Results for "auto generator start"

Electrical Medium 2-6 hours 464 👍 4

RV Electrical Problems: 12V & 120V Troubleshooting Guide

Around $500 in parts later — replaced the main breaker, cleaned all connections, checked the transfer switch — my 2007 Holiday Rambler Admiral SE still won't recognize shore power.

I'm pretty sure 110V is making it to the rig since I can measure it, but somewhere between the plug and my appliances, something's not happy. Energy management panel is dark too. What's the logical troubleshooting order here? I keep hearing about transfer switches and breaker panels but honestly don't know where to start without making things worse! …more

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Solar Batteries Medium 2-4 hours 310 👍 0

RC7-GS Inverter AGM Battery Settings: Complete Setup Guide

Replaced my 105Ah AGM battery and now my RC7-GS inverter charger is completely rejecting it like this capacity doesn't exist in its programming.

The charging settings only go from 125Ah up to 1000Ah, with an 'auto' option that supposedly 'learns' my battery but resets every time the low voltage cutoff trips (which feels like cheating, honestly). I'm worried about undercharging or cooking my expensive new AGMs if I pick the wrong setting.

Oh, and while we're talking about things that don't work as advertised - the generator auto-start feature might as well be a myth. Can't even manually start the generator from the RC7 panel. At this point I'm wondering if I should have just stuck with my old setup that actually worked! Anyone know what I'm doing wrong here? …more

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Electrical Medium 45 minutes 258 👍 0

RV Shore Power Not Working: Complete Troubleshooting Guide

Plugged into shore power at the campground last night and absolutely nothing happened — no lights, no AC, nothing. Breaker on the pedestal looks fine and my neighbor's rig is running perfectly on the same circuit. Starting to wonder if something fried inside the transfer switch. …more

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Best RV Sewer Hoses & Kits

4.6 (31,500 reviews)

Electrical Medium 1-2 hours 189 👍 0

Why Your RV Trips GFCI at Home But Not Campground: Complete Troubleshooting Guide

Turned on my motorhome at 11 PM and it tripped the home GFCI again — works perfectly at campgrounds but I need this solved before departure.

I've tried different adapters, rewired a busted GFCI inside the rig, even turned off ALL the breakers including the main panel breaker. Still trips my house GFCI every time, whether it's the garage, side of house, or front outlets. What gives? Why would it work everywhere else but trip GFCIs at home? There's gotta be something specific causing this, right? …more

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Engine Medium 2 hours 173 👍 0

Onan 5500 Generator Tune-Up: Best Aftermarket Parts

Before my last camping trip when I tried to order replacement parts, I discovered that finding genuine OEM components for my Onan 5500 generator has become nearly impossible. The Cummins website has been showing most tune-up components as out of stock for months now, and when I do find supposedly "official" Onan oil filters online, many retailers are substituting generic filters that may not meet the same specifications.

I've been researching alternatives and I'm particularly concerned about getting the right oil filter and spark plugs. For the oil filter, I've seen conflicting information about whether aftermarket options like Wix filters are truly compatible - some sources mention the 57398 but I've read mixed reviews about fitment issues. For spark plugs, my current ones are NGK BPR4EY, and I've heard the NGK 3432 might be equivalent, but I want to make sure before ordering.

I'm also planning to stick with zinc-containing oil like Rotella T6 15w40 since I know air-cooled engines need the extra protection, but I'd love confirmation that I'm on the right track with quality aftermarket parts that won't compromise my generator's performance. What specific part numbers and brands would you recommend for a reliable tune-up when OEM parts aren't available? …more

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Appliances Easy 10 minutes 172 👍 0

Complete Guide to RV Control Panel Lights and Display Meanings

Dashboard has about 15 different indicator lights and half of them just came on after hooking up at a new campground. Some I recognize from the manual but a few aren't even documented. Need to understand what each light and display reading actually means before I start troubleshooting. …more

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Electrical Hard 2-4 hours 171 👍 0

RV Automatic Transfer Switch Dead: AC Power Fixes

Every time I flip the breaker, my 21-year-old coach's automatic transfer switch stays completely dead and I'm stuck with zero AC power. My Automated Engineering Corp ATS (model M10040A with M10041 display) is showing no AC on the LED readout even though shore power is definitely good.

I popped the cover off and confirmed power is getting TO the shore power terminals, but nothing's coming OUT to feed the AC system. Even manually pushed the contacts in and they stayed, but still no juice on the output side. Generator won't make it switch over either - it's like the whole transfer function is dead.

This thing has to be repairable right? Or am I looking at replacing the whole ATS unit? Really hoping someone has dealt with this before because losing AC in an RV is no joke! …more

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Solar Batteries Easy N/A - planning 166 👍 0

Winnebago Ekko Solar Battery Setup: Complete Boondocking Power Guide 2

Looked at our 2022 Winnebago Ekko's dual 320 Amp Hour Lithionics batteries and 450-watt solar setup after my wife mentioned it wasn't optimized for boondocking, and now I'm completely obsessing over our power management. Planning extended boondocking trips to music festivals and remote locations.

I'm particularly interested in understanding how feasible it is to run the roof AC while driving using solar panels and batteries, and ensuring enough power remains when I arrive at my destination. What's the best strategy for maximizing battery life and solar charging efficiency during extended off-grid stays? …more

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Engine Medium 2-3 hours 164 👍 0

Onan 7000 Generator Low Voltage to Fuel Pump: Complete Repair Guide

Our Onan 7000 Marquis generator is hitting us with low voltage to the fuel pump for the third time this season and I'm done with guessing games. When I check the voltage at the fuel pump, I'm only getting 9V instead of 12V, and surprise surprise - it won't start. But here's the kicker - if I jump 12V directly to the pump, the thing fires right up and runs like a champ.

Obviously there's a voltage drop happening somewhere between the control board and the fuel pump, but I'm not sure where to start looking. Could be corroded connections, maybe the control board itself is going bad, or some wiring issue in the fuel pump circuit? Anyone dealt with this before and know the most common culprits? …more

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Engine Medium 2-3 hours 163 👍 0

Fleetwood Discovery Generator Won't Start: Battery & Electrical Fixes Guide

Since the manual says to check the fuel shutoff solenoid first on my 1999 Fleetwood Discovery 37V diesel pusher generator, why am I getting power there while the battery connections are completely corroded? The generator absolutely refuses to start unless I run the main Cummins engine for several minutes first, and I've already tried using the boost battery switch which seems to do nothing.

I have brand new batteries - two 12V for the chassis and four 6V house batteries properly wired. Everything else works fine, but this generator issue has me concerned. I want to understand: 1) Why won't the gen set start from its batteries without the main engine running first? 2) Which battery bank does the gen set actually use - chassis, house, or a separate gen set battery?

I'm 80 years old and hesitant to crawl under the coach to trace the gen set 12-volt cable. Can someone help me understand what might be happening with my generator's electrical system? …more

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Engine Medium 2-4 hours 160 👍 0

Onan 4000 Generator Won't Start Without Choke: Code 14 Troubleshooting Guide

Halfway through another camping trip and trying to decide between babying my Onan 4000 with manual choke every startup or finally fixing this Code 14 nightmare. Let me try again:

Just found out that my 2013 Thor Class C's Onan 4000 generator won't cooperate after sitting since March, and I'm dealing with a nightmare. Been getting Code 14 errors and spent half the morning just trying to get it fired up.

The only way I can get it started is by manually messing with what I think is the choke linkage - otherwise it just won't go. Once I shut it off, same story - won't restart unless I physically manipulate that linkage again. Only has 240 hours on it and was serviced about 2 years ago.

I'm pretty sure the carburetor is gummed up from sitting, but what exactly does Code 14 mean? And more importantly, what do I need to clean to get that choke working automatically again? I really need to get this thing running properly before our next trip! …more

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Best RV Surge Protectors

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Engine Easy Informational 159 👍 0

Honda EU2200i Generator: Can It Charge a 330Ah RV Battery Bank?

Camping off-grid next week with a 330Ah lithium battery bank and wondering if my Honda EU2200i can keep up. Last trip the generator ran for six hours and the batteries still weren't fully charged. Need to know if this little generator can realistically maintain a bank that size. …more

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Electrical Hard Professional installation 153 👍 0

How to Fix Firefly Battery and Victron System Conflicts in Your RV

Wondering if anyone else has dealt with a rental RV where the Firefly batteries and Victron system are constantly throwing conflicts I've never seen before. I have a 2020 Discovery LXE 40M that I've equipped with a complete Victron system - two Multiplus II inverters, Cerbo GX, and SOK lithium batteries. The problem is my coach's existing Firefly system is creating constant conflicts with the Victron equipment.

The AC units keep getting "shed" by Firefly, I'm getting random low voltage warnings even when my batteries are full, and my Auto Gen Start has completely stopped working. I've heard this might be related to waveform differences between the systems, but I'm not sure what that means or how to fix it.

I've seen some mentions of using dual transfer switches to isolate the systems, but I have no idea how that would work or if it would solve my Auto Gen Start issues. Has anyone actually resolved this Firefly-Victron nightmare? I really don't want to rip out thousands of dollars worth of equipment, but I need my RV systems to work properly! …more

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Engine Medium 3-4 hours 151 👍 0

Ford F53 Chassis Misfire Problems: Early Spark Plug & Coil Failure Solutions

Walked out to my 2021 Class A motorhome this morning facing the third Ford F53 chassis misfire this year and I'm done throwing parts at it blindly. We've got less than 20,000 miles on the odometer, but recently experienced rough running and got a check engine light. When I took it to a Ford dealer that services Class A rigs, they diagnosed misfires in two cylinders and recommended servicing the entire fuel system. I ended up having them replace all eight spark plugs, plug wires, and ignition coils since we were already dealing with failures.

The coach now runs better than it ever has since new, which makes me think the original components may have been subpar from the factory. What's really bothering me is that we shouldn't need major ignition system work this early in the vehicle's life. I'm curious if other owners of 2021 or newer F53 chassis motorhomes have experienced similar premature failures with their spark plugs, ignition coils, and plug wires? Is this pointing to some kind of quality control issue with Ford's ignition components on these newer chassis, and should I expect better reliability from aftermarket replacements going forward? …more

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Solar Batteries Medium 2-4 hours 150 👍 0

Xantrex RV3012GS Inverter Repair: Expert Solutions & Alternatives

Xantrex RV3012GS inverter is throwing a fault code and the repair shop wants $2,800 to fix it. Inverter is 8 years old and I'm debating between repair, buying a refurbished unit, or upgrading to something newer. What are my realistic options here? …more

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