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Old 05-24-2008, 10:59 AM   #1
stiles watson
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Repairs update

I appreciate Lifestyle RV in Grain Valley, MO. They have worked to get us going again. The TV, Microwave, and DVD are ordered but not here yet. With Memorial Day weekend, it will probably be next Friday before the arrive. Then installation. We found a nearby park that had a weekly rate. Here we sit like a beached whale waiting for the tide to come in.

We never did find the exact cause of the appliance frying problem and that makes me a bit nervous and fearful of a repeat. We checked all wiring at the 50 amp plug and on the electrical panel. The new converter is functioning normally and has an LED to monitor how it is working. I guess we have done all we can do. Sure don't want any more electrical fires.
 
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Old 05-24-2008, 02:12 PM   #2
Ozz
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Did anyone pull the electrical panel out and check it? (Wire connections, condition of the 'innards'.
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Old 05-24-2008, 02:43 PM   #3
billhoover
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Do you have a Surge Guard or something similar?
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Old 05-24-2008, 02:46 PM   #4
stiles watson
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Yes, or at least Lifestyle said that they thoroughly checked the power chain. Don and I checked the plugs and the circuit panel and all the breakers. Is there something else?
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Old 05-24-2008, 03:45 PM   #5
stiles watson
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We determined that the issue was internal, not external. In other words, there was no spike from an outside source. There was no other unit in the campground affected. There was no damage to the Autoformer that I had in service. It is difficult, after the fact, to determine whether damaged electronics were cause or effect. I had four devices plugged into the same surge protector strip. My DVD fried and the satellite TV converter caught fire, but the TV and router did not malfunction. The strip surge protection is no longer good, but the strip still conducts power.

The microwave/convection oven fried , but did not trip its breaker. In the BR, the BR TV is fried. Another device on the same circuit did not. Two breakers tripped during the event, the AC breaker and the converter breaker. The AC reset, but the converter would not reset until I unplugged the converter. As soon as I reconnected the converter, the breaker tripped again, i.e., a short in the converter.

Another anomaly was that the fan accelerated significantly and the fan lights were blindingly bright. After I unplugged the unit from the CG post, checked the legs of the 50 amp plug, check out my Autoformer and reconnected the power, the AC, fan, and lights returned to normal. None of the GFCI plugs seem to have been affected nor were the central vac or my printer and lap tops, coffee maker and toaster oven. None of the fried appliances were turned on.

Evidently, the dealer and Keystone agree that the source was internal to the unit as it is covered by warranty rather than insurance. Me? I am totally confused by the whole episode.
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Old 05-25-2008, 09:05 AM   #6
MacDR50
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To get more than 120 volts inside you most likely had a crossover between the two sides/legs of the power supply. This would cause a momentary surge in voltage. It will burn out some motors or cause others to over speed. Anything with a voltage protection device will trip out and require a reset. Lights will burn brightly as they are now putting out more wattage. Any voltage intolerant equipment such as TV's etc will get fried unless they have surge protection. The most obvious places to look for the cause of this surge are places where both phases/legs are present such as the fuse panel, the internal supply cabling and anything that uses 240 volts. If the cause is two wires that have rubbed together and damaged their insulation allowing the currents to combine or against a common ungrounded conductor then the problem may reappear. You could unplug and disconnect the supply cable and try checking for any continuity across the the two sides of the supply while shaking the cable. The same test can be used anywhere 240 is found in the unit. If you get any sign of connection you need to follow the cable until you find the point of crossover. Your electrician should know how to conduct this this test and inspection. Just remember to be unplugged and the cable not anywhere near the plug so someone doesn't plug you in while you are testing. Good luck.
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Old 05-25-2008, 09:20 AM   #7
richfaa
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Stiles..Just a thought..Since your big sky is basically a regular 3400. Look in the waste hose compartment. Note the the main power connector is right in line with it. Look up along the floor and note that the thick power cable runs along there.Now look along the bottom for screws that come up from under the camper and are right under the power cable.. I did not like the looks of that and insulated the screws from the cable. You may not be the same but it is worth a look...
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Old 05-25-2008, 04:01 PM   #8
stiles watson
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Thanks Rich, I will look into that. Mac, that's what the MOCers at Branson thought, a 240 crossover, but from where? I am not enough of an electrician to figure out how to do what you suggest. I don't really know where to physically go to check for rubbed wires. I am not too excited about taking down the belly pan and go poking around, especially on the road. Egad, doubt and indecision is eating my lunch.
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Old 05-26-2008, 01:21 AM   #9
Ozz
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I would like to see the 'innards' of the breaker panel. Wherever this happened, there will be evidence left, 'arcing' marks, and such.
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