Genertor trips over-load. Thermal switch? on 24.1

[Bigalthebear]

Unit is Thor 2014 24.1


Not original owner. 3rd? owner.



First off perhaps the "Use / Store" combo "Awning" switch is wonky.
Coach had to lights.
Battery voltage in the 12's
Pressed the Use/Store switch, heard no clicking signifying any switching going on.

Removed the "Use/Store/Awning switch.
Wiggled wires.
Now I heard the clicking when the switch was pressed on/off/on/off

Lights came on. Bed lowered and raised. Radio on.....all seemed fine, EXCEPT.

Pressed the start generator switch.
Heard the starter spin the generator over.
It was about to start....heard the generator rumble.....then (ALL) power shut off.
Power went totally dead instantly.

The generator failed to start, lights (all power) went dead.
About 10 -13 seconds later.........lights back on like a timer had reset???

Okay, with the power now back on (lights working again).

Pressed generator spun over, almost started, lights (power) off.
Rinse and repeat several times.
Same response.

Could the "Use/Store switch be the issue in itself? OR? What to trace down?


Also looking for part number for the "Use/Store/Awning switch?

 

[The Gritz Carlton]

Is this coach new to you? Did generator crank before you bought it? How many hours on generator?

 

[ducksface]

Do you have the emergency start switch in the dash? Another generator switch in the dash? Your generator has a start button under the easily removed cover(two 1/4 turn knobs at the top front edge of the cover. Turn. Lift cover upwards to disconnect friction fit bottom. Lower cover to ground.)
Try those.

Report back.

 

[Bigalthebear]

Brand new owner the last two months. Bought out of Granbury TX. Total rattle trap. The dashboard sounded like a large yard trash bag full of empty soda cans. Loose torn out screws were at fault. Recent full dashboard repairs where done because Thor pieced together 24.1 with drywall screws and such. Never tied the metal hoop supporting the dash to the drivers side with screws neither. Generator worked at that time.


Now I just went out and the lights do not work (NO POWER) even jiggling wires to the "Use/Store" switch.


Checked the fuse board under the frig. No lights shown.

 

[Bigalthebear]

Yes, ran when bought.
It's an electrical issue.


Now no power at all.
No lights.

The "Use/Store" switch jiggle wires produces no magic lights to appear.
No sound of clicking either.

 

[Bigalthebear]

No power to coach.


"Use/Store" switch is dead.

 

[Beau388]

Sounds like your house battery is dying. All you symptoms sound like low house battery voltage.

 

[ducksface]

There's a breaker in the battery box.
Stand looking into the steps/battery box.
On the left wall of that box, about half way down, fairly centered is a breaker with a flag. Push that flag back up into the body of the breaker.
Then
Check carefully, there's usually another there just like it. My second one is actually covered by the first. It's a felt/found thing, not really a seen thing.

This is based on a 2018 so ymmv

Rv's are a forced hobby. Forced.

And
Beau is correct. Your batteries are probably showing a surface charge. The moment a current is pulled, they crap out.

 

[Trophy1200]

Check battery cable connections are tight, then check cables on the circuit breakers near the batteries. Finally check negative battery cable where it connects to the chassis. Sounds like a poor (high resistance) connection.

 

[Scubawise]

If you are near interstate battery they will test your batteries

 

[Bigalthebear]

Two new batteries.
Voltage is in the mid 12's


Here's the odd thing.
I had it charged all day Saturday and much on Sunday.
The "Use/Store" clicked and lights worked.


Today the switch failed to click representing power ON/OFF


I put the charger back on.


The needle on my charger showed a strong charge going in.
The switch worked, lights on/off/on.


The generator would not start either from the dash, nor from the control panel at the doorway. The same problem exists, nothing changed.


However, on the dash panel where the radio, camera screen and other toggle switches are located, the night light is on.


What is suppose to control that light? A timer? No keys in the ignition.



Perhaps I've overlooked that glued/tapped on light and created the dreaded parasitic drag and empties my batteries.


Does anyone know how that light is suppose to go on/off?


If I have to install a switch to control it, I will.


The charger actually shut itself off.


Got too hot.



Perhaps more than one circuit is draining the three batteries.

 

[ducksface]

Do you have a jumper box or cables?
Ram some amps at it.

And try the generators built in start/prime switch.

And thinking of such;
What do we collectively think of putting jumper studs near the generator? Kind of a tertiary, probably never, $18 backup plan....

 

[OldWEB]

What do we collectively think of putting jumper studs near the generator? Kind of a tertiary, probably never, $18 backup plan....

For the present, I can trust my chassis battery to start the unit, charge the house batteries, then start the generator.
But that is a solid idea for those that have troubles keeping their chassis battery charged or even the chassis engine not charging the house battery.
Good idea to keep in mind.

 

[OldWEB]

However, on the dash panel where the radio, camera screen and other toggle switches are located, the night light is on.


What is suppose to control that light? A timer? No keys in the ignition.

Maybe this will help?

 

[Geterdun]

Check battery cable connections are tight, then check cables on the circuit breakers near the batteries. Finally check negative battery cable where it connects to the chassis. Sounds like a poor (high resistance) connection.

This is your answer - ignore all the other distarcting answers.

There is no such thing as a USE/STORE/Awning switch. Your USE/STORE switch controls a latching relay BUT ONLY if it has power from the house batteries.
Your awning uses a separate switch to supply power directly to the awning motor.

Check the battery and ground connections to the battery.

 

[Bigalthebear]

Excuse me.
I used the term "Use/Store/Awning" because of the plastic shroud that reads "Use/Store/Awning" where the Use/Store switch is located. Consider my hands double slapped for this obvious oversight.


The problem still exists.


With a charger pumping AMPS into the chassis battery.
ALL cables TIGHT and CLEAN the Use/Store switch fails to operated the latching relay 100% of the time. Sometimes it latches and then it won't.


But the generator shuts down ALL the power once it tries to run.


Yes, I've even hiked back to the actual generator. Opened the cover. Pressed the manual start button. The generator will come to life AND THEN poof. All power is shut down magically and the generator fails to run. Even with my fingers pushing the rods that control the RPM. It will just die time after time after time................


Like I've stated.
Cables tight,
Clean
Charger dumping amps into chassis battery

 

[Bigalthebear]

The same goes for the dash mount switch.

All power dies the instant the generator comes to life.

 

[Geterdun]

The same goes for the dash mount switch.

All power dies the instant the generator comes to life.

Because, as has already been mentioned, you have a bad connection between the batteries and DC buss. Probably where the ground cable attaches to the chassis.

Here's what happens:

Connection has contact
try to start the generator pulling large current
The large current heats the poor connection and opens it resulting in no DC to the generator (required to keep it running) and no DC to the DC buss - so no lights, fridge, water heater or furnace.

Start the search.

 

[OldWEB]

Just a distracting question.
Are you doing all this while on shore power or charging the battery externally only?

 

[push toy]

tranfer switch is bad. thats why the power goes off when the geni. starts