We need help please with 2014 Thor Challenger

[Driley43]

Originally Posted by Sky43

Where was the breaker located?

It was a breaker located under hood by the battery.

[JamieGeek]

How old are the tires? Check the date codes on the tires, even though your unit is a 2016 the tires could be much older.

Make sure they don't look like this:

[TurnerFam]

Originally Posted by Driley43

It was a breaker located under hood by the battery.

I thought so, but it's really a BUSS FUSE, not a breaker

BUSS FUSEs are for 12v battery power

Breakers are only for 120v electricity power

[16ACE27]

Originally Posted by TurnerFam

I thought so, but it's really a BUSS FUSE, not a breaker

BUSS FUSEs are for 12v battery power

Breakers are only for 120v electricity power

Nope.

This is just one of several types of DC breakers:



You have to replace a fuse, you reset a breaker.

[TurnerFam]

but then, maybe it's just semantics..."linguistics and logic concerned with meaning"


When you use the term 'breaker', most folks are looking for a panel with a 120v circuit breaker... nothing like the BUSS 'breaker' for 12v power...

I would say that most of us have never seen these type of 'breakers' before we owned an RV : ) which adds to the confusion...

fun, ain't it!?!?

[Pittstop]

Foxflyer- would you like to exchange emails: our is: thepittstop@earthlink.net
You have the same year and model as we do and love to have someone to bounce ideas off. We've always had "pen-pals" with our prior RV's and has been helpful for all of us. PS - my husband is an Master ASE Mechanic and we live in Fla.

[bevedfelker]

Driley -- several people that offered help implied something -- but no one came right out and said something definite that you need to keep in mind -- and being new to RVing you probably had no idea but:::

Slides and jacks operate off 12 VDC. No 120V AC involved. And all DC lines are protected by fuses or a DC Breaker like the picture Tfryman had above.

120V AC circuits are protected by circuit breakers.

And the reason people suggested trying to operate the slides or jacks with the RV plugged into shore power or running the generator was so that AC current was being supplied to the converter to be converted into DC current and to keep the house batteries fully charged.

Trying to operate the slides and jacks off the batteries alone is a heck of a high load.

[TurnerFam]

good advice, though let me highlight some points...

yes, the hydraulics and electric slides work off of 12v power, directly from the batteries

and yes, you CAN run these even without any shore, generator, or engine power, though it really depends on the size of your HOUSE battery bank. If you have 4, then you probably can with no problem, like we do. If you have only 2, then you may find that it could require more 'juice', if the batteries are not at their fully charged level.

But, I don't think the Challenger model has a Converter, only an INVERTER, which also includes a larger Charger, and really does the overall same 'job' as a Converter - providing both 120v power AND 12v charging to the battery, which is what the 12v systems use.

When the engine is running, the ALTERNATOR is charging the House batteries
When the generator is running, the CHARGER is charging the House batteries
and when on shore power, the CHARGER is also charging the House batteries

any of those providers of additional 'juice' to the batteries will certainly aid in using larger 12v devices...with the BUSS 'breaker' simply there to manage too 'much' juice, just like a circuit breaker in the panel box for 120v power.

[16ACE27]

Originally Posted by bevedfelker

Driley -- several people that offered help implied something -- but no one came right out and said something definite that you need to keep in mind -- and being new to RVing you probably had no idea but:::

Slides and jacks operate off 12 VDC. No 120V AC involved. And all DC lines are protected by fuses or a DC Breaker like the picture Tfryman had above.

120V AC circuits are protected by circuit breakers.

And the reason people suggested trying to operate the slides or jacks with the RV plugged into shore power or running the generator was so that AC current was being supplied to the converter to be converted into DC current and to keep the house batteries fully charged.

Trying to operate the slides and jacks off the batteries alone is a heck of a high load.

While it may seem like a heck of a load on the batteries when moving a big 'ol slide, it really is not. My full wall slide pulls 12 Amps DC when moving, nothing compared to the hydraulic pump when leveling.