Thor Vegas 24.1 Generator Start / Shutdown Issue

Angelo · 10-24-2015, 05:00 PM

Hello Again!

Bought Vegas 24.1 in late August, 2016 house on a 2015 Ford 350.

We have not used our generator much only testing at dealer and while driving to run house AC unit. Only put 500 miles on the baby and 5 nights of camping total to date.

Problem: Generator starts from all start stations when camper is plugged in to 120V shore power or when the Ford 350 is running. The generator will not start if I just walk into the camper toggle the switch to USE and try and start. I don't get any power going to the generator, yet I can check all my water levels etc.. power is going to control panel. House battery check at this time reads 12.86 volts.

NOW here's the crazy part: not plugged in to shore power I start the F 350 engine which allows the radio to come on and I can now start the generator either from the drivers seat or sink area cabinet. Generator starts I let run for 5 or 10 minutes along with the F 350 V10 still running, now I shut off the truck engine V10. Radio still playing and in about 5 minutes the radio stops and generator shuts down. I laid on the floor near the converter fuse panel during the wait before the shutdown to see if a breaker is tripping but nothing, a sound is coming from near the sink. I still have power to the rest of the lights and things but the generator will not continue to run or restart Radio won't come back on either. I almost think the generator is wired to the chassis and is starting from the chassis battery. Anyone have this type of issue.

I could disconnect the house batteries to test the theory, need suggestions, need help!

mcr1010 · 10-24-2015, 05:57 PM

Just a WAG, but if there is a relay breaking down in the system could possible cause symptoms. I'm not very good at elect. stuff and don't have any diagrams. Maybe a warranty issue?
Sorry, can't help more. Perhaps there are some here that can offer more suggestions.

JamieGeek · 10-24-2015, 07:28 PM

You could simply have a bad house battery.

Bruce · 10-25-2015, 12:30 AM

Another WAG, could it be the infamous "red" button in the battery compartment being tripped?

Bruce

Larry · 10-25-2015, 02:00 AM

Wag?? Tia

DocMike · 10-25-2015, 12:38 PM

Angelo, check the house batteries if you have Harris Batteries I put the smart money on the batteries (I have had a lot of experience - all bad - with Harris Batteries, see thread Final Report Harris Batteries this forum).

Also check the red button mentioned earlier, it is on the wall in the battery bay nearest the sink and if the batteries have shifted even just a bit is 95% obscured from site (need a flashlight).

Your radio problem is a bit wild as my Radio (Vegas) will only run when the 12v use switch is on. BUt when my Harris Batteries "Sulfated Died" I had no house lights, no radio (so no rear camera, no turn signal cameras) and no way to crank the generator.

Good Luck.

Doc

mcr1010 · 10-25-2015, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larry

Wag?? Tia

WAG= wild a** guess.

DocMike · 10-25-2015, 03:16 PM

My favorite, SWAG: Scientific Wild A$$ Guess.

Doc

mcr1010 · 10-25-2015, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DocMike

My favorite, SWAG: Scientific Wild A$$ Guess.

Doc

Yes indeed, that is what prof. SWAGer's use and it really gets my attention as they usually know what they are talking about.

Larry · 10-25-2015, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcr1010

WAG= wild a** guess.

Never would have guessed it. Tried for a long time to figure what it means. FUBAR I know.
Oh well, now I know.

DocMike · 10-25-2015, 06:27 PM

FUBAR, now that's one I have missed since retiring out of the Military in 1995. Very appropriate here.

I have requested the specifics as to my new batteries (make, model, cold cranking Amps, etc) and I had planned on checking with the companies of WFCO WF8900 and Progressive Dynamics PD9200 to see if they have problems with my new batteries.

Keep the ideas coming in!!!!

Doc

mcr1010 · 10-25-2015, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce

Another WAG, could it be the infamous "red" button in the battery compartment being tripped?

Bruce

BTW, what does he little red button in the battery compartment do and how do you reset it? I may have duplicated the symptoms that Angelo has. I just had to push it to see what happens and now the USE-STOW does not work unless the eng. is started. It did work without the eng. before I pushed it. Another lesson in don't mess with it if it ain't broken.

Larry · 10-25-2015, 07:57 PM

It isolates the converter from the Use 12v switch. Push it again and it'll reset.

mcr1010 · 10-25-2015, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larry

It isolates the converter from the Use 12v switch. Push it again and it'll reset.

Thanks a bunch. I'll do that.

bevedfelker · 10-25-2015, 08:49 PM

My last job in the AF before I retired was the Director of Conventional and Nuclear Weapons. We had signs up in many of our weapons storage areas that said, "If you don't know what it does, don't press it."

Mcr1010 -- obviously no weapons experience right?

mcr1010 · 10-25-2015, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larry

It isolates the converter from the Use 12v switch. Push it again and it'll reset.

Tried that and did not work. Acts more like a fuse than a circuit breaker or thermal overload. Do you have any idea what the yellow rect. button below the red button is for?
Has the same symptoms as Angelo. Start eng. USE- STOW switch works, stop eng. switch times out goes off.

TIA.

mcr1010 · 10-25-2015, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bevedfelker

My last job in the AF before I retired was the Director of Conventional and Nuclear Weapons. We had signs up in many of our weapons storage areas that said, "If you don't know what it does, don't press it."

Mcr1010 -- obviously no weapons experience right?

No heavy weapons experience just those with triggers.

bevedfelker · 10-25-2015, 10:52 PM

There was a cartoon in one of our AF Safety Publications back in the late 70s. It was a BC cartoon. show BC walking along and he comes to a tree with only one leaf hanging on it. The branch was about chin high. There were like 3 frames with him just looking at this one leaf hanging on the tree. In the next to the last frame you can see his arm coming up and his fingers reaching for the leaf. In the last frame the leaf is being held by his fingers but the branch is violently oscillating up and down smacking the crap out of the bottom side of his chin. There was only one caption and that was under the last frame. It said, "If you don't know what it does, leave it alone!.

mcr1010 · 10-25-2015, 10:57 PM

Lesson learned...............until the next time.

Larry · 10-26-2015, 01:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcr1010

Tried that and did not work. Acts more like a fuse than a circuit breaker or thermal overload. Do you have any idea what the yellow rect. button below the red button is for?
Has the same symptoms as Angelo. Start eng. USE- STOW switch works, stop eng. switch times out goes off.

TIA.

Sorry. The yellow rect. button should reset the breaker. Mine got pressed in once and I recall there being a reset in the same area and was thinking there was only one button (red). Hope this helps.

And don't worry, we've all pressed buttons or opened doors out of curiosity with regrets occasionally. Live and learn

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