Selecting A Replacement Battery; 120-Volt Ac System; The Power Converter; Ground Fault Interrupter - Fleetwood 1990 Southwind Owner's Manual

the motor home charging system while on the road,
or by the AC/DC power converter when plugged into
AC service. On those occasions when the battery needs
to be charged from a different charging source, please
follow these safety guidelines:
WARNING: NEVER EXPOSE THE BATTERY TO
OPEN FLAME OR ELECTRIC SPARK. CHEMICAL
ACTION IN THE BATTERY GENERATES
HYDROGEN GAS WHICH IS FLAMMABLE AND
EXPLOSIVE. DO NOT ALLOW BATTERY ELEC-
TROLYTE TO CONTACT SKIN, EYES, FABRICS, OR
PAINTED SURFACES.
*
Do not smoke near batteries being charged or which
have been recently charged. Please note that bat-
teries are being charged while you drive, and while
you are connected to 110-volt
Ac
power through
the converter/charger circuit.
* Do not break live circuits at the terminals of the
battery. Use care when connecting or disconnec-
ting booster leads or cables on fast chargers. Poor
connections are a common cause of electrical arcs
which can cause explosions.
*
Check and adjust the electrolyte level before charg-
ing. Fill each cell to the indicator with distilled water.
*
Do not charge the battery at a rate that causes
the electrolyte to spew out the vent caps. Always
remove vent caps before charging the battery.
Selecting
a
Replacement Battery
When the battery requires replacement, always
choose a battery with the same physical and electrical
characteristics as the original equipment. In all cases,
do not use a regular automotive battery for replace-
ment. Your dealer or an authorized Fleetwood Service
Center can advise you on proper battery selection.
120-VOLT AC SYSTEM
This system provides grounded electrical service for
appliances such as air conditioners, TV, microwave
ovens, etc. The 120-volt system also provides a power
source for the converter. Your motor home is equipped
with a heavy duty power cord to connect to an exter-
pal 120-volt, 30 amp AC service. The cord and con-
nector are molded together to form a weatherproof
.cable assembly. Do not cut or alter the cable in any
way. Do not remove the ground pin in the cable con-
nector, or defeat the ground circuit in the motor home.
If you have to use adapters to plug into an electrical
service, be sure the ground is maintained.
WARNING: DO NOT OPERATE THE 120-VOLT
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WITHOUT A PROPER
GROUND.
The Power Converter
The converter will supply 12-volt requirements when
your motor home is operating on 120 AC volts. When
you are plugged into 120-volt AC service, the converter
automatically switches the load from the battery to the
converter.
28
The battery may become discharged if the motor
home is not used for an extended period of time, or
if the converter is not connected to a 120-volt AC
source. Some accessories or equipment such as clocks,
radios, or the refrigerator may draw small amounts of
current even when turned "OFF". The following chart
specifies current draw for these devices.
Temporary Turned
Storage Off
Radio memory lelectronic tuning)
.25 .25
LP leak detector .80
O.
Water heater lauto ignition) 3.0
O.
Power step .7 5 O.
Total current draw in amps 4.8 .25
If the motor home is to be unused for longer than
10 days, disconnect the battery.
If the power converter malfunctions or requires ser-
vice, refer repairs to an authorized Fleetwood Service
Center.
POWER INVERTER
The power inverter is designed to provide power to
a 13" color TV and a video cassette recorder. The in-
verter has two power inputs. There is a DC input con-
nectecd to the vehicle's 12 volt batteries, and an AC
input connected to the vehicle's 120 volt AC system.
The inverter operates in either of two modes. When
AC power is not available, the 12 VDC at the DC input
is converted to 120 volts AC at the output. When AC
power is available, the inverter's AC outputs are con-
nected directly to the AC input.
GROUND FAULT INTERRUPTER
Bathroom, galley and patio 120V electrical outlets are
protected by a Ground Fault Interrupter IGFI). This
device is provided in compliance with ANSI
A119.2/NFPA 501C requirements, and is intended to pro-
tect you against the hazards of line to ground electric
faults and electrical leakage shocks possible when us-
ing electrical appliances in the bathroom, galley or damp
areas. The materials used to insulate these appliances
and devices can deteriorate over time or develop cracks
or weak spots that could allow electric current to "leak"
through the insulation. Should a circuit or appliance
lelectric shaver, hair dryer, etc.) develop a potential
shock hazard of this type, the GFI device is designed
to disconnect the outlet land other outlets on the same
circuit), limiting your exposure time to the shock hazard
caused by current leakage to ground.
The GFI device does not prevent electric shock,
nor does it protect a person who comes into con-
tact with both "hot" and neutral sides of the cir-
cuit. It does not protect against electrical circuit
overloads.
Test the GFI at least once a month while operating
on 120 volts AC. To test the GFI:
*
Push the "TEST" button. The "RESET" button
should pop out, indicating that the protected cir-
cuit has been disconnected.