Chinook RV

Update- Started the install of the 50 amp and 15 amp replacement breakers on the Concourse. As many of you DIYers know, there's always a 90% chance that a simple 30 minute task will quickly devolve into an all day nightmare. And so it was today! The terminal nuts on the old breakers were so corroded that it took me approximately 45 minutes on each to get them off using copious quantities of penetrating oil and muscle power. Actually, only one came off cleanly, two twisted off with the terminals. The last one twisted totally out of the breaker body. The nut on the last one was permanently welded to the ring connector and the terminal post by rust and corrosion. Attempts to separate them were unsuccessful and resulted in the ring breaking off from the wire! And this had to be on the 50 amp circuit, naturally! So, of course, an hour search of my shop turned up nothing but light duty aluminum connectors. So off to Amazon to buy some HD copper ring connectors. They should be here Friday. Will post pics of finished job. Pic of old breakers above.

Been there many times before. On the good side, you have probably found your problem!

Were you able to locate replacements with dual mounting holes?

dougm wrote: August 25th, 2020, 3:13 pm Were you able to locate replacements with dual mounting holes?

Yes - wiringproducts.com had them with vertical or horizontal mounting brackets as well as no brackets at all. The two breakers plus rubber boots to cover them ( I thought the extra protection was worth a couple extra bucks) came to $20 including shipping.

caconcourse wrote: August 25th, 2020, 2:11 pm Been there many times before. On the good side, you have probably found your problem!

Spoken like a true DIYer! Fingers crossed that this will solve my problem.

Update- New auto reset breakers installed! That's the good news. Bad news is that I still have the problem. The only time I see charging voltage at the batteries (13-14 volts ) is when the engine is running. On generator or shore power, I see only 12.4 volts at the batteries. WTF!?
I do see 13-14 volts at the terminals on my charger converter ( Progressive Dynamics PD4645 upgrade from original cc). So it looks like it wants to send charge to the batteries but it's not getting there.

VTSweetpea wrote: August 30th, 2020, 12:27 pm Update- New auto reset breakers installed! That's the good news. Bad news is that I still have the problem. The only time I see charging voltage at the batteries (13-14 volts ) is when the engine is running. On generator or shore power, I see only 12.4 volts at the batteries. WTF!?
I do see 13-14 volts at the terminals on my charger converter ( Progressive Dynamics PD4645 upgrade from original cc). So it looks like it wants to send charge to the batteries but it's not getting there.DSCF0029.JPG

After posting this, I've been reading a bunch of past posts about the LVD and issues with the batteries not charging. So here's my take away:
My problem is most likely due to one of two issues:
1- A bad ground somewhere
2- The LVD has pooped the bed

Re: Issue #1- is it really that common for a ground to all of a sudden go bad? I've looked at all the ground points under the coach and they are rusty but the connections and wiring are tight.

Re: Issue #2- if the LVD has died, couldn't I put a jumper from the Vin to Vout terminals and basically bypass the LVD. IF I can do this w/o frying something, shouldn't I then see the batteries start charging?

Opinions? Suggestions?

VTSweetpea wrote: August 30th, 2020, 1:18 pm

VTSweetpea wrote: August 30th, 2020, 12:27 pm Update- New auto reset breakers installed! That's the good news. Bad news is that I still have the problem. The only time I see charging voltage at the batteries (13-14 volts ) is when the engine is running. On generator or shore power, I see only 12.4 volts at the batteries. WTF!?
I do see 13-14 volts at the terminals on my charger converter ( Progressive Dynamics PD4645 upgrade from original cc). So it looks like it wants to send charge to the batteries but it's not getting there.DSCF0029.JPG

After posting this, I've been reading a bunch of past posts about the LVD and issues with the batteries not charging. So here's my take away:
My problem is most likely due to one of two issues:
1- A bad ground somewhere
2- The LVD has pooped the bed

Re: Issue #1- is it really that common for a ground to all of a sudden go bad? I've looked at all the ground points under the coach and they are rusty but the connections and wiring are tight.

Re: Issue #2- if the LVD has died, couldn't I put a jumper from the Vin to Vout terminals and basically bypass the LVD. IF I can do this w/o frying something, shouldn't I then see the batteries start charging?

Opinions? Suggestions?

I would remove the wire from the Vout terminal the LVD and 1) measure the voltage on the disconnected Vout wire (from your charger) to ground and you should read 13+ v from the charger. If not, there is something wrong with the charger or the wire/connections from the charger. If you do have 13+v then you are getting it into the LVD.

You can then connect the Vout wire to the Vin wire ( just move it to the Vin terminal rather than use a jumper), and measure the voltage on the Vin to ground. If it is 13+vbypassing the LVD, then the LVD is not working (adding resistance), If it drops to 12.4V then the LVD is probably OK, and there is still a problem between the LVD and the batteries.

Okay, let's step back a minute. The 13-14 V charging vs 12.4 V at the batteries is puzzling, yes, but it seems to be precise.

When the engine is running, the batteries are seeing 13-14V, charging, yes? When you stop them, are the batteries now at 12.4v, or higher? The reason I ask is because previously you were taking readings at the LVD and it was 12.3V, and I'm wondering if at that time the batteries were at 12.3V?

I mean, it seems like on charging for alternator you read charging voltage, and when not alternator charging you read normal batteries voltage. If there is an issue with some ground, I'd expect to see something lower that normal battery voltage somewhere along the route to the distribution panel.

Can you please go measure using the following process?

This is a photo of a converter/charger panal (not mine, just pulled off web), should be close to what yours looks like. The BATT POS + line is top left with red and black wires attached. To the right of that, after the 2 30A fuses, is CONV POS+ from the converter with a black wire, and the posts NEG- BATT and CONV with white wires, which touch each other.
1) While alternator is charging, and shore is not connected (and generator not running):
a) what do you have at batteries?
b) What do you have at LVD input?
c) What do you have at LVD output?
d) what do you have at the fuse panel (distribution panel) when measuring between BATT POS+ and NEG- BATT posts?
e) what do you have at the fuse panel (distribution panel) when measuring between CONV POS+ and NEG- CONV posts?

2) Turn engine off (alternator not charging now), and shore is not connected (and generator not running):
a) what do you have at batteries?
b) What do you have at LVD input?
c) What do you have at LVD output?
d) what do you have at the fuse panel (distribution panel) when measuring between BATT POS+ and NEG- BATT posts?
e) what do you have at the fuse panel (distribution panel) when measuring between CONV POS+ and NEG- CONV posts?
f) what do you have at batteries?
This is just a double check in case you quickly lose .1V of surface charge while measuring everything (I don't think it happens that fast, but I've never actually checked). E.g. if batteries are 12.5, then measuring b-e you get some at 12.4, I want to see if batteries have settled to 12.4 during measuring.

3) Engine off (alternator not charging), and shore IS connected and should be charging (and generator not running):
a) what do you have at batteries?
b) What do you have at LVD input?
c) What do you have at LVD output?
d) what do you have at the fuse panel (distribution panel) when measuring between BATT POS+ and NEG- BATT posts?
e) what do you have at the fuse panel (distribution panel) when measuring between CONV POS+ and NEG- CONV posts?

Do all this and let us know.

OK- I'll be back.