-
50 Amp overload
I’m truly confused by how the trace inverters work in my
2000 Featherlite and need as much advice as I can get to resolve my issue.The coach has two 4000-watt Trace inverters, I assume
stacked but they don’t operate that way and although they work together they
seem to separate themselves at times of load and work autonomously while
overloading one leg and minimizing the load on the other, (example 3 amp draw
vs 61 on the other etc.)It can change and not always be on the same leg, the same
situation occurs but reversed and then later on reverts back again to the opposite
side.The coach has two cruisair units one for the front of the
coach and one for the stateroom. The center of the coach is ducted and cooled
with an RVAC. (basically two cruisair units in one housing). I cannot run all the ac units at once either
on shore, inverter or generator. With all running one leg will exceed 60 amp
draw while the other is 20 or less and sometime as low as 3. The 60 amps
naturally throws the breaker either 250 on the inverter, the coach incoming 50 amp
or supply 50 amp breaker.I get constant voltage at 125 volts on both legs of shore
power before the draw and the shore power supply is constant before the load at
the coach is applied.Its confusing because we cannot run any electrical systems
with two AC unit on, I just don’t think the ac units should draw that load.Any suggestions will be appreciated
Ray
-
6 Replies
-
Ray, my American Coach is wired like your Vantare Featherlight and uses the same inverters. Yours would definitely have come from the converter able to run all the a/c units at once. Mine has 4 Cruisairs, two connected to each inverter. Is it possible that somwhere along the line RVAC unit was installed to replace two separate Cruisairs and someone connected it to an inverter without moving the other Cruisair to the second inverter? If RVAC was original, check the inverter over-ride switch. You should have a switch to allow you to run all the circuits off one inverter (in case one goes bad). Make sure switch is in the center or “off” position.
-
Ray,
I also have 4024 Traces, but I’m not familiar with Vantare other than know everything goes through the inverters, unlike my Marathon. If I exceed 40+ amps on either leg, I risk an inverter shut down. In 2 1/2 years of ownership this has happened one time and it was this week. I didn’t mange my system as well as I usually do and had bulk charge going on and 2 cruiseairs causing an error in the number 1 inverter due to excessive load.
I mention this because you are seeing 60 amps on 1 leg that for sure is way over the 50 amp capacity of that leg. Hopefully someone with Vantare experience will try to help.
-
Bryan,
thanks for your support and advise. I do have two switch boxes in the RVAC and
Gen radiator fan bay, they are marked inverter one and two. The switches
similar to a disconnect have three positions, Center position is marked
“Normal” Switch left (counterclockwise) Gen and Right (clockwise)
Util – I have tried every position in the correct situation Re; on Gen and on
Utility or shore power and found no difference in the way the inverters react.Behind
the smoked plex at the control panel is a switch that is labeled test and
switches from one leg to the other. The led readout shows voltage and amp draw
on the leg selected by the switch position. As you read down each leg it shows
the central (RVAC) to have “Primary ac” on one leg and “Secondary” on the other
leg. The primary is on the left etc. – On this leg is the breaker for the “Stateroom
– or AFT AC – on the other is the forward AC. With the AFT and both legs of the
RVAC on the amp draw indicated on the LED readout runs from 42 to 48 amps. If
the forward breaker is engaged and the compressor starts the amp draw grows
beyond 60 amps and occasionally will drop back to 56-58 – I don’t allow it stay
at that level and switch off the breaker.The
curious thing that happened a couple days ago was the first inverter threw the 250-amp
breaker and went off. The amp draw shifted and when I re-engaged the breaker
and the first inverter came on the amp draw was balanced and under 35 amps on
both legs. I switched on all the ac units and they functioned properly and the
amp draw was around 40 amps on both sides. It didn’t last very long. In about
15 minutes the first leg dropped to 3 amps and the second went to 60 – so I
switched off the forward AC and all was well again, but we are in Texas, high
humidity and high temps and the RVAC can’t keep up alone.I’m
convenienced its in the settings somehow – they don’t seem to sync the load. I’ve
read my book cover to cover half a dozen times and cannot find any dialog about
syncing or load balance. They do not act like they operate separately with the
changes previously mentioned. I don’t know if they are designed to run parallel,
stacked or stand alone on each leg. 8 new AGM Lifeline were installed two weeks
ago.The
lifelines are in series banks of four, I presume that there are four for each
inverter and thereby four for each leg.. but I’m still lost on how to cure this
problem.Inverters;
Should
they operate stand alone on each leg?Are
the designed to run in series?Are
they stacked and programed to read the load and equalize the amp draw by synchronizing
and balancing the load?Any
suggestions for people or providers that could analyze my system and debug?Thanks
aging for all the support from the community, a valuable resource.Ray
-
I have a 2001 Vantare with the same ACs. Mine are wired as follows:
Front CruiseAir and piremary RC Central AC on inverter 1. Rear CruiseAir and secondary central compressor/fan on Inverter 2. Your overload may be due to one of the ACs pulling too many amps due to impending failuare of a compressor or fan.
To Test: Turn off all loads on both inverters at the control panel. Then tourn on each AC one-at-a-time and note which inverter is affected and the amp draw. Individual AC should draw less than 20 amps. If more seek repair.
-
Ray; give us a call and we can walk through some things.
– Kyle 386-848-4466
-
When it comes to a Vantare inverter or electrical…go to the horse’s mouth…Ben Cumming at Parliament. Geo.
Log in to reply.