Weird Loss of Shoreline Power

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whemme
Posts: 2110
Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2005 8:05 pm

Weird Loss of Shoreline Power

Post by whemme »

Had an interesting problem develop in my 2002 26' RSB coach. I am down in Tulsa at the Chili Bowl midget car races and was plugged into the campground shoreline power and everything was working normally. I decided that I wanted to exercise my Onan generator for a little while but forgot that I had used up about 75% of the fuel in my 55 gallon fuel tank. Anyway, when I started the generator it only ran about 20 seconds before it slowly died. That is a sure tipoff that the fuel pickup for the generator was above the remaining amount of fuel in my tank. The generator will only run about 20 seconds from the fuel remaining in the generator fuel supply line and carburetor bowl.

Anyway now to the weird problem. When the generator quit running, power to the coach from the shoreline connection did not come back. For some odd reason I thought that the circuit breaker on the power pole or the 30-amp breaker in my Parallax power panel must have tripped. However, both breakers were not tripped. After a lot of trouble shooting, it was obvious that the loss of AC power to the coach was caused by the transfer switch located behind the Parallax power panel. My coach is equipped with a Parallax ATS301 Transfer Switch and I am thinking it must have failed for some reason. The transfer switch uses a mechanical relay to switch AC power into the coach from either shoreline power or from the generator. On the theory that since the generator stopped slowly being starved of fuel, I thought maybe that that the relay in the transfer switch may have relaxed slowly and did not finish switching back to the position hooking back up to shoreline power. So I gave the Parallax power panel a good wack with my fist and presto my shoreline power was restored.

Moral! Sometimes all you need to fix a Born Free problem is a hammer or a fist!
Bill Hemme - Spencer, Iowa
E-mail: whemme@earthlink.net
2002 Born Free (Ford E-450 V10) 26' RSB
2016 VW Golf GTI - toad
tomzleapin
Posts: 485
Joined: Sun Jun 20, 2010 9:15 am

Re: Weird Loss of Shoreline Power

Post by tomzleapin »

Percussion maintenance.
Thanks for the info.
Tom
2005 24' RB
Towing 2016 Mini Cooper convertible on tow dolly
New Hope, MN
lassen
Posts: 120
Joined: Sun Aug 14, 2005 10:56 am

Re: Weird Loss of Shoreline Power

Post by lassen »

Bill.........

When all else fails, I look for my large crescent hammer. Sometimes works....sometimes no.

Anyway thanks for the tip.

Jack
Jack & Jan
2005 24RB
bigdipper
Posts: 353
Joined: Thu May 27, 2010 3:13 pm

Re: Weird Loss of Shoreline Power

Post by bigdipper »

Bill,
This may not be helpful but long ago on my 2001 23RK there was a similar issue between Onan and Shore power. I talked to BF and learned there was a second switch, circuit breaker or something which I was able to reset. As I recall, it was to rear of converter, circuit breakers, etc., maybe mounted below a shelf. I flipped a switch, pushed a button or some such. Never any further issues in almost 10 years. If this makes no sense, I apologize. To perhaps further confuse the report, it had something to do with being originally built without gen. then had generator installed before I bought it.
Good luck,
Ralph
Ralph
2011 24RB
Former 2001 23RK
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whemme
Posts: 2110
Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2005 8:05 pm

Re: Weird Loss of Shoreline Power

Post by whemme »

Ralph,

On Born Free coaches that were not originally equipped with a generator, those coaches would not have needed a transfer switch so a circuit breaker was probably installed in its place.

However if a generator was installed later, the proper thing to do then would have been to remove that circuit breaker and install a transfer switch so that automatic selection between shoreline power and generator power would happen.
Bill Hemme - Spencer, Iowa
E-mail: whemme@earthlink.net
2002 Born Free (Ford E-450 V10) 26' RSB
2016 VW Golf GTI - toad
oliverpsmile
Posts: 271
Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2008 2:46 pm

Re: Weird Loss of Shoreline Power

Post by oliverpsmile »

Bill, it is possible that voltage leak (moisture, water) kept the transfer switch connected to the generator. Or you would never know the strange circuits of the ground currents.

In addition, nowadays in accordance with some recent press reports, extraterrestrials keep us magnetized, or are you sure that your self phone was OFF :)

Just kidding :D :D :D
Oliver P Smile
2005 26ft RSB
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whemme
Posts: 2110
Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2005 8:05 pm

Re: Weird Loss of Shoreline Power

Post by whemme »

Are you two in your normal RV resort in Fountain Hills? I am newly remarried and we will be in the Val del Oro RV Resort during the month of March.
Bill Hemme - Spencer, Iowa
E-mail: whemme@earthlink.net
2002 Born Free (Ford E-450 V10) 26' RSB
2016 VW Golf GTI - toad
harrisgowing
Posts: 338
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2008 5:30 pm

Re: Weird Loss of Shoreline Power

Post by harrisgowing »

What nice news, Bill. Congratulations to you both!
Chuck and Judy Harris
Oliver and Monty, the Cavaliers at the Rainbow Bridge; Timothy Dickens, the Cavalier puppy
2004 RSB
2015 Royal Splendor
Santana tandem bicycle
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Dallas Baillio
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Joined: Sun Jul 02, 2006 10:52 pm

Re: Weird Loss of Shoreline Power

Post by Dallas Baillio »

Someone married Bill Hemme?
Dallas Baillio
2001 26RSB
Born Free Leap'n Lions RV Club Member
oliverpsmile
Posts: 271
Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2008 2:46 pm

Re: Weird Loss of Shoreline Power

Post by oliverpsmile »

Congrats Bill. We are at Fountain Hills until end of March.
Oliver P Smile
2005 26ft RSB
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Dallas Baillio
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Joined: Sun Jul 02, 2006 10:52 pm

Re: Weird Loss of Shoreline Power

Post by Dallas Baillio »

My comment above was just kidding Bill Hemme. I know Bill to be a good guy and knowing Bill his new wife is assuredly a lovely person even though I have not met her.
Dallas Baillio
2001 26RSB
Born Free Leap'n Lions RV Club Member
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