Generator

Topic: Generator (Read 1044 times) previous topic - next topic

Generator

December 13, 2019, 08:46:55 pm

Just purchased a u270 pick it up yesterday from dealer. I power up generator, are there suppose to be gages to tell u that the generator is suppling the coach with power. When hooked up to sure power there was green lights indicating that 110 was on the panel. Unhooked the sure power the number go blank on panel. With generator running shouldn't these light come back on . I feel I'm only operating on converter power. I also have no 110 on plugs in rear bedroom, if I switch on bloc heater or hot water tank the switches don't light up . I feel like the generator isn't running anything in coach . Do not have 110 in bedroom but have it on in bathroom, kitchen front of coach , but seems I'm only running on converter power. This is a new unit to me and I'm 1000 miles away from dealer heading home boondocking .
Looking for help and advice have a lot to learn Rick

Re: Generator

Reply #1 – December 13, 2019, 08:49:24 pm

Quote from: Cape Bretoner – December 13, 2019, 08:46:55 pm

Just purchased a u270 pick it up yesterday from dealer. I power up generator, are there suppose to be gages to tell u that the generator is suppling the coach with power. When hooked up to sure power there was green lights indicating that 110 was on the panel. Unhooked the sure power the number go blank on panel. With generator running shouldn't these light come back on . I feel I'm only operating on converter power. I also have no 110 on plugs in rear bedroom, if I switch on bloc heater or hot water tank the switches don't light up . I feel like the generator isn't running anything in coach . Do not have 110 in bedroom but have it on in bathroom, kitchen front of coach , but seems I'm only running on converter power. This is a new unit to me and I'm 1000 miles away from dealer heading home boondocking .
Looking for help and advice have a lot to learn Rick

Not sure but sound like you have the green lights that show voltage.. it should have the shore power showing also as its receiving..

Check the 2 breakers on the face of the generator.. probably need reset.

Re: Generator

Reply #2 – December 13, 2019, 08:54:53 pm

Green light on dash , I checked every circuit breaker inside coach did it realize that there was reset button on generator are they hard to find where are they located We are in Canada winter weather and would have liked to run the block heater of the generator but nothing seems to be working

Re: Generator

Reply #3 – December 13, 2019, 08:56:07 pm

Quote from: Cape Bretoner – December 13, 2019, 08:54:53 pm

Green light on dash , I checked every circuit breaker inside coach did it realize that there was reset button on generator are they hard to find where are they located We are in Canada winter weather and would have liked to run the block heater of the generator but nothing seems to be working

Might be prudent for me to ask which Generator you have.. but Mine is on the face top left.. 2 45-50 amp

Re: Generator

Reply #4 – December 13, 2019, 08:57:18 pm

Open the front generator access door and the breakers are on the upper left

Re: Generator

Reply #5 – December 13, 2019, 09:05:50 pm

Check the fuses on the front of the generator by opening the generator door. You will see them at the top left. If it still doesn't work then it is probably either the automatic transfer switch (ATS) or the generator isn't producing electricity for some reason. FYI the generator runs for several minutes under no load to warm up before the ATS switches over to the generator.

Re: Generator

Reply #6 – December 13, 2019, 09:08:08 pm

Some people take out the ATS and put in a manual transfer switch. You might want to look for a big gray box with a large switch just in case.

Re: Generator

Reply #7 – December 13, 2019, 09:11:08 pm

It's a power tech 8 kw the Unit is a 1999 an old timer I'm not at the unit right now I'll go down and check it within the next hour

Re: Generator

Reply #8 – December 13, 2019, 09:16:54 pm

Was this a U270 that was owned in Canada?

Re: Generator

Reply #9 – December 13, 2019, 09:17:05 pm

Rick
It would be helpful for us to know whether or not that the generator worked at the dealership before you left on your way back home.
Did the dealer explain to you how it was supposed to operate? Yes there are breakers on the generator that could be off or tripped and a ATS (automatic transfer switch) involved too. Let us know as much info as you can............

Re: Generator

Reply #10 – December 13, 2019, 09:21:35 pm

Yes in Hamilton Ontario and I'm headed to Nova Scotia would it

Re: Generator

Reply #11 – December 13, 2019, 09:43:13 pm

Quote from: FourTravelers – December 13, 2019, 09:17:05 pm

Rick
It would be helpful for us to know whether or not that the generator worked at the dealership before you left on your way back home.
Did the dealer explain to you how it was supposed to operate? Yes there are breakers on the generator that could be off or tripped and a ATS (automatic transfer switch) involved too. Let us know as much info as you can............

I look at it two weeks ago at a dealer in Hamilton Ontario it look to be in very good shape and well looked after phone the previous owner found his phone number in the coach number in some books in the Coach and I gave him a call he told me that everything was working on it that he was getting old and just downgraded to a van all the maintenance records were in the coach everything seem to be A1 The coach originally came out of Texas the original owner died the second owner had most of all the maintenance maintenance done in Knoxville Tennessee he went down to Florida every winter I flew from Nova Scotia into Toronto yesterday morning and the dealers shop tec spent about An hr with me going over everything he more or less just showed me how to start the generator on the dash and I left with it and last night found out I had no AC power in the bedroom of the couch with the generator on tried to put the block heater on with the switch Light would not light up the hot water ac switch would not light up but the TV would work on the one Ac plug behind the TV three other plugs in the bedroom would not work everything else in the coach seems to be working just problems in the bedroom and the block heater after driving all day today and stopping here in there I started to realize that the inside of the coach is just running on the battery converter have super after going to open the front and check it out

Re: Generator

Reply #12 – December 13, 2019, 09:54:24 pm

Well lets hope its something simple such as the breaker or the control fuse on the generator itself, if the genset is producing power then you should hear the transfer switch "thump" after a minute or two at the foot of the bed. Our coach is probably slightly different than yours so maybe someone will chime in that has the same model coach and generator as yours..

It may require you (or someone) with a multi-meter to make some checks..................

Re: Generator

Reply #13 – December 13, 2019, 10:08:04 pm

In my rig the ATS for the generator/ shore power is in the basement storage. There is another ATS for the inverter that can be accessed by lifting the bed but that one seems to be working as you have power with inverter on.

Re: Generator

Reply #14 – December 13, 2019, 10:50:34 pm

I'm having all the luck can't get Compartment door open to get at the tGenerator door release cable gonna have to wait till I get home so I can get out my tools doesn't look to be a good start with this Motor coach

Re: Generator

Reply #15 – December 13, 2019, 10:58:31 pm

A couple of the doors our our coach, including the one for the gen set handle, seem to bind up sometimes. Other times they are easy to open. I think it is due to the coach position. If you have not checked already, try the door when the coach is level or in travel mode.

As Four Travelers' suggested, once you get the gen set door open, confirm the breaker on the box in the gen set compartment is on, if you have one.

Re: Generator

Reply #16 – December 13, 2019, 11:03:41 pm

Rick. One or more of the Power-tech gererators on my Foretravel's had a a switch on the face of the generator that turned the generator "on", not the engine which is started from the dash or from the bedroom or on the front. The generator had a separate "on/off" switch. Have you checked this?

Re: Generator

Reply #17 – December 14, 2019, 06:27:12 am

The outlets in the bedroom are on the upper sides of the pedestal at the foot of the bed, there should be a breaker on the front of the
generator, check it, until you have this problem fixed and know the coach better I would forget the boon docking and stay at RV parks that have power and more people to help you.Make sure the block heater is plugged into the block.

Re: Generator

Reply #18 – December 14, 2019, 06:50:58 am

Rick, Take a 2 X 4 about 6 inches long and lay flat under the door latch--lightly peck on the 2 X 4 to push the latch up-- then pull up on release handle to release door latch. This has worked on our coach for that compartment.
Chris

Re: Generator

Reply #19 – December 14, 2019, 07:04:31 am

Quote from: DayDreamer – December 13, 2019, 10:58:31 pm

A couple of the doors our our coach, including the one for the gen set handle, seem to bind up sometimes. Other times they are easy to open. I think it is due to the coach position. If you have not checked already, try the door when the coach is level or in travel mode.

As Four Travelers' suggested, once you get the gen set door open, confirm the breaker on the box in the gen set compartment is on, if you have one.

I have two doors difficult to open and I need to pull outward, alternating left to right bottom to open.

Re: Generator

Reply #20 – December 14, 2019, 08:11:45 am

Rick,
For starters check the fuse above the main switch on your box in the photo. If this fuse is blown you will have zero power. Also reset your two 35 amp breakers. Just turn them off and on. Also check the main switch under the fuse. It looks like you can turn the generator portion off and on while the engine is running. Make sure this switch is on. On the left side of the box in your picture is a white switch you can start and stop your generator engine from the outside. If everything checks out ok, you should see voltage readings on your panel inside the coach. You can test for voltage at the breakers on the panel in your picture. If you have voltage you may have issues with your ATS. You can always call Jeff at PowerTec technical support. He is always a great support on our generators and will walk you through checks.
John M.

Re: Generator

Reply #21 – December 14, 2019, 08:17:42 am

Quote from: John Morales – December 14, 2019, 08:11:45 am

Rick,
For starters check the fuse above the main switch on your box in the photo. If this fuse is blown you will have zero power. Also reset your two 35 amp breakers. Just turn them off and on. Also check the main switch under the fuse. It looks like you can turn the generator portion off and on while the engine is running. Make sure this switch is on. On the left side of the box in your picture is a white switch you can start and stop your generator engine from the outside. If everything checks out ok, you should see voltage readings on your panel inside the coach. You can test for voltage at the breakers on the panel in your picture. If you have voltage you may have issues with your ATS. You can always call Jeff at PowerTec technical support. He is always a great support on our generators and will walk you through checks.
John M.

Re: Generator

Reply #22 – December 14, 2019, 09:43:12 am

Quote from: Cape Bretoner – December 13, 2019, 10:50:34 pm

I'm having all the luck can't get Compartment door open to get at the tGenerator door release cable gonna have to wait till I get home so I can get out my tools doesn't look to be a good start with this Motor coach

Cape Bretoner, because of the way the Unihome chassis is made it "moves" with temperature changes. My front door wither drags on the latch or moves freely depending on where the sun is shining.

I know that you've taken on a lot of "New" so give yourself time to adjust to the new and learn how all of the systems work, these are complicated, sophisticated coaches.

After starting the generator, stand quietly in the center of the coach and listen. After 30 seconds to 2 minutes you will hear the note of the generator change as the automatic transfer switch engages to disconnect the shore power line and connect the generator to your coach.

If you have the Foretravel Power Monitor with the red light, the green light and the mechanical meter. The meter will display generator voltage.

FWIW My partner drove our new to us U225 1400 miles home in 20 degree weather running the generator every morning and turning on the block heater, the switch did light up. Lynn was very happy with the way the Cummins diesel started in the cold morning. The block heater wasn't plugged into its dedicated outlet.

Re: Generator

Reply #23 – December 14, 2019, 09:53:56 am

Rick on my 1999 if I give it a slight bump with knee while pulling on the handle it opens everytime. You can call me at 8632203370 if you need more help.
John M.

Re: Generator

Reply #24 – December 14, 2019, 10:09:46 am

As Old Toolmaker relates, the "engine block heater not plugged in" thing has fooled many new Forum members. They think "I turned on the switch - red light in switch is illuminated - therefore block heater is ON".

More than one new owner has found out...not necessarily.

For our newbie Forum coach owners - other things to check:

1. Is the block heater cord plugged into the duplex outlet in the engine compartment? (very common to find it unplugged)
2. Is the power cord going from the plug across to the block heater intact? (they deteriorate from engine compartment heat)
3. Does the block heater actually get hot? (they will eventually fail/burn out) It is easy to check:

After heater is on for about a hour, open aft engine access hatch and feel the engine cylinder head near where the water filter is mounted.

OR, raise bed platform, using a infrared temp gun, check the (before and after) temp of the engine block near the block heater.

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