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   Montana Owners Club - Keystone Montana 5th Wheel Forum > MOC Technical Forums > Montana Problems, Problem Solving & Technical Help
Click Here to Login

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 09-29-2011, 08:55 AM   #1
bighornram
Montana Fan
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Farmington
Posts: 283
M.O.C. #11619
GFCI Shore Power Connection Trips

Quite simply, can you plug into a GFCI protected shore power outlet?

When we brought our 3400RL home for the first time, I plugged into our 15 amp GFCI protected outside receptacle on the house. (My Wildcat was OK with this connection). The Montana trips the GFCI on the house. I'm not exceeding the 15 amp load, nothing is running. I did as suggested in a different post regarding this issue, starting with all breakers off in the trailer, turning one on at a time. Doing this I can have all breakers on and the converter breaker causes the fault. I relayed this information to the dealer who contacted Keystone. They replaced the converter. I plugged into the outlet when I got it home and it still trips the GFCI on my house. I have also verified the outlet on the house is ok, can't rule out weak though. The trailer trips another GFCI protected circuit from my house also using the same cabling. I have had a 30 amp RV outlet installed which works fine.

Mainly I'm wondering if anyone CAN plug into a 15 amp GFCI protected outlet withOUT tripping it.

Thanks
 
bighornram is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-29-2011, 09:09 AM   #2
H. John Kohl
Montana Master
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: New Bern
Posts: 4,294
M.O.C. #311
Send a message via AIM to H. John Kohl Send a message via MSN to H. John Kohl Send a message via Yahoo to H. John Kohl
Based on your description I would look at the outlet the converter is plugged into.
Since the GFCI trips when you turn on that breaker I would unplug the converter and see if it still does. If so then the outlet is wired wrong or at fault.

If not then I would plug the converter directly into the house GFCI extension cord and see if the converter trips the GFCI. If not then I would plug something else with a three prong plug into that GFCI outlet to see if it trips.

When you look at that outlet notice if the wires terminate there or continue on. There may be an additional load on that circuit that could be causing the problem.

Since you have replaced your converters I lean towards the outlet or some other load.

Good luck and let us know what you find out.
H. John Kohl is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-29-2011, 09:42 AM   #3
Art-n-Marge
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Murrieta
Posts: 5,816
M.O.C. #9257
Send a message via MSN to Art-n-Marge Send a message via Yahoo to Art-n-Marge
I have my rig plugged into my garage 15 amp circuit using adapters to make the connection and there is another outlet on the other side of the garage circuit present on an exterior wall that is GFCI capable and I am not having any problems like you described. I've done this for over 5 years.

Another thing to verify is there is only ONE GFCI outlet on the circuit. I have two garage circuits and each one has a single GFCI outlet throughout the circuit.

I think H.John Kohl has something there on the bad GFCI outlet. I have had at least two GFCI outlets "go bad" on me over the years and when they were replaced, one didn't look like it had been connected correctly and the other one was just plain bad and wouldn't ever reset. Replacing each one corrected the problems. I think they sound like a great safety idea, but they break often enough as others have told me as well.
Art-n-Marge is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-29-2011, 09:53 AM   #4
Lambchop
Montana Fan
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Nekoosa
Posts: 412
M.O.C. #5793
Same thing here in my garage...never has tripped, but I have melted the adapter plug twice now! We forget that it's only 15 amp receptacle. Using too many electrical things when trailer is home!

But, earlier this week, I installed a 50 amp receptacle in the garage. All problems are over! It's just like plugging in the trailer at a RV Park............Now WE can run both A/C's at home here. Works great! I have installed many of this type of service in various RV parks while workamping.

Roy
Lambchop is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-29-2011, 01:06 PM   #5
bighornram
Montana Fan
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Farmington
Posts: 283
M.O.C. #11619
Thanks for the quick replies on this. I'll change out the receptacle and see if that is the problem. Like I said I had a 30 amp. receptacle installed and it works fine. Just want to be sure there isn't a problem with the wiring in the trailer that the GFCI is detecting.
bighornram is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-30-2011, 03:13 PM   #6
snfexpress
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: South
Posts: 2,499
M.O.C. #5140
H. John Kohl has great and simplified troubleshooting procedures.

A friend of mine, when I was still wet behind the ears (NO COMMENTS!) told me to divide every problem into two. By that I mean, if it is electrical and in our trailer is it 12 volt or 120 volt? Okay, 120 volt. If the converter has been replaced, it's probably not the converter, so split the connection in two by plugging the converter into an extension cord. Well, you get the idea...
snfexpress is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-01-2011, 02:21 AM   #7
helmick
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Siloam Springs
Posts: 2,206
M.O.C. #8890
When we plug in to 15 amps we always make sure we turn the hot water heater off first. Never had a problem after that.
If we need hot water we run the water heater on propane.
helmick is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-01-2011, 07:00 AM   #8
bighornram
Montana Fan
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Farmington
Posts: 283
M.O.C. #11619
Quote:
quote:Originally posted by helmick

When we plug in to 15 amps we always make sure we turn the hot water heater off first. Never had a problem after that.
If we need hot water we run the water heater on propane.
When troubleshooting I disconnected the hot water heater electrode before plugging in, still tripped it. I'll try connecting the converter directly when I get home and see it it trips. Great idea.
bighornram is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-01-2011, 07:37 AM   #9
drknapp
Montana Fan
 
drknapp's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Redlands
Posts: 460
M.O.C. #9135
I plug into a GFI at our house also. Last year I had a similar problem and had to replace our recepticle.
__________________
2011 3150RL
drknapp is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-01-2011, 03:21 PM   #10
oldelmer1
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: North East
Posts: 1,050
M.O.C. #10758
I too have mine plugged into a 20AMP GFI that is inside my garage with a cheapo extension cord running under my door into a converter pigtail on the Montana. Every once in a while, weeks apart, my GFI will pop and I have to reset it.
oldelmer1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-01-2011, 03:55 PM   #11
bighornram
Montana Fan
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Farmington
Posts: 283
M.O.C. #11619
Quote:
quote:Originally posted by oldelmer1

Every once in a while, weeks apart, my GFI will pop and I have to reset it.
Both I've tested with pop INSTANTLY when I plug it in.
bighornram is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-01-2011, 06:09 PM   #12
kramperD
Montana Fan
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Mansfield
Posts: 330
M.O.C. #8078
I'm with H.J.K. on this one! I had the same problem when we brought home our first (new to us) 08 3400 this past Spring. The 15 amp GFCI would pop off over and over again.......traced it back to the converter....as long as it was "fuse off", we were okay hooking up to the house. I finally couldn't take it anymore and ran a new 50 amp outlet to the garage. D
__________________
Deets
kramperD is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-05-2011, 08:31 AM   #13
bighornram
Montana Fan
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Farmington
Posts: 283
M.O.C. #11619
I changed out the GFCI outlet and the trailer doesn't trip it. So after all it turned out to be the outlet in my house. Thankfully it isn't a problem with the trailer's wiring. Thanks all for the input.
bighornram is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-06-2011, 07:54 AM   #14
oldelmer1
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: North East
Posts: 1,050
M.O.C. #10758
Glad to hear thats all it was.....
oldelmer1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
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

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Ground fault trips on shore power afzimm Montana Problems, Problem Solving & Technical Help 15 05-16-2011 10:51 AM
Unable to run 15 amp shore power RidgecrestDad Montana Problems, Problem Solving & Technical Help 21 10-18-2009 10:07 AM
No shore power William Schelling Montana Problems, Problem Solving & Technical Help 26 10-21-2008 01:05 PM
Shore Power hookman Solar, Charging Systems, Batteries and Electrical 8 09-15-2006 11:55 AM
Shore Power Connection Montana_1968 Additions & Improvements 10 08-31-2004 03:54 PM

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Montana RV, Keystone RV Company or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 03:10 AM.


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