THE GENERATOR SEEMS DEAD - THE GENERATOR RUNS BUT THERE IS NO POWER IN MY ROADTREK!

This article applies to Roadtreks with the Onan gasoline powered generator Microlite 2800 models up to the KY model that came out mid to late 2012. It applies to the KV model that is the model before the KY and should apply to earlier Onan's.  I DO NOT KNOW if it applies to the newest Onan Microlite 2800 model as that has a very different motor.

 

The Onan Microlite 2800 gasoline  generator in the Roadtrek will at times not start - it does not try to start and stop. When the start switch is pressed - either on the wall or inside the generator itself - the motor seems to be DEAD! This could be a mechanical issue inside the Onan but the first thing to check is the FUSE inside the Onan.  Early Roadtreks had the Onan in a compartment on the outside of the van on the side wall.  These are easy to work with inside the generator. Later Roadtrek moved the generator under the chassis of the van.  Look under the rear bumper toward the driver's side and you will see it hanging down.  The FUSE is inside the generator case. The fuse is between the Roadtrek battery(ies) and the ignition of the generator motor and this goes through the generator's control panel. 

 

 

Sometimes the generator starts just fine - and runs perfectly but there is no 120 volts of AC power coming out of the generator.  You turn on the A/C and nothing happens! You turn on the microwave and nothing happens! The first thing to check is the CIRCUIT BREAKER inside the Onan! The internal Onan CIRCUIT BREAKER is between the Onan's output and the Roadtrek! 

As you can see in the illustration above - the breaker and the fuse are near each other. 

 Getting to the Onan when it is under the chassis -  

I should not have to say this but before going to the generator SHUT THE GENERATOR OFF!

 Sorry to say, you have to crawl under the back of the van's rear bumper on the driver's side either on your back or on your belly. When you get close enough it will be above your head - and it is a pain to work on it propping yourself up on your elbows or reaching up on your back looking at it upside down. 

You then have to remove the access panel on the front of the Onan's case by pushing up on the two buttons - shown in the first illustration - at the same time and then pull forward and down on the panel to take it off.  Once the panel is off you will see an  open space in the middle - as shown in the second illustration.  In the picture here it is easy to see. Looking inside the Onan upside down or trying to look up at it - it is not so easy to see.  You might not see it all all.  if that is the case you are going to have to rely on touch.  

 FOR THE FUSE - PUT TWO FINGERS IN AND FEEL FOR IT - it is a regular automotive blade type fuse - 5 amps. Get hold of it with two fingers and pull it out (try not to drop it). Look into the center of the top of the fuse and see if the metal connection inside is broken. If so the fuse is blown and must be replaced - and when you do so the generator will start right up - if this was what the problem is. 

FOR THE CIRCUIT BREAKER -  PUT A FINGER DOWN AND FEEL FOR THE LITTLE BLACK HANDLE THAT POINTS TO THE PASSENGER SIDE.  Once you find it push it DOWN TO RESET IT and then with a finger under it PULL IT UP TO SET IT. It will click into place and stay there.    

 If you want to wait to put the access panel door back on and go and try the generator to see if all is well, then there is no problem leaving it off until you go inside and turn on the generator and if it was the fuse make sure it starts and if it was the circuit breaker to make sure you now have power.  Then crawl under again and put the access panel back on.    You have to push up the two buttons again and put the top in first and swing the bottom into the Onan to close the panel - once set in let go of the buttons  and if they don't want to go on their own - push them down to lock the panel on. 

IF you changed the fuse and want to start the generator with the internal start switch - shown above - you can BUT the generator when it starts is going to vibrate and you do not want to have your hands or your head anywhere close to it. I don't recommend it having done it. 

 WHY DID THE FUSE BLOW?  The generator may have overloaded when starting.  When the generator is being difficult to start - do not just keep holding onto the start switch inside the Roadtrek. Let off the switch - wait a half minute and then push the button again. After several attempts to start it - let is sit for ten minutes and then try again.   

 WHY DID THE CIRCUIT BREAKER TRIP? This can happen if a load over 2800 watts is put on the Onan - A/C turned on and then the Microwave is turned on at the same time. AC is running and a hair dryer is plugged into an RT outlet and turned on.   

BUT IT IS VERY COMMON FOR THE BREAKER TO BE SHUT OFF WHEN ANYONE - PRO OR OWNER DOES ANYTHING INSIDE THE ONAN - INCLUDING JUST CHECKING THE OIL.                                                    

What happens is the set breaker handle is located close enough to the top of the open space that hands easily hit it down and turn it off. I have been at an Onan shop and when they told me it was ready and aI went inside to turn it on and make sure - and the Onan is running - great! - BUT the microwave display is dark (this is a quick place to look to see that you have power as when plugged in or running the Onan the display is lit - even though the microwave is not turned on. I turned on the A/C just to make sure - A/C - it did not start - just like it was dead - which it is without any 110/120 volt electricity. I called the service tech back over and told him to go under again and put the breaker back on - as he obviously hit it when he was working inside. He was not happy. They hate going under to work on it also. 

WHAT IF NEITHER OF THESE WORK TO FIX IT?    

The least expensive thing to have happened is a connection from either the fuse or the breaker came off of the Control Board. This happened to me - found by an Onan service tech - we both thought it was the breaker but a wire from the breaker came loose on the control board inside the Onan.  Worst case is there is something much bigger wrong with the Onan.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                ======================  

The last time I had my Onan in for service I watched the service tech go under in a different way to work on the Onan. He rolled under on a mechanic's creeper from behind the driver's rear tire from the driver's side of the Roadtrek. He was not on the ground. The mechanic's creeper lifted him up high enough to more easily look inside and get inside of the Onan. Every so often Harbor Freight stores put a nice creeper on sale for less than $30. (No I don't work for Harbor Freight and I get nothing from them for mentioning their store! (I wish I did 😉!) 

The two illustrations are from the Onan KV manual.  If you do not have an Onan manual, EMAIL US! and I have a KV and a KY manual that I will email you the one you need. I also have a KV service manual which is very thick in pages. I can email that to you if  you ask for it - it is for the KV but the basics will apply to the KY. Be sure to tell me in the email if your Onan is a KV or KY so that you get the correct manual.  These are no longer easy to find on the Cummins/Onan website.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

                                                                                                                                                                                                      

TWO BATTERY CHARGING SYSTEMS IN A STANDARD CHEVY ROADTREK ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

 

This article gets into some very technical explanations which I have tried to simplify as best as I can!

 There are two key components of the battery charging system in the Chevy Roadtreks. The two components in some cases work independent of the other. In other cases they work together. The equipment for these two components also vary by year and model of the Roadtrek.

One of these components charge the Roadtrek battery or batteries (which also depends on year and model) when the engine is running. The other of these components charges the Roadtrek battery or batteries when the Roadtrek is plugged in or running the generator.

 Before we go any further – none of what is in this article applies to Roadtreks that have the optional electric system components that began to make their appearance in late 2013 and beyond. These are – Roadtrek designed Ecotrek lithium ion batteries, solar panels, the underhood generator, and a system Roadtrek designed called VoltStart.  (Voltstart monitored the coach batteries voltage and when the voltage dropped automatically started the Chevy engine to run the optional underhood generator to recharge the batteries. There was also an option to get Voltstart which would start the Onan generator when the battery voltage dropped and the battery (batteries) needed to be recharged.) Also any modification to the Chevy Roadtrek’s electrical system by an owner to include lithium ion batteries, solar panels,  a DC to DC charger, replacement of the TrippLite inverter/converter/charger, etc makes anything in this article not apply to your Chevy based Roadtrek.  Any of these options and owner modifications changes what needs to be on when, what does what, and how things work in regard to the electrical system.

 What Roadtreks does this article apply to - any Roadtrek with the standard basic electrical system – and though this article we will talk about what that consists of.

 This article is not going to be broken down in parts – it will be one article with everything in it – and, therefore, it may be long.  So let’s get started.

 First we are going to look at how driving the Chevy based  Roadtrek or running the Chevy Roadtrek’s engine charges the batteries (battery). 

 Year and model effects this.  Chevy Roadtrek 170, 190, 210 and Chevy Roadtrek Simplicity models and Ranger Models (the Chevy based Simplicity was a scaled down 170 or 190 – Roadtrek later names a non-Chevy based Roadtrek the Simplicity – and that is not included here. The Ranger was also a scaled down Chevy based 170 or 190 with options to include some of the features of the regular 170 and 190.  Both the Simplicity (which was short-lived) and the Ranger were an attempt to reduce the price of a Roadtrek to make it more affordable). Year determines also what electrical components Roadtrek is installing.

 Early Roadtreks and into the mid 2000s for the Chevy based Roadtreks have a battery isolator installed by Roadtrek in the engine compartment.  The battery isolator connects the engine battery with the Roadtrek coach battery(ies). A cable is run from the coach battery(ies) to the engine and is connected to a battery cable connection on the battery isolator. Between the cable and the isolator Roadtrek installs a self-resetting circuit breaker. A cable connected to the engine battery is also brought to the battery isolator and also has a self-resetting circuit breaker between the cable and the connection to the isolator.  There is a ground cable also attached. Here is a photo of a Roadtrek battery isolator – under the hood against the back engine wall.

THIS PHOTO COMES FROM RED ROVER

 The battery isolator works in only one direction – from the engine battery to the Roadtrek battery(ies) and only charges the Roadtrek coach battery(ies). Of course, the engine battery is charged normally by the van alternator.  So why mention this  -  when you are plugged in to shore power or running the Roadtrek generator – if you have one – the engine battery is NOT charged by the battery isolator.

 This continues in the Roadtrek standard electrical system until 2007 later year built Chevy Roadtreks and then 2008 and beyond – with the standard electrical system.  According to the creator of the Roadtrek Electrical Simulator in his written NOTES that accompany the Simulator, in 2008 Roadtrek changes from a battery isolator to a battery separator as at this point Roadtrek found that the isolator was not working as it should when compared to a TrippLite 750 inverter/converter/charger.  (The 2005s have a TrippLite 600 inverter/converter/charger. Per the Roadtrek brochures for 2006 and 2007, they have the TrippLite 750 but they do not change over to the battery separator for these years and remain with the battery isolator though some later built in 2007 Roadtreks may have the battery separator. This is a photo of the battery separator, Notice the simpler and fewer connections.

 

What is the difference between the two?

The battery separator does the same thing as the battery isolator but in a different way electronically. They are connected the same way. They both charge the Roadtrek coach battery(ies) when you drive but it has an added feature – it is bidirectional – which means not only does it charge the coach batteries when the engine is running but it also charges the engine battery WHEN THE ROADTREK IS PLUGGED IN OR RUNNING THE GENERATOR! 

I can best explain how the battery separator works as I am most familiar with that.  The battery separator monitors the battery voltage – the separator monitors both sides – the engine battery voltage and the Roadtrek coach battery voltage. The battery separator used by Roadtrek is the Sure Power 1315-200 (BIDIRECTIONAL) 12 VOLT 200 AMP BATTERY SEPARATOR.  There are two voltages that the battery separator looks for.  When either battery – the engine battery or the Roadtrek battery(ies) is below the “disconnect threshold” (which is 12.8 volts DC) the relay is opened connecting the two sides – engine battery to Roadtrek battery(ies). This starts charging of one or the other of the two sides.  Which? If the engine is running the engine battery is charging the Roadtrek battery(ies).  IF you are plugged into SHORE POWER OR RUNNING THE GENERATOR then the Roadtrek battery(ies) are charging the engine battery at the same time the TrippLite is charging the Roadtrek battery(ies).  When the “connect threshold” voltage (which is 13.2 volts DC) of the battery(ies) being charged is reached the battery separator shuts off charging.  The battery separator is designed when it is off to preserve the engine battery at 12.8 volts – which is 100% of the engine battery’s capacity to start the engine.

 This is very confusing to most and is from the Sure Power documentation for the battery separator. These voltage numbers to most of us are not important – BUT if a mechanic needs to test the battery separator (or a battery isolator – he needs these numbers to make it connect and disconnect. While we are paused for the moment, I want to explain simply about 12 volt battery voltage.  It would seem that when a 12  volt battery is fully charged, if you read the voltage of the battery it would read 12 volts. That is not what it will read. If it is fully charged it will read between 12.7 and 12.8 volts. Between 12.2 and 12.4 volts the battery is half charged. At 12 volts it is one quarter charged.  At 11.9 volts it is DISCHARGED!  Deep cycle batteries should not be allowed to go below half charge. On the Roadtrek monitor panel half charge is the two bottom LEDs lit – on the digital panel that would be the bottom two indicators. AT THIS POINT THE ROADTREK BATTERY(IES) NEED TO BE RECHARGED! GOING BELOW THIS POINT THE BATTERIES WILL LOSE CHARGING CYCLES - HOW MANY TIMES A BATTERY CAN BE CHARGED TO FULL.

 Back to the battery separator – when you plug in the Roadtrek to shore power and have someone stand next to the front driver’s side of the hood of the van you will hear a CLICK. That click is the battery separator connecting the batteries together on each side – engine and Roadtrek sides connected – and charging!

 When you start the engine, IF YOU LISTEN VERY CLOSLY, you will hear a faint CLICK. The battery separator just connected the batteries and they are charging. Want to be sure – go to the monitor panel on the wall and turn on the battery switch and press the test button – the battery column will be lit top to bottom – top LED or indicator is labeled C for CHARGING!  The Roadtrek battery(ies) are being charged by the engine separator.

 

A QUESTION THAT OFTEN IS ASKED:

DOES THE BATTERY WALL SWITCH NEED TO BE ON WHEN THE ENGINE IS RUNNING TO CHARGE THE ROADTREK BATTERY(IES)?  THE ANSWER IS A SOLID NO!  THE BATTERY(IES) WHEN THE ENGINE IS RUNNING WILL STILL CHARGE WHEN THE BATTERY WALL SWITCH IS OFF!  CAN THE BATTERY SWITCH BE ON IF YOU WANT IT TO BE ON – AS FOR RUNNING THE FRIDGE ON DC WHILE DRIVING? YES, OF COURSE! THIS IS YOUR CHOICE AND EVERY THING WORKS AS IT SHOULD.

 

WHAT HAPPENS IF THE BATTERY SEPARATOR OR A BATTERY ISOLATOR GOES BAD?

Things happen on either the engine side or the Roadtrek side of the electrical system that cannot be explained by any logical reason.  The engine battery could be drained dead. The Roadtrek battery(ies) could be drained dead. Both could be drained dead. Electrical things start happening that just do not make sense!

When this happens take the Roadtrek to either an RV shop or a vehicle mechanic who understands battery separators or battery isolators.  These units are common in food trucks, refrigerated trucks, etc.  Any vehicle where there is a battery for the engine that needs to be connected to a battery for the coach that gets charged by the engine battery when the engine is running. The mechanic who works on my Roadtrek surprised me when I bought my Roadtrek to him because the coach batteries were not charging and draining fast. He tested the battery separator - I gave him the two documents from Sure Power that have all that is needed to test it – and he tested the two self-resetting circuit breakers.  The diagnosis – the battery separator was not putting out any power to the Roadtrek side. The battery separator needed to be replaced.  That time I was lucky because a week before I decided to order a new Sure Power Battery Separator to carry in the Roadtrek just in case and it arrived the day before. I brought it to him and he removed the old one and installed the new one. It was very easy – simple swap of wires and attach to the wall into the same screw holes that held the original.  I highly suggest that you get one to carry as a spare.  They are not found locally – I had to order that one on the other side of the USA. 

 

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A SPARE AND IT IS DRAINING THE ENGINE BATTERY AND YOU ARE STUCK!

First make sure a mechanic has told you that the battery separator is not working correctly. Ask the mechanic to remove the cables from the Roadtrek battery(ies) and the Engine battery from the Separator (or isolator).  Ask them to secure these cables and wrap the ends with electrical tape so that they do not short out under the hood – also to label them to which goes where.  (The BIDIRECTIONAL Sure Power does not matter which battery cable goes on which side) The battery isolator matters and the correct cables need to be connected to the correct connections.  This should take the battery separator or isolator out of the system and allow the battery sides to work independently of the other. This does mean THE ROADTREK BATTERIES WILL NOT CHARGE AS YOU DRIVE OR RUN THE ENGINE. THEY WILL STILL CHARGE WHEN YOU PLUG IN OR RUN THE GENERATOR. WITH THE BATTERY SEPARATOR YOUR ENGINE BATTERY WILL NOT CHARGE WHEN YOU PLUG IN OR RUN THE GENERATOR.  IT WILL CHARGE NORMALY WITH THE VAN ALTERNATOR LIKE ANY OTHER CAR OR VAN.

 

This will get you home or to your destination. If you are on a long term trip try to find the battery separator on the Internet and have it shipped to the location you will be at within the delivery time – and then you can have it installed and all put back together.

 There are two PDF documents that I cannot attach to this article. Both are documents for the Sure Power battery separator written about here.  They are worth having and being able to share with any mechanic if your battery separator needs to be tested. Use the EMAIL US! Link on the right column of this article and ask me to email it to you. I will do so as soon as I see your email!

 

 MOVING ON AND IT GETS A LITTLE EASIER TO UNDERSTAND!

 The second charging component in a Roadtrek!  

 This is also dependent on year and model of your Chevy Roadtrek. To charge your coach battery(ies) when you are plugged in or running the generator (if you have a generator) your standard electrical system Roadtrek either has a CONVERTER/CHARGER or a TRIPPLITE INVERTER/CONVERTER/CHARGER. Roadtreks 2004 or earlier have a Converter/Charger. (Someone with a 2004 is going to say I HAVE ONE!!! – you may – how come – Roadtrek starts putting newly adapted equipment sometimes in a late year built Roadtrek so sure it is possible that someone will have a 2004 with a TrippLite! But according to the 2004 brochure – you have a converter/charger).  Roadtrek started offering a stand alone inverter to the Roadtreks that only have a converter/charger as an option. Some will have it and some will not.

In 2005 Roadtrek installs the TrippLite 600 watt inverter/converter/charger into each of the 2005 Chevy based Roadtrek models. In 2006 Roadtrek installs an upgraded TrippLite 750 watt inverter/converter/charger. The main difference between the two is that the 600 has 150 watts less of inverter wattage from the 750. Right here we need to clarify something very important.  Many refer to the TrippLite – either 600 or 750 – as “the inverter”.  The inverter is JUST ONE of the functions of the TrippLite.  The other two functions is that it is a converter and a charger. By calling it “the inverter” it makes it very confusing trying to determine what a problem with it one is referring to. Some one asks  – “Do I put the inverter on?”  -  is that do I put the inverter function wall switch on or do I put the TrippLite on? Well, most of the time the TrippLite is always on – (we will get deeper into that as we go along) – and it is supposed to be. All the wall switch that says INVERTER on it does is start the inverter function working.

 

THE TRIPPLITE

THE INVERTER FUNCTION WALL SWITCH

If you have a 2005 – you do not have an inverter wall switch. The connection for it is on your TrippLite 600 but Roadtrek chose for some reason not to connect it.  This means that it is always has the inverter function on which can drain your Roadtrek coach battery(ies). To stop this there is a slide switch on the TrippLite that needs to be changed – more about this coming.

Ok – what does the inverter function do?   

The inverter function changes 12 volt DC power into 110 volt AC power.  600 watts and 750 watts is not a lot of wattage and will not power a lot. Because of the limitation Roadtrek only connects three or four outlets to the inverter function on the TrippLite. These outlets also work normally when plugged in or running the generator. But if you have cannot plug in or run the generator (lots of campsites have noise restrictions after a specified hour at night) and you want AC power to watch TV – plug in your laptop, charge your cell phone – you can turn on the inverter wall switch and plug in. The outlets most commonly connected to this are the outlet the TV and home entertainment center is plugged into, the outlet over the kitchen counter, and the outlet the optional coffee maker is plugged into or would have been plugged into. They all work on DC. Roadtrek put this sticker above or next to the outlets connected to the inverter function in my 2011 190 Popular.

 

What does the Converter function do?

The converter is the opposite of an inverter. It changes 110 volts AC into 12 volts DC. Plugged in or running the generator and you have lights, the water pump, the furnace, the hot water heater, etc. working!

 

What does the Charger function do?  

 

The charger charges your coach battery(ies) when you are plugged in or running the generator.  It us putting 12 volts DC into the battery(ies) to charge them.

 The TrippLite wants the battery switch on BEFORE you plug in or run the generator. In Roadtrek put a sticker saying this in some Roadtreks.

 

So, before you plug in, turn on the battery switch.  You need the battery switch on anyway to start the generator.

 

The TrippLite has a cooling fan on the front. When the TrippLite needs to cool itself down so that it does not overheat – the fan starts. The question so many new Roadtrek owners ask – and I asked also – What is that humming noise coming from below the bed? Getting the answer is like being accepted into the ‘club’! It IS the FAN running when it has to. It is not constant. It is intermittent. Over time in the Roadtrek you will get so used to it you will not even notice it. Can it be turned off – NO! It will turn itself off when it is cooled down. I asked a service tech at the dealer I bought the Roadtrek at new – he laughed and said, “Every one asks that! – and he laughed. He told me the answer and smiled. Now, you know the answer too!  I am not familiar with the converter/charger Roadtrek used before the TrippLite but I suspect it too has a fan.

 

Where is the TrippLite – it generally is close to where the battery(ies) is/are outside. Mine is behind the passenger side cargo door.  Rather than go through the story of my search for it – I will link that article here. 

https://roadtrek190popular.blogspot.com/2013/02/in-search-of-elusive-roadtrek-inverter.html

 On the front of the TrippLite there is a slide switch on the upper right front.  There are three positions – left – AUTO/REMOTE --- center – DC OFF -  right – CHARGE ONLY.

 

AUTO/REMOTE - Enables the inverter function switch on the wall to work. By turning the wall switch on when it is enabled the inverter function puts 110 volts into the outlets it is connected to. In this position the battery(ies) do charge – just as they would in Charge only.

 

DC OFF – This position disconnects the TrippLite from the coach battery(ies). This is how to turn off the TrippLite if you want to. The batteries are directly connected to the TrippLite and the TrippLite bypasses the battery wall switch. More about this later. In DC OFF – when plugged in or running the generator THE BATTERY(IES) DO NOT CHARGE. 

 

THIS IS SURE TO RAISE THIS QUESTION – IF IT IS IN DC OFF WILL MY COACH BATTERY(IES) CHARGE WHEN DRIVING AND THE ENGINE IS RUNNING.  YES – YES, THEY WILL STILL CHARGE- It is the battery separator or battery isolator that is charging them when you are running the engine or driving.

 

IF YOU ARE REMOVING THE ROADTREK COACH BATTERY(IES) OR REPLACEING TRIPPLITE SAYS TO DISCONNECT IT FROM THE BATTERY(IES) – PUTTING IT IN DC OFF ELECTRONICALLY DOES THIS! THIS IS SIMPLER THAN REMOVING THE BATTERY CABLES FROM THE TRIPPLITE. ONCE THE BATTERY(IES) ARE BACK IN PLACE AND INSTALLED –  TAKE THE TRIPPLITE OUT OF DC OFF!

 

CHARGE ONLY – Disables the inverter function wall switch. If you put the TrippLite into this setting the inverter wall switch NO LONGER WORKS until you set the slide switch back to Auto/Remote. Why would you want to do this?  If you forgot to turn the inverter wall switch OFF the inverter outlets are LIVE – and even with the battery switch off and nothing plugged into any of the inverter function outlets – the batteries in the Roadtrek will drain as if something was plugged in using the inverter function. If you tend to put that switch on by accident – in some Roadtreks (like mine) the porch light switch is below it – your coach battery(ies) will drain. If you have a 2005 this is how you can turn off the inverter function when you have no remote inverter function switch on the wall.

 

Back to DC OFF - The TrippLite has a small consistent drain on the Roadtrek coach battery(ies).  I had the mechanic who works on my Roadtrek check this and confirmed that yes there is a drain. I then put my TrippLite into DC OFF and had him check for a drain again – NO DRAIN!  When I got my Roadtrek new I was finding the coach batteries were down to half charge in 30 day. I then would plug in and recharge the batteries regularly at the end of each month. Over the years and the batteries got older,  the time between needing to charge was becoming less and less – to about half a month or less.  When I got new coach batteries I decided to keep the TrippLite in DC OFF while it sat on the driveway. When I need to plug in or run the generator I first go to the TrippLite and slide the switch over to Auto/Remote – so that the batteries will charge. Then once the TrippLite is on I put on the battery switch and plug in or start the generator. After we are done doing whatever we are doing inside the Roadtrek or outside the Roadtrek on the driveway DC OFF is turned on again.  When we are leaving on a trip – I put the TrippLite to Auto/Remote and it stays on that the entire trip.  TO BE SURE I DO NOT FORGET TO SET IT TO AUTO/REMOTE WHEN IT NEEDS TO BE IN THAT SETTING I MADE A LABEL AND  PUT IT UNDER MY BATTERY SWITCH TO REMIND ME.

 

SLIDE SWITCH IS ON THE UPPER RIGHT

Looking at the above photo you can see the label below that says Auto/Remote, DC OFF, and Charge Only. When you slide the switch into one of these positions it should CLICK into place - listen for the click. If you do not hear it then the switch is between two positions - even if it looks like it is where it is supposed to be. 

You also see in this photo the blue plug cable. This is the cable that runs through the walls of the Roadtrek to the front passenger side to the Inverter Function Wall Switch. The back of that switch is a matching socket with a matching plug in it. The cable is the same as used for wired computer networks - called a LAN cable.

The TrippLite has a variety of settings.  All of these settings were set in by Roadtrek when it left the Roadtrek factory to where they should be. The most common setting to change is Battery Type. If your Roadtrek came with wet cell deep cycle batteries the battery type DIP Switch is set to wet cell (there are no labels for the DIP switches – all needs to be looked up in the TrippLite manual). If you change to AGM batteries you must change the battery type DIP switch to AGM – the manual says this setting is for GEL batteries – TrippLite has confirmed that the same position applies to AGM batteries.

 

IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A TRIPPLITE MANUAL – AGAIN, CONTACT ME BY EMAIL WITH THE EMAIL US!  LINK ON THE RIGHT COLUMN NEXT TO THIS ARTICLE AND I WILL EMAIL THE MANUAL I HAVE TO YOU. IT IS A 750 MANUAL BUT THE 600 HAS THE SAME SETTINGS AND POSITIONS.

 The manual is very good to have as the LEDs on the front of the TrippLite can be used to troubleshoot electrical problems and how to reset the TrippLite if it overloads.

 

It is also important to know is that the TrippLite does not like being plugged into shore power in a GFCI outdoor or indoor outlet. This applies to plugging the Roadtrek at home. I have never had a problem plugging into any 30 amp outlet at a campground – I have never come across one that was obviously GFCI so either they are not or the GFCI reset is not visible.  While building codes frown on it – change the outlet you plug the Roadtrek into at home to a standard home non-GFCI outlet.

As we are on GFCI outlets - the outlets that Roadtrek connected to the TrippLite’s inverter function are all on one shared GFCI circuit. One of the outlets has the TEST and RESET buttons on it. Often this is the outlet that the TV is plugged into – inside the cabinet over the TV in my Roadtrek.  If you plug into one of these outlets – whether on the inverter function OR plugged in or running the generator does not work – then all of the inverter function outlets do not work. Find the outlet with the reset button – press the TEST button first and then press and hold the RESET button and let go to reset the GFCI circuit. Then all of the outlets on that circuit will work! THIS MUST BE DONE WITH ELECTRICITY IN THE SYSTEM – PLUG IN IF YOU CAN.  YOU PROBABLY COULD DO THIS IF THE INVERTER FUNCTION WALL SWITCH IS ON. IF THERE IS NO AC POWER IN THE OUTLETS THE RESET WILL NOT WORK!

 

WHAT CAN GO WRONG WITH THE TRIPPLITE?

 

I have not had problems with the TrippLite and we bought our 2011 new. When we had problems with the new batteries we bought – which I have written about – and I took it to the Roadtrek dealer we bought the Roadtrek from because I can trust them – they did check the TrippLite thoroughly and found no problems with it (what they found was one of the new batteries was defective and had to be replaced – which they handled under warranty for me – even though I did not get the batteries from them (I should have!)

 Like any piece of technology there can be problems but I have found that in must cases that I am told about or read about, it is due to some change done in the Roadtrek that was not followed with changes to the settings on the TrippLite or some wiring issue, etc. Or trying to match the TrippLite with lithium ion batteries (same with the battery separator). There is no mention at all about Lithium Ion batteries in the TrippLite manual. Some claim there are things to do to make it work – but hook up to lithium ion batteries and thinking the TrippLite is just going to work and then get surprised that it doesn’t. In my experience with the company, I have found when I did contact TrippLite to ask them a question was that the company responded to my email request quickly and were very responsive.

 SOMETHING TO BE AWARE OF WITH THE TRIPPLITE:

The TrippLite has a problem with being plugged into a GFCI shore power outlet. It will trip the GFCI switches on that outlet cutting off all power from that outlet. For example- you plug the Roadtrek's shore power cord into a home outdoor GFCI outlet using a 30 amp socket to 15/20 amp plug adapter and what will happen is the GFCI circuit in the outlet will TRIP and there will be no AC voltage power going into the Roadtrek.  If you push the RESET switch on the GFCI outlet with the Roadtrek still plugged into it - it will NOT RESET.  This mostly happens with home outdoor outlets which commonly are GFCI outlets. We have never had this problem plugging the Roadtrek into a campground outlet. We have never come across a 30 amp campground outlet that is GFCI with test and reset switches on the outlet. There may be a central GFCI circuit for that outlet that is common to that and other campsite power outlets  - but none have ever failed to provide voltage to our shore power cord and the Roadtrek.  So what do you do?  The simplest solution is to replace that home outside outlet with a standard 15 or 20 amp home outlet with no GFCI on it. This has been found to be so by many Roadtrek owners who have the TrippLite inverter/converter/charger.  "SOME" have said that if they turned the inverter function switch on the wall in the Roadtrek on FIRST before plugging the Roadtrek's shore power cord into the GFCI outlet, the GFCI did not trip.  I cannot say if this is true or not. When we first plugged the Roadtrek into our home outside outlet that was a GFCI outlet and the GFCI tripped in the outlet, we replaced that outdoor outlet with a standard 20 amp home outlet - the breaker in the house connected to that outlet is 20 amps.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER!  

 

The only interconnection between the battery separator system and the TrippLite is with the Bidirectional Sure Power Battery Separator when the TrippLite and the coach battery(ies) with the Roadtrek plugged in and running the generator. 

 There are clearly two charging systems in the standard Chevy based Roadtrek models and years. The two are designed to interact with each other.  

 Even with all that I know about these systems – I still have some questions myself. This article has been in the planning since 2018.  Every time I thought to sit down and start writing it, those questions kept me from writing.  Back in 2018 my Roadtrek was having some problems and I was not sure if it all did not come down to the battery separator. I contacted two Roadtrek/Internet friends who have a lot more understanding of this type of technology than I did at the time.  The three of us went back and forth over email figuring this all out - together.  Well this article is written now. I have written so much of this article so many times in answer to questions I get by email and by questions asked to all in Facebook Roadtrek Chevy groups and on forums. It was time to put it all down an in one place so I can refer back to this article when questions come.

Thanks for reading the whole thing and getting down to here.  I am always happy to answer questions that get emailed to me. I have mentioned the Email Us! link on the column to the right of this page. As soon as I see the email I tend to just respond to it right then.  Be patient – I am not online all day - though sometimes it feels like I am, but that is OK! And if you take anything away from this article I hope that it is that you will no longer refer to the TrippLite as "the inverter".