Electrical System - Airstream Caravanner 1977 Owner's Manual

Electrical System
The exclusive
Airstream Univolt System
enables you to use the lights and appli¬
ances whether operating on self-contained
battery power or hooked up to 120 volt city
power. This combination unit is designed
for protection from damage up to and in¬
cluding a dead short. The 12 volt light bulbs
give off the same light as regular house¬
hold bulbs, so that when operating on self-
contained battery power, everything works
normally
except the 120 volt convenience
outlets and electrical operation of the
refrigerator.
Convenience outlets
for 120 volts and 12
volts are located throughout the interior of
the trailer, see diagrams page 82.
Exterior outlets for 120 V are located on the
curbside exterior wall, aft of the main door.
(See Fig. 1)
When operating with city power,
make
very certain that the service is 120 volt and
not 220 volt. Open the bumper storage
compartment lid, uncoil only the needed
amount of cord and plug it into the city
power source. Before closing the lid. care¬
fully place the cord in the opening provided
for it on the left side of the lid.
The univolt system has a transformer de¬
signed to maintain constant output voltages
regardless of the variances that occur in
city power systems. The transformer design
eliminates the need for complex electronic
sensing systems to charge the battery,
minimizing the possibility of failures and
greatly increasing its overall reliability.
When the three pronged plug can be
used, there will be no problem with
proper polarity or grounding.
In some
older parks and other locations where three
pronged outlets are not available,
certain
precautions to insure proper grounding
and polarity must be taken.
These
precautions are listed below:
1. Attach the three pronged plug to a two
pronged adapter, The third conductor
line of this adapter has a short wire lead
which must be grounded.
2. For proper grounding connect the short
ground lead to a grounded outlet box or
to a cold water pipe. When no water pipe
is available, drive a metal rod two feet
into the ground and attach the ground
lug to it thus providing the unit with
proper grounding.
3. Check the polarity light located above
the water heater access panel in Inte¬
rnational models and to the roadside of
the license plate on Land Yacht models.
If it is on, pull the plug, turn it over and
reinsert. The light will now be out.
The
polarity warning light
(See Figs. 2
and 3) indicates improper polarity and it
should be off when the power supply cable
is used with a two pronged adapter. It may
occasionally glow when the three wire
system is in use, but your trailer is properly
grounded, and in this case you may ignore
the light.
To operate self-contained,
simply
disconnect the power supply cable.
Fig, 1-120 Volt Exterior Outlet
Fig. 2 — 27, 29 and 31 Ft. Polarity Warning Light
79