Electrial issues with 1989 Tioga


bjhous

New Member
My Dad is trying to help out my older uncle with his RV. My dad is asking me (the internet master :) to scour the web. I found your site today hoping someone can help.

Van front type motor home, 1989 chevy, G30, 1 ton, 350 c.i.,

the motor home is a Tioga brand..............with a gasoline powered generator.............dual batteries. 1 in engine compt. and one in motor home.

Jim has it narrowed down he thinks to a power controll printed circuit ( soldered) unit with some other control regulator/battery charger unit added in with it. there are two units that ping, first one and then the other............he thinks these are defective and are like kicking out but with no way of testing them, i not so sure the problem is there..............I think it could be that something some where else is shorting out or defective and these units get hot and then shut down...........but i anmn just guessing

He claims he started having trouble after plugging in house current to it to operate the air cond. unit and then after that the lights inside...........only some of them work and his light up monitoring panel wont work at all

Here is another twist his alternator quit working ......after all of this other stuff happened.......so he had a new on put on...........but every time the mechanic tried to hook up this one wire to the alt. it would blow a fuse..........Jim claims the alt. has a fuse which is odd and he agrees its odd

Maybe you could go on your 4x4 forum or whatever and find out some stuff........................also can you find out if this battery charger/printed circuit control panel is available from some of your researching sources maybe for a lower price............

His mechanic claims that these never go out and cant explain the problem i described above...........so maybe a source would be a junk yard or motor home bone yard?
 

ARCHER

Senior Member
Re: Electrial issues with 1989 Tioga

It would help if you had the owner's manual or could get hold of one. Battery in good shape?? Is the battery isolator working (when on shore power, it should convert 110 to 12 volt to run the 12 volt things inside the motorhome). The converter may be bad also and not charging the battery, or the battery is not connected properly. There may also be a aux battery switch located somewhere inside (maybe on the dash) that needs to be in the on mode to run the 12 volt stuff when not plugged into shore power. just a few thoughts. Did you plug the power cord back into stored connection mode (plug in). If generator is run without it plugged in, you will only get 12 volt directly from battery not the generator. Some of the bulbs may be burned out?? Alternator doesn't make sense to me.
 

bjhous

New Member
Re: Electrial issues with 1989 Tioga

Thanks I just talked to Fleetwood they were willing to send me a manual my dad is getting the Vin off of it now.

I didn't figure that the owners manual would go to in depth with electrical troubleshooting but hopefully I will be pleasantly surprised.

Thanks already for the suggestions but he has some circuits that are hot in the back and half that are not in random order. Same with shore, gen, engine power.
 

ARCHER

Senior Member
Re: Electrial issues with 1989 Tioga

Maybe not, but the om might tell you where any switches are and how they are suppose to be set, etc. Should also tell you where fuses are. Does kind of sound like a circuit breaker or fuse blown somewhere.
 

TexasClodhopper

Senior Member
Re: Electrial issues with 1989 Tioga

The alternator is trying to run the 12 volt stuff in the coach. It is blowing a fuse because there is a short to ground in the 12 volt part of the coach. That "short" could be a faulty appliance, light, or etc.

If you disconnect the battery isolator, then you take the "short" in the coach off of the alternator. It should stop blowing a fuse. What kind of "mechanic" do you have working on this?
 

rjf7g

Senior Member
Re: Electrial issues with 1989 Tioga

My 1992 Tioga (purchased Feb 07) did not have a battery disconnect, so I installed one. I was able to get the wiring diagrams from Fleetwood (they were great to work with) that shows two solenoids. I found the wire that connects the charger/converter to the house battery was rusted/broken, so I replaced it. My generator is beyond repair, though.

So, everything works fine running off of shore power and I can charge my house battery and even keep it from discharging while in storage...just can't pop microwave popcorn in the middle of a forest yet.

Hope you gain some insight from this! It has been an adventure...
 

C Nash

Senior Member
Re: Electrial issues with 1989 Tioga

What are the units that are pinging? Where are they. Was the fuse on the alt blown before the new alt was installed? Need more info to be of help and I have a hard time understanding just what you are talking about but nothing new for me. Welcome to the forum and doubt that the manual will help much on this problem. Good luck and let us know when you find the problem.
 

Kali_Mist

New Member
Re: Electrial issues with 1989 Tioga

rjf7g - 9/5/2007 9:06 PM

My 1992 Tioga (purchased Feb 07) did not have a battery disconnect, so I installed one. I was able to get the wiring diagrams from Fleetwood (they were great to work with) that shows two solenoids. I found the wire that connects the charger/converter to the house battery was rusted/broken, so I replaced it. My generator is beyond repair, though.

So, everything works fine running off of shore power and I can charge my house battery and even keep it from discharging while in storage...just can't pop microwave popcorn in the middle of a forest yet.

Hope you gain some insight from this! It has been an adventure...

You might want to stay away from the Microwave popcorn, google Popcorn Lung.
 

TexasClodhopper

Senior Member
Re: Electrial issues with 1989 Tioga

"Popcorn lung" is something they get at factories that produce a certain flavor of popcorn. They breath the "dust" all day long.

It has nothing to do with microwaving popcorn in your home.
 

hertig

Senior Member
Re: Electrial issues with 1989 Tioga

Actually, popcorn lung is a reaction to the chemical they use to simulate butter flavor. Certainly more of a problem if you breath it all day long, but I hear that the steam from microwave popcorn does contain some of the chemical, so I wouldn't say it had 'nothing' to do with microwaving popcorn at home.
 

C Nash

Senior Member
Re: Electrial issues with 1989 Tioga

Enough to worry about guys and now I will have to wear a mask when popping corn in the MW :( Heck about to get old enough for all to say "he just died of old age" regardless of ailments :eek: :laugh:
 

TexasClodhopper

Senior Member
Re: Electrial issues with 1989 Tioga

"... but I hear that ..." I hear stuff, too. That doesn't make it factual; it makes it a rumor.

Many companies have been hurt over rumors spread in this manner (including RV manufacturers) with only the wisp of facts to back them up.

I'm not faulting you, John, or you, Lee, but lets not hurt the economics of a company needlessly.

Especially something as important as microwave popcorn.
 

rjf7g

Senior Member
Re: Electrial issues with 1989 Tioga

Good think I do the plain stuff, huh? I can't stand the smell of the buttery stuff...guess that's my body's way of avoiding popcorn lung!
 
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