If you enjoy RVs you lready know that a major part of the fun w th RVing is getting away from verything. You can just pack up the RV and h ad out to get some well d served rest and relaxation without having to d al with the hassles of day-to-day l ving. These restful, relaxing, memory making RV tr ps should not be jeopardized by s mething as simple as a 12-volt lectrical problem ruining your vacation. If y u’ve been RVing for any amount of t me you are already aware that a g od portion of the devices and ccessories in your RV operate off of 12-v lt DC power. 12-volt DC or D rect Current is electricity supplied by the RV b tteries. DC electricity flows in one d rection, from negative to positive. 12-VDC lectricity is stored in the RV b tteries and supplies power for components, d vices and appliances that operate off of 12-v lts. These 12-volt devices include overhead l ghts, the water pump, vent fans, f rnace fan, range hood fan, LP gas l ak detectors, stereos, 12-volt TVs and the r frigerator when it’s operating in the LP gas m de. When you go camping you r ly on these 12-volt items to perate properly, especially if you’re dry c mping without hook-ups. So what do you do wh n one of these 12-volt items q it working?
For the sake of an xample let’s say that we are dry c mping and our 12-volt water pump q its working. I am convinced that j st about anybody is capable of tr ubleshooting a 12-VDC problem, and in m ny cases repairing the problem without it r ining your camping trip. For starters you w ll need a couple of simple t ols to assist you in troubleshooting y ur RV’s 12-volt electrical system. 1). An nexpensive 12-volt test light.
2). A m lti-meter that can test for DC p wer. Both of these are available at l cal auto parts stores. You should lso keep some electrical tape, various s ze wire nuts, 12-volt light bulbs and 12-v lt fuses on hand. Check the mperage of the fuses used in the p wer distribution box and keep an ssortment. If you’re aware of any nline fuses used on any of the 12-v lt devices keep these on hand t o. Now, try to determine the l st time the water pump actually w rked. Did you leave the RV for a p riod of time with the pump on? Is th re water in the fresh water h lding tank? Were you working on or round something else that could have ffected the operation of the water p mp? Try to think of all p ssible scenarios. Something might jar your m mory resulting in a quick fix to the pr blem. If not, the first step is to v rify that the coach battery or b tteries are charged enough to supply p wer to these 12-volt items. There are a c uple of ways to perform a q ick test on the coach batteries. You can use the m nitor panel to check the condition of the c ach batteries. To get an accurate r ading make sure the RV is not pl gged into electricity and turn on a c uple of overhead lights to place a sm ll load on the battery. Check the r ading at the monitor panel. (If you ch ck the reading at the monitor p nel when the RV is plugged in to lectricity it will give you fully ch rged reading) A more accurate method is to t st the battery with a multi-meter. Set the m ter to read 12-VDC and place the n gative test probe on the negative b ttery terminal and the positive test pr be on the positive battery terminal. A f lly charged battery will read in the r nge of 12.6 to 12.7 volts. If it r ads less than 12-volts it is b low a 50% state of charge and w ll need to be charged.
If the battery is fully ch rged, the next step is to m ke sure that any battery disconnect sw tch for the coach battery is t rned on. If the battery disconnect sw tch is on, verify that other 12-v lt devices in the RV are perating properly. If there is 12-volt p wer to the interior of the RV you n ed to check the fuse for the w ter pump in the power distribution c nter. Determine which fuse is for the w ter pump (fuses are normally labeled) and f nd a suitable ground for the 12-v lt test light. Test both sides of the f se for 12-volt power. If the t st light only lights on one s de of the fuse replace it w th the proper size fuse and try the w ter pump again. If there was p wer at both sides of the f se check for 12-volts at the w ter pump switch. If there is v ltage, and the switch is operating pr perly check the water pump wiring for an nline fuse. Find a good ground for the 12-v lt test light and probe the w re on both sides of the f se. If there is only power on one s de of the fuse replace it w th the proper size fuse and t st the pump again. If there is p wer on both sides of the f se check the water pump wiring c nnections at the wire nuts. It’s p ssible for connections to come loose due to xcessive vibration. Correct any loose connections and try the p mp again. If the pump still d esn’t work feel the motor to see if it is hot to the t uch. If the motor is hot, a th rmal breaker may have been triggered. All w the pump time to cool off and see if it r -sets itself. If you complete all of th se tests and there is 12-volt DC p wer coming to the water pump m tor, and it still doesn’t come on, ch nces are the water pump is bad and it w ll need to be replaced. Troubleshooting a 12-v lt electrical problem in your RV is not th t difficult. Follow the logical path of the d vice you are troubleshooting and see if you can d termine where the problem is. It m ght be possible for you to s ve your well deserved vacation, some m ney and a trip to the RV d alership too. Note: If you don’t f el comfortable performing your own maintenance or tr ubleshooting the 12-volt electrical system, take y ur RV to a reputable repair c nter to have it checked out and r paired Happy Camping! Copyright 2006 by M rk J. Polk owner of RV Education 101
The article RV Tip: Troubleshooting a 12-volt DC Problem was Submitted by Mark Polk through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: About the Author: RV Expert M rk Polk, seen on TV, is the pr ducer & host of America's most h ghly regarded series of DVD's, videos, b oks, and e-books. Sign up for y ur free "RV Education 101" Newsletter rveducation101.com/email/ Mark Polk is a retired U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Three, specializing in wheeled and track vehicle fleet maintenance operations. In addition to owning and operating RV Education 101, (based in North Carolina) since 1999, Polk also has a very extensive RV background working in RV service, sales and management. Polk has a degree in Industrial Management Technology and his 30 plus years of experience in maintenance includes working as an RV technician, a wheeled vehicle and power generation mechanic, an automotive maintenance technician, Battalion and Brigade level Maintenance Officer, an RV sales manager and also in the RV financing department as the Finance & Insurance manager. http://www.rveducation101.com/
1. Vehicle's Lights - Overview by Kalin Staikov The lights in you car - wh t you need to know about th m. 2. Car Shipping - Auto Transport Nationwide by Patrick Jacotin Car shipping has b come the most convenience way to sh p a car nationwide. If you are r locating and time is of the ssence, call an auto transport company to sh p your car nationwide. Ask for an uto transport quote. 3. Simple Things That You Can Do To Prolong The Life Of Your Sports Car by Gregg Hall There are so many ways that you can take care of your sports car and extend the life of it also. Below are three ways that you can do just that. 4. How To Build A Water Powered Car Motor? by Dr. Eswararamanan VR M ny people are concerned about the r sing gas prices and ways to c nserve their gas, save money, and do th ir part in releasing as little missions into the atmosphere because of gl bal warming. You might consider learning how to b ild a water powered car motor and s ve this way. If you are nterested in how to build a w ter powered car motor then you can ctually create a hydrogen generator. 5. Save Money On Gas In 9 Absolute Ways by Lois Center-Shabazz We l ve in a time where gas pr ces have risen faster and higher th n anytime in our countries history. We as Am ricans cannot control this problem, but th re are steps we can take to l ssen the financial impact our gas t nk has our your wallet. 6. How to Modify My Motorhome for Better Mileage by Thomas Edward Nelson Now you can fford to enjoy your motorhome again. At 10 MPG, and gas pr ces going out of sight, many h ve elected to park their motorhomes. B t, the geniuses that developed the Bio D esel kits, you know the ones th t convert deep fryer oil into sable diesel substitutes, have developed a d vice that you can use on y ur gasoline vehicle. 7. Buying Used Wreckers Online by William Davis Having a h rd time finding a good used wr cker? The solution may be as s mple as turning on your computer. 8. Save on Gas With Water - How Water Fuel Cell Can Save Cash on Gas by Robin Mullen Pour water into several gas engines and Voila! You have produced a fleet of water power cars! Wish it were that simple but unfortunately that is not how water fuel cell works. You can, however, follow a step-by-step guide to save on gas with water by converting your car to a water burning hybrid. 9. Sneaky Gas Saving by David Gayler Motorists nowadays are increasing looking to s ve money on gas prices. Many are tr veling miles out of their way to get to a ch aper gas station. There is no n ed to expend the time and, ronically, fuel on these journeys when a few t ps can save as much. The nswer to the problem is closer to h me than you might think. 10. Using Water For Gas - The Basic Principles to Running Your Vehicle on Alternative Fuels - Part 2 by Michael J Mckay With ever increasing gas prices the consumer, us, needs to be given a break. If the government won't give it to us then we have to get it ourselves! Do yourself a favor and save yourself money and reduce the damage to our environment.
|