Post by kkerns on Nov 9, 2017 17:26:22 GMT -8
Hi All,
So, I am turning to this group for some much needed advice. The basic question is if these old trailers that could plug into 110 had lights that either ran on 12v or 110? More info is below ...
This question come from dealing with a 57 Shasta 15' trailer that I purchased about a year back. When I purchased it there were leaking issues so I brought it to a reputable vintage trailer person who carefully brought it back to a water-tight life and clearly knew what he was doing. When purchased originally the trailer was equipped with both a battery and a 110 plug-in which dangled under the trailer and where the power came into the trailer is was connected to an old style screw-in glass breaker bar. The trailer had one new 110 plug with GFI and then it had a number of lights that had 2-prong electrical outlets on the 'sides' of the lights (sort of like an old trouble light my dad had so you could attach something 110 to it), and 2 other 2-prong non-polarized outlets. As none of these various outlets were polarized, and I didn't have any convenient non-polarized plugs I never really plugged anything in to make sure they were indeed 110. The trailer also had a fridge that is 3-way (propane, 12v or 120v). The outlet above the fridge was one of the 2 prong and since I couldn't plug it in directly I recall plugging the fridge in to an extension cord from my garage to ensure it worked and figured I would get a 3-to-2prong adapter so I could use the outlets above it when camping and connected to shore power.
When I dropped off the trailer, I asked the vintage trailer repair person to modernize it a bit with new style breakers for the 110 and equip it with a new electrical service that would charge the battery while I was hooked to 110v power and allow met use my 110v outlets. He did this by installing with a a very nice 'progressive dynamics' power converter which also has 3 normal breakers, one 30 which goes to the GFI plug.
So now I have the trailer back and have been trying to figure things out. I have figured out that when I am on battery alone, the lights that have the small 2 prong outlets on them all work, and their little 2 prong outlets also have 12vDC going to them ... as well, the larger non-polarized outlets appear to have 12vDC. When I plug the trailer in, these outlets all go to about 13.5vDC and seem a little brighter. When I flip the remaining 2 15amp 'breakers' flipped of, these then go back to volts, so I assume that means that are then on, these units are being charged by the 'converter' versus the battery. As well, these devices has fuses that if removed, they stop working. That said, none of these outlets have 110vAC ... with my multimeter they indicate about 28.5ACv, but not enough to plug anything in like a radio or computer.
When I look at the old breaker that had been connected to an AC plug in - it appears that the wire is all solid core and I think about a size 12 - and the same type of wiring that is running 'behind' the wallboard.
So- my question is ... does anyone know if this trailer is supposed to have 12vDC and 110 running to these lights/outlets? Or back in the 50's were there some sort of 12v appliances that would have used these various outlets? I am currently testing to see if my fridge which is a 3-way is running on the 12v setting now - unfortunately I never tested in on 12v before, only propane and the 110v, as I had read that 12v fridges will really pull the battery down quickly. I can't easily take the trailer back to the person who installed the converter as I am in Canada and he is some distance away in the states. If it is likely that all these outlets were 'never' 110, then likely I am lucky to have one 110 outlet and can figure some way to rig an extension cord from that outlet to the fridge for when I am on shore power. If these should have 110 to power them, then I want to contact him and see if we can get the 110 to them again.
Any opinions or thoughts appreciated as I am a total newbie to RV electricity ... I have some knowledge of dual AC/DC systems from an old trawler I have, but it merely uses an inverter to run 110 things when not on shore power, so sort of the opposite of the converter as I understand it.
Hoping someone can give me a quick lesson!!
So, I am turning to this group for some much needed advice. The basic question is if these old trailers that could plug into 110 had lights that either ran on 12v or 110? More info is below ...
This question come from dealing with a 57 Shasta 15' trailer that I purchased about a year back. When I purchased it there were leaking issues so I brought it to a reputable vintage trailer person who carefully brought it back to a water-tight life and clearly knew what he was doing. When purchased originally the trailer was equipped with both a battery and a 110 plug-in which dangled under the trailer and where the power came into the trailer is was connected to an old style screw-in glass breaker bar. The trailer had one new 110 plug with GFI and then it had a number of lights that had 2-prong electrical outlets on the 'sides' of the lights (sort of like an old trouble light my dad had so you could attach something 110 to it), and 2 other 2-prong non-polarized outlets. As none of these various outlets were polarized, and I didn't have any convenient non-polarized plugs I never really plugged anything in to make sure they were indeed 110. The trailer also had a fridge that is 3-way (propane, 12v or 120v). The outlet above the fridge was one of the 2 prong and since I couldn't plug it in directly I recall plugging the fridge in to an extension cord from my garage to ensure it worked and figured I would get a 3-to-2prong adapter so I could use the outlets above it when camping and connected to shore power.
When I dropped off the trailer, I asked the vintage trailer repair person to modernize it a bit with new style breakers for the 110 and equip it with a new electrical service that would charge the battery while I was hooked to 110v power and allow met use my 110v outlets. He did this by installing with a a very nice 'progressive dynamics' power converter which also has 3 normal breakers, one 30 which goes to the GFI plug.
So now I have the trailer back and have been trying to figure things out. I have figured out that when I am on battery alone, the lights that have the small 2 prong outlets on them all work, and their little 2 prong outlets also have 12vDC going to them ... as well, the larger non-polarized outlets appear to have 12vDC. When I plug the trailer in, these outlets all go to about 13.5vDC and seem a little brighter. When I flip the remaining 2 15amp 'breakers' flipped of, these then go back to volts, so I assume that means that are then on, these units are being charged by the 'converter' versus the battery. As well, these devices has fuses that if removed, they stop working. That said, none of these outlets have 110vAC ... with my multimeter they indicate about 28.5ACv, but not enough to plug anything in like a radio or computer.
When I look at the old breaker that had been connected to an AC plug in - it appears that the wire is all solid core and I think about a size 12 - and the same type of wiring that is running 'behind' the wallboard.
So- my question is ... does anyone know if this trailer is supposed to have 12vDC and 110 running to these lights/outlets? Or back in the 50's were there some sort of 12v appliances that would have used these various outlets? I am currently testing to see if my fridge which is a 3-way is running on the 12v setting now - unfortunately I never tested in on 12v before, only propane and the 110v, as I had read that 12v fridges will really pull the battery down quickly. I can't easily take the trailer back to the person who installed the converter as I am in Canada and he is some distance away in the states. If it is likely that all these outlets were 'never' 110, then likely I am lucky to have one 110 outlet and can figure some way to rig an extension cord from that outlet to the fridge for when I am on shore power. If these should have 110 to power them, then I want to contact him and see if we can get the 110 to them again.
Any opinions or thoughts appreciated as I am a total newbie to RV electricity ... I have some knowledge of dual AC/DC systems from an old trawler I have, but it merely uses an inverter to run 110 things when not on shore power, so sort of the opposite of the converter as I understand it.
Hoping someone can give me a quick lesson!!
