ATF: Cyclone - Electrical Issue

[Riski]

Greetings! First, I want to start out and say my wife and I are very pleased with our 4100. Some small warranty issues but overall it has been great.

We are having a problem with our electrical. We just set up and plugged in to 50 AMP power. Initially, everything was great. Then, my wife plugged in the hose to the vacuum cleaner and there was nothing. We looked at the microwave and it was off. I took out my tester and began testing outlets and there was no power throughout the entire rig. Initially, I thought the problem was with the power from the park so I went and explained the situation. They came and tested the power and it tested out at 240V. We checked the end of the power cord and it showed power was being delivered. Yet, when we plugged it back into the rig and still nothing.

We turned on the generator and suddenly everything worked except the vacuum and the microwave. So, needless to say, we are perplexed. The rig is still under warranty and we intend to get someone out in the morning but would be curious if, based on the information above, anyone may have some ideas/suggestions. We are full timing.

 

[danemayer]

You may have a problem with the automatic transfer switch. Power from the pedestal comes into one side and power from the generator comes into the other side. The output goes to your circuit breaker panel. The switch uses one input at a time.

 

[scottyb]

If you feel comfortable doing so, remove the cover on the transfer switch and meter both legs to neutral, on all sides of the switch. Do this on shore power and gennerator power. If you have 110-120V on both legs coming in but not going out, it is a bad transfer switch.

 

[Bob&Patty]

Did you check the GFI in the bathroom and for a tripped circuit breaker??

 

[Riski]

Yes, there was no power to the GFI in the bathroom when on city power. There was when on the generator.

 

[Riski]

I hate to ask a dumb question but where is the transfer switch located?

 

[scottyb]

Behind the basement wall. You have to remove about 4 screws and remove the large panel. You do not have to remover the small panel. it should be sitting on the floor just behind the wall. It looks like this Progressive Dynamics.

 

[scottyb]

One more thing. The culprit behind my losing 2 transfer switches in 9 mo, was some loose wiring in the J-box where the wiring comes out of the generator. The wire nuts were loose and the connections only had a few strands making contact. There was also some charring. That's another place I would look because mine was not the only one to have this problem.

 

[wdk450]

You might also have someone watch a turned-on 120 VAC light or appliance (microwave readout?) while you flex the energized shore power cord at its trailer input fitting. These have also been known to have intermittent connections.

 

[Riski]

Thanks! The transfer box actually shorted out. We need to replace it. We are connecting it directly until the new transfer box gets in. Now, I need to figure out why the Microwave and vacuum not working. It is probably a GFI some place. I know the one in the bathroom controls the refrigerator underneath. Any ideas on the location?

 

[scottyb]

Riski, if your transfer switch is shorted, I would definitely be checking that J-box I mentioned. That's the same thing mine did. The 1st one fried the 2nd day I had it at home. It smelled burnt as soon as i removed the basement wall. The dealer replaced it and about 9 mo later, the 2nd one went out. I replaced it and the new one was getting intermittend voltage with the generator running. That's when I traced the problem to the J-box. You don't want to get caught out somewhere only to discover there was an underlying problem that caused the transfer switch to burn up.

 

[Riski]

The transfer switch worked fine when on the generator. Somehow, the short took place on the land side of the house. The repairman is going to go through all of the wiring to ensure I won't have the probelm again. Thank you! Once last question, though. Is there a fuse directly in the icrowave? What I mean is that now the power is connected, there is juice to the outlet where the microwave plugs in but the microwave stilll doesn't turn on. Any thoughts there?

 

[branson4020]

Have you checked the owners manual for the microwave?

 

[danemayer]

The transfer switch worked fine when on the generator. Somehow, the short took place on the land side of the house. The repairman is going to go through all of the wiring to ensure I won't have the probelm again. Thank you! Once last question, though. Is there a fuse directly in the icrowave? What I mean is that now the power is connected, there is juice to the outlet where the microwave plugs in but the microwave stilll doesn't turn on. Any thoughts there?

On our Amana Convection/Microwave, there's a fuse behind the control panel. There's a possibility your owner's manual may provide help. If not, you'll have to search the internet for a service manual for your make/model.

 

[wdk450]

I would think that any high powered portable electrical device like the microwave would have a main fuse in it somewhere, to meet U.L. codes.

 

[DocFather]

If it is a Frigidaire as it is in my 4100, there are no fuses mentioned in the manual. Model #CMWV150KBA

However - see this link (watch the video)

http://www.repairclinic.com/Shop-Fo...sal-Microwave-Fuse-Thermal-Fuse-Breaker-Parts


Here is the link for the manual (see p. 22)
http://www.managemylife.com/mmh/pd_download/lis_pdf/OWNM/L0908531.pdf

 

[tammyinwv]

we have a cyclone 3110 it did the same thing, blowed the transfer switch micowave bed room tv and vacuum cleaner, they are on the same electrical leg. They replace the switch and tv on warranty. We did not replace the micowave and vacuum at that time, we hard wire a surge protecter and had one at the pole the next time we went camping in tn. The tv in bed room blowed again, they sent a service man out, he check every thing out for hours and did not find and thing wrong. We replaced the tv, vac, and micowave work fine for 2 trips then the tv blowed again. Going to replace it again hope in last longer then the last 3 did. Got to be something wrong but dont know where. GOOD LUCK

 

[wdk450]

Tammy:
Get the Progressive Industries HW-50C Electrical Management System. I know that this is expensive, but just consider it expensive electrical equipment insurance. It has a computer board constantly analyzing the incoming power, which controls a big power relay the power passes through. Anything wrong with the incoming power, the EMS cuts the power off, and records an error code telling you what it found wrong with the power. The readout even has a bypass switch to allow power through anyways, if you feel the EMS is making an error, or the electrical problem poses no risk. An added benefit when you are using 30 amp power (and harve the remote readout mounted inside the trailer) is that you can monitor you amperes of current being used BEFORE turning on the high current microwave, hair dryer, or air conditioner and tripping the outside 30 amp RV park pedestal circuit breaker.
http://www.progressiveindustries.net/ems_hw50c.htm

BTW, this can probably be purchased for less off of E-Bay or Amazon.

 

[tammyinwv]

Tammy:
Get the Progressive Industries HW-50C Electrical Management System. I know that this is expensive, but just consider it expensive electrical equipment insurance.

we do have that system wired in plus a surge protector plug in at the pole. Still lost the 2 TV 's since wired in, but hadnt replaced the microwave at that time to know if it would have taken them too or not. They dont want to warranty anything. We went thru this the first time. The trailer company did replace few things the first time out of good faith. I went thru several heated calls with Heartland trying to get them to cover a tech to check out the wiring. The tech couldnt find anything on site but said it would need a thorough in house check. Which warranty wouldnt pay for.

 

[tammyinwv]

forgot to mention the first time nothing was running, then we put the system on. When we lost the tv's, nothing was running and nothing was tripped. The third tv he was watching when it went, but microwave didnt go. Since EMS system wasnt tripped it makes it seem to be a problem AFTER this system....somewhere in the trailer