Power Switch Problem
We have a 2001 Country Coach Allure motorhome, and I hope you can help me with a shore power question. I think the problem is the Todd Engineering power switch, model PS245L, located at the motorhome’s electrical entry point. Todd Engineering is no longer in business.
Is there a direct replacement for this power switch? Our RV operates on power from three sources: 50-amp shore power, an 8,000-watt generator, and a 2,500-watt inverter. I will attempt to explain why I think it’s the Todd power switch.
One leg of our RV’s 120-volt-AC system on shore power no longer works properly (all the duplex outlets). The voltage runs about 120 volts until there is a heavy load put on it, such as the microwave oven or TV. When the microwave oven is turned on, the amperage draw causes the voltage to drop low enough that the power switch cannot handle it and shuts off. The other leg of our RV electric system, the one that runs the air-conditioning units, works fine when using the same shore power source. I tried several different power posts at a campground using 50 amps and 30 amps, all resulting in the same low-voltage/shutoff problem.
There is a surge guard unit (Auto Power HW-RV 50) in-line between the Todd power switch and the breaker box. Turning the unit on and off results in the same low-voltage/shutoff problem while using shore power. When using the onboard generator for power, no shutoff problem occurs when the microwave oven is used. (It must use a different switch.) Having eliminated the surge guard as the obstacle, I believe the problem is within the Todd power switch. I would appreciate knowing whether there’s a replacement for the power switch?
Charlie Iwashita, F287017
Coronado, California
It does seem likely that the problem is a faulty power switch. It could be something as simple as a burr on one of the contactors and may be correctable by dressing the points. When a coil (that activates the contactors) fails, it is usually a total failure and no current flows on that leg. But it sounds as though the leg has current until the microwave oven or TV is turned on.
For a replacement switch, contact Master Techs Inc. (800-848-0558; www.mastertech-inc.com), with locations in Michigan and Florida. The company carries nearly all brands of power switches and at one time was a Todd Engineering distributor, so they would know the appropriate replacement model.
30-Amp Hookup Headache
I’m a past treasurer and a current area vice president for the Penn Coachmen chapter. Through the years our chapter has often held rallies at the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. When we arrived for our rally in 2009, the facility had just upgraded its electrical service and installed very impressive electrical panels to service a quad of parking spaces. The only problem was that the 30-volt-AC female receptacles had circular patterns, and the plugs coming from our coaches had straight blades. There was a regular 15-amp, 120-volt-AC plug available for each motorhome that provided enough electricity for lights, the refrigerator, and maybe a TV, but we couldn’t use the microwave oven or coffee maker.
Since we were going back to Bloomsburg in August of 2010, I spent a lot of time and effort trying to find a conversion plug that would allow us to access the “generator or boat” plugs and hopefully have access to 30-amp or even 50-amp power available on the panel. I contacted Mike Smalley, vice president of sales for Electric Cord Sets Inc., located in North Olmsted, Ohio, and I have just received my third order of 30-amp-RV-to-30-amp-twist-lock conversion plugs from him (almost 100 sets) at a price that was 20 percent less than what a nationwide home improvement chain wanted.
We heard that the two other Pennsylvania fairgrounds on our list (Lebanon Valley and Grange in Centre Hall) planned to upgrade to these new outlets. I could not get a clear answer as to why they were doing this. I’m wondering whether this is a Pennsylvania issue or a national changeover?
Robert B. Birett, F359317
Telford, Pennsylvania
Apparently, the change to three-wire, 30-amp-AC twist-lock receptacles at Bloomsburg Fairgrounds RV Park was not mandated by the state of Pennsylvania and is not prevalent in the state or other parts of the United States. According to a representative at Bloomsburg RV Center, the facility decided to make the change to match the twist-lock receptacles found at other vendor locations throughout the fairgrounds complex. Unfortunately, the change has not been very well communicated to RV groups using the campground, so people arrive unprepared. The rep said that his service center has sold a significant number of 30-amp-RV-to-30-amp-twist-lock adapters since the pedestals were changed. Furthermore, the RV park does not offer 50-amp power. If you plan to host or attend a rally at Bloomsburg Fairgrounds RV Park, you should follow Mr. Birett’s lead and bring the adapters with you.
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