does EVERYONE do most of the work on their campers or am i the only one...

[lpk49]

byron-my battery cost 180-was yours no maintenance/gel?

the word IS inverter

thx for $ info...less than my shih tzu's up keep. guess its worth it.

ed-the 2nd shop already determined it is not the inverter...it is probably a short.

i think i posted that earlier.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by lpk49

byron-my battery cost 180-was yours no maintenance/gel?

the word IS inverter

thx for $ info...less than my shih tzu's up keep. guess its worth it.

ed-the 2nd shop already determined it is not the inverter...it is probably a short.

i think i posted that earlier.

I purchased will continue to purchase standard flooded cell batteries. I don't see enough advantage of gell or no/maintenance batteries.

Inverter = A device that use 12 Volt DC to create 120 Volt AC.
Converter = A device the uses 120 Volt AC to create 12 Volt DC.

Most trailer have a converter so that when connected to 120 AC your battery will charge and 12 Volt DC is supplied to 12 Volt devices.

An Inverter is usually an add on that allows provides 120 Volt AC for use of small 120 Volt devices, like charging your laptop and cell phones.

If it was me I'd really want to be sure there was an inverter in that trailer, if not I'd be heading for a different shop rapidly. Almost all trailers have a converter built in, few have an inverter built in.

[lpk49]

i know both shops said inverter...all i remembered was the "I" maybe some other casita 17' FD ppl will chime in...

[Ed Harris]

Originally Posted by lpk49

i know both shops said inverter...all i remembered was the "I" maybe some other casita 17' FD ppl will chime in...

There is nothing specific to an FD Casita about your problem I think but I do have a FD also.

It would not be every Casita that has an Inverter which is why Byron and I both wonder if that is really what they told you about?

If it is an Inverter you have then as I said before it would be easy to disconnect and see if the trouble persists.

Your trailer does have a Converter which is where the shore power connects when you plug the trailer in at home or at a campsite. The lights and other 12vdc loads in the trailer connect to the Converter which takes the shore 120vac power and turns it into 12vdc power again as Byron said.

The Converter is also where your 120vac devices are connected and there are circuit breakers that protect this not fuses.

So if the shop said fuses are blowing then they must have meant 12vdc fuses and they would start one at a time testing circuits to find the problems and fix as they go.

It should be straightforward but time also adds up and it could end up being a little pricey.

Hope this helps clear it up a little.

[lpk49]

i took him the diagram today and now i am learning more...it is really only one fuse acting up and the lights or plugs (i forget ) around the bottom of the camper are not working. he seemed to know what he was doing. its so much easier to talk to the tech who is doing the work...stuff gets lost when it goes from one to another to another

they dont work weekends and it is getting buggy around here and i really hope it will get done monday

[Donna D.]

I'm late to the party, but back to your original question about doing most of the work. I'm a pull and replace kinda person. IF (for instance) a 110v plug has gone bad, I can disconnect it and replace it. I can replace "P' traps and remove/replace black/gray gates, handle a rivet gun, replace snap caps, etc. Pull windows and reseal. Replace lights with another kind/brand, etc. What I DON'T DO is propane lines. I have replaced the regulator and tank... but running new lines... NEVER. There are somethings worth paying for IMHO.

Everything I've done in the past 10 years saves me money and empowers me to continue to learn how to take care of my trailer. This forum is a life saver and provides me with information to at least try.

Has anyone ever mounted a new axle with a hot glue gun? JUST KIDDING!

[lpk49]

well i'm just gonna have to feel good about feeding the economy i guess...i think i found the right shop.

[carlkeigley]

Originally Posted by lpk49

well i'm just gonna have to feel good about feeding the economy i guess...i think i found the right shop.

Don't feel like you're the only one KAYAK.
I did all my own work no matter what it was years ago.
But now I am not physically able to do much. So it's okay
to rely on others except for the cost in many cases. But that's okay, I guess.

As my wife tells me, "When it's done, it's done."

I took my riding mowers to a shop last winter for the first time in my life.
I used to have my own repair shop. While I was there a fellow brought in
an old chain saw, described his problem. I diagnosed it in the chair, the
repair guy looked at it and said, "Yep, that's the problem." But I'd still have
to have some one else repair my stuff too. And I ALWAYS hated when people
brought in equipment with electrical problems. It can be anything. But I
never charged for my ignorance. They paid me for what I knew, not what I
learned.

[Jared J]

I know here, it's $105/hr labor. My '84 scamp would be over $30k now.

[lpk49]

thx carl-i guess the key for me is to find a shop i can really trust. cuz its not just that i cant do it...i dont have a clue. and honestly-i dont want to. (hope you all dont kick me off for saying that)

i love my camper cuz i cant even walk long distances anymore - but with it i can go where i want with out a problem.

i had a barn full of horses for 50 yrs too...and when i had to break that up because of health it was the hardest thing i had ever had to do. but i learned to lease horses where i get to ride and someone else gets to do the work. i guess the camper thing is sort of like that.

just gotta look at things a little differently.

" I diagnosed it in the chair,"

i know how that feels too... a lot of stuff is still in my brain...but the other parts of my body dont do what they're told

and this: "They paid me for what I knew, not what I
learned."

i applaud you for that...i worked really hard all my life and i have a lot of trouble with many workers today...

[lpk49]

UNBELIEVABLE!!! the last shop caused the problem. there are melted wires etc behind fuse box. it will cost 300-500 just to fix that. i dont think new shop will testify although they will have to write up what they found and did. the tech from the other shop told me clearly some things he did and when i told the new shop they said that would cause it. i PAID that shop 700.00 to break my camper. what a nightmare.

i hate lawyer stuff. maybe small claims will work. i really need this camper to live in now because the weather has changed and i need to do reno on the house. i dont need ALL the elec to work...but i need it to not do more damage.

are the 2 systems totally separate? if the battery is not there can i plug in and have everything work except the brakes?

i dont like drama either but it seems like i just keep bringing it here.

[Carol H]

Kayak, SORRY to hear the saga continues. If the the first place you went to that caused the problem is a member of the Better Business Bureau you could try going through them first to resolve your issue.

I also recommend if you havent already done so, print off the PDF of your trailers manual and keep a copy of it in the trailer. Having a manual in the trailer with a wiring and water diagram comes in very handy if/when you have problems and you are having to use a repair shop that is not familiar with your brand of trailer. Have had to use repair shops to correct electrical issues twice while traveling both occasions I got a big THANKS from the repair person when I was able to pull out an electrical diagram and tell them that the trailer is wired per the manual & that no DYI changes been made other than to connectors & the addition of an outlet which is shown on the diagram.

[lpk49]

thx carol. around here all BBB does is make a list of reports. and you can call to check out a business. but BBB doesnt help you get $ back i dont think.

i did print out the diagrams you sent and took them to new shop and they appreciated it.

i will see if i can priint the whole thing. that makes sense.

[Ed Harris]

Well I will agree with one thing,it is truly unbelievable?
I am not sure however which part you mean?

How can you know who did what without having documented lists of the problem?

NO DO NOT USE ANY OF IT UNLESS YOU CAN TELL US AND KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE PROBLEM IS.

The converter connects both the 120vac power and the 12vdc power systems together and uses 1 to charge the other and run the 12vdc loads.

So with no idea what is wrong and with you claiming melted wires I would not connect any power until you can be sure of what is what.

I know it is frustrating but surely you can find or already know someone you can trust there to decode this mystery for you?

Don't take a chance and burn yourself down!

Originally Posted by lpk49

UNBELIEVABLE!!! the last shop caused the problem. there are melted wires etc behind fuse box. it will cost 300-500 just to fix that. i dont think new shop will testify although they will have to write up what they found and did. the tech from the other shop told me clearly some things he did and when i told the new shop they said that would cause it. i PAID that shop 700.00 to break my camper. what a nightmare.

i hate lawyer stuff. maybe small claims will work. i really need this camper to live in now because the weather has changed and i need to do reno on the house. i dont need ALL the elec to work...but i need it to not do more damage.

are the 2 systems totally separate? if the battery is not there can i plug in and have everything work except the brakes?

i dont like drama either but it seems like i just keep bringing it here.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by lpk49

thx carol. around here all BBB does is make a list of reports. and you can call to check out a business. but BBB doesnt help you get $ back i dont think.

.

While the BBB will not help you get your money back by simple filing a formal complete the company has an obligation to give you a response and attempt to resolve the issue with you within a set amount of time. Those complaints are public for anyone to see so most companies will try to resolve a customer complaint rather than let it sit out there unresolved. Worth a try. Cheaper than a lawyer.

[lpk49]

carol-i can do that. i still need to know this: can i plug in and have my electrical work -all except the brakes of course. can i do this with no battery. thx.

ed-i dont do any work on the camper. there are 2 shops involved. i'm sorry if i dont express myself clearly. the camper is at the new shop now. they determined there was no inverter or converter problem. a lot of elec works but one fuse kept blowing. so he pulled the fuse box and found the melted wires.

im still deciding what to so. but the first shop did some damage by trying to hook up the battery wrong.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Ed Harris

Well I will agree with one thing,it is truly unbelievable?
I am not sure however which part you mean?

How can you know who did what without having documented lists of the problem?

NO DO NOT USE ANY OF IT UNLESS YOU CAN TELL US AND KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE PROBLEM IS.

The converter connects both the 120vac power and the 12vdc power systems together and uses 1 to charge the other and run the 12vdc loads.

So with no idea what is wrong and with you claiming melted wires I would not connect any power until you can be sure of what is what.

I know it is frustrating but surely you can find or already know someone you can trust there to decode this mystery for you?

Don't take a chance and burn yourself down!

Ed I agree - find the problem , repair the problem , test ,then energize
My question is which wire behind the inverter burned . Fuse size is chosen to protect the wiring so if these are fused circuits (3 fuses were blown AC or DC ?) how did the wiring get hot enough to melt . The DC from the battery is fused , the AC wiring has breakers for overcurrent protection.
Did the insulation deteriorate or melt or did the copper conductors melt?

[Ed Harris]

Originally Posted by lpk49

carol-i can do that. i still need to know this: can i plug in and have my electrical work -all except the brakes of course. can i do this with no battery. thx.

ed-i dont do any work on the camper. there are 2 shops involved. i'm sorry if i dont express myself clearly. the camper is at the new shop now. they determined there was no inverter or converter problem. a lot of elec works but one fuse kept blowing. so he pulled the fuse box and found the melted wires.

im still deciding what to so. but the first shop did some damage by trying to hook up the battery wrong.

I am not arguing or judging the way you are describing this really but I am cautioning you against plugging 1/2 of anything in which is exactly what you asked about.

It would certainly help if you could be more precise and specific but I appreciate if you can not which is why I urged you to find someone else there that you know that can and will on your behalf.

Aside from that it is impossible to accept what you are telling us here at face value.
If you don't understand what they are telling you then why do you believe what they are telling you.
If they say now that the wires are melted why would they let you connect anything?
They wouldn't I hope!

I am trying to impress on you to be careful first.

[Loren G. Hedahl]

Originally Posted by lpk49

i PAID that shop 700.00 to break my camper. what a nightmare.

Yes, I do almost all the work on my vehicles, home, campers, etc. When I hear reports like this, I know why.

The problem is that in my later years, now, health conditions are making it difficult to continue in this way. Reports like this don't help me negotiate the transition.

[Mimi Lee]

I wish we had the knowledge, time to do everything on our own. We are short on both, but I hope over time, develop more knowledge. It was naive of me to think buying a new trailer meant we would be free from work at least at first. But the desire and appetite is there, so each experience adds to our stockpile of knowledge.