Assumed low voltage solutions | Cyclone 4007

[nexsin]

While connected to 50 AMP shore power everything will be fine for hours or even days then randomly the ATS will disengage and/or make a clicking sounds. Typically it will be a click or two then power is fine, but sometimes it will cause full loss of power to the coach till we go to a new campground. If the shore side of the ATS is physically held down, power to the entire coach is resorted but once you let go it's lost. The ATS has been replaced twice over a 12 month period but the issue persists.

My 2 questions to this community are as follows:

1. Assuming the campground is the failure what solutions exists to avoid this?

2. Assuming the campground isn't the failure what else but the ATS could be causing this?

 

[Dahillbilly]

to answer your questions; ?1- nothing you can do untill power is restored; ? 2- make sure the wire connections are tight on the ATS, especially the ground and netural wires , the coils within the ATS must have a good connection or they will drop out and then you lose power.

 

[david-steph2018]

If you have a power cord reel. Not sure if this will affect the ATS, but maybe, how are the slip rings, and connections on the power reel?

I had our ATS do the chattering noise, when it was switching from shore to generator. It would also trip a breaker on the generator, once I replaced the ATS, no issues.

 

[centerline]

While connected to 50 AMP shore power everything will be fine for hours or even days then randomly the ATS will disengage and/or make a clicking sounds. Typically it will be a click or two then power is fine, but sometimes it will cause full loss of power to the coach till we go to a new campground. If the shore side of the ATS is physically held down, power to the entire coach is resorted but once you let go it's lost. The ATS has been replaced twice over a 12 month period but the issue persists.

My 2 questions to this community are as follows:

1. Assuming the campground is the failure what solutions exists to avoid this?

2. Assuming the campground isn't the failure what else but the ATS could be causing this?

due to your explanation of whats happening, I have to ASSUME that the problem is not originating from the various campgrounds, but within the coach itself....

have you ever stayed put at the campground when a failure occurred, and then UNPLUGGED from shore power, let it set for a couple hours (or the average time it would take to move to another campground) and then plugged it back in, to see if its resetting itself and has nothing to do with changing power supplies from another campground?......

ATS units are rated for different amperages, and if its undersized and overheating due to a heavy load at times, it will do exactly as you describe, because after it has cooled down, it will work again....

I would get an amp tester/amp clamp and see what kind of load is on the wiring when it happens, and check the reading against the rating of the ats unit..... as this will give you the information needed for the next step in the right direction to solving the problem...

 

[nexsin]

due to your explanation of whats happening, I have to ASSUME that the problem is not originating from the various campgrounds, but within the coach itself....

have you ever stayed put at the campground when a failure occurred, and then UNPLUGGED from shore power, let it set for a couple hours (or the average time it would take to move to another campground) and then plugged it back in, to see if its resetting itself and has nothing to do with changing power supplies from another campground?......

ATS units are rated for different amperages, and if its undersized and overheating due to a heavy load at times, it will do exactly as you describe, because after it has cooled down, it will work again....

I would get an amp tester/amp clamp and see what kind of load is on the wiring when it happens, and check the reading against the rating of the ats unit..... as this will give you the information needed for the next step in the right direction to solving the problem...

I have tried a bunch of things:
1. Waiting 24 hours with the shore power unplugged - Still didn't come back on
2. Plug into a different power pole at the same campground. On 2 occasions this worked, on 2 occasions it didn't work.
3. I had a mobile tech come out and verify everything from the cord reel to the transfer switch was working fine.
4. Flip flopped the shore side and gen side inside the transfer switch. This 1/2 works as it will engage after 15 seconds or so but only 1/2 of my outlets work. I have done this twice now and it works each time.

To be honest number 4 works good enough but its a huge pain in the butt.

 

[centerline]

I have tried a bunch of things:
1. Waiting 24 hours with the shore power unplugged - Still didn't come back on
2. Plug into a different power pole at the same campground. On 2 occasions this worked, on 2 occasions it didn't work.
3. I had a mobile tech come out and verify everything from the cord reel to the transfer switch was working fine.
4. Flip flopped the shore side and gen side inside the transfer switch. This 1/2 works as it will engage after 15 seconds or so but only 1/2 of my outlets work. I have done this twice now and it works each time.

To be honest number 4 works good enough but its a huge pain in the butt.

at this point, i would contact tech support for the ATS unit and explain to them, and they can give you other options to check.... it sounds as if the transfer switch is sensing a load on the other side, and is switching itself..... even though the shore power side is ALWAYS supposed to be the default side when it senses power connected to it...

 

[nexsin]

If you have a power cord reel. Not sure if this will affect the ATS, but maybe, how are the slip rings, and connections on the power reel?

I had our ATS do the chattering noise, when it was switching from shore to generator. It would also trip a breaker on the generator, once I replaced the ATS, no issues.

SOLVED - Thank you @david-steph2018

You nailed it, it was the slip rings... The variable was the exact position of the cord reel. The issue happened again yesterday, I killed the breaker, extended the cord reel a inch or two, kicked on the breaker and voila.

 

[david-steph2018]

Are you going to try to repair or replace the cord reel?
I know a couple of individuals who had the same issue and replaced the cord reel with a plug. They installed a new plug on the side of the rig and put a new plug on their cable.

 

[nexsin]

I do like the convince of the reel just for storage space. Still under warrenty so I will have Heartland decide what they want to do.

 

[david-steph2018]

Who made the cord reel? Our is made by Southwire in Florida.
When the gearing went bad, it was 2 months out of warranty. So, I called Southwire, and they sent a replacement gear set free of charge.
When I was working on it, I had a question, so I called them back and the tech had me set up my laptop so he could watch while I replaced the gearing. Southwire was very good in helping me out.