12 volt and 110

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borrowing Al's picture:

Orginally posted by Al V

do you understand this much <img src=http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/uploads/3f02f73926a12basic dc.JPG/>
maybe a bit to basic but a good place to start

where does the converter go in this hook up? the 110 hooks into converter?

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<img src=http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/uploads/3f044beae09b22basic dc.JPG/>

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here is the general idea of the first part of the picture
<img src=http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/uploads/3f044c0197a84Resize of ac-dcconv.jpg/>
the 110 plug in is on the left (L1, ground and neutral)
it goes through the transformer ( makes it 12 volts),
then other stuff to clean it up (techie stuff not needed to know)
then it is converted to dc and voila! it comes out to a fuse block and buss bar. In this case the wire to the light switch would come from the fuse block, and the negative to the light would come from the buss bar.

Sorry my picture is not quite as neat as the other one, I'm still trying to figure out how to draw with the computer

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A little glimmer of light in my fog, although I had to take elements of both of these drawings and then re-draw them to match my own set-up. I understand "selector switch" but what are "buss bar" and "fuse block" - could you describe how they might look? Also, Al, your drawing shows 2 fuses. I have found the one inside my converter but should there be another one somewhere?

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First, watch the color conventions, as they are different in ac and dc work; commonly in automotive 12VDC, red is hot (+) and black is common ground or return (-), just like on your battery terminals, but sometimes ac techs have wired the dc side using what they know...

Depending on the converter, the buss bar and fuse distribution panel may be found externally or, more common in modern converters, they will be located *inside* the converter, behind a small plate or door (might need a screwdriver) and may be on the same circuit board.

On my S13, the bb and fdp are located in a tupperware box, because I removed them from the converter and discarded the rest of it, preferring a lighter and better actual battery charger to recharge my battery.

Pete in the RatHaus

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in trailers and in house wireing it is the neutral .
all a buss bar is is a place to make common connections
all it doed is make things neater and safer safer because you can make a better connection
a fuse block is just that you have a hot wire + side of the battery
That connects to a bunch of fuses in a box
power goes thur each fuse to its load lights waterpump fan ect
Number of fuses is what they put in whenever who ever built it .
in theroy each grouping of electrials should have its own fuse.
inside lights outside lights waterpump exhaust fan should refergerator should all be on there own fuse.
In my trillium there is a fuse for the refrig and one for everything else . the coverter has a 110 v breaker on the in side and a fuse on the 12 v out side the selector swich is built in to my converter .
some converters automatic switch when ac is lost or plugged in to .
hope that helped bev ,
:cheers

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Black is your hotel loads:ola
in your cars wireing black is the common ground usually:cheers

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Still laughing at your smilie, Al - you and Pete will need to have a few brewskis after trying to explain the electrical system to this newbie! I agree with Pete and will probably ditch my converter if I can figure out how to remove it without damaging anything. But first I'd like to understand what it was supposed to do and how. I guess the whole point is that you travel along using battery power for - in my case - the fridge and then when you get to shore power and have a depleted battery you charge it up using the converter? My S13 did not come with a battery, just dangling wires. The trailer running/brake/turn lights draw power from the tow vehicle and are on a separate set of wires. There is a maze of wires, outlets, and switches that can be accessed from outside the trailer, either behind the fridge or at the tongue, but my converter is under the sink. It is old, and I don't think it works - that is, I don't think it will charge a battery, but how would I find out? It does seem to impact the dc operation though, because the fuse has to be in place and the converter set to batt for dc to work. So I'm hestitant to just start cutting wires! I only use dc when necessary for the fridge, 2 dome lights and the vent-a-hood fan. Maybe for brevity's sake (oh, why should I start now!), you all could just tell me how to cut the converter out of this loop of confusion. I have a battery recharger and plan to use it! Sorry this is so long - are you still awake. :zz

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Unless I'm mistaken, a converter take regular 110 and converts it to DC so it can run your 12v lights and appliances.

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the converter in my trillum does not and was never indened to charge a battery.

there are some batery chargeing converters out there for example the ones in coleman pops ups .

All the converter does is take 110 ac and coverts it to 12 volt dc
so you can run your lights and fan s .

thats why there is a selector in mine it runs off the converted 110
or the battery .

i my case switching to 110 will shut off 12 converter power to the refigerator.

the converters really dont weigh a whole lot so removeing it to save weight is not really an option because with it removed you have to carry around a charger any way to rechage you battery,

bottom line if it works use it . if it does not work see if it is an eazy fix or an expebsive fix then go from there.

fiberglass edges are like little saws over the years a rubbing pannel can easyly saw thur a wire we just saw that with des an dianes boler at the mini ralley the wires for the back half of the trailer worked under a panle for the bench seats it sawed thur 3 wires .

that was an eazy fix.
just cost des a few fine canadian brews
and loyd d had so much fun seeing me upside down and backwards in the lill boler he donated a few of his xxx beer.
ummm all this beer talk catch ya later:crazy-ii

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Thanks for clarifying my confusion over the purpose of the converter. I can't imagine an instance where I had 110 and would want to use battery, but, OK, I'll keep the converter if I can get it to work properly.
Why is it that I read 12 volts dc at the lamp socket of my 12 volt interior lights yet the lamps will not light? I know that the lamps are good because when I switch them to battery they light just fine.

Cheers!

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my guess is your converter is not working, or not hooked up.
I want the converter to run my dc when on 110 without using the battery. or I could just have two seperate systems and no converter. that's a thought.

thanks for the diagrams, everyone.

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Oh, Jana - I'm sorry. I butted in and took that thread in a direction you didn't need. I'm so :red

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what are you grounding to. this actually sound like a grounding problem

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the center pin in the lamp socket and the collar of the lamp socket - it's like volts are OK but not enough amps

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both terminals?
just thinking it might be bleeding thur some connection somewhere

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is to go to its terminals in the back of it tap in there and see if it powers a lamp . if it does it is just a mater of traceing down the offending wires

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Orginally posted by Beverly D

Oh, Jana - I'm sorry. I butted in and took that thread in a direction you didn't need. I'm so :red

Don't worry about it. I got my answer on the first two. the rest was gravy. Keep the questions coming. this stuff is starting to make sense.

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Al, I took your advice and tapped into the converter. It would not light a good bulb. I guess Jana is right that the converter is not working.
Thanks, all, for your help on this one.

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that will be one beer please lol
just kidding
Al