Norcold will not work on anything but DC

[Jibbyboo]

Hi all of you knowledegable Ollie owners! I'm hoping you can help me. I have an Elite II, 2022 model with with Norcold fridge. I'm boondocking and can't get the fridge to run on AC or LP. When on AC I get an error code "A", and when on LP I get an error code "F". The LP tank is on, and the stove and Truma water heater seem to be working fine. I can run the fridge on DC power, but it's not sustainable for boondocking. Any ideas how I can solve this issue? Thanks so much - in advance - for your help! 

[Jibbyboo]

Just an update in case anyone else runs into this issue - several owners in the Oliver Trailer Owners group on Facebook came to my quick aid and the fridge is working well!! After looking to see that the propane was indeed working by turning on the stove and letting it run (I learned from Craig Short that if the flame is blue there is still plenty of LP in the tank, but if it runs yellow it is getting low - helpful tip!), I turned the fridge off for a few minutes. When I turned it back on, the propane caught and the fridge was quickly back in business. 

This may be obvious to more experienced owners, but I'll share here for other newbies like myself: the fridge outlet does not work on the inverter, so the AC only works when you're plugged into shore power. I thought, incorrectly, that if I turned the inverter on I could run the fridge on AC power. Learned something new, complete with the diagram from the manual (also sent by Craig Short)

that shows the fridge is not on an inverted outlet. 

[Galway Girl]

[NCeagle]

10 hours ago, Jibbyboo said:

Just an update in case anyone else runs into this issue - several owners in the Oliver Trailer Owners group on Facebook came to my quick aid and the fridge is working well!! After looking to see that the propane was indeed working by turning on the stove and letting it run (I learned from Craig Short that if the flame is blue there is still plenty of LP in the tank, but if it runs yellow it is getting low - helpful tip!), I turned the fridge off for a few minutes. When I turned it back on, the propane caught and the fridge was quickly back in business. 

This may be obvious to more experienced owners, but I'll share here for other newbies like myself: the fridge outlet does not work on the inverter, so the AC only works when you're plugged into shore power. I thought, incorrectly, that if I turned the inverter on I could run the fridge on AC power. Learned something new, complete with the diagram from the manual (also sent by Craig Short)

that shows the fridge is not on an inverted outlet. 

I really strive to keep my posts positive and I LOVE my Ollie, but continuing to see posts like this still stirs up negative feelings for me.

This was also my very first problem to solve on our first camping trip after picking up our Ollie in 2020.  It was aggravating that I ended up having to call Oliver Service after more than an hour of fiddling around with the fridge.  Even more aggravating that Oliver told me that all is normal due to how things are electrically connected to the inverter.  Embarrassed that it was such a simple issue, it was the first time I realized and mentioned to Oliver that the electrical diagrams for my trailer were MISSING from my owners manual!  I was told then they were no longer being made available.  Many owners of 2020+ Ollies have asked for electrical diagrams and the answers given by Oliver always vary and never make much sense.

I love my Ollie and I think Oliver is an outstanding company all around, but I have already spent WAY too much time tracing wires and trying to figure out what is connected to what.  Another silly example is the time I wasted trying to figure out why my TV wasn't charging my batteries while driving.  Another call to Oliver resulted in a simple answer that it wasn't connected when you order the Lithium package.  I have several others and I'm sure I will have several more.  I've spent WAY too much time making tweaks to the 2019 electrical diagrams so I actually have a partial one.  I dread having any type of electrical issue that I can't fix and have to take to a specialist.  Guess what they are going to ask for first?

I wish I didn't keep get these feelings of anger whenever I have any type of electrical issue or feelings of fear that I'll get one I can't figure out.

Ok, I've vented on this topic again.  Unfortunately I don't think this is going to go away.  Guess I'll try not to read posts that have silly electrical issues new owners are trying to figure out without a diagram.  🙂 

 

[ScubaRx]

On 8/27/2022 at 6:45 PM, Jibbyboo said:

This may be obvious to more experienced owners, but I'll share here for other newbies like myself: the fridge outlet does not work on the inverter, so the AC only works when you're plugged into shore power. I thought, incorrectly, that if I turned the inverter on I could run the fridge on AC power. Learned something new, complete with the diagram from the manual (also sent by Craig Short)

that shows the fridge is not on an inverted outlet. 

This also may be obvious to more experienced owners, but why would you want to take 12 VDC power out of your batteries, run it through a 90-95% efficient inverter that converts it into 120 VAC (thereby wasting 5-10% of your stored battery power) and then use that AC to run the refrigerator instead of just using the 12 VDC straight from the batteries?

That is the real reason the fridge is not on an inverted outlet.

[John E Davies]

Unfortunately very few people really understand their equipment…. The specifications data is usually way at the end of the owners manual. If somebody was going to install it themselves, they would most likely see it shown on the product brochure.

PEAK efficiency is 91%. Full load (AKA running the air conditioner) is 86% or higher.

That wasted energy is discharged as heat by the inverter. It ends up under the bed and unless Oliver has changed their method, there is no way for that heat to be dissipated. In summer that means the inverter runs less efficiently because it requires adequate airflow for proper cooling.

It is really educational, and more than a little sobering, to watch the remote display of my Victron battery monitor, which shows the DC amps being used while inverting. My older 2000w unit draws close to 120 amps when operating the microwave. I refer to that appliance as the “Battery Killer” 😬, which irritates my wife because she loves it. But as the one who has to watch the battery condition (State of Charge) and drag out the generator if needed, it matters a lot more to me.

John Davies

Spokane WA

[Rivernerd]

On 8/28/2022 at 4:10 AM, NCeagle said:

I've spent WAY too much time making tweaks to the 2019 electrical diagrams so I actually have a partial one.  I dread having any type of electrical issue that I can't fix and have to take to a specialist.  Guess what they are going to ask for first?

Do manufacturers of other high-end travel trailers and motor homes (e.g. Airstream, Liesure Van) currently provide electrical diagrams?

[John E Davies]

37 minutes ago, Rivernerd said:

Do manufacturers of other high-end travel trailers and motor homes (e.g. Airstream, Liesure Van) currently provide electrical diagrams?

"According to our legal department, it was to prevent the liability of an untrained owner working on their coach and having an accident. I did not believe that, but thought that it was a way to protect the dealer relationship and get people to go to the dealer. I’m not sure what year it started; however, all Winnebago documentation is available on line going back to mid-1990 models. They also have detailed lists of parts and part numbers that are also accessible through the website."

https://www.rvtravel.com/ask-dave-schematics-for-rig-rvdt-1734/

There are endless discussions about this on RV forums, like this one:

https://www.forestriverforums.com/forums/f218/are-there-wiring-diagrams-available-200273.html

Oliver has used the 'liability" excuse more than once, along with a host of others such as "there are not any diagrams." So far there has never been an official reason given, meaning put in words on their website.

John Davies

Spokane WA