Help! Converter trips house breaker....

[kramperD]

Don't know it this is just us or the 08 3400 we just picked up (our first Monty). Got home, tried plugging it in our 30 amp shore and the shore breaker keeps tripping. When I turned on 1 breaker at a time in the Monty, as soon as I hit one of the two 20's for the converter, the house breaker would trip. Is this normal? Or do I need to get ahold of the dealer on Monday? Also, battery was 1 light low, so just added trickle charger. Shouldn't it have been charged by 1 1/2 hours of towing? Thanks, D

[firetrucker]

In my 3400, there is only one breaker for the converter, so you need to see what those breakers actually connect to. But to trip the 30A shore breaker means there's a short somewhere. You may have to pull the trailer power panel to check the converter (which is behind the panel, at least in my 2005).

Your truck may not be set up to charge the battery. There may be a fuse missing that enables that function. If you describe your truck, someone may be able to tell you what's needed.

Bob

[Ozz]

Is the shore power a GFI? Is the Polarity correct?
I agree about finding out if that blown breaker is for the converter, unplug the converter's 120 volt supply, then see if the power stays on.
I think the fuse to the converter would blow if the Polarity is not correct.

[kramperD]

Ozz.....I plugged into our hottub connect and nothing tripped....but now there's this green light through this little cutout square hole, to the upper right side of the panel, it was solid, then started blinking slowly, now is blinking very fast. What is it?

[2 for Him]

Make sure the polarity is right on the house breaker, I've ran into a couple that weren't.
There shouldn't be two breakers for the converter, can't figure why there would be. As firetrucker said, check proper wiring there too.
One light down is fairly low on the cheap voltage meters they use on these things. When you plug in a converter it first needs to charge some big capacitors, then the further down your battery is the more it draws. I had a weak breaker in the Monty that would blow when the batteries were low. They used to put in a special resistor that slowed the inrush current, but the newest ones don't have it. Had to save that $1.57 parts cost I guess. Lots of times that's all that is wrong with a dead converter, I have bypassed them to get home, then ordered the part. Good luck.

[kramperD]

I noticed that the 2nd of the 20amp breakers would not trip the house.......just the first 20 amp. I'll pull the cover and see what's hooked up. D

[kramperD]

I took off the cover and both 20 amps do have a hot wire to them. Label says "conv.". Then the green light that was blinking says D19 beside it. I pushed a very, very small brown button beside it, and it immediately went from blinking to solid green. What happened? Anybody know what the green light is for or what was effected by my pushing the button? Also, how could I check my truck to see if it's charging the camper battery? I have a testing light, could I hook into a specific hotwire with that?

[Exnavydiver]

Our 08 340RLQ Big Sky had a similar problem from the very first trip. Most times when we set up and hooked to shore power the breaker for the converter would pop. Then in mid winter in Tenn. it started kicking out the shower power. We called IOTA and they sent us a band new 75 watt converter. During the same evolution I had them also add the IQ-4 module to make the converter into a 4 stage charger. If your rig was built with the IQ-4 installed then that would explain the flashing green light. Rapid flashing is full charge voltage(it will go into this mode when you hookup to a new power source and every 7 days) Rather than go into all the charge states I will provide this link ti the IQ-4 manual which has a full description. IOTA was very good about this and was very helpful.

[kramperD]

Thanks Dave!

[Ozz]

The hot tub outlet will probably be a GFI, it is either on the circuit, or internal with the hot tub circuitry.
Dave explained the converter wiring. The small Brown button is probably on the converter.
The converter is probably not charging the battery/s You would have to have an ammeter to see if the truck is charging, You are probably OK on the truck.
I think your problem is with the 30Amp plug.
Just get a 12 gage cord and plug the RV into an outlet from the house, not a garage or outside outlet, it will be (probably) a GFI. See if it charges then. 120 volt 15 or 20 amp adapter to 30 to your trailer 50.

[kramperD]

Thanks Ozz......maybe I'm just worrying too much...

[7.3Ford]

Charging power from tow vehicle. If the key in the plug is at noon, the pin at 1 o'clock will have 12 volts when the engine is running. Usually has 30Amp fuse, so if batteries are really discharged on the Monty, the fuse can blow.