Travelaire RV Motorhome Review

Travelaire/Ford C-class Motorhome – Power Converter Replacement

by Don McKie
(Edmonton Ab. Canada)

Question: I am looking for advice or schematics for a 1979 Ford Econoline C Class (28′) Motorhome. I have tested power supply to RV battery and battery charges with engine running, but not with AC power plugged in.

Answer: Our first reaction to your question is that you might have a problem with the transfer switch (if you have one) which controls the use of various power sources. The transfer switch usually exists on RVs that have a generator, controlling the use of the generator vs. shore power. If you have a transfer switch, perhaps this page will help you troubleshoot and resolve any issues: http://www.progressivedyn.com/troubleshooting_transfr_relay/

Other sources of the problem include loose wiring, faulty converter/inverter, problem with an inline fuse and so on. Here are a few related pages pertaining to batteries that may be of some help:

Batteries Not Charging

Battery Help

Dead Batteries

Caring for your RV Batteries

Site Search

We also welcome any Travelaire owners to chime in with suggestions.

Travelaire Plumbing

Question: Looking for details on plumbing on our 1979 Travelaire Chateau – perhaps a plumbing schematic. It seems that the shower empties into the black water tank. Is this normal or has some previous owner done work and hooked it back up incorrectly?

Answer (Jill): It doesn’t sound normal to us, but we have no expertise about your model and brand RV. We are posting your question in the hope that others may have input.

Answer (Kevin):
I have an e 350 motor home and it is hooked up the same way. Not sure why they did this, but it’s not too big of a deal for me as I removed the toilet and turned the shower/bathroom in to a closet with some shelves etc.
But this is the factory way it’s set up.


Ford Travelaire

by JC (Canada)

Question: I have a 1982 Ford Travelaire and I wanted to install a hitch on it. Upon closer inspection I realized the frame does not come all the way to the back. It stops just behind the wheels about 4ft from the back. It then has some smaller frame rails welded to it to support the bumper. Any suggestions?

Answer: If it were us, we would have a reputable, qualified hitch business take a look and give you an opinion. We are not familiar with the Ford Travelaire. You are smart to check things out and ensure that an added hitch would be safe and not cause damage to the overall frame.

We are posting this question, in case there are other Ford Travelaire owners who might have input or experience. And if anyone knows of an owners’ forum for this brand of RV, please comment.


Shut Off Switch for Hydro

by Mike (Ontario)

Question: I just bought a 1988 Travelaire RV and was wondering if there is a main shut off for the 110 AC hydro or a generator to hydro switch. I am trying to figure out why the generator isn’t powering up the hydro in the RV.

Answer (Jill): We are not familiar with the Travelaire brand of RV and are not sure what your question is about.

Is the Hydro a furnace/water heater? If so, then there are circuit breakers that control the 110 Volt AC heating elements.

On our rig the generator provides power to the AC elements for our furnace/water heater but we do not have to flip any switches make it work. Your rig might be different.

We attempted to look for a Travelaire RV owners forum but did not find one and it seems the Canadian manufacturer is out of business. You may have to go to an RV repair shop to have the problem diagnosed and/or repaired.

Good luck and let us know the outcome. If others have input, please comment.

Answer (John):
I have to chuckle. It seems that Americans don’t know that “hydro” means electricity in Canada (from hydro-electricity). Mike appears to be asking about a shut-off for the 120 VAC hook-up. That would be at the breaker panel. With a 30 amp service, for example, there would be a number of 15 amp breakers for the various lights and outlets, a 20 amp breaker for the A/C and a 30 amp breaker that shuts everything off, all in a row.


1994 Travellaire Converter

by: Doug

My converter – regulator has failed and needs replacement. Is there a manual or wiring schematics that anyone might have ?

thank you,

DH