No 120VAC power after microwave dies

Hike · Post by **Hike** » Sat Apr 20, 2013 9:50 am

Here is a question for the electrical wizards out there. Last night while trying to make dinner my microwave burned and died taking all 120V power with it. No circuit breakers tripped. I am at a campground hooked up to shore power and that is fine. I have a heavy duty extension cord running from there to run a heater so no problem there.

As I said, no circuit breakers tripped but I turned them all off and on again to maybe reset something. I reset all of them on the main panel and the two that are on the load shed device and the one on the inverter. As far as I know, there are no other circuit breakers.

The 12V battery power is working fine.

Any ideas on something else I can check?

I am heading out from Texas Sunday (tomorrow) for Humboldt where I am having some suspension stuff done at Foster's so as long as my batteries charge up okay, I should be fine. Hopefully I can get in at the factory and have someone look into this and fix it.

Just wondering if there is something I missed that will fix the problem.

oliverpsmile · Post by **oliverpsmile** » Sat Apr 20, 2013 10:02 am

Check some more breakers - the ones one the shore power column or further down the line (contact RV park staff). Or move to another power source. It would be a good idea to buy a simple power probe from the nearby hardware store.

Good luck.

Tell us the solution if any

Hike · Post by **Hike** » Sat Apr 20, 2013 10:11 am

Shore power is fine. I am using it to run a heater. The problem is inside the BF.

whemme · Post by **whemme** » Sat Apr 20, 2013 1:50 pm

Your Born Free coach is equipped for 30-amp 120 VAC service. I assume you have checked the 30-amp breaker at the shore line power pedestal. There is a 30-amp AC breaker located in the top left side of your Parallax 7345 Charger/Converter visible by lowering the hinged top cover for this system. Not sure from your description that you checked that breaker.

It is the breaker located directly below the green T letter in the photo below.

oliverpsmile · Post by **oliverpsmile** » Sat Apr 20, 2013 5:07 pm

my microwave burned and died taking all 120V power with it.

I am using it to run a heater

Make up your mind, and if you can, tell us what exactly is wrong. Then you can get real help.

Hike · Post by **Hike** » Sat Apr 20, 2013 5:38 pm

Thanks Bill, I did check the 30 amp breaker. It was not tripped. I did reset it just in case.

Oliver, I am running the heater off an extension cord plugged in to the campground pedestal. No outlets inside the BF are working.

lassen · Post by **lassen** » Sat Apr 20, 2013 6:43 pm

Dorothy.........Have you tried the generator? Maybe something in the switching mechanism between the shore power and generator.

Just another angle I would be trying.

Mel Wilbur · Post by **Mel Wilbur** » Sat Apr 20, 2013 8:03 pm

Oliver, "make up your mind", in Dorothy's original post she did state that she was using a HD extension cord to run the heater. I gotta believe this gal knows what she is doing.

Hike · Post by **Hike** » Sat Apr 20, 2013 8:10 pm

I don't have a generator so that is not an option.

I will be fine until I get to the factory so I will just wait till then to get it fixed.

Thanks for all your replies.

I have a Goal Zero solar kit so I can keep the important things like my iPad charged up!

whemme · Post by **whemme** » Sun Apr 21, 2013 12:06 am

Dorothy,

Just to make sure about the 30-amp breaker on the power pedestal and the one in your Born Free's power panel. Did you actually switch each of these two breaker's ON/OFF lever down to the OFF position and then back up to the ON position to make sure they are reset? When one of these AC breakers blows, the breaker disconnects internally but the lever will stay in the ON position so that if you don't know this, you might think that the breaker is ON when it really is not.

If you did switch them both down to the OFF position and then back up to the ON position, then they should be reset and problem is elsewhere. If you are mechanically minded and know how to do it, the 30-amp breaker in the Born Free power panel is removable by rotating it out of its mounting socket. Then use a electric test meter (VOM) and probe the two terminals inside the breaker's mounting socket. There should be 120 VAC across those two terminals if plugged into shore line power. If no voltage is measured there, then the next step would be to go out to the power pedestal and unplug the Born Free's power cord from it. Then use the test meter to measure across the two slotted terminals of the 30-amp socket there and verify that you have 120 VAC there. If you do, then you have lost power somewhere in your power cable or the 120 VAC wiring inside your coach from the outside receptacle going to the 30-amp breaker inside the Born Free's power panel.

And a note to Sam, since Dorothy's coach is not equipped with a generator, it probably is not equipped with the shore line power/generator transfer relay as it would not be necessary to have that item. You complain repeatedly on this forum about your refrigerator not working on AC power - why don't you go and have it fixed.

al1florida · Post by **al1florida** » Sun Apr 21, 2013 7:22 am

Dorothy,

To add to what Bill just said.

You said you ran a HD cord from the power pedestal to use your elect heater. Is your HD cord a cord with a 30amp connector on it? If not then, you have NOT made sure that there is power coming from the 30amp connector in the power pedestal! The problem could be in the power pedestal, get the RV Park to check the power pedestal or move your BF to where you can plug into an known good 30amp power pedestal.

One more possibility. One of the contacts inside your external power cord could have melted or burned out. If you can find another RV'er with a AC power meter they could help you troubleshoot the problem.

Roger · Post by **Roger** » Sun Apr 21, 2013 10:50 am

My 24RB has a "stealth" circuit breaker that isn't shown on the electrical system diagram. It's located under the converter on the wall that forms the rear of the dinette. It's a 4x4 steel box with a black cover and a red button in the middle. Not sure what it does but, if yours has one, it could be the problem.

Regards, Roger

Dallas Baillio · Post by **Dallas Baillio** » Sun Apr 21, 2013 11:49 am

Dorothy,

Hijacking this thread, tell us about your Goal Zero. Model, etc. I did not know about the various models so I went to their web page. Would like to know what model you have and how you use it. Thanks!

whemme · Post by **whemme** » Sun Apr 21, 2013 3:28 pm

Roger,

That breaker with a red reset button is a DC breaker that is inline with the positive cable from the house batteries to the DC fuse panel in the Parallax 7345 Charger/Converter. It is not part of the AC circuits in the coach.

Hike · Post by **Hike** » Sun Apr 21, 2013 7:01 pm

Bill, I did turn them firmly off and on. I have been fooled before with circuit breakers that trip but still look like they are okay so I reset them all. I am not going to get into testing a bunch of stuff especially since I am not that proficient at troubleshooting electrical problems. I made it to Nebraska tonight and should be at the factory tomorrow so no worries.

Al, I had a 30 amp connector that I used to plug my extension cord in with. There was only one 30 amp outlet on the pedestal so it was the same outlet I used for the BF cord.

Just for grins, when I arrived at my destination tonight after driving about 600 miles, I tried hooking up the BF 30 amp cord again with no luck. I was hoping all that bouncing around might have fixed it!

Roger, I have no other breakers unless they are behind a wall or something. There is a fuse behind the battery box I believe but since the batteries are working I didn't feel I needed to check that.

Dallas, I have the Sherpa 50 solar recharging kit which comes with a 13 watt solar panel. That seems to be enough to keep all my electronic toys charged up. I have been testing it for a camping trip I am planning.