Inspecting the ATS

One of the items that has been  a common problem in the FUSE is the Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS) failing.  The ATS is the device that selects if the generator or the shore power plug is what is powering the FUSE 110v loads.   I wrote earlier about the ATS at: http://confusedrv.blogspot.com/2016/02/automatic-transfer-switch.html.  The one in our fuse is a 41300 and info can be found at:  https://rvpower.southwire.com/products/transfer-switches/30a-hardwire-model-41300-basic-automatic-transfer-switch/

Big problem is when the ATS fails you get 0 power from either.  Oh, and and an acrid smell comes out (and possibly a small amount of smoke). For me it happened just outside of Dallas, Texas and caused us to cut our trip a couple of days short.   BTW - your 12volt system will still work if this happens, just no recharging the batteries from the shore power or generator so the lights stilled work.

So how can you avoid this.  Well a good practice is to inspect the ATS once (or twice) a year.  What you are going to need is a flashlight, a small screwdriver and a 5/32" hex key/driver - Now let's go over the steps.  

The ATS is located in the electrical box with the shore power cord.  It is a pretty tight fit in there.

Important Note:  Make sure the shore power is unplugged and the generator is off.  This is electrical and you can get hurt if the power is on.

First step is to take the cover off of the ATS.  It unsnaps from the top of the cover.  There are some keys at the bottom of the unit.  Be gentle, but it comes off pretty easy.

Once open, you need to take a look at the wires.  If any of the wires looks burned, the wire insulation looks bubbled, there is any heat damage you have failed the inspection.  Get this fixed now.  If everything looks ok, then continue on.

The next thing you need to check is if the connections are tight.  On the ATS you will see several electrical relays with hex screws.  There are 8 of these connections.  Check to make sure these are tight.  Don't over tighten.  If they are already tight, you are good.  If they are loose tighten them down to 30 in-lbs.  This is listed on the cover so refer to what it says if there is a change between model revisions.  

 

How much is 30 in-lbs? What does that mean? Tighten, but do not crank it down.  Don't use any leverage from your wrist.  You will put that much force on the connector just by using your hand without any leverage.

I purchased a T-handle hex key just to do this with.  This was a tip that was pointed out at the last Fuse Rally.  It makes this job much easier than with traditional L shaped wrenches.

Also check the screws on the terminals on the top of the ATS.  On mine this required a small screwdriver.  If everything is tight then great, otherwise, tighten them down but again, do not over tighten.

At this point you are done.  Put the cover back on and you are good to go.  If you need repairs, take care of them.    

This is a good thing to inspect regularly. It only takes 5-10 min and can save you from trouble down the road.  At the Spring 2021 Fuse rally, Bob Garbe went around and inspected them for folks (13 if I recall correctly) and it was greatly appreciated by all. 

Fuse/Transit Cabin Air Filter

 Did you know that your you can install a cabin air filter in your Winnebago Fuse?  Though it did not come with one installed from the factory, the Ford Transit is equipped to have one.  Our vehicle is sold all over the world and in Europe they are required to have one.  In the US, not so much so Ford does not install it.   

So if you want cleaner cabin air, travel in a dusty area or just do not like so much exhaust smell from the interstate; it is a pretty easy thing to do.  There is not a Ford part number in the North America per my dealer, but thanks to the magic of Amazon they are readily available.  I purchased this one:

So once it arrived I needed to install it and it is a very easy project.  10 min or so.  If you have ever replaced the cabin air filter in your car you are already experienced since it is the same process.  Just like a car, the cabin air filter is located behind the glove box.

First step is to empty the glove box and swing it down out of the way.  To do this you push in the tabs at the top of the box and it will swing out of the way.  Remember to empty the box first or the contents will be all over the floor.

The cabin air filter is located in a closed compartment right behind the box.  To open it push in the tab at the left and it can be removed.

There is even room for your hands.  Very easy place to get into.

The next step is to install the filter.  It can go in only one way if you do not force it.   Note that the angled off portion of the filter is to the left.

Next step is to push it all the way in.  Remember, do not force it,  It should slide right in.

Next put the cover back on.  Once on make sure it is securely fashioned.  Sometimes it is easy to miss the latches.

It is now all back together.  

Put the glove compartment back in place and all the stuff back in and you are done.

This takes less than 5 min.   A very easy thing to install.   Now once it is installed you need to inspect and change it once a year.  Maybe more often if you are in a very dusty/dirty/smokey environment.  Just like your car.

And credit where credit is due.  This is another thing I was reminded about at the Spring 2021 Get Together.  I had been meaning to do it for several years, but I got reminded at the rally.

Ice Bucket

I did not buy a motorhome to rough it.  I bought it so we could be as comfortable as possible while we were out traveling.  So with that in mind, I like ice in my drinks.  Not just those of the adult persuasion, but I want ice in my water and my soft drinks.

So, how do I keep ice in my freezer.  The freezer has no problems making ice,  I just need a place to store it once I make it.  I need an ice bucket.

So we have been using a Gladware disposable storage container.  Why that as opposed to just a basket or bowl.  I wanted a lid so that none of the ice would spill out as we go down the road.  I also wanted to make sure any odors did not contaminate the ice.  And before I get yelled at, we don't have smells in the freezer,  I am just cautious.

I fill up the container with ice from the house before we leave on a trip.  That gives us 2 days of ice without any additions.  We make more ice every night so the bucket will remain pretty full.

I have used a 64oz Gladware (or in our case a Publix equivalent).  The key being it is freezer safe.  We made the mistake of using one that did not have that on the label and it cracked.

The 64oz deep container fits just right in the freezer,  Slides in and out without any problems.

Now with it being Gladware (or equivalent) I get a couple of other benefits.  First is cost.  It only costs about  $1.00 or less if you use the generic ones (like me).  The second is that it is pretty much indestructible,  we had several of them crack due to the cold (before I started looking for the freezer safe versions) but they hold up.  And lastly, you can dispose of them and afford to get a new one if it get dirty or you are suspect of it.  Food safety is not to played around with.  We bleach the inside of the refrigerator/freezer and the ice trays down between trips but being to easily replace something like this is great.

Water Heater Service

Candy McMahon shared the this document she found on quick tips and servicing of the water heater found in both models of the Winnebago Fuse:  It is called "Care and Maintenance for your Atwood Water Heater".

I saved a copy for downloading here:

     https://drive.google.com/open?id=0By_GWZtlcHblNkt5ZlgtMXU3c28

The Generator and Power Draws

One thing you have to remember when using the generator on the Winnebago Fuse is that is not capable of powering everything in the coach at the same time.   The Onan QG2500 that is supplied with the Fuse is capable of supplying a constant 2500 Watts which is 20.8 amps and has a 25amp breaker for self protection.

If you try and use more than 25amps, you will trip the circuit breaker that is physically located on the generator.  Actually it is under the access panel on the QG2500. Resetting it on the 23A  means crawling around underneath the Fuse to get to it.

So what can I run while on the generator?  The simple answer and rule of thumb is one large appliance and several small things.   The large appliances are the: air conditioner, microwave or water heater (on electric).  

Small appliances do NOT include your space heater or your blow dryer.

The generator can handle and run anything that is in the Fuse, but not in certain combinations.   Let's look at the power requirements of the big appliances to see why.

The Coleman Mach 10 air conditioner uses 1350 watts.  Depending on high or low cool it uses between 13.2 - 13.6 amps.   That is when the compressor is running.  When just the fan is running it uses 2.5 amps.   That leaves 7 amps for everything else.

The water heater uses 1400 watts when set to use electric, 11.9 amps.  That would leave 9 amps for everything else.   But why would you use the hot water heater when on generator, just let it use LP gas to heat water for you when using the generator.

The microwave uses 1500 watts or 12.5 amps.  This leaves 8 amps for other things.

The refrigerator can also run on generator power.  Not a good thing to do unless you are out of LP, since it can use LP also.   It will only use 2.5 amps when on AC power.  Not a large draw, but some power never the less.

From this you can see that any combination of the above other than the refrigerator will cause you to go over 20.8 amps.   This will cause the generator to stall or it will trip the breaker.

There is one other load you need to be aware of and you can't turn it off.  The battery charger/converter, a Progressive Dynamics 9245c, uses 725w or 6 amps.  It can use less, but if your batteries are low it will use all 725 watts and you can not turn this off.

What else is there that would use power from the generator?  Whatever else you plug into a socket.   The good thing for us is that the Fuse powers most everything else that is built in from the battery bank.  These systems are all 12v.  Using these on while on generator might cause the converter to work harder, but they will never use more than the converter can supply.

A good reference is published by Cummins/Onan.  It is called the RV Generator Handbook.   Take a look.  There is some good information and a list of common power requirements.

Not really related but while I was making sure I did not miss anything I captured what was on the AC portion of the electric panel:

Looking at the 120v breaker panel:

Main	30 Amps
Converter	15 Amps
Air Conditioner	20 Amps
Refrigerator	15 Amps
Microwave	20 Amps	**Water heater is on this circuit
Receptical 2	15 Amps	**Entertainment/TV areas
Receptical 1	15 Amps	**Everything else

***** Update *****
I took another look at the electrical drawings.  The Microwave and the Water Heater are on the same circuit as stated above.   They are on a relay that causes the electric portion of the water heater to turn off when the microwave is running.  This way the draw stays under 20 amps.

Getting Ready for a Trip

It's several days from our next trip in the Fuse and we need to get everything ready to go.  Like most people with RVs we keep most things we will need in the Fuse all of the time.  For us, with the exception of food we can get in our motorhome and go somewhere overnight with what we keep in there and not miss much.

We do not keep any food in the Fuse.  We don't want any ants or other critters.  We usually leave one change of clothes, so if we go out for the day we can change if we get messy.

So to start this trip, we are going to be gone 5 days and 4 nights.   This is the spring and we are heading north so beachwear is not on the list.  A mixture is what we are going to pack.

The weekend before, we took care of some general house keeping.  We did a good clean and wipe down of everything.  Since the Fuse is so small it only takes 10 minutes or so.  We broke out the swifter with wet pads for the floor and the spray cleaner and some towels for everything else.

I generally store the Fuse with a full tank of diesel.  Water is the biggest enemy of diesel fuel and leaving the tank half full when the weather is constantly going hot and cold during the spring is not a good idea.   I had driven the Fuse several times in the last several weeks and put 50-60 miles on the odometer.

The propane level was down to 2/3s so I wanted to top that off before our trip as well.  So Saturday afternoon we took a ride, got the propane filled (less than 2 gallons) and topped off the fuel tank.  And we got some Icees as a treat.

The Fuse now would sit for a couple of days.  I plugged it into the house so we can have some 110v power as necessary, but we let it sit.   The only other thing is to put the battery for the e-bike on the charger.  Just so we don't have to worry about it later.

The evening before we leave it is time to turn on the refrigerator.  The refrigerator in the Fuse is an absorption type and takes several hours to cool down.  If we let it cool down overnight it is perfect in the morning.

We also bring our clothes out and anything else that is special for the trip.    Then we get some sleep.

The morning of the trip we finish the packing.

We bring out our food almost last.  The cold stuff goes in the refrigerator along with a couple gallons of drinking water.  Some sodas, meat, milk and our little box of condiments we pick up along the way.  Granola bars, cookies, k-cups and the other cupboard stuff goes in some containers above the sofa.  The bread and chips above the sink and we are done.

We have a Tupperware container we fill with ice from the house and put that in the freezer.  It will store the ice we make while on the road as well.

Next step is put the e-bike on the rack.  Make sure it is well secured and the safety strap is on.

Here I will add water if necessary.  I aways use a filter to make sure we have the best water possible.  I only fill it to 1/3-1/2.  We are not boon docking, so no need to carry the extra water weight.

Now we are almost ready to get underway.  I unplug from the house, coil up the extension cord and stow it.  I walk around the Fuse and check all of the compartments to make sure they are secured and  locked.  I check the tires and make sure everything looks right.   We are almost ready.

The last step is to make sure everything is secured inside.  All of the blinds are up so there is no banging.  Once everything is secured it is time to go.

NuWave Induction Cooktop for the Fuse

This Summer we ran into a problem.  Using the gas stovetop in the Fuse during the hot Florida Summer was a fail.  It cooked fine, but the heat generated in 100 degree weather made the inside of the Fuse uncomfortable.   In a previous post, I talked about doing all the cooking in the microwave because of the the heat problem.    One of the readers suggested using an induction cooktop.

Well Santa was nice to us and under the Christmas tree we found a  NuWave Precision Induction Cooktop (PIC) and a carrying case  for it.  I actually helped Santa pick this one out.  It got decent reviews and most importantly it was not in my mind overpowered.  At maximum it only uses 1300 watts.  Some of the other ones can use 1500 watts or more making it cook faster.  But in the Fuse motorhome there is a power budget.  We need to stay cognizant of our power consumption, so bigger is not always better in our case. No use in getting something that could get me in trouble and pop breakers.   And since I am really only cooking for 2, we really don't need huge.

Power budget - When plugged into shore power (30 amps) only 2 big things at a time.  When on the generator 1 big thing at a time.  The A/C, Microwave, a hair dryer, and now the Induction cooktop count as big things.

Full disclosure, I have never before cooked using induction so I was a little apprehensive.

I had to shift up my style a little since my favorite pots and pans would not work on an induction cooktop.  To work on an induction cooktop they have to steel in them.  Most but not all of my favorite pans are aluminum.  How do you tell if they would work.   Take out your favorite Winnebago kitchen magnet and see if it will stick to the bottom of the pan.  If it does, you are good.

The second thing I had to remember was that it is different.  You get use to your stove and pots and pans.  Just remember how your grandmother cooked.  A little of this,  a dash of that and stick it in the oven until it looks right. Without that particular pan and that oven nothing ever tasted the same.   I knew this would cook different.

So far so good.   I had to learn a couple of things.  Once you press the button setting the heat you also have to press start.  I have walked away several times without doing this and found my pan cooler than when I started.  The second thing I have found is that the temperatures are very exact.  So low at 100 degrees is really 100 degrees.   That is not even a low simmer.

So what have we cooked so far?   Our first shot was white rice.  Worked fine.

So the next attempt was something a little more difficult.  Pancakes.  And they came out fine.  This is something I would never have tried on the stove, because I can never get the temperatures right.  With the induction cooktop, no problem.

So the next thing I tried was something I do pretty often.  Chicken and rice.  A pretty easy meal to put together.  A bag of yellow rice mix and some cut up chicken.  In this case, leftover Costco rotisserie chicken.    It came out great.

So now that I know that I can cook using the NuWave, the big question is did it solve our problem.  Did it produce the heat the LP burners produce.    Amazingly enough, there is almost no excess heat so long as the top is on the pot so steam stays in.  Even when using a skillet, there is almost no heat felt more than a foot away from the cooktop.

Now you do have to be careful.  The pans get just as hot as on a conventional stove so you can burn yourself if you touch them (don't ask).  Also the induction cooktop gets hot from the pan sitting on it.  You have to take care and let it cool down before you can move it around and put it up.

It only weighs 6 pounds.   Very light and movable.

I'm a minivan mom, Can I drive the RV?

Let's be honest, when we looked at RVs I sat in the driver's seats and assessed how comfortable they were, easy to adjust and whether they swiveled.  All this was done as they sat safely parked at the dealership or trade show.  Even when we selected the Winnebago Fuse, I did not test drive it and drove it only for a few miles a month after we purchased it on lightly traveled stretch of Interstate.

I was intimidated - I was a minivan mom.  I could easily drive seven boisterous elementary school kids on field trips, load marching band and color guard equipment in until there wasn't an inch left and joyfully transport six drama students (and their luggage) across the state to competition.  But, could I drive a box on wheels?

I was going to have to find out.  The twins have grown up and the minivan has been outgrown.  I have moved on to a Nissan Pathfinder which is a little larger, but gets driven a lot less now the kids are young adults.  Yet, my young adult daughter wants to spend a girl's weekend with me and now I have to drive the RV.  (Okay I do realize there is a financial benefit for mom to supply the accommodations for a trip to Disney.  But hey, I take what I can get.)

To prepare, I drove the Fuse down to and part way back from Disney's Fort Wilderness on our last trip and even backed it in to our spot.

Well, now I'm an experienced RV driver.  The Fuse handled extremely well and it was easy to get use to driving.

The driver's seat was comfortable and adjustable for my height.  I was concerned about this since I normally store a collapsible storage cube at my feet on the passenger side which lifts my knees approximately 2 inches.  The steering wheel was nicely contoured to reduce stress on your wrist and arms.

The cruise control is located on the the steering column and can be set and adjusted with little effort.  We have found that setting the cruise control to 68 mph results in a good MPG result.  I have to admit that the Fuse drove so well that I had to stop myself from driving faster (to stay with the flow of traffic of course), but stopped myself when I noticed the reduced the MPG.

Another plus is the Fuse was agile enough to pass and switch lanes as needed.  On a crowded, fast running Interstate like I-75 and I-4 in Central Florida this agility can not only keep you on course, but keep you safe.  The size of the Fuse was easy to get used to driving. Although bigger than my Pathfinder, it is only 3 feet longer than Don's pick-up truck (which I refuse to drive.)  It didn't seem to catch the wind and actually was easier to drive than the old truck.

What was the hardest thing about driving the Fuse?  The hardest part of driving the Fuse was not being able to use the rear view mirror and instead depending on the double side mirrors.  The good news is that the double side mirrors work really well and it just takes time to train yourself to drive that way.  And even this minivan mom was able to comfortably do so very quickly.

So watch in February as my daughter, her friend and I head out on our own.

TV Rattle

For a while I have heard a rattle from the rear.  Metal on metal and I had figured it was from the kitchen or bathroom blinds.  Well on or last trip to Disney,  Sonya drove and I got some time to search for rattles.  This one was the loudest.

It was actually not coming from the kitchen blinds. I was concerned it might be from undressed cables since I had been behind the TV multiple times with headphones, the iPhone connection, and streaming sticks.  But it was not from that either.

It was coming from the TV.  More specifically the TV mount.

At the top of the mount,  a metal bracket on the TV slips over the mount on the wall.  There are some screws to hold it tight at the bottom of the mount but it just slides over at the top.

The problem seems to be the screws at the bottom of the TV are too long and not holding everything tight.  There is some play.  So when there is a bump there is metal on metal contact at the top making a rattle.

So how could I get some of the play out without replacing the screws?   How about a Q-Tip in the joint to take up the play and keep the metal hitting metal from happening.   Easy to try.  So I put a Q-Tip in the joint.  Voila - No more rattle.  We will see how well it holds up, but a pretty easy fix.   If it holds,  I will cut the Q-Tip flush and call it a day.

RV Tips - Hose Storage

When you put up your water hose connect the ends together.   It will keep any water that is left in the in the hose,  in the hose and not in your storage compartment.  It will also keep dirt out and any critters from taking up residence.