Running Generator/Cruise Control

[Peter Guenther]

I have a 2005 Holiday Rambler Navigator with an interesting problem that has arisen. If we're traveling and we need to run the generator for A/C reasons or just to recharge the house batteries, the cruise control will shut off immediately. Has anyone else ever had this issue, and if so what might be the possible reasons?

 

[OldWEB]

I have a 2005 Holiday Rambler Navigator with an interesting problem that has arisen. If we're traveling and we need to run the generator for A/C reasons or just to recharge the house batteries, the cruise control will shut off immediately. Has anyone else ever had this issue, and if so what might be the possible reasons?

Hard to say... maybe the voltage 'dips' a bit if the two systems are tied together. i.e. chassis charging the house batteries.
Maybe the starter or solenoid injects some noise or a spike onto the DC buses that affects the CC.....
I just would not do it.

 

[Ray-IN]

There are many possibilities, all electrical of course. What is the battery voltage before the genset is started, then after it's running? (that is #1 on my list) That is switching from alternator charging to inverter/charger charges rates and might also involve different DC voltages.

 

[Dan_Frisbie]

Can the cruise control be reinitialized/started?
If so, there is probably a small electrical spike that occurs when the generator comes online. This could be disengaging the CC.
I run the generator constantly when we’re on the road. Never had this problem.

 

[SC5thWheeler]

Does the CC kick off only when the generator starts or is it disabled whenever the generator is running?

 

[jubileee]

I’ve always installed a battery cut of switch to keep generator from charging chassis battery when running generator going down road.
I’ve done this for 35 years. Eliminates many possible problems and charging conflicts.
Easy to install switch near isolator usually. This is type cutoff I’m using currently.
Buy at Amazon.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Agree with the other replies. And that a crucial data point is whether the cruise will work if restarted after the genset is running. If it will, you are looking for a momentary surge or drop in the electrical system. If not, something more lasting and fundamental. By design that problem should be impossible to occur, so there must be some sort of weird anomaly.

Another question is whether this is definitely a new problem, i.e. you know it used to work OK but something has now changed. If you don't remember if it ever working correctly, then we have to consider a wider range of defects, all the way back to factory wiring.

 

[Peter Guenther]

There are many possibilities, all electrical of course. What is the battery voltage before the genset is started, then after it's running? (that is #1 on my list) That is switching from alternator charging to inverter/charger charges rates and might also involve different DC voltages.

I will check this...great thought.

 

[Peter Guenther]

Can the cruise control be reinitialized/started?
If so, there is probably a small electrical spike that occurs when the generator comes online. This could be disengaging the CC.
I run the generator constantly when we’re on the road. Never had this problem.

I'm not sure how it could be reinitialized. I always used to run the generator without a problem, but it started doing this slowly. At first it only happened once in a while, but now it cuts off the CC either when it's run for a little bit, or when I start the generator.

 

[Peter Guenther]

Does the CC kick off only when the generator starts or is it disabled whenever the generator is running?

Now it usually cuts off when the generator starts, but it has cut off when the generator was running for a while.

 

[Peter Guenther]

Agree with the other replies. And that a crucial data point is whether the cruise will work if restarted after the genset is running. If it will, you are looking for a momentary surge or drop in the electrical system. If not, something more lasting and fundamental. By design that problem should be impossible to occur, so there must be some sort of weird anomaly.

Another question is whether this is definitely a new problem, i.e. you know it used to work OK but something has now changed. If you don't remember if it ever working correctly, then we have to consider a wider range of defects, all the way back to factory wiring.

What used to happen is when driving down the road with the generator running the odd time my CC would cut off. Now the CC seems to cut off almost as soon as I start the generator while I'm driving down the road.

If I stop, turn off the generator, re start the motorhome engine...my CC will work fine.

 

[SC5thWheeler]

I have to admit I'm stumped. I'm also not convinced the generator has anything to do with it.