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Old 08-24-2020, 09:29 PM   #1
CaptnJohn
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Electrical Never seen before.

Ok electrical brains, I'm stumped

2019 3761Fl Plugged into 20amp in storage. Only res refer on

ran fine for months then GFI popped
Replaced GFI still popping
replaced adaptors still popping
ran to completely different circuit, different bldg still popping
all fuses are good
no circuit breakers tripped, all turned off and back on

Where to start inside? Anyone have this in the past, I cannot recall reading of it.
 
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Old 08-24-2020, 10:58 PM   #2
rohrmann
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You must have all the breakers turned off. You will need the converter on to maintain the batteries, and with that breaker on, you will not have enough power to run the fridge. If you reverse things between those two breakers, your batteries will go dead. So, what I'm getting at, it can't be done on a 20 or possibly 15 amp circuit. If the outlet you are plugged into has the round hole for the ground terminal and two vertical slots, that is a 15 amp outlet, regardless of what breaker is feeding it. Really, you should forget about running the fridge in storage and just use the power available to maintain the batteries. Your residential fridge will chill down fast enough that you don't need to keep it on. Also, plugging an RV, any type, into a GFI circuit is usually a problem, and generally the 30 or 50 amp outlets in campgrounds are not GFI, so you never have that issue. It's possible that there is a slight moisture issue in the RV, or even a loose connection in the rig that could be causing a problem. If you do decide to just run the converter while in storage and are plugged into a GFI, you must keep all the connections to the outlet perfectly dry. If you have an extension cord with a connection that is exposed to rain, your GFI will trip.
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Old 08-25-2020, 05:29 AM   #3
RMcNeal
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What rohrmann said about the GFI. Eliminate it from the circuit.
Now, on my unit, there is no breaker for the residential fridge. How do I turn it off so that only the converter is running to keep the batteries charged?
Up to now, I have always plugged it in the day before a trip and got the fridge cold and the batteries topped off. No problem with 20 amp circuit. No I would like to keep it plugged in for the batteries, but don't need the fridge running. I've turned off the disconnect in the front storage bay, and even unplugged the cord going to the inverter, but that only supplies power to one side of the auto switch a foot away.
Any ideas?
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Old 08-25-2020, 07:22 AM   #4
uhftx
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Running fridge, converter, ceiling fan, even microwave should all work on 20 amp service. With everything else turned off the AC should even operate on 20amps for smaller units.
The GFCI tripping is either a bad ground or bad neutral to ground connection.
I don't know how comfortable you are with electricity and your skill level.

I would start at the power connector input. Remove the umbilical cord. Unscrew the mounting recepticle on the camper side. Do a visual inspection of the wiring terminals to the receptacle. Make sure there are no pieces of stranded wire touching anything other than the ones they are suppose to connect to.
Then remove the outer panel for the circuit breaker panel and with power disconnected do the same visual inspection.
Next it is time to get out the trusty DVM. Use the OHMS function and start making measurements with the cord disconnected.
All circuit breakers off. Disconnect the feed to the house battery so you do not confuse yourself and have any voltage present at the power distribution panel for your safety.
Ohm out HOT to Neutral. Hot to Gnd, Neutral to Gnd.
Repeate these measurements at the GFCI outlet. The smaller prong is the HOT, The round prong is the ground and the neutral is the large blade of the plug.

Then report back here your findings after checking these 3 points before we can proceed to troubleshoot remotely.
It will become more complicated and technical.
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Old 08-25-2020, 08:37 AM   #5
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Apparently somewhere somehow you have developed a ground fault. The GFCI measures the difference between the current flowing thru the hot pin compared to the current flowing thru the neutral pin. They should be exactly the same. If that current differs by as much as about 5 milliamps, then the GFCI will trip. That indicates a current leakage somewhere.

I would start by turning off all your circuit breakers in the trailer, including the main breaker, and plugging into the source outlet and see if it trips the GFCI. With all breakers turned off there should be no AC current flow to the trailer and therefore no current difference to trip the GFCI.

If it does trip, then there is apparently a problem ahead of the distribution panel. That could be in your power cord, or at the connection to the trailer, or somewhere inside the trailer before the distribution panel. Or maybe an adapter if you are using one.

If it does not trip, then turn on the breakers one at a time, beginning with the main breaker, until the GFCI trips. That will narrow it down to specific circuit. And then the fun begins as you try to isolate the culprit.
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Old 08-25-2020, 09:26 AM   #6
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May not be 100% true, if the OP has a generator or generator prep with an Automatic Transfer Switch, depending on AC or DC operating relay coil. If AC there would be current draw through the relay coil to send shore power to the Power Distribution Panel.
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Old 08-25-2020, 04:52 PM   #7
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Just to rule out a bad cord, borrow one and see if it does the same thing.
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Old 08-25-2020, 09:51 PM   #8
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I had already completed many suggestions but y'all kept me busy with suggestions. At 8PM mobile tech arrived and did most over again. In a half hour he found the problem with the power distribution to the 3rd AC. I tried all day, neighbor kept up online here ~~ tech shows up and done. $112.50 would have been a bigger bargain hours earlier. He figured something during the last hurricane ~~ but all well now!
Thanks all!
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Old 08-25-2020, 09:56 PM   #9
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So what exactly was the problem. ?
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Old 08-26-2020, 07:40 AM   #10
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Can you describe his procedure for finding that problem? May be helpful for some of us in the future.
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Old 08-26-2020, 09:46 AM   #11
uhftx
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CaptnJohn View Post
I had already completed many suggestions but y'all kept me busy with suggestions. At 8PM mobile tech arrived and did most over again. In a half hour he found the problem with the power distribution to the 3rd AC. I tried all day, neighbor kept up online here ~~ tech shows up and done. $112.50 would have been a bigger bargain hours earlier. He figured something during the last hurricane ~~ but all well now!
Thanks all!
The 113 dollars was money well spent. If you are not an electrician and it was after hours. Saved you a lot of grief and troubleshooting time in the long run. Figure out what your time is worth first. Then figure in your skill level. Then figure the frustration level in hours upon hours of troubleshooting. Then resolving the issue while creating more issues which were discovered along the way.
IT is like working on a vehicle. Tackle the original issue and discover something else which should be addressed. IT is a fact of life. Just part of the adventure and hair pulling when a difficult problem arises.
Safe travels and many happy times ahead.
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Old 08-30-2020, 05:09 PM   #12
tom woodward
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As my battery was getting weak I would find the inverter off and couldn't figure out why. I wondered how to make my battery live longer (though I have to say, this one lasted 3-4 years) I spoke with an Interstate battery tech. He ask if I charged my battery. I said I leave the coach plugged into a 30 amp socket. he said that the onboard coach charger isn't very good and will eventually cook the battery. He suggested that I turn the battery disconnect switch to OFF when I store the coach and charge the battery once a month or so with a battery tender. I now have two 12 volt batteries, with an extension to plug the battery tender in. I leave everything off in the coach, refrigerator, inverter, etc.
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Old 08-30-2020, 05:27 PM   #13
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Well your Battery Guy was right about older model converters, but most of the newer do a really good job of taking care of your batteries. Plus a Battery Tender, at least the one I have are designed to be connected and left on as they only put out a trickle charge. And even with the Battery Disconnect in the disconnect position, there are still some small draws that can deplete a battery over time.
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Old 08-31-2020, 11:50 AM   #14
Richard Blackwell
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I'm sort of the same thing in a simpler version...I take the battery out of the coach, take it home and occasionally put a battery charger on it to keep the cells fresh.
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Old 08-31-2020, 12:05 PM   #15
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In your basement there is an inverter with a plug and a cord coming out going to your fridge. Turn the inverter off (mine has a push button near the digital display)Then go to your breaker panel inside and find the one that turns off the fridge. With the inverter off down below, there is no power from the battery to run the fridge once the beaker is off. My breaker also controls my ceiling fan and my pop up outlets on my counter top. I know there are other ways too, but this works for me.
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