New Transcend Xplor 240ML; couple questions

Daytrepper

Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2023
Messages
13
Location
Raleigh, NC
Hi all; glad to have found this site.

I just brought home a 2023 Transcend Xplor 240ML on Friday.

Really nice trailer and great floor plan for what I need.

This weekend I've been getting to know it, learned how to level it etc; 1st time travel trailer owner.

I've got a couple questions.

First, the solar charger. The battery was pretty low from being at the dealer and the RV show last weekend. I put it on a charge yesterday, 2 amp, 8 hours. The panel inside now says full.

The Solar Charger doesn't seem to be doing anything. According to the owners manual it should have a green LED lit up when it's charging. Nothing is lit up. During the walk thru, the dealer said "you'll never have to worry about the solar charger, it will maintain the battery". So does it shut off when there is no need for a charge? I can't find an on-off switch or breaker for it?

Also, the door, this morning when I went to open it, it was stuck. It had been sitting in the sun for a couple hours and I am thinking the door expanded from the heat. Looks like the latch is now rubbing against the striker. Is this a thing? Kind of annoying, especially brand new unit. If so I'll have to try to keep that side out of the sun. I already had to fix the locks on the baggage doors, they just left them loose at the factory. Kind of concerning.

I'm taking it this weekend for a 3 day camping trip about 2 hours away, for a maiden voyage. Trying to think of anything I might need to look at first.

Thanks!
 
First off, welcome to the forum. Some have found that the solar controller was connected backwards. Do you have a meter to check that?
 
First off, welcome to the forum. Some have found that the solar controller was connected backwards. Do you have a meter to check that?

Thanks! Glad to have found this resource.

I do have a meter. I was a truck mechanic in a previous life, so I'm still pretty mechanically inclined, lol.

I read thru the owners manual and there wasn't much information on correct wiring, other than when doing the install; I can check all that if need be. I wanted to ask how it operates first, in the manual it states it will either charge or maintain; one or the other, and the LED will tell you which it is doing. However, there is no LED lit up. I don't see a switch or breaker for it. I'm curious if it shuts off if the battery is full or no sun? I was going to call the dealer tomorrow and ask about it, before diving into anything.

I checked the battery today, 12.7 volts. Panel inside considers that "full".

If it's not working right now I don't think it will be a big deal on my trip as I have shore power, but brand new trailer, it needs to work.
 
No LED suggests to me that it may not be wired correctly. Check what is coming in from the panel. Once you get activity, make sure what is going out to the battery has the correct polarity.
 
Hi all; glad to have found this site.

I just brought home a 2023 Transcend Xplor 240ML on Friday.

Really nice trailer and great floor plan for what I need.

This weekend I've been getting to know it, learned how to level it etc; 1st time travel trailer owner.

I've got a couple questions.

First, the solar charger. The battery was pretty low from being at the dealer and the RV show last weekend. I put it on a charge yesterday, 2 amp, 8 hours. The panel inside now says full.

The Solar Charger doesn't seem to be doing anything. According to the owners manual it should have a green LED lit up when it's charging. Nothing is lit up. During the walk thru, the dealer said "you'll never have to worry about the solar charger, it will maintain the battery". So does it shut off when there is no need for a charge? I can't find an on-off switch or breaker for it?

Also, the door, this morning when I went to open it, it was stuck. It had been sitting in the sun for a couple hours and I am thinking the door expanded from the heat. Looks like the latch is now rubbing against the striker. Is this a thing? Kind of annoying, especially brand new unit. If so I'll have to try to keep that side out of the sun. I already had to fix the locks on the baggage doors, they just left them loose at the factory. Kind of concerning.

I'm taking it this weekend for a 3 day camping trip about 2 hours away, for a maiden voyage. Trying to think of anything I might need to look at first.

Thanks!

Welcome to the forum! You'll find the members are very helpful on a great number of topics. Just ask. I have the same TT as you and we really like the floor plan. I have not had any charging or door issues (that weren't self inflicted) So I can't help with those. I have seen other post about the door sticking. You might want to do a search on the site for ideas. And you might want to start a list of issues (if any) you discover on your first trip. Good luck and safe travels.
 
Welcome to the forum! You'll find the members are very helpful on a great number of topics. Just ask. I have the same TT as you and we really like the floor plan. I have not had any charging or door issues (that weren't self inflicted) So I can't help with those. I have seen other post about the door sticking. You might want to do a search on the site for ideas. And you might want to start a list of issues (if any) you discover on your first trip. Good luck and safe travels.

Thanks. The door issue was definitely expansion; and I narrowed that down to the striker plate screws. I might replace those with some screws that have a smaller head, such as trim screws. Door shut fine after the sun quit shining on it. Weird; I would think they would have addressed that issue, but it is what it is. I reckon I'll replace the screws and keep that side of the trailer out of the sun. Kind of silly if you ask me, I'd have thought they'd built it a bit better than that. Not complaining but this is a silly issue on a major part of the trailer---the dang entry door. For anyone that isn't mechanically inclined they would become quite frustrated. Especially brand new trailer I've had for 3 days. It's kind of a bummer that I have to fix this thing before the first camping trip. Especially things like a sticking door, and dead battery. Come on. I know it's pretty much useless to contact the dealer, simple fix like screws will be more headache than its worth. I've got a trip to do and no time to wait. I'm not going to go back to the dealer for silly quick stuff I can repair, although after signing that paperwork it frustrates me. Heck, I already had to fix both baggage door locks, they were left loose.

I'm a first time TT owner so trying to cover all issues before next weekends first trip lol. I really love this trailer otherwise. Just frustrating I buy something new and already have to work on it LOL.

I want to make sure all features work; as they should. I just paid a bunch of money for this TT, better be right lol. I don't think the solar is working. I've searched the site not much info on that. I can only go by what the owner's manual says, there should be an LED light indicating what the system is doing, there is not; everything is dark. Hoping someone can explain how the solar charger works.
 
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The door sticking could mean it's out of level or you have one corner a little too high. I get that on my truck camper.

Red
 
So the first camping trip was a success.

Found the microwave not working -- it was unplugged. LOL.

Everything else is working good so far. No more door sticking issues. I'm not sure if the solar charger is working or not but I removed it, checked power to it, it has power; then finally the yellow LED indicating the battery type lit up. Still no green LED. I'm not sure how to check the solar panel I'll look into that further. It does appear to be wired correctly. I asked the dealer about it and they really couldn't tell me anything other than bring it in for diagnostic.

I'm headed out again with it Tuesday - Friday for a work related trip. Looking forward to it.
 
So the first camping trip was a success.

Found the microwave not working -- it was unplugged. LOL.

Everything else is working good so far. No more door sticking issues. I'm not sure if the solar charger is working or not but I removed it, checked power to it, it has power; then finally the yellow LED indicating the battery type lit up. Still no green LED. I'm not sure how to check the solar panel I'll look into that further. It does appear to be wired correctly. I asked the dealer about it and they really couldn't tell me anything other than bring it in for diagnostic.

I'm headed out again with it Tuesday - Friday for a work related trip. Looking forward to it.

Happy to hear it’s going well so far. You’re quickly learning trailers are a lot more like a house than a car, in that the new ones are somewhat *more likely to have issues right at first than gently used ones. 240ml is a great floorplan. We had the door issues as well and I adjusted striker plates so that it really never happens anymore (ok, on a 100 degree day in direct sun this summer it was slightly sticky, but it still worked).

So far as solar, just to double check, there has to be enough sun on the panel to be charging for you to see the green light. It does not have disconnect switches and I’m pretty sure it won’t auto shut off either. I have purchased a switch for battery side and manual breaker for the panel side but not installed yet.

The battery disconnect switch - at least in our trailer - does not disconnect the refrigerator nor the solar from the battery. Just fyi. You can shut off the fridge inside the trailer. I have been happy not to have to disconnect the batteries completely as solar keeps them topped off without burning the water out of them. But I do still plan to install a total disconnect switch.

If you haven’t, get up on the roof and inspect all the seals. Now that you’ve towed it home it more than likely needs more lap sealant in some spots.

Enjoy the new trailer! Once you get used to taking care of it, traveling can be a blast!
 
Happy to hear it’s going well so far. You’re quickly learning trailers are a lot more like a house than a car, in that the new ones are somewhat *more likely to have issues right at first than gently used ones. 240ml is a great floorplan. We had the door issues as well and I adjusted striker plates so that it really never happens anymore (ok, on a 100 degree day in direct sun this summer it was slightly sticky, but it still worked).

So far as solar, just to double check, there has to be enough sun on the panel to be charging for you to see the green light. It does not have disconnect switches and I’m pretty sure it won’t auto shut off either. I have purchased a switch for battery side and manual breaker for the panel side but not installed yet.

The battery disconnect switch - at least in our trailer - does not disconnect the refrigerator nor the solar from the battery. Just fyi. You can shut off the fridge inside the trailer. I have been happy not to have to disconnect the batteries completely as solar keeps them topped off without burning the water out of them. But I do still plan to install a total disconnect switch.

If you haven’t, get up on the roof and inspect all the seals. Now that you’ve towed it home it more than likely needs more lap sealant in some spots.

Enjoy the new trailer! Once you get used to taking care of it, traveling can be a blast!


Thanks, I'll keep checking on the LED's. That was the info I was hoping for, the dealer couldn't provide me with that! The battery is at 100% right now so until it is discharged (and sunny) then I likely won't see anything on the solar controller.

I set the fridge to "off grid" mode for the trip up last weekend. It was nice and cold by the time I got there. I switch it to off when I'm not using the camper. I'm good with that just need to make sure and switch it to off.

Is there a certain sealant you recommend? I've been up on the roof twice to clean off the top of the slide out and the seals looked good from what I could see.
 
Thanks, I'll keep checking on the LED's. That was the info I was hoping for, the dealer couldn't provide me with that! The battery is at 100% right now so until it is discharged (and sunny) then I likely won't see anything on the solar controller.

I set the fridge to "off grid" mode for the trip up last weekend. It was nice and cold by the time I got there. I switch it to off when I'm not using the camper. I'm good with that just need to make sure and switch it to off.

Is there a certain sealant you recommend? I've been up on the roof twice to clean off the top of the slide out and the seals looked good from what I could see.

Roof manufacturer recommends Alpha self leveling lap sealant (non self leveling if on a vertical spot, self leveling everywhere flat). Dicor is also a good sealant and likely what the dealer uses. I’ve used both and they are similar. Front and rear seams are most likely to need attention.

Make sure when parked (not using trailer) you turn the battery disconnect (red switch) off also. There are a bunch of little power drains that will hurt the battery over time if left on.

My experience with solar is I have either a solid green or flashing green anytime it is sunny, plus the yellow (sealed in my case) light. Just checked and that’s what I have right now. Can check again tonight and see if any lights when it is dark. We have this controller, unless something changed for your year, 25A version. The manual is also on this webpage:

https://furrion.com/products/wall-mount-mppt-solar-charge-controller

I also like to use off grid when not plugged in to power.
 
Roof manufacturer recommends Alpha self leveling lap sealant (non self leveling if on a vertical spot, self leveling everywhere flat). Dicor is also a good sealant and likely what the dealer uses. I’ve used both and they are similar. Front and rear seams are most likely to need attention.

Make sure when parked (not using trailer) you turn the battery disconnect (red switch) off also. There are a bunch of little power drains that will hurt the battery over time if left on.

My experience with solar is I have either a solid green or flashing green anytime it is sunny, plus the yellow (sealed in my case) light. Just checked and that’s what I have right now. Can check again tonight and see if any lights when it is dark. We have this controller, unless something changed for your year, 25A version. The manual is also on this webpage:

https://furrion.com/products/wall-mount-mppt-solar-charge-controller

I also like to use off grid when not plugged in to power.


Thanks; I've still not seen any lights on other than the amber battery type light. I'll keep checking, and maybe have the dealer check it out once I'm done for the season.

In general, is the roof sealant just a check and see? A brand new RV, only a few months out of the factory would already need new roof sealant in spots? Or is it sort of a seasonal maintenance thing? Just recoat to be sure every year or?

Last thing I want is a roof leak; the couple times I've been up on the roof cleaning the slide out off or whatever everything looks fine.

I'm headed to Tennessee with it tomorrow for the rest of the week for work. This will probably be my last trip of the year.
 
Thanks; I've still not seen any lights on other than the amber battery type light. I'll keep checking, and maybe have the dealer check it out once I'm done for the season.

In general, is the roof sealant just a check and see? A brand new RV, only a few months out of the factory would already need new roof sealant in spots? Or is it sort of a seasonal maintenance thing? Just recoat to be sure every year or?

Last thing I want is a roof leak; the couple times I've been up on the roof cleaning the slide out off or whatever everything looks fine.

I'm headed to Tennessee with it tomorrow for the rest of the week for work. This will probably be my last trip of the year.

No lights at night on the solar controller.

The roof lap sealant should be checked at least every three months. Nothing to worry about just normal maintenance - easy to do when blowing off the slide or whatnot and already up there. Things often shift a little right at first and many don’t even think to look at the roof - if you’ve been up there and it looks good, you’re in great shape.
 
No lights at night on the solar controller.

So being done with it for the season I took it into the dealer.

They had warranty approval to replace the bedroom door (not sure why, LOL I thought it was fine) and I decided to have them winterize it.

I had them check out the solar charger. As I suspected, it is not working. They are saying there is a broken wire between the roof panel and the controller. They tested the panels, they are working. Tested the controller, its good. They have to remove the inside panels and cabinets in the bedroom to find it.....thinking it got cut during assembly or a screw or something got ran thru it....

Also; the heat T-stat was reading about 10 degrees high. There is an upgrade kit apparently for this that they want to install.

Waiting on warranty approval, which they said could take 3 days to 3 months, then I'll drop it back off.
 
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Solar Panel

Check to see that the two (2) wires from the panel to the connector on the roof are attached. The mobil tech that "fixed" my solar panel was sure that only one wire went to the connector. I had to send him the page from the manual where it clearly shows there are two (2) wires attached. He was so sure telling me that the other connection ws for another panel, etc., etc.

While you're up there (roof), make sure the bolts holding the panel to the roof are tight. On my 2nd trip, I was on I95 and a guy pulls up next to me saying I was going to lose my solar panel. I pulled off and the bolts/nuts for the panel bracket had loosened and fell off. This led to the solar panel "repair" mentioned above.

Also, no sun=no green light on the controller.

Good luck!!!
 
Check to see that the two (2) wires from the panel to the connector on the roof are attached. The mobil tech that "fixed" my solar panel was sure that only one wire went to the connector. I had to send him the page from the manual where it clearly shows there are two (2) wires attached. He was so sure telling me that the other connection ws for another panel, etc., etc.

While you're up there (roof), make sure the bolts holding the panel to the roof are tight. On my 2nd trip, I was on I95 and a guy pulls up next to me saying I was going to lose my solar panel. I pulled off and the bolts/nuts for the panel bracket had loosened and fell off. This led to the solar panel "repair" mentioned above.

Also, no sun=no green light on the controller.

Good luck!!!


I think I may have had the exact same issue.

At first the dealer was saying they had to remove the ceiling in the bedroom to find a broken wire!

They called a couple hours after I dropped it off and said it was ready. I thought, wow, dropped the ceiling, took out cabinets, etc, that was pretty fast.

I asked them about it and they said they found the wire disconnected behind the control panel in the storage box and it was good to go.

Solar charger has been working ever since!! I will double check my panel on the roof here before I head to Florida in a couple weeks.
 
I also learned on our solar charger, got to set the amp hours for the battery so it works correctly. Mine came with an Interstate SRM-24 81 AH so i was able to adjust it down to 81 amp hour. Don't forget to match the battery type as well. Wish it had a power switch. I store mine at a Marina with covered roof and have a 15 amp 120v plug that I keep her plugged into. Just some notes from what I remembered i had to do back in the beginning.
 
When your set up and the sun shines on your door just put the awning out to keep sun off the door
 

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