No Power from Generator while generator is running

[jay_Pfox]

New to the group, I just acquired a 2001 Chinook concourse. I plugged the Chinook via shore power and I am able to use the roof AC and microwave. But when I use the generator, even though the generator is running I do not get any power at all. I did check the on/off breaker fuse inside the generator and it is on ON position. The breaker panels inside the Brown box at the bottom of the kitchen sink is also all in ON position. Any other suggestions what else I can check?? thanks in advance

[Manitou]

hmm.. interesting. Welcome to the forum btw.
Do your regular 110 outlets work? (on shore and/or gen power)?

[dougm]

Back in behind that brown breaker box is another box called a transfer switch. Its job is to direct power to the brown breaker box depending if youre plugged in or if your running the generator. It also prevents someone from being electricuted if they happen to grab the shore plug while youre running the generator and not plugged into shore power. If your breakers are good in the brown box and the breaker isnt tripped inside the generator, then the most likely cause is that transfer switch. I had to replace mine this year as well.

If you pull the drawers out of your cabinet you should be able to shine a flashlight back in behind there down on the floor and you should see the transfer switch. Most of them are usually black plastic, look for deformation of the box from excessive heat, sometimes they get so hot they start to melt.
Not seeing visible heat damage is not an indication that the switch is good, they dont always melt the case.
There are two relays inside that box, one is connected to your generator and the other is connected to your shore power cord.
You wont be able to change it out without removing the brown breaker box to gain access.

It can be a pain to change due to the factory not leaving extra wire length to allow pulling the box out where you can actually disconnect the wires easily.

bgefryeryuct.jpg

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[jay_Pfox]

hmm.. interesting. Welcome to the forum btw.
Do your regular 110 outlets work? (on shore and/or gen power)?

Yes shore powerline works, I even reseted the GFCI plug by the rear door. The green light is lit when plugged in via shore power.

[jay_Pfox]

Back in behind that brown breaker box is another box called a transfer switch. Its job is to direct power to the brown breaker box depending if youre plugged in or if your running the generator. It also prevents someone from being electricuted if they happen to grab the shore plug while youre running the generator and not plugged into shore power. If your breakers are good in the brown box and the breaker isnt tripped inside the generator, then the most likely cause is that transfer switch. I had to replace mine this year as well.

If you pull the drawers out of your cabinet you should be able to shine a flashlight back in behind there down on the floor and you should see the transfer switch. Most of them are usually black plastic, look for deformation of the box from excessive heat, sometimes they get so hot they start to melt.
Not seeing visible heat damage is not an indication that the switch is good, they dont always melt the case.
There are two relays inside that box, one is connected to your generator and the other is connected to your shore power cord.
You wont be able to change it out without removing the brown breaker box to gain access.

It can be a pain to change due to the factory not leaving extra wire length to allow pulling the box out where you can actually disconnect the wires easily.bgefryeryuct.jpgslot_03.jpg

Funny part is, previous owner did a walkthrough with me during purchase and he fired the generator, ran the AC and showed the microwave actually works. I would go back and ask him in person but I actually picked up the chinook unseen in Eugene Oregon and drove it all the way to Southern California. He’s a pleasant 79 year old man, very honest, and it showed he really cared for the RV. Fast Forward arrived in Palm Springs and its 115 degrees out and started the generator, it runs but no power to the appliances.

Anyways how labor extensive is switching to a new transfer switch? Is there a write up here by chance?
And lastly any link to the specific one I needed for the transfer switch?

Chinook with its first outing with my boys in Doheny Beach California.

[dougm]

Its difficult only in the sense that i stated earlier. They didnt leave extra wire to allow for you to pull the transfer switch out far enough to easily disconnect the wires and reconnect them inside the new transfer switch. At least on mine that was the case.
If you pay attention to what youre doing its not difficult, draw yourself a schematic of how things are connected inside your old box if your not an electrician or you have a poor memory. You need to decern between which wires are going to your generator and which wires are from the power cord. Then simply look at the instructions for your new unit or the chart, theres usually a sticker inside the new unit to guide you in hooking the wires back up.

Obviously you want the generator shut off and the breaker shut off, you want the shore power disconnected, and kill all the breakers in your power center, and probably best if you disconnect your house batteries as well before beginning. If you know nothing about electricity and the dangers associated with it and are nervous about it, then its probably better to just have the RV shop do it for you.

Your Chinook, Concourse uses a 30 amp transfer switch same as the outlets you use at the RV park, (30 amp). Larger RV's use 50 amp circuits.

This is the only video i was able to locate on youtube that might help you understand what youre getting into.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=An9gdF0WP-k

Its not a unique problem, automatic transfer switches are prone to failure. Your other option would be to convert it over to a manual marine style transfer switch. But that would require lengthening wires finding a new spot for the manual switch so you have easy access, ect...

[dougm]

Just keep in mind its an AC circuit youre working on, that said dont get confused about the wires. Black will be your hot wires, White will be your neutral wires, and Green will be your ground wires. You will have one cord that is your shore power cord and obviously runs out the side of your Chinook. You will have another cord that runs back behind the shower wall and around over to the generator. Then you will have the wires that go into your power distribution box (breaker box) to power it. You need to decern which one is which so that you hook the three of them up properly inside the transfer switch. Each cord will have 3 wires, a black wire (hot), a white wire (neutral), and a ground wire (green). The ground wires will generally all hook up to a common ground buss bar, the remaining wires will all have their own specific terminal on the relays, which are usually clearly labeled once you decern which group of wires is from the generator and which is from the shore power cord.

I can not tell you which unit to buy or which one is better than all of the rest. You need a 30 amp 60 hz RV transfer switch. You can talk to your RV dealer parts guy and ask if he recommends one brand over another in terms of reliabilty and longevity.

Also take note, as the man stated in that video link i posted. Check the shore power recepticle plug and replace it if it shows any signs of melting or the terminals are loose. I have seen them get hot and melt completely due to a poor connection when plugged in at RV parks. The parks arent good about replacing worn power outlets, those worn outlets cause poor connections and result in excessive heat, which results in melted shore power plugs. If you stay at an RV park and they assign you a spot with a loose fitting outlet, demand a different spot or you will end up with a melted shore power plug and possibly no shore power for the remainder of your stay until you repair it. I always keep a spare 30 amp cord plug end with me at all times as well as wire cutters, wire strippers, and a screw driver with interchangable bits, phillips, straight, square, torx.

[Jlfchinook]

Have you checked breaker switch on side of generator, it is easy to bump to off position? Just checked my onan 4.0 breaker is located between start switch and oil fill cap, is hard to see it without a light. Sets a little lower than cap and switch. Ouch,just reread your post, see you have checked switch. Have you checked with meter to see if you have 110 coming from generator?

[jay_Pfox]

Have you checked breaker switch on side of generator, it is easy to bump to off position? Just checked my onan 4.0 breaker is located between start switch and oil fill cap, is hard to see it without a light. Sets a little lower than cap and switch. Ouch,just reread your post, see you have checked switch. Have you checked with meter to see if you have 110 coming from generator?

I check both of this, first pic is outside the generator but inside the generator compartment. Second pic is the on/off breaker switch inside the generator

[chin_k]

There is the junction box under the closet on the back passenger corner of the rig that you can access to if you lift up the closet false bottom. You also can access the ATS (automatic transfer switch) behind the brown box that Doug talk about. Comments:

1, you can use a AC meter to test for voltage at the junction box or at the ATS. Be very careful, since it is household AC voltage.
2, you can swap the shore and genset input to the ATS so that the priority is different. It is simply connected by wire nuts, and you can easily redo/undo back to the original configuration. If you have working genset, but no shore power after the swap, then it is the ATS. If you still only have shore power but no genset power, then it is something between the ATS and the generator.
3, keep in mind that the ATS take a few seconds to switch. If you turn on the genset, there is a few seconds of delay before the power actually comes on. I think it is to protect the genset to get it to run to proper speed before putting a load on it, but not too sure.