• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Use the menu system above to find technical information on select products. Information may be limited to a product information sheet while not all products have detailed information available. The information presented is a guide to assist in the installation and troubleshooting of our products by qualified electricians and service personnel in accordance with local codes and regulations. Improper or incorrect installation or servicing may cause electric shock, fire hazards, or appliance damage. No endorsement of user technical expertise is either expressed or implied. User assumes all liabilities arising from the use of any information supplied.

Getting on the road in your rig can give you a sense of freedom, but having appliances that don’t work swap that freedom for a job that has to be done. Finding out why your refrigerator won’t stay cold or your microwave won’t heat is crucial for having a happy trip. When your RV appliances aren’t working, it’s not always smart to assume the appliance itself is broken. Many times it’s the actual power system itself that’s broken down somewhere between the power source and the appliance.

Using commonsense RV distribution center troubleshooting methods can narrow down the possibilities, helping you to figure out exactly what kind of repairs you need. RV distribution center troubleshooting can show whether the electrical problem is in the wiring or the outlet itself, or in the circuit breakers which service the electrical system feeding into your appliance.

Magnetek Power Converter 6345 Repair Manual Free Download Summary: PDF 65,35MB Magnetek Power Converter 6345 Repair Manual Free Download Scouting for Magnetek Power. Free PDF eBook Download: Magnetek 7345 Manual. Free standing dinette€ MAGNETEK SERIES 7300 MODEL 7345 45 AMP RV POWER CONVERTER.

It can eliminate expensive repair visits, ferreting out small problems you can fix yourself. In this video, you’ll learn a good basic system for RV power converter troubleshooting. You’ll see methods for checking circuit breakers, both inside and out. Specialized testers are important in checking circuits, and you’ll see how to safely ground these testers to avoid sparking and shocks. This video shows common sense tips for tracking down electrical problems, including checking GFCI outlets that may trip in one room and affect the appliances in another. Tracking down the power through the RV will tell you exactly where the problem resides, which may save you hundreds of dollars in bills from needless repair visits.

35 Responses to “RV Power Converter Troubleshooting” • • • Dianna I have the older model electrical box. My circuit breakers are all on. The fuses appear to be fine. My lights throughout the trailer are very dim and the exhaust fans are running slow. My husband who is away at the time says the batteries may not be being charged from the converter box. If so, what do I do to check this and how would I go about ordering and replacing this?

• Customer Service Techs Hi, Dianna. Thanks for viewing the RV Distribution Center Troubleshooting video and posting the question regarding your low 12-volt power issue. Your husband is probably right, the batteries are not getting charged properly which could be due to the converter, low voltage coming from the campground, and even weak batteries that will not accept a charge?

It could even be a situation where you are using too many 12-volt operated items at one time for the converter to keep up. First we need to know the make, model, and year of your RV so we can identify the size of distribution center and how big the actual converter is. Then next step would be to verify there is 120-volts coming into the RV from the outside source. If you have low voltage (110-volt or less) it will not keep up. Are you connected to a 30 amp power source?

If you are connected to a residential plug in, they are typically only 15 amp and by the time you run a roof AC at 10-14 amps, the refrigerator at 6-10 amps, and other appliances, there isn’t anything left to charge the batteries. And the last thing I would check is the condition of the batteries. Check the fluid levels and have them tested, if they are sulfated or there is a cell shorted out, you’ll experience this problem as well. Unfortunately there isn’t a quick solution to low battery power other than pulling out a mulitmeter and testing the 120-volt electrical coming in, the draw used in the coach, the voltage going to the batteries from the converter, and the condition of the batteries with a digital battery tester.

In the mean time, try turning some of the appliances off and limit your 12-volt usage. Another option would be installing LED lights that draw about 10 times less power? Good luck and hope things get “brighter” for you down the road.

• Riley Wooten Jr Diana, get a cheap multimeter (Harbor freight 5$) and check the converter output. RVIA says a properly working converter needs to show a minimum.5 volt rise at the converter. Also, check all of your 120 volt circuit breakers (they look kind of like switches), make sure they’re all on. Then, check all the 12 volt fuses (they’re small, plastic and colored) Replace any blown fuses, (visually verify they’re blown or get a cheap fuse tester) Lastly, check the batteries a properly working converter should run the entire 12 volt system even without a battery (though it’s not recommended due to the tendency of converters to let transient AC voltage through, the battery acts like a “filter”). Dirty batteries can seriously impede the charging circuit and can and will draw voltage directly off the battery.

• GARY We have a 2009 Forest River Salem Travel Trailer that is parked year round at a resort wtih 30 amp service. The problem we are having is that our ceiling fans will run for maybe 5 minutes and then stop. The wall switch gets hot when the fan is running on high for the 5 minutes, running them on low they will keep running but the switch gets warm. Also, the AC when running on high trips the breaker switch, running on low it will keep going. We have a four slice toaster and that will not toast properly when using all four and if we have our griddle plugged in it will hardly toast at all, so we unplug the griddle to make toast. And our microwave does not seem to putting out the power it should. We put in a new battery last year so that was fully charged.

The fans are DC I believe. When I put a meter in the kitchen outlet and turn on the toaster the voltage drops. Shouldn’t the AC outlets work pretty much like in a house? I checked the voltage at the post and it seemed ok with no load.

Not sure what to do. It is really hard to get the rv guys out there to look at it as we did not buy the camper from them and they serve the buyers first. Could this have something to do with the converter or maybe where the power cord comes into the camper? Thanks • Customer Service Techs Hi Gary. Thanks for visiting the RV Repair Club site and the opportunity to assist with your power requirement issues. The first thing you need to do is identify what components operate on 120-volt power and what draws from the 12-volt DC system.

Next, what Amp draw you are getting from each appliance and component. This can be done using a multimeter or purchase a device called “Kill-o-Watt” from your local hardware or home renovation store. Plug in your toaster, microwave, and any other appliance you might be running.

Larger microwave ovens can draw as much as 10 amps and toaster are “amp hogs” drawing just about as much. The roof AC in your unit can draw up to 14 amps at peak and your converter is probably drawing 6-9 amps trying to keep the batteries charged! You need to calculate what items are running such as the refrigerator (4-10 amps), television (2-4 amps), and anything else like clocks, computers etc. If the wall switch is getting hot after 5 minutes running your ceiling fan, I suspect it’s running on 120-volt power, not 12-Volt DC? It sounds like you’re running a higher demand than the 30 amps provided by the campground source, which is another place I would test.

Use a multimeter or simple analog electric tester and make sure you are getting 120 volts from the campground source. I’ve seen some that drop down below 100 volts when several spots are plugged in at the same time.

This will also cause similar issues. • Steven I have a 1994 Winnebago Brave with a Magnetek Power Plus model 6345 converter. Recently, I heard the cooling fan running louder than normal and now I don’t hear it at all. Is the replacement of the cooling fan something an owner should try to repair? • Customer Service Techs Hi, Steven. Thanks for visiting the RV Repair Club site and sorry about the issue with your converter fan.

Magnetek does not recommend replacement of just the cooling fan on the older models such as your ‘94 Brave. I would recommend upgrading to the newer digital model which will provide a cleaner power source, runs cooler, and is much quieter. We did a replacement in a ‘92 Itasca Suncruiser which would be probably be the same model. There is an overview video in the electrical section.

• Holy cosince data batman. • Gary James Hi my wife and I just bought a 2016 StarCraft Launch Ultralite 21BS.

My question is does this come with a built in surge protector or do I need to buy a aftermarket one and where would I install it. Thanks Gary • Customer Service Hi Gary. Thanks for visiting the RV Repair Club site and the opportunity to assist with your surge protection question.

Your Starcraft comes standard with a 30 amp distribution center and minimal surge protection through common circuit breakers and 12-volt fuses. This does not protect against low voltage as well, therefore I would recommend getting an aftermarket protector such as Surge Guard or Smart Surge from Progressive Dynamics. • Customer Service Hi Gary.

Thanks for visiting the RV Repair Club site. Typically your rig comes with a standard distribution center that would have circuit breakers for the 120-volt systems and automotive type fuses for the 12-volt systems.

To get a true “Surge Protection” you would need to add an aftermarket product such as Surge Guard and others by Progressive Dynamics. • Trent we have a 2014 coachman cross country class a rear diesel. When we plug into shoreline we get 120 volts everywhere as well as control panel reading. However, when we plug it into the Honda generator we get 120 everywhere EXCEPT the control panel reads only 65 volts. Any ideas on cause? • Customer Service Hi Trent. Thanks for visiting the RV Repair Club site and the opportunity to assist with your electrical issue.

I’m not exactly sure what reading you are getting 120-volts from on a “Control Panel”? How are you reading 120-volts everywhere else, multi-meter, am-watt, or digital monitor? Typically a coach of this size is 50 amp so if you connect to shoreline power you have 2 legs that provide 120-volts to each side. What size is your Honda generator? I would guess your genset is too small to provide power to a 50 amp coach? Most of the surge protectors such as the Surge Guard will show voltage on the display.

This could be the pigtail version at the plug in, or a permanently mounted protector inside the electrical compartment? • John Hixson My dc power goes off after 5 minutes • Customer Service Hi, John.

We would be happy to assist you; we just need some more information. What is the make/model/year of your RV? • Nora I have a 2003 Thor Wanderer Lite Travel Trailer and I have lived in it full time for the last 4 years. I have been plugged into a 30 amp outlet at an RV park thats been around for 40 years. About 2 years ago my electricity started turning off and on alot when it was raining or moist outside, mainly during the night while not much was turned on.

After several power surges my refrigerator, stereo and 1/2 my lights stopped working. Occasionally during the next year they would suddenly pop back on usually during the middle of the night (the stereo would come on at full blast volume). I would turn the volume down to mute and then turn it off. A while later it would happen again.full volume. This would happen several times during the night. The next day these items would stop working again. Every few months this repeats again.

A couple months ago my electricity kept turning itself off and on again but more often. Several times an hour and when on my lights are continuously flickering. Then 2 weeks ago the prongs on my plug melted in the outlet.

The park replaced the oulet and I had a new plug end put on. Now my electricity turns off for hours at a time and then will turn itself back on for a brief moment, but then shuts off again. I don’t know about my battery since I thought being plugged into electricity was all I needed. I am a senior woman who lives alone on a limited budget.

I don’t know what to do next. Does it sound like a converter issue, battery, electrical wiring or a bad outlet? • Customer Service Hi, Nora. Thanks for visiting the RV Repair Club site and the opportunity to assist with your electrical issue.

Electric power turning on and off, issues when it rains, and prongs melting in the outlet are all serious issues that need to be addressed by a qualified technician. It’s not acceptable to just put a new end on a cord and replace the outletsomething is wrong and the campground needs to verify proper voltage, amps, and wiring to every location. What typically happens at the older campgrounds is larger rigs come in needing more power and the campgrounds do not upgrade which causes these issues. • Larry I am replacing the radio in my 2010 Rockwood TT. For some reason I am not getting a constant 12 VDC on the wire coming from the converter to the radio location.

There is a red light at the location of the 15 amp fuse in the panel that glows when connected to the tester to read voltage. This is the same wire the previous radio was connected to before removal. My thought is the red light would glow when the fuse / circuit would be open. What am I missing • Customer Service Hi, Larry. Thank you for visiting the RV Repair Club site and the opportunity to assist with your radio issue. What you are describing is a similar distribution center we worked on for the videos on a 2014 Raptor which has automotive style “plug in” fuses for all the 12-volt components and an indicator light the lights up if the fuse is blown which would be the “open” you indicated. If that light is on, 12-volt power is not going through the fuse to the connecting wire and ultimately the radio?

Take a test light and ground the alligator clip to a metal component on the distribution center and touch each metal point of the top of the fuse. The light should come on both sides, if not, the fuse or wiring is bad. • James Joe I have a 2009 Forest River Wildcat Travel Trailer that is parked year round at RV park place, with a 30amp service. Metasequoia 4 Serial Id Password. The problem I’m having is my converter malfunction this going to be my fourth replacement if I buy another one the battery slowly goes down and the furnace goes slow and the lights dims inside the RV and when I turn on the microwave or the electric heater the converter kicks in again what do you think the problem is can you please solve this problem I would greatly appreciated • Customer Service Hi, James. If this is your fourth converter replacement, you need to stop swapping parts and find the problem! My first question is what symptoms did you experience initially that caused the first converter replacement?

The only thing the converter does is charge the batteries which is on the 12-volt DC side so turning on the microwave or the electric heater should have nothing to do with it? I don’t think your problem is the converter, rather your batteries? Lead acid batteries must be charged every month with a multistage charge that is a high voltage initial (Bulk) charge that boils the acid and breaks up sulfation, then an equalizing and float charge. If you don’t have the large 2000W inverter, just plugging in all the time will not properly charge the batteries and they will sulfate and go bad in a very short time frame. To check your converter, use a multimeter and place the probes on the positive and negative post of the battery. Plug the unit in or start the generator and see if it goes from 12.5V up to 14V or more. My suggestion, get a Battery Minder from Northern Tool instead of the archeic converter and just shut off the existing one and use the Battery Minder which will condition your batteries and last much longer.

• SM We have a Frigidaire Galley refrigerator in our rv. It’s only 2 years old.

We had computer board and inverter replaced 8 days ago because it wasn’t getting cold. It stopped working again today. I’m at my wits end!!!

We’re traveling and can’t find people to come out. I’m tired of spending money on this. Is there anything we could check ourselves??? • Harry Barnes This is a good one. I have a 2005 Attitude Eclipe fk-19 toyhauler. My problem started about a year ago when the factory radio would not shut off but no sound would come out. We replaced it with a new Pioneer unit and wired it up exactly like the original.

My wife is a Micro mini soldering tech so we used the original plugs and wired all the wires in exactly like the old one (they were the same). The radio works fine when I’m on the umbilical from the truck (12vdc) however, when plugged into “shore power” the yellow (keep alive 12 vdc) fuseholder will glow orange, get extremely hot and the radio does nothing. My batteries are shot so I’m getting new ones soon. Oh and the fuse DOESN’T blow, it just gets really hot. • Harold We have a 2005 Attitude Eclipse FK-19 TH. I started seeing an issue with the radio about a year ago (couple years after we bought the trailer).

The original radio would not turn off but would also do nothing else. We purchased a Pioneer unit and wired it in both according to the old wiring diagram and the Pioneer one (they were the same).When I’m hooked up to my truck the radio works fine. If I go to “Shore Power” the radio will not work and the yellow (Keep alive) power fuse holder glows orange and gets extremely hot.

The fuse doesn’t blow however which has me somewhat stumped. My batteries won’t hold a charge however, when on battery the radio plays fine. Seems to me something is putting 120 vac on the yellow wire but not blowing the fuse has me stumped. And, why only on shore power and not on straight dc? • Dianne We have a 33ft. 2004 Keystone Hornet travel trailer which has been permanently parked in a campground since we purchased it in 2004. Download Revival 3 For Android on this page.

We use it about 5 months during the summer and winterize it for the winter, disconnecting the battery and storing it at home in a warm, dry basement. This season, I have noticed that the DC lights are dimmer than they ever have been. I’ve also noticed that for example, plugging in and using a blow dryer, the DC lights brighten. Any idea what the problem might be? Do we need a new battery?

Thanks for your help. • Customer Service Hi Dianne. It’s good you are taking the batteries out for the winter, however if you are not using a multistage charger to charge and condition them while they are in the basement, they will become sulfated and lose energy storage capacity.

Thus the dimmer lights. I would recommend getting a Battery Minder from Northern Tool which will connect to the batteries and send high impact waves into the battery and not only charge, but condition them and they will last longer and hold a charge longer. You should also use this at the camper while connected for the summer as your typical converter will not have the multistage charge and your batteries will sulfate.

I would suggest getting the Battery Minder and try it for a few months to see if your battery comes back to a better operating capacity, if not, you will need a new battery. Another item I would install is LED lights as they will draw 10 times less battery power and your battery will again last longer! Not sure why your lights get brighter when you use the blow dryer since it uses 120-volts from a completely separate source, unless you are not plugged in to shoreline and when you do to use the blow dryer the lights get brighter which means the converter has kicked on and charging the batteriesbrighter lights. Thanks Dave-RVRC • shae I accidentally ran the microwave in my 1990 fleetwood pace arrow, while my air conditioner was on.

It was on generator power. Now neither the microwave nor the air conditioner will turn on. Also, none of the plugs will work. Not even to charge a phone.

Weve checked all the fuses and circuit breaker, everything seems fine except for one fuse. It was a 15 and said it was fir the aux starter. We put a new fuse in it and the fuse tester is not lighting up green. Im not sure what to do. I dont know how to fibd the converter or anything like that. We are just running the generator and battert. • Customer Service Hi Shae.

A couple of things could have happened, first the generator probably has 2 lines coming off the generator, one going to the distribution center, the other to a back air conditioner if so equipped? There should be 2 circuit breakers on the generator itself for these two lines, check those first. Next, you will have a main circuit breaker on the distribution center that shuts off all 120-volt power inside the coach and then individual circuit breakers for 120-volt appliances and outlets. You should physically turn each of these off and then on to get the “click” rather than just visually check them. I would also recommend using a multi-meter to verify power coming off them.

Then, check in the kitchen or bathroom for the GFCI outlet. Typically there will be one in the RV usually in the kitchen or bathroom but several other outlets such as the microwave outlet and others will be “ganged” to that outlet but will not have the test/reset button so people don’t know they are connected. I would suspect the GFCI outlet has tripped and they are all dead? Hit the test button and the reset button to see if you get power. If not, then you have something wrong with the distribution center. Thanks Dave-RVRC • John We just purchased an ’85 Pace Arrow. We have been trying to get it in shape to travel but the latest trick is for nothing to work electrically.

When hooked to residential power all that is available is the lighting. All 3 batteries are new and installed correctly. Engine won’t start, no juice. The power converter appears dead. At one point the refrigerator turned on but only briefly.

The water pump worked yesterday but not today. I think I need a new power converter but the unit by Progressive is no longer produced. Any tips, anything else I should try before I try to change out the unit?

• Customer Service Hello John, You have several things that could be going on here both 12-volt and 120-volt electrical. The first thing you need to do is spend some time with the owner’s manual and our videos on what components work in 12-volt and the ones that are 120-volt electrical before swapping out the power center.

When you are connected to a residential source which you indicated, you are probably downsizing to a 10 amp or 15 amp residential plug in which will provide limited 120-volt power and you will run the risk of tripping the residential breaker. Your ’85 Fleetwood Pace Arrow needs 30 amp power to run the roof air conditioner, the refrigerator and power the converter which charges the batteries. When plugged into a 120-volt/30 amp outside power source, 120-volt power is provided to the distribution center with circuit breakers just like your home for the 120-volt appliances such as the outlets, roof air conditioners, and refrigerator on the “electric” mode of operation. If you are plugged into a reliable 120-volt/30 amp source and nothing is working, then you need to verify the circuit breakers are not tripped and working properly.

There are several videos on this procedure, however the easiest is to use a non-contact voltage tester after the circuit breaker. 120-volt power is also provided to the converter which is a 12-volt charger that charges the house batteries to supply 12-volt power to the lights, vent fans, and module boards for appliances that run on LP such as the stove top, water heater, and others. The three batteries you referred to are probably 2 6-volt batteries connected in series that are deep cycle and are the house batteries and the third is an automotive battery designed for starting the engine. You may also have a battery disconnect that is off which is usually located in the entrance step area? I would suggest spending some time going through the tutorials on the site regarding operation of the batteries and appliances, then visit the troubleshooting 12-volt batteries. Then, find a campground with 120-volt/30 amp service and walk through the operations and I believe you will find things working better. Not to say you don’t have issues with the converter or other operations, but we need to get the batteries properly charged and an appropriate 120-volt source to start with.

Thanks, David RVRC Video Membership • doug hogan i am not getting any dc power to power my inside lights from my battery- it is new and so is the converter. Yes i do get power from shore power, not from battery • Customer Service Hello Doug, Do you have DC power to any other interior appliance? The house battery/batteries provide 12-volt DC power to not only the interior lights, but the roof vents, stove top spark assembly, refrigerator module board, furnace, and water heater. When you are plugged into shoreline power, the 120-volt power goes to the distribution center and then to a converter which provides 12-volt DC power to the components through automotive type fuses. Have you checked the fuses? I would first verify 12-volt DC power at the battery, then to the distribution center and each fuse.

You may have a battery disconnect switch that is over ridden when plugged into shoreline? Thanks, David RVRC Video Membership • Rick My inverter fan keeps cycling from high to low speed, is this normal? • Customer Service Hello Rick, To provide more specific troubleshooting information on your inverter fan cycling, we need the make, model, and year of your inverter. I’m sure it has an internal temperature sensor that is hitting a hot and cool point?

Thanks, David RVRC Video Membership • • Tags.