roadbot
Member
Hi everyone, great collection of folks and advice on this forum, so thanks to you all. I have a question re getting shore power into our new to us 2016 Roadtrek 210P. The unit has the factory installed underhood generator, larger inverter, and solar panel. With the chassis engine on, the two AGM batteries are being charged regardless of how the house battery disconnect switch is set. To use the solar panels to keep the house batteries charged, that battery disconnect switch has to be on, i.e. active house 12V power. No problem. And to briefly use the AGM batteries when not on shore power and to briefly run the microwave, I also have to turn on the inverter. No problem or confusion there.
But the question/confusion starts when using shore power. In our 1997 Roadtrek Dodge 190P, just plugging into shore power activates the microwave as confirmed by the microwave LED coming on. But with this 2016 210P, just connecting to shore power (after first turning on the 12v battery circuit) does not light up the microwave LED. To obtain 120V power when on shore power, we ALSO have to turn on the inverter. But how then do I know we are actually getting shore power? For example the microwave LED light comes on (as my telltale monitor) when the inverter is on, regardless of shore power or not. So it is not a good monitor to confirm the van is getting shore power. If the shore power circuit is dead, how would I know?
It would appear that on this rig, it seems the only way to get 120V is through the inverter, and I have to somehow trust, when on shore power, that the inverter is being powered by shore power and not draining the house batteries. The manual is useless on this issue.
Is my question clear? I would would like to avoid, for example, have refrigerator on 120V overnight when camping only to find out next day that the campgrounds shore power was not working so the inverter drained the AGM batteries.
Thanks to everyone in advance
But the question/confusion starts when using shore power. In our 1997 Roadtrek Dodge 190P, just plugging into shore power activates the microwave as confirmed by the microwave LED coming on. But with this 2016 210P, just connecting to shore power (after first turning on the 12v battery circuit) does not light up the microwave LED. To obtain 120V power when on shore power, we ALSO have to turn on the inverter. But how then do I know we are actually getting shore power? For example the microwave LED light comes on (as my telltale monitor) when the inverter is on, regardless of shore power or not. So it is not a good monitor to confirm the van is getting shore power. If the shore power circuit is dead, how would I know?
It would appear that on this rig, it seems the only way to get 120V is through the inverter, and I have to somehow trust, when on shore power, that the inverter is being powered by shore power and not draining the house batteries. The manual is useless on this issue.
Is my question clear? I would would like to avoid, for example, have refrigerator on 120V overnight when camping only to find out next day that the campgrounds shore power was not working so the inverter drained the AGM batteries.
Thanks to everyone in advance