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Old 06-20-2022, 01:52 PM   #1
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New Coleman Rubicon 1628BH

Hi everyone.
I just took delivery of a new Coleman Rubicon 1628BH. After many years with a Class A and then a 10 year or so break I decided that for me a small travel trailer was appropriate as I'm getting too old to be putting up tents.


I have some observations that I hope will garner some input from owners of a similar model as I believe that there are some errors in the build. I have written to Customer Care, but feel this forum might provide faster answers.


Backup Camera Prep.
After installing a Furrion backup camera on Saturday I found that it is an always on state. This has been a constant issue on this forum I notice.
Keystone state clearly in the owner section of the website that the camera is wired to the running lights. According to the color coding they publish this is a Green/White wire pair.
I say Nay-Nay. While the wiring color code is correct, it is the same color code as used for the interior lighting circuits. In this case, it is on the Zone 2 lighting circuit which is the bathroom at the back of the TT. While I understand that the camera can do double duty as a security monitor, the fact that the only way to turn it off is to pull the Zone 2 fuse is comical, and they make no mention anywhere I can find of this setup.
The fix of course is to try and connect instead in to the running light circuit directly above the camera. Does anyone know if there is enough slack wire on that circuit to make a connection and fish the wire down the 2-3" to the camera?


Shore/Inverter Power.
This issue is a little more complex. While running on the Inverter only I found that the GFI outlets are energized along with the Microwave Oven. The non-gfi outlets (pop up outlet with USB charging) and the TV outlet which are both in the bed area at the front of the TT are not energized. It seems to me that this is wrong. I do not believe that the GFI or Microwave should run from the inverter. It would make more sense that the USB charging port is energized by the inverter.
So I took a look at the circuit breakers and swapped the wires between the GFI and Inverter Outlet breakers. This made no difference when switching the inverter back on - GFI's were energized and the USB Charging port dead. It appears that both of those breakers are energized by the inverter. I am wondering what is really on the Inverter Outlet breaker.
Switching to shore power bought the USB charging port and the TV outlet to life.
I need to go back with a multi-meter and test to see what breakers are energized when only on inverter and compare that that to when on shore power.
Does anyone have any thoughts on this?


Thanks in advance.


Phil
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Old 06-21-2022, 04:16 PM   #2
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Update.

For interest, Customer Care have not responded, but I called Camping World Tech support and they unequivocally agreed that that no major appliance such as the Microwave and Air Conditioner should be running off a 1200 watt Inverter. He thinks that the inverter is miswired and is back-feeding the system.


We'll see when it goes in for service.


Phil
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Old 06-23-2022, 08:44 PM   #3
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I agree, the inverter is probably not wired correctly.

You can connect to the running light circuit without cutting the wire. Use a clamp on connector. There are may types. Here is one.

https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-.../hi/6426213011
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Old 06-23-2022, 08:46 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by persistent View Post
I agree, the inverter is probably not wired correctly.

You can connect to the running light circuit without cutting the wire. Use a clamp on connector. There are may types. Here is one.

https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-.../hi/6426213011
Thank you Paul.
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Old 06-27-2022, 06:32 PM   #5
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Back up camera follow up.

Hey, I have a 2021 Rubicon and noticed, this past weekend, that I had the same issue.


Camera was on all day and night.


Are you going to rewire it yourself? Or have the dealership do it?
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Old 06-29-2022, 01:01 PM   #6
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Dealership will charge you LOTS of $$$ and keep it for months to rewire the camera. Unless there is a recall because it stays on.
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Old 06-29-2022, 09:26 PM   #7
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Originally Posted by divinguy View Post
Hey, I have a 2021 Rubicon and noticed, this past weekend, that I had the same issue.


Camera was on all day and night.


Are you going to rewire it yourself? Or have the dealership do it?

Ok here is a final update on this thread.

No way am I having a dealer do anything I can do myself, particularly simple 12v wiring. I'm quicker, cheaper, and better than them. Period.+




1. Camera Prep.
This past weekend I removed the running light immediately above the camera. The running light has 2 wires - red and white. Red is hot, white is earth. I spliced into that wiring as there was plenty of slack to pull it out of the 'wall'. I pushed the two wires down to the camera hole (this was easy as it is only about 3 inches, and you can put your finger in the hole and pull out on the wall it is super thin and flexible). I then cut the stupid prep wires and just pushed them into the abyss of the wall. Spliced in the 2 running light wires and voila! Job done as it should have been done from the factory. Camera now only comes on when I turn on the running lights.
Time - 10 minutes.



2. Inverter.
Now this one I cannot tackle without a wiring diagram so it has to be done by the dealer.

This was like 'prove it is wrong'. Even with a letter from tech support Camping World were still fighting that that a 1200 watt inverter should be running an Air-conditioner, a microwave, and 3 GFI outlets. This is because "we heard that the air-conditioner is low wattage...". Please. I was not born yesterday.

Anyhow with my appointment I actually got a technician and he took one look at the setup (after turning on the air-conditioner running from the inverter) and said to the service 'expert'. "Do you see these little yellow sun labels on these 2 outlets?
Well this means that these outlets run from the solar panel - Sun. Solar. Get it? These are the only things that the inverter should be running. The inverter is wired wrong."


Justice! Camper booked in to be 'corrected'. Lord knows when I'll see it again.


[Footnote]
The day after I took delivery of the trailer I took it back because the solar charger was displaying an error. The same technician who looked at the inverter problem looked at the solar charger problem. He pointed to a mess of cables on the A frame and asked the prep/delivery guy why the Solar was not hooked up. Pre/Delivery guy said "I thought that was for a generator". Tech looked at the sky and pointed to the sun and said "Yep. That one!"
Solar was promptly hooked up with much blushing.
So much for pre-delivery QC.



Phil
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Old 07-08-2022, 12:55 PM   #8
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2022 Coleman Rubicon 1628BH

Just want to put a few closing comments on this thread, for the benefit of any new Rubicon owners.

Camera Prep.
If installing your own camera pull the wires out that are tucked in behind the camera housing. Strip the wires back and check with a multi-meter or test light with the TT disconnected from the tow vehicle. If you get a 12v reading then those wires are 'always on' and there is no way to switch them off other than pulling a fuse at the distribution center.
Instead, ignore those wires and remove the running light immediately above the camera. Splice in to those wires and snake them down to the camera to make the connection. Camera will only come on when connected to the Tow Vehicle and running lights switched on. Use plenty of silicone to re weather-proof the light and camera housing.


Inverter operation.
If you get a model with the Solar panel already installed on the roof then you will also most likely have an inverter as well. Look at the outlets in the TT and see which ones have a little yellow sun sticker.
These are the only outlets that should be energized by the inverter.
In the Rubicon 1628 these are the pop-up USB hub/AC outlet at the head of the bed and the AC outlet for the TV at the foot of the bed.

Turn on inverter and check them. If they are not energized with the converter on then the power converter is wired incorrectly. You may find, as I did, that the Microwave, Air-conditioner and the GFI outlets are energized instead. This is wrong and you'll need to get it fixed.
The fix is simple. My tech only took about an hour to find the problem and rectify it.


Outside Griddle.
This one was a mystery to me. The griddle has a male quick-connect fitting, and the propane outlet under the TT has a female disconnect. The hose is not supplied. I spent a day traipsing around Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart, and 2 Camping Worlds only to find that a hose with a female/male disconnect cannot be bought for love not money. I ended up buying it from Amazon as it was the only place I could find it.

https://www.amazon.com/DOZYANT-Press...xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==


The shortest one I could find was 12'.


Hope this helps anyone facing the same challenges as me.


Phil
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Old 07-24-2022, 02:25 AM   #9
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Hey Session,

I just bought a 1 year old used 1608RB and drug it back from Indiana over the last week. Curious about how this thing is supposed to be stored. I discovered the battery disconnect did not seem to do anything and everything runs with it on or off. I read just tonight it is actually to disconnect the inverter. I want to open the fridge door while I have it off but the light stays on. Turned the battery disconnect off...light still on. I pulled every fuse as none were labeled as fridge and light never turned off. So it appears there is not way to power the fridge completely down save disconnecting the battery. So I was out there today and noticed the battery was down to less than 9 volts. Not good. I have everything off and while it is not in direct sunlight, it should get enough light all day to keep the battery charged with essentially nothing being used inside I would think. I hooked up a battery charge until I can get this figured out. I don't have a 30 amp to 15 amp adapter at the moment to plug in to an outlet. That is next. I can hardly believe everyone that buys one of these things keeps them plugged in during storage. A call to Dutchman and a follow up email have netted me nothing as of yet. So, do you or anyone else on here that has one of the Rubicons with the Inverter and solar have any idea how to shut this thing down for storage? Manual not worth the paper it is printed on in this aspect.

Thanks for any help!
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Old 07-24-2022, 03:10 PM   #10
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Originally Posted by svoras View Post
Hey Session,

I just bought a 1 year old used 1608RB and drug it back from Indiana over the last week. Curious about how this thing is supposed to be stored. I discovered the battery disconnect did not seem to do anything and everything runs with it on or off. I read just tonight it is actually to disconnect the inverter. I want to open the fridge door while I have it off but the light stays on. Turned the battery disconnect off...light still on. I pulled every fuse as none were labeled as fridge and light never turned off. So it appears there is not way to power the fridge completely down save disconnecting the battery. So I was out there today and noticed the battery was down to less than 9 volts. Not good. I have everything off and while it is not in direct sunlight, it should get enough light all day to keep the battery charged with essentially nothing being used inside I would think. I hooked up a battery charge until I can get this figured out. I don't have a 30 amp to 15 amp adapter at the moment to plug in to an outlet. That is next. I can hardly believe everyone that buys one of these things keeps them plugged in during storage. A call to Dutchman and a follow up email have netted me nothing as of yet. So, do you or anyone else on here that has one of the Rubicons with the Inverter and solar have any idea how to shut this thing down for storage? Manual not worth the paper it is printed on in this aspect.

Thanks for any help!
Feel free to start a new thread for each new issue.

Travel trailers may or may not have a 12 volt cut off switch. Most motor homes and Motor Coaches do. You said your trailer has one, but it does not do anything.

It may be you have just not discovered what the switch is for. Please post a picture. A close up of the switch and one a little wider so we can see the context may help.

Storing travel trailers with lead acid batteries

Always store lead acid batteries fully charged. Fully charged means 14 to 18 hours on a high quality charger like the one that came installed in your travel trailer. Fully recharge 14 hours before battery terminal voltage drops below 12.4 volts.

This is necessary to clean all the lead sulfate off the battery plates. Lead sulfate crystalizes over time, so clean it off before storing.

There are several good ways to store RV's. If your travel trailer does not have a cut off switch, then disconnect the negative terminal of the battery. Check the instructions for the inverter/charger if you have one. Some inverters require the positive to the inverter be shut off first.

I installed a mechanical cut off switch next to my battery. The charge and house power wires are all connected to the cut off switch. The cut off switch is the only thing connected to the positive terminal of my battery bank.

I fully charge, then switch off. My AGM batteries hold a full charge for many months. Flooded cells in good condition and fully charge may last for 6 months.

Here are some other storage methods
Attached Files
File Type: pdf Storing Lead Acid Batteries.pdf (101.5 KB, 37 views)
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Old 07-24-2022, 04:21 PM   #11
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Thanks Paul for the reply.

The switch labeled as battery cutoff is actually to turn off the inverter only. Figured it out this morning. Thanks for the storage advice. Since we will be using the trailer often on every couple weeks, I think my best bet is just to keep it plugged in when not using it. The solar cannot keep up right now because it is parked in a shady area for the time being. Plan to change that soon. Thanks again!
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Old 07-25-2022, 03:47 PM   #12
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The Rubicon Saga.

Quote:
Originally Posted by svoras View Post
Thanks Paul for the reply.

The switch labeled as battery cutoff is actually to turn off the inverter only. Figured it out this morning. Thanks for the storage advice. Since we will be using the trailer often on every couple weeks, I think my best bet is just to keep it plugged in when not using it. The solar cannot keep up right now because it is parked in a shady area for the time being. Plan to change that soon. Thanks again!
Sorry for the late reply.
Indeed, the "Battery Cut-off" is no such thing. It is the Inverter "On-Off" switch and should be labeled correctly.
Same issue as you with the fridge. Can't prop the fridge open because there's no way to disco the power to the fridge. I have purchased a battery disconnect switch to install upfront but have not fully decided if I want to go that route. I kind of like the batteries being trickle charged during the winter since I have the TT in a storage yard with no power. I'm probably going to use the old-school method of a strip of duct tape over the switch to take care of that nonsense.

Phil
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Old 07-25-2022, 05:04 PM   #13
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Tape on switch

Hi Session, yeah, put the tape on yesterday. Seems to work. I got a 30 amp to 15 amp adapter and now have it plugged in to the side of the house. I also bought a battery cut switch and also am not sure I want to add it either. Funny...
I think I will just plan to always plug it in when at home. Live in FL so winterizing and long term storage are not needed. We almost bought the same exact trailer here in FL from Camping World. It had a dual battery setup which was nice. For the $3k I saved getting it from Indiana I can add the 2 battery setup if I find I need it. The solar charge controller company's spec sheet recommends having 200 AH AGMs with this setup. My single wet cell has like 64 AH. I will just use it for a while and see how things shape up. Good luck on your side and share anything you find out. I will do the same if you want.

Steve
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Old 07-25-2022, 05:21 PM   #14
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Batteries.

Quote:
Originally Posted by svoras View Post
Hi Session, yeah, put the tape on yesterday. Seems to work. I got a 30 amp to 15 amp adapter and now have it plugged in to the side of the house. I also bought a battery cut switch and also am not sure I want to add it either. Funny...
I think I will just plan to always plug it in when at home. Live in FL so winterizing and long term storage are not needed. We almost bought the same exact trailer here in FL from Camping World. It had a dual battery setup which was nice. For the $3k I saved getting it from Indiana I can add the 2 battery setup if I find I need it. The solar charge controller company's spec sheet recommends having 200 AH AGMs with this setup. My single wet cell has like 64 AH. I will just use it for a while and see how things shape up. Good luck on your side and share anything you find out. I will do the same if you want.

Steve

Hi Steve,
I added a second Interstate battery to mine when I bought it. Funny thing was that the Interstate Battery that Camping World put on it was not in the Interstate Outlet's catalog. Go figure. I put the closest equivalent deep cycle GP 24 on. I haven't really studied the suggested requirements yet for the converter.
I DID learn one hell of a lot about Solar on my 5 day vacay 2 weeks back.
First thing is do not get a shady RV spot - duh. The 190 watt solar panel could not keep up with the fridge (on cool setting) after day 2 given that it was only getting full sun for 5-6 hours. Battery bank was down to 10.8 volts consistently even after pushing a charge to it from my little 1220 watt genny. So I went a picked up a 100 watt suitcase solar panel to supplement it. Made up an extension cable so I could move to portable array around to follow the sun. Pretty comical really. Anyway, the upshot of all that is when dry camping you'll run out of charge from the solar. The fridge eats about 3-4 amps just on on cool (freezer still freezes a bit) and the solar charger even in full sun and supplemented could barely push out 1 amp. The 'rithmatic is pretty easy from there.
So like any problem I fixed it by throwing money at it. Nope. Did not go out and buy a 1000 watts of solar for the roof. I bought a Predator RV Generator - 3000 watts. It charged those 2 batteries to full capacity in under 3 hours - hooked it up to the shore power inlet.
Solar is nice to have, charges the batteries when they are not in use, but the generator gives me everything I need off the grid including AC. I'll post a pic of the final setup when I mount the genny up front on the A-Frame. At the moment it is in the back of the car!


Phil
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