I have a 2019 Tab 400 BDL. It appears that my shore power isn't getting to the trailer. I'm currently plugged into an outlet in the garage, which has verified power. The Progressive EMS is cycling through the following readings:
119
0 A
60 H
E 0
I assume this means that it's reading 119 volts at 60 Hz, but no current is being drawn. The E0 code is "normal."
The 110 outlets in the trailer aren't reading anything when I plug my multimeter in and my battery seems to be draining when the refrigerator is on. The battery switch is "on." Everything seemed fine this afternoon, when it was bright and sunny on the solar panels - in fact, I hadn't even bothered to connect to shore power then.
Any help on why I'm not getting juice from the EMS to the electronics (and hence not charging the battery, among other things) would be appreciated. Is there a fuse or breaker somewhere to check? It seems like the Tab 400 has lots of fuses, all over the place. Everything on the main fuse panel looks good.
Thanks in advance,
-Tres
2019 Tab 400 Boondock Lite
2017 Dodge Durango AWD with Tow Package IV
A can of Skyline Chili in the pantry
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Is the main circuit breaker in the TaB tripped?
The EMS is internal. The light on the power cord is green, and yes, it is on. I don't think the main breaker to the Tab is tripped because lights, fans, the fridge, etc. are working, they're just working off battery - but perhaps I don't understand the wiring. I'll check the breaker panel again.
Thanks!
2017 Dodge Durango AWD with Tow Package IV
A can of Skyline Chili in the pantry
1. With trailer unplugged from shore power - measure/record the trailer voltage via the cigarette style plug receptacles or at the battery using an LED meter, etc.
2. Plug the trailer into shore power and repeat the above process.
3. Unhook trailer from shore power and unhook the battery.
(a) once the battery is isolated from the system, plug the trailer back into shore power and measure the DC voltage at the cigarette style receptacle. The voltage output should be around 13.3 -13.6 volts DC.
That should give you a pretty good idea whether the WFCO is working properly and providing a good charge to your battery or not.
So, start by turning the battery OFF while plugged into shore power. Now you are relying on the converter to provide 12V power.
If the lights and fan continue to work, then it confirms that the converter is receiving 120V shore power and is working properly. In this case, the problem with your 120V outlets is probably limited to that particular circuit.
On the other hand, if nothing works that suggests the problem is general 120V power supply issue, which could occur for a number of reasons.
Check it out and report back!
jeannie
2016 Nissan Frontier SV 4x4 Crew Cab
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@mona - How did you discover that the 30 amp receptacle was bad? (I assume you are referring to the input, into the trailer). Also, if that is bad, wouldn't it show up in the EMS readings; in other words, wouldn't a bad receptacle prevent power from even getting to the monitor?
@ScottG - I'm still trying to understand what the battery switch actually controls. I thought that it stopped current flow from the battery to the 12V circuits in the trailer, and also stopped current from the shore power receptacle to the battery. If that's correct, then shouldn't the trailer circuits be dead if the battery switch is off? If that's not right, then what does this switch control? I guess what I'm asking is: does the 120 V system bypass the battery, on its way to the trailer circuits?
@Sharon_is_SAM - I don't have a multi-meter to fit a 12V cigarette plug. Is there anyway to use my standard meter? Can I just put the leads carefully into the 12V outlet?
@lkc001 - We'll be at a campground tonight, I think with electric. I can effectively check a different circuit while there.
-Tres (somewhere west of St. Louis, on I-70)
2017 Dodge Durango AWD with Tow Package IV
A can of Skyline Chili in the pantry
However, it is not the case that power from the converter/distribution panel needs to pass through the battery in order to reach the lights, outlets, and other devices.
A little more detail that may help...
When plugged into shore power, circuit breakers in the converter distribute 120V power the outlets (including those that serve, the fridge, Alde, and air conditioner). This is just like in your house, and has absolutely nothing to do with the battery.
In addition, when plugged into shore power, the converter converts 120V power to 12V power, which is distributed to all the 12V circuits (lights, fan, etc.) via the 12V fuse panel.
So, even if the battery is disconnected, everything should still work normally when you are connected to shore power.
In your case, the problem is that when the battery is not disconnected it can confound your ability to diagnose whether the issues stem from a specific problem with one of the 120V circuits, or a more general problem of 120V power not reaching the converter at all.
cheers
Tomorrow night we should be outside Denver. I'm hoping to get this worked out by then. The ability to easily heat water will be clutch.
(at Weston Bend State Park, just north of Kansas City)
2017 Dodge Durango AWD with Tow Package IV
A can of Skyline Chili in the pantry
cheers
I was able to connect to a different shore power source this morning. It is still behaving as before: there appears to be fine power going into the EMS, but from there it doesn't get to the circuits in the trailer. Solar, of course, is making it harder to diagnose.
At the battery switch, there is a 30A fuse and what looks like a breaker of some sort. The fuse is good, by both visual inspection and pulling and testing with multi-meter. The breaker is a black box with a red button and a red lever. If I push the red button, the lever pops out. I presume this is a "tripped" breaker. Resetting the breaker doesn't seem to affect the issue. I don't think the core issue resides with the battery circuit - the solar system charges the battery and the battery can run the 12V system after dark.
When I measure DC voltage at the 12V plug, it actually reads about 20V. This reading may be off because my multi-meter is pretty old and the calibration could be off. Regardless, there is power to the 12V system. Last night, after dark, I turned the battery switch off and the 12V system went dead. As long as the battery is charged, it sends power to the 12V system.
I'm trying to understand how the WFCO distribution panel works. I assume that the converter (120V AC to 12V DC) is part of the panel. Yes? My diagram has AC power going into that panel, then out to the 12V circuits, the 120V system, and the battery.
I think I can use the instructions @Sharon_is_SAM provided to test the converter, after dark when the solar is off. Question, though: is setting the battery switch to off (step #3) the same as disconnecting the battery? And I'm not certain what this will tell me, that I don't already know.
As a sidelight, I don't understand how the solar system figures in. It acts like it bypasses the panel altogether. I say that because if I turn the main breaker off, I still have power to the fridge (at least, the fridge light is on). How (where?) does the solar feed the 12V system (and battery)? Related to that, is there any way to take the solar system off line entirely? Is there a switch, breaker, or fuse that I can disconnect?
Thanks for your continued help!
-Tres (not far from Hays Kansas, continuing West on I-70)
2017 Dodge Durango AWD with Tow Package IV
A can of Skyline Chili in the pantry
Your solar panels are connected directly to the battery. If you turn the battery off, they should still charge your battery, but with the switch off, your battery will not supply power to the TaB. So, solar feeds the battery only - it is not designed to run appliances or feed the 12v system. You can get a solar controller that operates small loads, but, I am not sure if the Victron controller can run any loads.
When you say “ if I turn the main breaker off, I still have power to the fridge ...”. Which breaker are you referring to? Main breaker in the WFCO panel, near the battery?
The actual converter receives 120V power from one of the120V AC branch circuits (on my 320 it's the same circuit that powers the 120V outlets in the cabin).
Other than the breaker or fuse protecting the circuit in your house to which you are connected, there are no fuses or breakers between the shore power supply and the main 30A breaker in the power center
How long did you wait after connecting the trailer to shore power, it takes the EMS several minutes, (3-4 min.) to do its power check of the incoming AC current, before it sends power to the trailer. Did you install the EMS or someone else? The EMS display shows the Power coming in, and once connected and supplying power to the trailer, it will show the amperage load placed on the shore power circuit.
Please check this panel and let us know the status of the breakers. If you can not tell if one is tripped, turn it off (click to the left) and then back on. Wait a minute s d see if it trips, if so is will click and the lever shifts to the left part way near the middle position between off and on.
Has the AC power worked since you installed the EMS? If all the AC breakers are on, and the GFI in the galley is not tripped (red button in the middle of the AD outlet, push it to trip and the black button to reset. If there is no current to this outlet, the GFI red button will not trip it, if this is the case, no piwer is geeting from the converter to the outlet.
@ScottG, that's helpful, to know that there are no breakers or fuses between the EMS and the power center (that's a useful way to describe it). When I was using the term converter, I was thinking of the actual device that turns 120 V alternating current into 12 V direct current.
@Denny16, Thanks for the photo. That looks exactly like our power center. None of the breakers were tripped, nor any of the fuses blown. The EMS was installed at the direction of the previous owner, whom I trust implicitly; I'm certain it was done correctly. The entire electrical system has worked fine for as long we've had the trailer, including a 3 week trip to Florida over Christmas. Everything seemed fine when I put the baby to bed on December 27th. The trailer was plugged in for several hours at home, before I began to suspect anything was wrong. I'll definitely put my meter on the input to the distribution center to confirm power is getting that far. There's a troubleshooting diagram in the WFCO operator's manual that shows the location of the outputs, as well. What I can't tell is how to get to that part of the panel. Does anyone know if I can access it by removing the entire black plastic front to the panel?
We're ditching our plans of camping in the mountains west of Denver tonight. They say they have 6 - 8" of snow on the ground with more coming overnight. The road to the campground is a "plowed" dirt road. It may be a week or more before we're at another campsite with access to shore power, so I have plenty of time to think this through and plan my next moves.
Thanks, everyone!
-Tres (just passing the I-70 exit to Bovina, CO. Outside temp is 39F. Still 150 or so miles from Denver. ).
2017 Dodge Durango AWD with Tow Package IV
A can of Skyline Chili in the pantry
Did you try tripping the GFI outlet in the galley whilst you were plugged in? The other AC outlets on the galley side, are tied into the GFI outlet, and if it is tripped, the other outlets will not work. You can also meter the fridge AC outlet in the pax side rear storage compartment, just inside the door.
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2021 T@B 320S Boondock “The T@B”
Towed by a white 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 Supercab, 3.5L V6 Ecoboost “The Truck”
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@Verna - I will be careful. I've done a fair amount of my own house wiring; mostly troubleshooting and moving circuits. In spite of what I said to @Sharon_is_SAM about learning, I'm not afraid to call in a professional when I'm out of my depth.
2017 Dodge Durango AWD with Tow Package IV
A can of Skyline Chili in the pantry
cheers
If these appliance circuits are ok, then it's only the one 'misc receptacles' circuit, possibly your GFI outlet (needs reset or replacement), or a loose wire at one of the screws in a receptacle (these receptacles are daisy-chained - if one wire is loose, the outlets downstream all lose power). Either scenario is very plausible, GFI receptacles can go bad, and vibration over bumpy roads can easily loosen a wire.
Also, your solar can easily be disconnected through the Victron Connect app. Under your controller's settings, use the "Charger enabled" switch. This disconnects your panels from the system.
If you disconnect your solar, you can try running your fridge on battery for a bit, to observe the Progressive's output indicator. If the Progressive still indicates zero amps with the solar disconnected and a 12v load on the system (the fridge), then you have no connection from the Progressive into the Load Center, ie: it's not charging the battery, or powering the 120v receptacles. Otherwise, it's strictly a 120v output problem, and that is simpler.
2014 S Maxx
2011 Tacoma 4cyl ... edit: 2022 Tacoma 6cyl - oh yeah!
A_Little_T@b'll_Do_Ya
cheers
I'll post again, when I get a chance to delve into it more.
2017 Dodge Durango AWD with Tow Package IV
A can of Skyline Chili in the pantry
We're back at a campground with 120, so I can continue troubleshooting.
I checked the GFIs in the bathroom and next to the sink, as per @Denny16's suggestion. Neither one was tripped.
As per @ChanW's suggestion, I put the EMS in bypass mode. This did not affect anything - all circuits are still dead. From this, I am concluding that the EMS is working fine.
Also, I tried turning on the A/C. It did not work, either. It seems that ALL 120V powered circuits in the trailer are dead.
I haven't pulled the face off the electrical panel yet, to test for power in there. I may give that a try this afternoon, after we get back from hiking. I don't have the Victron app on my phone, so taking the solar offline that way isn't an option, but I do have instructions on finding a fuse that protects that system, so I can pull that.
At this point, it's really sounding like a loose wire somewhere (likely a ground). The challenge will be finding said wire.
Does anyone know of a reputable NuCamp dealer/service center near Paso Robles CA? We may need to call in the professionals.
-Tres (at Watchman Campground, Zion National Park)
2017 Dodge Durango AWD with Tow Package IV
A can of Skyline Chili in the pantry