SOLVED: At A Complete Loss of Next Step

[ClementFamily]

I recently purchased a 2014 Bighorn 3585RL, and I’m having an issue with the residential refrigerator (Frigidaire side-by-side) switching over to the inverter. I have spent a ton of time going back through all of the discussion posts, articles, and the refrigerator troubleshooting walkthrough on this site.

They were all immensely helpful, and yet I have still not resolved my issue. Quick walkthrough of where I’m at:
- The fridge works perfectly on shore power.
- I turn the Magnum 1000w inverter on before disconnecting from shore power. (I am aware of the issues with these inverters)
- I turn off shore power and the fridge immediately shuts off. (I also tried shutting off the ice maker first)
- I have reset the GFCI on the inverter (it wasn’t tripped)
- The volts on the inverter show 13.1v (I have replaced both batteries with brand new batteries)
- I have used a multimeter to test the plug on the inverter (reading 111-112)
- I have tested the line going out of the bottom of the ATS to the fridge (111-112 on both shore and inverter-only)
- I have replaced the 1000w Magnum inverter with a 2000w psw (4000w peak) inverter.
- I have done all tests hooked up to the truck power and not hooked up to the truck.

Nothing.

I seriously don’t know what the next step is to fix this. The only possible solution in my head is that the fridge is plugged into the wrong plug (that seems overly simplistic, but I am wary of trying to move the fridge out to test this theory).

Any ideas from you wonderfully helpful Heartland owners?



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[Jesstruckn/Jesstalkn]

Re: At A Complete Loss of Next Step

Have you check you transfer switch at the Invertor ? It should have the 2 power sources going in and 1 going out to the fridge.

The best thing to use is a non contact volt tester.
Pick one up. It makes life so much easier.
You can get the entire kit for $30.00

Jerrod

 

[ClementFamily]

Re: At A Complete Loss of Next Step

Yep, the output line to the fridge is hot at 112. Both on the shore power and when only on the inverter. If the wire was bad going to the fridge, then it shouldn’t work when on shore power. Then again, I’m not an electrician!


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[ClementFamily]

Re: At A Complete Loss of Next Step

Yep, I’ve tested the line coming out of the transfer switch to the fridge and it’s hot when just the inverter is on. Getting 112 on my voltage meter.

That’s what is so baffling about this. There is power going through that line, and yet the fridge won’t come on after switching off shore power.

 

[danemayer]

Re: At A Complete Loss of Next Step

Yep, I’ve tested the line coming out of the transfer switch to the fridge and it’s hot when just the inverter is on. Getting 112 on my voltage meter.

That’s what is so baffling about this. There is power going through that line, and yet the fridge won’t come on after switching off shore power.

So, I think you're saying that with shore power unplugged, the output of the small transfer switch that supplies the refrigerator is 112V, but the refrigerator stops running despite having voltage coming out of the transfer switch.

My guess is that the amperage flowing through the inverter side of the transfer switch is enough to register on a digital meter, but insufficient to run the fridge. The transfer switch has a set of contacts for shore power operation and a set for inverter operation. One side could have a problem.

I think your transfer switch has failed on the inverter side.

 

[jbeletti]

Re: At A Complete Loss of Next Step

Dan may be onto something with the transfer switch.

You may also be onto something, wondering if your refer is plugged into a non-inverter receptacle. Assuming you're not the first owner, perhaps a previous owner did some repowering.

So, consider looking in the cabinet to the left for an AC receptacle, possibly obscured by paneling. Unplug the refrigerator and plug it into an extension cord. Plug the extension cord into the Inverter duplex receptacle and turn the inverter on.

That bypasses the ATS and the wiring from the ATS output, all the way to the wall receptacle. If this easy test works, dig in deeper with your ATS. Maybe unhook the Romex output wire from it and wire on a female 110v plug or receptacle and try your extension cord there.

 

[wdk450]

Re: At A Complete Loss of Next Step

I would simply try a different 110 vac load on the inverter as a test, maybe a portable lamp?

If the inverter won't run anything, I would say you have a bad inverter and need to try another one.

 

[ClementFamily]

Re: At A Complete Loss of Next Step

First off, thank you for the great suggestions!

So I have had this RV for a couple of weeks now and somehow never noticed the plug coming through the side-wall inside the upper cabinet next to the refrigerator. There is an outlet in the ceiling there that the microwave is plugged into, as well as a splitter (that I found out last night) also has the refrigerator plugged into it... sigh, Occam’s Razor strikes again.

I did the extension chord test from the inverter to the refrigerator and worked like a champ.

So next up is building a small platform to roll the refrigerator out so I can get back there and find the correct plug.

The adventure continues... thank you everyone for the great help!

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[Jesstruckn/Jesstalkn]

Re: At A Complete Loss of Next Step

The correct plug should be up high in thet lower cabinet next to the fridge
Not behind it. No need to pull the fridge.

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[LBR]

Re: At A Complete Loss of Next Step

Agreed. The previous owner could have had problems, and solved it by what you found...refer and micro together.

When you finally do find the dedicated recepticle and get refer plugged into it, don't be surprised that you still may have a problem.... focus on the ATS.

 

[Piperflyer]

Re: At A Complete Loss of Next Step

The correct plug should be up high in thet lower cabinet next to the fridge
Not behind it. No need to pull the fridge.

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My receptacle for my Residential Frig is behind the kitchen drawers next to the Frig.

 

[ClementFamily]

Re: At A Complete Loss of Next Step

You were right. There is a plug under the cabinet next to the fridge, however, it is completely dead (used a voltage tester). Tested the wire coming out of the junction box and there is power to it... so it might be that the fridge wire was cut, or it terminates in a different location. I flipped the “Refer” breaker on/off, nothing on this plug.

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[Jesstruckn/Jesstalkn]

Re: At A Complete Loss of Next Step

I think it's going to be that small transfer switch in the front compartment.

That is where that plug gets its power from

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[ClementFamily]

Re: At A Complete Loss of Next Step

Well this keeps getting better, and I feel like I should be paying for this much service support. However, what I found was that the fridge was plugged into a power strip that was then run to the microwave plug. There’s a junction box on the right wall next to the fridge, and when I opened up the cover, I found the beginning of the wire that goes to the plug under the counter... with no wire anywhere within the wall (after much poking around), that should connect to it.
It appears to me that someone terminated (or rerouted) the wire that comes off the inverter. I’m guessing I’ll have to get under the unit to track the wire from the inverter.

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[Jesstruckn/Jesstalkn]

Re: At A Complete Loss of Next Step

My thought right now is, if you look under you kitchen slide where the wires go up into the floor you will probably find a hole with no wire in it.

I'm thinking that wire got damaged from the slide going in and out because the hole was drilled to far from the outer wall. Then when the slide is in it smashed the wire. So instead of fixing it they just pulled it out...

That is just my guess as of right now with what you are seeing.

Jerrod

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[jbeletti]

Re: At A Complete Loss of Next Step

You're doing a great job of peeling this onion and getting closer to what you'll need to do to get it fixed.

You may already know this, but just in case...

The Romex from the output of the small transfer switch goes into the frame and then out the frame on the side of the RV that the refer is on. It goes into a junction box screwed to the frame. In that box, the Romex is splices into an SJO cord (black rubber jacket with stranded conductors). The SJO cord comes out of the junction box and goes through the Lippert Flex Guard (black plastic wire/cable guide/tray) and then up into the floor of the slide. At some point, the SJO cord likely is spliced back into Romex and the Romex terminates into the receptacle for the refrigerator.

All this to say, your issue could be in that junction box or thereafter.

 

[ClementFamily]

Re: At A Complete Loss of Next Step

Well, at last I have a refrigerator that will run on battery power!! Based an y’all’s feedback, I climbed under the kitchen slide and found both electrical junction boxes that are attached to the rail. One of them had a our mystery wire terminated within it, which I then had to run new SJO through the conduit (and swing arm) and back up through the corner.

Inside hidden under the shelf and behind a thin piece of board was a junction box where all the SJO is converted to romex (as you said). Using my handy voltage tester I was able to identify and label all of the wires coming through and went to feed my new wire behind the fireplace. For some reason I couldn’t feed it through.. so I stuck my flashlight and camera back there and found the subwoofer that goes to my sound bar!

So I removed the fireplace and the subwoofer, and ran the cable all the way through and put a new plug in under the counter. I plugged the refrigerator in, turned on my inverter, turned off the shore power, and my residential fridge is humming away as if we still had 50amps coming into the unit.

Holy smokes I’ll sleep much better tonight.

Next up is replacing all of my refrigerator water lines which have turned into a indoor/outdoor sprinkler system!

Thank you everyone for your help!! I am really glad this forum exists, and helpful owners like you all are there to answer this newbies questions.

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[jbeletti]

Congrats on solving this issue. What you found is really perplexing. Perhaps the previous owner did it or an RV tech did it. I'm happy you kept at it and didn't give up. You also learned so much about how your trailer is wired and more. This will help you down the road and put you in a position to share with / help others.

Happy that you see the value in this forum. I started it on October 2004 when Heartland was an infant - producing their first model year. I had my first one on order at that time. By doing most of my own maintenance and many, many modifications, I've learned so much about these RVs and enjoy sharing with and helping others - on this forum, on Facebook and face-to-face at RV shows and Heartland rallies.

We're happy to have you here and enjoy your inverter powered RV!

 

[Jesstruckn/Jesstalkn]

That's great news. Glad you got it all figured out and working again. Tha last owner must have had a short in the wires and instead of fixing it he just removed it. Who knows ?

Happy trails
Jerrod

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