Rv power/battery question

09 arctic cat m8

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Hey guys well my brother owns a 2002 wilderness travel trailer, so when he’s pluggged in to direct power nothing works except his microwave, now when he puts in a battery, everything works, so is it pulling of the battery or does it complete the circuit, shouldn’t everything work with just power!??
 

hbar218

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Maybe the inverter is not working. Does it work with a battery in it and plugged in or just plugged in with no battery?
 

09 arctic cat m8

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It works with a battery, when it’s plugged in without the battery the only thing that works is the microwave, nothing else no lights no water pump nothing,
 

doorfx

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Converter isn’t working or it doesn’t have one. Some of the older ones didn’t.
 

Tchetek

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Trailers have 2 separate electrical systems.

Ac, and dc power

Microwave and plugs are AC.

Lights, water pump, furnace, ect run on DC.

The Ac power (plugged in) charges the DC batteries.

Most trailers do not have an inverter that coverts back from dc to Ac.

The batteries may be required to complete the charging circuit in that trailer, But my lights work in my trailer without the batteries. It’s a 2012.

Check all the AC breakers are on. In my trailer the charger is tied onto the AC circuit that is only labeled as front bedroom.

I would monitor if the batteries charge when installed. That would determine if the charging system works. If not, eBay has replacements.
 

Caper11

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Id verify if there are no blown fuses or tripped breakers. Without the batteries, when the unit is plugged in, everything should work, it does on the newer units but I have never tried this on a older unit.

Maybe check to see if the converter is sending power to the batteries with a multimeter, its possible that the converter wont work properly without the batteries installed.
 

ZRrrr

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Fixed:

Just went through this with neighbors trailer. Turns out some convertors need the battery connected, some do not. Completely depends on the convertor you have in the trailer. Simple as that.
 
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doorfx

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It won’t have an inverter it’s too old. It will have a converter.
Inverter takes 12vDC current and changes it too 120VAC or alternating current.
Converter does the opposite , converts 120VAC TO 12vdc.

Newer trailers may even have an inverter/charger system.
 

tex78

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It won’t have an inverter it’s too old. It will have a converter.
Inverter takes 12vDC current and changes it too 120VAC or alternating current.
Converter does the opposite , converts 120VAC TO 12vdc.

Newer trailers may even have an inverter/charger system.
100% it's a convertor not invertor
 

Tchetek

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^ this magical “converter” is a rectifier and charging circuit.
 

doorfx

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Here is a “”magical”” power converter and three stage charger. Typical rv application.
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