to get power feed from the genset? Is that were you were checking power.

Throw alitttle more info out might be able to help more
tough to trouble shoot electrical problems over the net.

One other thing that is very important if you have messed with the governer or the carb settings you could end up putting out way too much voltage. So make sure that before you power up anything in the Rv make sure that your putting out 126-132 volts no load with about 63 hz.
Gordon

 

[Wingnut]

Re: RV\'s - the sequel: Powerless

Gordon,
the genset has a reset breaker on it ... checked that .. it was "on". The genset power terminates at a receptacle in the back compartment where the trailer power cable is. The shorepower cable connects to 110 ... or into the genset receptacle.
I tested the receptacle ... and then unscrewed the receptacle from the box and tested the wires at the connection to see if it was the receptacle that was bad.
Heven't touched the genset settings (carb or governor) at all as I didn't want to make anything, that was wrong, worse.
Brushes ... good thought ... never though of that
thanks for the feedback

too bad that common sense ain't

 

[Wingnut]

Re: RV\'s - the sequel: Powerless

yeah, I thought of the loose wire too ... but if it is, I'd guess it has to be inside ... the book only has an external wiring diagram ... guess they want to keep their techs in business.
OK ... we're down to resistor, stator field, broken or loose wire...
guess she's gonna wait until I get back from the Texas trip .... good thing I got the inverter to keep the laptop chugging ...

thanks guys!

too bad that common sense ain't

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

Re: RV\'s - the sequel: Powerless

How's the lights and gauges working? Did you get them fixed?

SHF

 

[PBMAX]

Re: RV\'s - the sequel: Powerless

If you don't already use one of those surge protectors(I use one of the 6 plug type for home use) with your inverter.I would recommend you get one.One of our company trucks (98 EXplorer) alternator went bad and took out the inverter and a surgeprotector.My old company truck also an explorer simply surged (this may have just been the inverter)and took my surgeprotector. Saved the laptops and other equipment though...Who knows how much it would cost would be to replace a laptop power supply...?

Good luck with the generator...

Lil' Paul
Proud owner of TC21D
Laziness is the Father of invention.../w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by PBurns on 06/21/01 08:57 PM (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[gordon]

Re: RV\'s - the sequel: Powerless

Now go a step back and check the voltage at the connection box right in the generator compartment and see what type of reading you have there. Bad connection is still possible. also check the pole output voltage and that will tell you what is what.


Gordon

 

[Wingnut]

Re: RV\'s - the sequel: Powerless

we're talking a MINI motor home here Gordon ... there's almost room in the compartmnent that the genset resides in for the generator ... absolutely no room for anything else including a vom ...
looks to me like the cables go right into the "canister" of the generator. I'm assuming it's a shroud over the stator and connections ... but I won't know until I have a chance to get it up on ramps and crawl under and see what's dismantleable ...
so ... for now ... it's shorepower until I get back. No big deal as there's no room left to sleep in it anyway ... the wife wanted me to haul 2 surplus recliners down to her son in Nacogdoches (3rd stop) ... so I guess it'll be real beds. I folded down the seats to make the bed and put the recliners on the back ... so there's just enough room for one person ... as long as they're no "larger" than me ... so stretch out and catnap.
We've got 28 hours (starting in the morning) to make it from Midland Michigan to Poteau Oklahoma so that the mother-in-law can attend her sister's 93rd birthday ... so it'll be straight driving for me ... they can take turns sleeping, I guess ...

Thanks for the advice ... I'll have something (else) to do when I get back.

too bad that common sense ain't

 

[Wingnut]

Re: RV\'s - the sequel: Powerless

to make a long story really short, SHF ... nope. Haven't found the problem ground yet ... and it has to be a grounding problem ... signal lights work fine until I turn on the headlights or step on the brakes ...
I've been told the ground is a sheet metal screw ... a Winnie idiosyncracy ... but haven't located it yet. But as long as the brakeslights and lights work ... I'm not all that concerned ... won't have much time to turn anywhere anyway ... ha. I'm taking the service manual along so while the wife is visiting her kin ... I can troubleshoot.
Worst is the doggone gas gauge ... in order to check the sonsor ... I have to drop the gastank .... and that's not a minor task ... so I'll be driving on the clock ... stopping every 3 hours for gas ... better slow and safe than running out. Empty tanks and fuel injection don't mix well ...
I think when (if) I repower this puppy ... she'll get a bigger doggie bag!

too bad that common sense ain't

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

Re: RV\'s - the sequel: Powerless

Wingnut,

How about a temporary fix for the turn signals. They make trailer light packages that you put on vehicles when you are towing them. Hook a couple of those to the rear and string the wires up into the cab. Then you'd need one of the bolt on replacement signal switches. Its not elegant, but it would at least get ya where you gotta go. Just bypass the whole existing signal system and build your own, you could probably do it in a couple of hours.

Until I got a new sender in the tank on my jeep I just used a piece of wooden dowel with a "t" handle glued on the end. Shove the dowel down the filler spout, pull it out and take a look. But, on a trip you should be keeping your tanks full anyway just in case you get somewhere that doesn't have all night stations.

SHF