Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 

Go Back   Keystone RV Forums > Welcome to KeystoneForums.com! > New Member Check in!
Click Here to Login

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 07-05-2021, 09:17 AM   #1
Belleyp
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2021
Location: Gatineau, Quebec, Canada
Posts: 7
New owner of a 2009 Keystone Cougar 276RLS 5th wheel

Hi there! We recently purchased a 2009 Keystone Cougar 276RLS 5th wheel and love it so far! Although slightly used, it does meet all of our need with a family of 5! As the temperature are getting warmer by the day lately we had been appreciating our AC throughout the week-ends but we have encountered some issue this week-end! Sometimes, the compressor won’t come on although it seems to be trying…the thermostat seems to be doing what he is supposed to while triggering the fan to start once the temperature goes over what it’s been set to but for some reason the compressor doesn’t always kick in even after a few minutes or hours?!? I have been reading some of the blogs and none of them seem to be addressing a similar issue. I am suspecting the compressor capacitor to be having some difficulty retaining enough power to create the appropriate surge but before changing any parts, I would like to get some of your opinion on what could potentially be the source of the problem? When it first started, I unplugged the RV from its 30 amp connection as I thought that it might have been loose but the result wasn't positive, then I tried shutting down the internal AC breaker and when flipped back up, the compressor started without issue and ran for a few hours just like a brand new unit…then when up to the roof, opened up the unit and witness that a thorough cleaning was required on top of the removal of an old bee nest around the electrical compartment. Following that cleaning, I waited a few hours for all of this to dry up and restarted the AC back on and unfortunately, still no compressor and it was at that point not even trying to kick in. Following that whole night running on the fan, we shut it down in the morning while cooking breakfast and when we turn the thermostat back on, it ran all day until we left to go back home. As the RV is in a remote location, I have no means of moving that thing around and our internet connection is still in the Stone Age era, I am seeking for troubleshooting options before going back next week-end. Any of your feedback or experiences with such issue would be greatly appreciated! Cheers,
Belleyp is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-05-2021, 09:29 AM   #2
wiredgeorge
Senior Member
 
wiredgeorge's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Mico, TX
Posts: 7,397
A tip. Go to the UserCP (upper left in black band) and add a signature with year, make and model of your camper and tow vehicle. This will make answers to your questions have more context. Next, make/model of your A/C. Does sound like the start capacitor but I am loathe to explain how to check as it is dangerous if you don't have some electrical knowledge. It can give you a jolt even with the power off as it holds charge.

I also have no idea where Gatineau but sounds like Louisiana? Your 5ver is almost exactly the same size as mine and I can assure if you camp in Louisiana that you A/C will have a hard time keeping up with summer temps. There are a bunch of things that can be done to keep your camper cooler and most have been hashed out many time so search of this forum is your friend. My missus and I often camper in triple digit temps here in the Garden of Eden (S. TX) and I have done ALL of them and more and we stay comfy. Also mention the BTU of your A/C. Unless there has been an upgrade, your camper likely came with a 13.5K BTU A/C.
__________________
wiredgeorge Mico TX
2006 F350 CC 4WD 6.0L
2002 Keystone Cougar 278
2006 GL1800 Roadsmith Trike
wiredgeorge is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-05-2021, 09:50 AM   #3
flybouy
Site Team
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Joppa, MD
Posts: 11,714
Do you have an EMS? If you don't I'd suggest getting one. A true EMS, not just a surge protector. Do you know what voltage is being supplied? Too low voltage will make the a/c compressor struggle to start and can burn up the compressor windings. The lower the voltage the higher the amperage. The older the compressor the more vulnerable the a/c compressor will be to a low voltage burn out.

What else are you running in the camper? A 30 amp service isn't much and you need to manage the load. So while the a/c is running (the largest AC electrical load) the converter will be charging the battery and supplying 12 VDC. The more discharged the battery the more amperage the converter will draw. So depending on the incoming voltage and the battery condition you may be near maxed out with just the a/c and converter running. Adding the water heater element or fridge heating element on 120 v ac may be too much. Running the microwave and the a/c will typically end up in a tripped breaker.

I'd suggest testing the incoming voltage both with anmd without a load, i.e. with the a/c turned off and the a/c running. Get back with those numbers. If the a/c won't start with correct voltage being supplied and no other loads drawing on the 30 amp then it could be the start capacitor or it could be the a/c compressor failing.
__________________
Marshall
2012 Laredo 303 TG
2010 F250 LT Super Cab, long bed, 4X4, 6.4 Turbo Diesel
flybouy is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 07-05-2021, 09:53 AM   #4
Belleyp
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2021
Location: Gatineau, Quebec, Canada
Posts: 7
Thanks for the tip, I have now updated my signature. As far as my location, Gatineau is actually located in Quebec Canada so as far as temperature go, I am sure we are not even close to the ones that you've experienced in your area...I have attached a couple of picture that I took while cleaning the unit but I guess I don't have the model nor the BTU as I took pictures of the compressor...I saw a guy before I left that was camping close to us with an electrical truck so I will try to talk to him next week-end to see if he could run some test on my unit...
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	RV AC 1.jpg
Views:	132
Size:	346.7 KB
ID:	34523   Click image for larger version

Name:	RV AC 2.jpg
Views:	127
Size:	197.3 KB
ID:	34524  
__________________
2009 Keystone Cougar 276RLS
2015 GMC Sierra All Terrain
Belleyp is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-05-2021, 10:01 AM   #5
Belleyp
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2021
Location: Gatineau, Quebec, Canada
Posts: 7
We did have issue with constant tripped main breaker when we started a few weeks back as we kept the AC running while using other appliances in the RV. We did have a crash course from the previous owner and now we definitely shut down the AC and other unused appliances while using the microwave or other units. We do have another full size fridge outside that we suspect may use significant amperage while its compressor is running...so if the AC compressor attempt to start at the same time as the external fridge compressor is on while we may be watching TV and some of the lights are on...we may be overusing the power hein!?! Cool, I will do those test this week-end and let you know next week when I get back!
__________________
2009 Keystone Cougar 276RLS
2015 GMC Sierra All Terrain
Belleyp is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-05-2021, 10:02 AM   #6
flybouy
Site Team
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Joppa, MD
Posts: 11,714
When I look at the top picture it looks like the insulation on the white wire is burnt or melted off. Is that an optical illusion?
__________________
Marshall
2012 Laredo 303 TG
2010 F250 LT Super Cab, long bed, 4X4, 6.4 Turbo Diesel
flybouy is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 07-05-2021, 10:16 AM   #7
Belleyp
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2021
Location: Gatineau, Quebec, Canada
Posts: 7
Quote:
Originally Posted by flybouy View Post
When I look at the top picture it looks like the insulation on the white wire is burnt or melted off. Is that an optical illusion?
Nah, this is where the Bee's nest was attached. It looks like dirt. We actually looked for either loos wires or melted one but found none. Note that we didn't touch the unit too much as I have no electrical background and my buddy told me that I could get a good zap if I started playing around in there...
__________________
2009 Keystone Cougar 276RLS
2015 GMC Sierra All Terrain
Belleyp is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-05-2021, 10:45 AM   #8
flybouy
Site Team
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Joppa, MD
Posts: 11,714
If you touch the terminals of the capacitor, or bare wires attached to it, it will "light you up". The capacitor is like a high voltage battery that adds the charge to the start windings when the compressor first kicks on. If you go to change out the capacitor then you need to discharge it first. A screwdriver across the terminals will do that with a nice loud snap and a spark. Of course, do this only with the electrical connection off.
__________________
Marshall
2012 Laredo 303 TG
2010 F250 LT Super Cab, long bed, 4X4, 6.4 Turbo Diesel
flybouy is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 07-05-2021, 11:12 AM   #9
Belleyp
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2021
Location: Gatineau, Quebec, Canada
Posts: 7
Quote:
Originally Posted by flybouy View Post
If you touch the terminals of the capacitor, or bare wires attached to it, it will "light you up". The capacitor is like a high voltage battery that adds the charge to the start windings when the compressor first kicks on. If you go to change out the capacitor then you need to discharge it first. A screwdriver across the terminals will do that with a nice loud snap and a spark. Of course, do this only with the electrical connection off.
It seem simple enough to do myself and I am sure that a capacitor is not that expensive anyway...as I mentioned earlier, I only go to the camper during the week-ends and if I start running test back and forth over several weeks, September and the end of our camping season may come before the time I find the issue...I don't think it would hurt to put a new start capacitor in while increasing my chances to solve the issue on the first try would you think? If the fan start all the time, is it the start capacitor that may have an issue? Is there more than one capacitor, i.e. for the fan and for the compressor?
__________________
2009 Keystone Cougar 276RLS
2015 GMC Sierra All Terrain
Belleyp is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-05-2021, 11:20 AM   #10
wiredgeorge
Senior Member
 
wiredgeorge's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Mico, TX
Posts: 7,397
I was hesitant to mention how to test the capacitor because it involves discharging and if you haven't done this before, it does get your attention. Change the capacitor now as it ain't a big deal. Get the specs and/or numbers and see if you can match. Capacitors are kind of generic.
__________________
wiredgeorge Mico TX
2006 F350 CC 4WD 6.0L
2002 Keystone Cougar 278
2006 GL1800 Roadsmith Trike
wiredgeorge is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-05-2021, 11:26 AM   #11
flybouy
Site Team
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Joppa, MD
Posts: 11,714
Typically there will be more than one capacitor. The fan is a seperate motor. The compressor most likely has two capacitors although they could be contained in the same "can". Without knowing the make/model of your a/c unit it would only be a guess. You can get a volt meter that plugs into a standard outlet for <$20. If the voltage is below say 105 to 107 volts I would not run the airconditioner.
__________________
Marshall
2012 Laredo 303 TG
2010 F250 LT Super Cab, long bed, 4X4, 6.4 Turbo Diesel
flybouy is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 07-05-2021, 11:52 AM   #12
Belleyp
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2021
Location: Gatineau, Quebec, Canada
Posts: 7
Quote:
Originally Posted by flybouy View Post
Typically there will be more than one capacitor. The fan is a seperate motor. The compressor most likely has two capacitors although they could be contained in the same "can". Without knowing the make/model of your a/c unit it would only be a guess. You can get a volt meter that plugs into a standard outlet for <$20. If the voltage is below say 105 to 107 volts I would not run the airconditioner.
Yeah, that would be wise to start with that. If the voltage is not 120, could it be caused by my RV or it would be of the main source of power from the campground? They have a main electrical panel that feeds 30 amp to all of the individual trailers. I would find it strange that I would be the only one amongst all of my neighbors who are connected to the same panel to run on such low voltage that it would cause my AC to fail while they are running one and some even 2 AC units at once... I do have a volt meter so I will test that for sure this week-end! I will also grab the AC make/model on my next visit...I really appreciate your help!
__________________
2009 Keystone Cougar 276RLS
2015 GMC Sierra All Terrain
Belleyp is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-05-2021, 05:42 PM   #13
flybouy
Site Team
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Joppa, MD
Posts: 11,714
There can be various causes of low voltage conditions and impossible to guess at not being there. If the voltage is ok then I'd check the capacitor. If it still has the printing on it and the meter can read microfarads you can test it, otherwise replace it and try it out.
__________________
Marshall
2012 Laredo 303 TG
2010 F250 LT Super Cab, long bed, 4X4, 6.4 Turbo Diesel
flybouy is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 07-05-2021, 06:24 PM   #14
Belleyp
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2021
Location: Gatineau, Quebec, Canada
Posts: 7
Quote:
Originally Posted by flybouy View Post
There can be various causes of low voltage conditions and impossible to guess at not being there. If the voltage is ok then I'd check the capacitor. If it still has the printing on it and the meter can read microfarads you can test it, otherwise replace it and try it out.
I’ll start by testing the voltage and we will go from there! I’ll share the results upon my return next week. Thanks to you!
Belleyp is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-05-2021, 07:41 PM   #15
LHaven
Senior Member
 
LHaven's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: Wickenburg
Posts: 3,271
Quote:
Originally Posted by Belleyp View Post
I would find it strange that I would be the only one amongst all of my neighbors who are connected to the same panel to run on such low voltage that it would cause my AC to fail while they are running one and some even 2 AC units at once...
As a general rule, people running 2 A/Cs are running off the 50A socket, because 30A isn't enough to do that. On 30A, you're lucky if you can use the microwave while the A/C is running.
__________________
2019 Cougar 26RBSWE
2019 Ford F-250
LHaven is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
5th wheel, air conditioner, cougar, issue, keystone

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Keystone RV Company or any of its affiliates in any way. Keystone RV® is a registered trademark of the Keystone RV Company.


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 07:26 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.