Foretravel Owners' Forum For owners and Fans of Foretravel Motorcoaches September 11, 2025 ...

As I type this by candlelight... Electrical problem. Help neded.

August 02, 2021, 10:56:05 pm

So we get to our Escapees rally and half the coach's electrical system is not working.  Both legs of the 50 amp service are present at the pole and at the transfer switch and also at the main (large) breaker box.  Wire comes out of this box and joins a lot of similar wires running towards the front of the coach.  It returns to the smaller breaker box but no power is present.  This leg supplies all the outlets in the coach as well as the microwave and washer.  The inverter is also powered on this leg.  A/C is working as it's on the other leg.  House batteries are at 8.0 volts. we have no 12 volt power and the generator is not working (that's another issue).  We cannot run the engine, as it's 10pm, to charge the batteries.  Also it's not the ground fault interrupter causing it.

So where does the wire go after it leaves the main breaker box?  I have turned off the inverter and looked behind the white cover in the bay.  What am  I missing here?

Keith

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Re: As I type this by candlelight... Electrical problem. Help neded.

Reply #1 – August 02, 2021, 11:15:30 pm

Keith,

In your owners manuals you should have the 110V Relay System wiring diagram, A-2700.xx

The link below is from the Forum library.  it may not be correct for your earlier model coach.

Sorry I can't be more help.  Your reported symptoms seem pretty confusing to me, but I'm a English major.

https://www.foreforums.com/index.php?action=media;sa=media;in=3269

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Reply #2 – August 02, 2021, 11:31:34 pm

If what you are loosing is what the inverter gives you maybe the transfer switch part
of the inverter isn't working.

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Reply #3 – August 03, 2021, 07:45:41 am

I believe the power goes to the inverter/charger and then back to the smaller breaker box.  Some inverter/charges had a push in circuit breaker.  That might have tripped.  If the inverter/charger has died you can connect the wires going to and from the inverter to get power to your small breaker box.  That will solve that problem but will not solve the 12v problem.  If the inverter/charger has died and can not get one quickly you can go and get a battery charger and connect to your house batteries.  Not an idea setup but something to get you by.

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Reply #4 – August 03, 2021, 09:04:28 am

Assuming your '95 is similar to my '99, lift up the bed.  There will (might) be 2 transfer switch boxes. The upper box is for shore power/generator, the lower box will be for shore power and inverter. 
When my inverter died and wouldn't allow any 120vac power through it or charge the batteries what I did was open the lower box after making certain there was NO power coming into the coach, and rewire the transfer switch so that it bypassed the inverter and sent power directly to the subpanel next to the main panel at the foot of the bed.  That gave me full power throughout the coach.  I still had no charging to the house batteries so had to find a dumb charger to get some charge. 

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Reply #5 – August 03, 2021, 09:23:40 am

If the second OEM transfer switch is working it selects land line (or generator) or inverter.  Only one or the other.  If you are plugged in or the generator is running then it doesn't matter what the transfer switch in the inverter charger does (if there is one), the secondary panel gets power from the main panel.

The Inverter/charger transfer switch passes through 120v AC if it is available or inverter power if it is not.  If 120vAC from generator or landline is available the coach second transfer switch switches to that power and there is no connection to the inverter.

This assumes you have two transfer switches.

Open and close the breakers to the inverter and the secondary panel.

8 volts is very low.  They didn't charge while driving?  some chargers will not charge if the voltage is too low.

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Reply #6 – August 03, 2021, 10:19:21 am

Since you are getting neither battery charging nor "pass through" power from the inverter to outlets, microwave, etc check for 120 VAC power IN at the inverter.  Don't know what inverter you have-- some have resettable breakers, some an internal fuse.

And, at 8 VDC, a smart inverter/charger will not attempt to charge the batteries.  You will need either a "stupid charger" or jump from toad to get the voltage high enough that the inverter/charger will take over.

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Reply #7 – August 03, 2021, 11:23:23 am

The "small" breaker box contains the breakers for the inverted circuits. It gets power from the inverter. It does not supply power to the inverter. So.....I'd say you have an inverter problem. It would help as mentioned above to know what inverter you have.

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Reply #8 – August 03, 2021, 03:22:36 pm

With my 95 I have found that "major" electrical problems are usually simple fixes.
Somehow the salesman switch was turned off
The circuit breaker on the "old" Heart inverter/charger flipped
The ground fault in the bathroom popped

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