Grrrrr! 2006 Journey doesn't show Amps when on 50amp shore power.

al1florida · 06-13-2019, 01:29 PM

Grrrr! The power monitor panel Power Line Amps display only show the amps being used when on generator or 30amp and lower. It doesn't display the amps when plugged into 50amp shore power.

This is basically a gripe, not something I think can be fixed.

I really like to know the number of amps I am using at all times. I especially want to know if both compressors in the basement air conditioner are running in hot weather.

As most of you know, the basement air conditioner only runs one compressor if the temperature you set the thermostat for is only 1-3 degrees less than the air temperature sensed by the thermostat.

Also once the A/C get the air temp down to the temp you have set in the thermorstat it turns off the compressors until the air temp rises and then only turns on one compressor to start the cooling.

When the outside temps are at 90 and above and the RV is in full sun, this one compressor is not enough to cool down the rig. While I am sure that at some time when the inside air temp gets high enough both compressors will turn on. By the time that happens, it is pretty darn warm inside.

This is not a complaint about the basement A/C. I really like it. It is almost like being in a house with central A/C, instead of the noisy roof A/C.

grtharris · 06-19-2019, 10:33 PM

al1florida, the Amp reading is disabled when connected to 50 amps. The amp meter only reads the current flowing through the neutral wire, which is OK when you are connected to a 30 amp service but when connected to a 50 amp service only the unbalanced current flows through the neutral wire.

al1florida · 06-20-2019, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grtharris

al1florida, the Amp reading is disabled when connected to 50 amps. The amp meter only reads the current flowing through the neutral wire, which is OK when you are connected to a 30 amp service but when connected to a 50 amp service only the unbalanced current flows through the neutral wire.

OK. That makes sense.
Many thanks for explaining the reason why there is no reading on 50 amp service.

FIRE UP · 06-24-2019, 11:53 AM

Maybe it's just me but,
We've owned and operated our present coach, an '04 Itasca Horizon 36GD with the CAT C-7 330HP now for over 8 years and have total of 89,000 miles on it. And, for the life of me, when using the A/C, it has ALWAYS used both compressors. And, it doesn't matter what temp we set it to. If we set it to 1, 2, 3 or 10 degrees above the present displayed temp, it will start up with one compressor then, without fail, approximately 10-20 seconds or so, the second compressor will kick in, every time. It has never, ever ran with just one compressor.
Scott

Journey39n · 07-01-2019, 03:23 AM

We have found that in hot temps (above 85) our solution has been to let the fans run all the time. This keeps the ducts cooler, and the transitions from one to two compressors seems less dramatic as the air in the coach is more uniform all the time.

al1florida · 07-01-2019, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Journey39n

We have found that in hot temps (above 85) our solution has been to let the fans run all the time. This keeps the ducts cooler, and the transitions from one to two compressors seems less dramatic as the air in the coach is more uniform all the time.

Absolutely, good advice.
Any time we have the a/c on we run the fan continuously. We may put the fan on low speed, but is always running. Otherwise the air gets really still in the RV.

CharlesMoore · 07-01-2019, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Journey39n

We have found that in hot temps (above 85) our solution has been to let the fans run all the time. This keeps the ducts cooler, and the transitions from one to two compressors seems less dramatic as the air in the coach is more uniform all the time.

We started doing this late last year and you can dress for the inside temperature better. Before I was freezing when the air came on and with the still air I felt too hot. BTW - We had a guy in Shipshewana look at the basement air and we found out the second stage came on but there was no Freon in it so we had only 13.5K BTU's trying to cool the coach. After Leon fixed it life is good. Before when the temp was 82+ we would start losing ground on keeping the inside temperature from rising.

puttin · 07-01-2019, 12:41 PM

Al,

To answer part of your concern, you can buy a surge protector from Autoformer called the Watchdog. It can be monitored remotely from your phone- so you can see amp draw any time. Another choice is to hard wire a monitor from your electrical bay to the inside.

al1florida · 07-01-2019, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by puttin

Al,

To answer part of your concern, you can buy a surge protector from Autoformer called the Watchdog. It can be monitored remotely from your phone- so you can see amp draw any time. Another choice is to hard wire a monitor from your electrical bay to the inside.

Yes, one of my projects for this winter when we are back at the S&B's is to install a hard wired Progressive Industries monitor w/remote.