Refrigerator/receptacles no power

[Techn0]

Good morning everyone. I have a 2017 Thor Challenger 37LX and I just lost power to all refrigerator/TV receptacles. According to the diagram, it is all the 5B receptacles. I have double checked the fuses and breaker several times including the inverter fuses (5A and 15A) in the battery area but still no luck. Is there a fuse or breaker I am missing somewhere?

[TurnerFam]

are you on Shore Power?

both TVs(5B) and your Fridge are on the Inverter...

is it ON?

has it shut down due to low House battery levels?

also, check the bath GFCI if it has tripped
(you said 'good morning'...was the wife using the Hair Dryer on the 15a GFCI bath outlet and tripped it?)

[Techn0]

Originally Posted by TurnerFam

are you on Shore Power?

both TVs(5B) and your Fridge are on the Inverter...

is it ON?

has it shut down due to low House battery levels?

also, check the bath GFCI if it has tripped
(you said 'good morning'...was the wife using the Hair Dryer on the 15a GFCI bath outlet and tripped it?)

All the 5B receptacles are separate circuits than the GFCI which are working correctly. Only the 5B receptables are not working on shore power, generator, DC with the inverter. Something isolated specifically to that circuit.

[TurnerFam]

check the breaker... it may have a loose wire, has happened to us.

[Techn0]

Originally Posted by TurnerFam

check the breaker... it may have a loose wire, has happened to us.

I checked the breaker. I even swapped it over to another breaker just to see if that went bad. No bueno. Everything else is working fine, only the receptacles off the inverter which of course includes the fridge. I have the same problem whether shore power, generator, or inverter. I was thinking the auto transfer switch but if that were the case, it wouldn't transfer any power to the pedestal.

[captmetal]

after you get power back to the outlet for the fridge plug, it could take up to 30 min for the fridge to reset it self

[TurnerFam]

must be one of your outlet on that circuit that has a loose wire, creating loss of power to all the others 'up line' of it.

[Techn0]

Originally Posted by TurnerFam

must be one of your outlet on that circuit that has a loose wire, creating loss of power to all the others 'up line' of it.

that is the direction I am thinking. Time to start looking inside the receptacles.

[Thehobe1]

If the inverter has a transfer switch like mine, and requires the 12V for operation, there could be no power to this 115V AC circuit from shore or generator power. The inverter requires 12V for both the straight through 115V connection AND the inverter operation 115V. Check the 12V to the inverter and if it is OK (big fat 8 or 10 gauge wire), the the inverter is probably at fault. 12V is used for the control circuitry inside the inverter and is responsible for connecting either source of power Shore or inverted.

[Techn0]

Originally Posted by Thehobe1

If the inverter has a transfer switch like mine, and requires the 12V for operation, there could be no power to this 115V AC circuit from shore or generator power. The inverter requires 12V for both the straight through 115V connection AND the inverter operation 115V. Check the 12V to the inverter and if it is OK (big fat 8 or 10 gauge wire), the the inverter is probably at fault. 12V is used for the control circuitry inside the inverter and is responsible for connecting either source of power Shore or inverted.

I am getting DC power to the inverter and AC power at the breaker inside. doesn't the inverter invert the DC to AC and then to the breaker? If it were the inverter, I shouldn't have AC power at the breaker? Is there any other way to test the inverter? I am not getting any inverter error messages while the inverter is on and I still get power to the breaker in pass through mode (inverter off).

[camperguy99]

My Tuscany had a similar problem. Turns out the romex wire went from the breaker box to a duplex socket nearby that uses the poor insulation displacement push in connectors. It was 12 ga wire and they tried to crowd two wires into the spring thing and one didn't make contact so no current able to continue down the wire. Spliced them outside the box with wire nuts and no more problem with the induction stove top, a higher current device. This type of socket is used everywhere in RV's.

[Techn0]

Originally Posted by camperguy99

My Tuscany had a similar problem. Turns out the romex wire went from the breaker box to a duplex socket nearby that uses the poor insulation displacement push in connectors. It was 12 ga wire and they tried to crowd two wires into the spring thing and one didn't make contact so no current able to continue down the wire. Spliced them outside the box with wire nuts and no more problem with the induction stove top, a higher current device. This type of socket is used everywhere in RV's.

I don't think this is the cause. I have been operational for well over a year. In any event, I double checked and doesn't appear to be the case. I am leaning towards the inverter.

[jnschnit]

Like a few others have said, I have seen a loose wire on an outlet kill all of the outlets downstream from that outlet. Since I believe you have already said that you have checked the AC at the CB you will have to start tracing the wiring.

[16ACE27]

Originally Posted by Techn0

I am getting DC power to the inverter and AC power at the breaker inside. doesn't the inverter invert the DC to AC and then to the breaker? If it were the inverter, I shouldn't have AC power at the breaker? Is there any other way to test the inverter? I am not getting any inverter error messages while the inverter is on and I still get power to the breaker in pass through mode (inverter off).

No, the inverter has it's own overload/breaker. The 120 VAC from the breaker (panel) goes to the ATM in the inverter. When 120 VAC is present from the breaker (panel) it passes it through to the downstream loads. If no 120 VAC from the breaker (panel), the inverter "switches" to 120 VAC generation from the 12 VDC to power the downstream loads.

[Techn0]

Originally Posted by Tfryman

No, the inverter has it's own overload/breaker. The 120 VAC from the breaker (panel) goes to the ATM in the inverter. When 120 VAC is present from the breaker (panel) it passes it through to the downstream loads. If no 120 VAC from the breaker (panel), the inverter "switches" to 120 VAC generation from the 12 VDC to power the downstream loads.

Thank you, that makes more sense and makes me think that the Xantrex Inverter is the issue. I will give them a call in the morning to do some troubleshooting and hopefully replaced if it is determined to be the issue. I will let everyone know the final results. All my receptacles wiring is locked in tight so that's not the issue. Thanks for all the help.

[johnny.watts7134]

Originally Posted by Techn0

Thank you, that makes more sense and makes me think that the Xantrex Inverter is the issue. I will give them a call in the morning to do some troubleshooting and hopefully replaced if it is determined to be the issue. I will let everyone know the final results. All my receptacles wiring is locked in tight so that's not the issue. Thanks for all the help.

Techn0, I had similar issue, It even stumped Camping World Head Tech, Thor Tech and Xantrex... I was determined to figure it out on my own, it was such simple a fix, it was embarrassing. Your motor home may be different, on my MH, I was going to trace the wiring from the battery to the inverter. Even though I had both DC in and AC out, I had appliances not working. I followed the positive cable from the battery and found a Circuit Breaker under the coach, that has a leaver to reset the breaker and a red button (like a CFI button). I hope this helps.

[johnny.watts7134]

Originally Posted by johnny.watts7134

Techn0, I had similar issue, It even stumped Camping World Head Tech, Thor Tech and Xantrex... I was determined to figure it out on my own, it was such simple a fix, it was embarrassing. Your motor home may be different, on my MH, I was going to trace the wiring from the battery to the inverter. Even though I had both DC in and AC out, I had appliances not working. I followed the positive cable from the battery and found a Circuit Breaker under the coach, that has a leaver to reset the breaker and a red button (like a CFI button). I hope this helps.

Johnny

[Techn0]

Just so I don't leave anyone hanging and in the event someone else runs into this same type of problem. Pretty positive it's the Xantrex ProSine 1800 Inverter. DC power to inverter is good. AC input from breaker to inverter is good. No AC output from inverter to receptacle junction. I will give Thor customer service a call just to confirm then Xantrex for a replacement. If anything changes, I will post an update.

[Techn0]

Contacted Xantrex and they had me disconnect the positive side for 30 minutes. They informed me that it allows it to reset sometimes. Unfortunately, it did not work and they are sending me a new inverter under warranty. Xantrex has excellent customer service.

[Thehobe1]

Originally Posted by Techn0

I am getting DC power to the inverter and AC power at the breaker inside. doesn't the inverter invert the DC to AC and then to the breaker? If it were the inverter, I shouldn't have AC power at the breaker? Is there any other way to test the inverter? I am not getting any inverter error messages while the inverter is on and I still get power to the breaker in pass through mode (inverter off).

NO! The inverter output selects between shore/gen and inverted 12V (also 115VAC) and then it's output, not the breaker panel, feeds the AC to the Refrigerator line. I have been through this. The breaker panel output does go into the inverter then the inverter chooses what to feed the AC line with that goes to your refrigerator and other outlets on 5B.

Your inverter is most likely not functioning or it is not getting it's 12V, high current input. My inverter has a twist out fuse for it's protection as well so check that.