Power Problem

[David Chittenden]

Howdy Howdy
I am having electrical issues with my 2011 3400RL.
On my last outing over a month ago I noticed my water heater on shore power was not heating up to par. My propane part of the water heater was working just fine. I finished my trip on propane water heater. Upon returning home I remember reading here on the Forum about a reset switch on the water heater. I tried that but it didn't fix anything. Since then I have been flipping my circuit breaker in my house with the Monty connected to it. At first I found that I could leave three breakers off in the Monty and my house would continue to supply power. But when I try and throw the Living Room breaker in the Monty my house breaker flips off. There is two more breakers in the Monty that acts the same way but I can't read the writing on the fuse panel in the Monty as to what they are.
My question is : Is my problem with the Monty or my house?
Thank you
Dave

[David Chittenden]

Also, in my trouble shooting process, I tried eliminating my house circuit by plugging my Monty into my 7500 watt portable Champion generator and instead of tripping the circuit breakers on the generator, the generator quit charging all together.
Thanks again
Dave

[Jeff n Susan]

It certainly sounds like a Monty problem. If I could make a good guess, I think it sounds like maybe a bare wire to ground somewhere,
You could try to flip ALL breakers off, then one at a time you could turn them on in the Monty. When you flip the one that is causing the problem,it would trip the house one, or kill the generator. That would be the circuit that is the possible problem and help you drill down to find the problem. Good Luck!

[DutchmenSport]

When the water heater is turned off of electric, like ... everything off - gas and electric ... does everything else in the camper work as expected. Or do these problems occur only when the water heater is turned on electric?

[DutchmenSport]

Is your camper a 50 amp or a 30 amp RV? and what are you plugged into at the hosue? 15 amp, 20 amp, 30, amp or 50 amp?

[Ahdmeyer]

i go along with jeff myers, betting the water heater element is the cause. maybe try that circuit first, turn it off and see if still kiks the house breaker. sounds like it burned open but is shorting to ground.
al meyer
3931fb
az

[BB_TX]

Still need the answer to what you are plugged into at home; 15 amp, 20 amp, 30 amp, 50 amp? I am guessing you are on a 15 amp home breaker, certainly not more than a 20 amp.

Since you had no problem with any breakers tripping "on my last outing when plugged into shore power", I am not convinced you have a problem in the trailer with a short. A short in a circuit should trip the trailer 15 or 20 amp breaker for that circuit. If you are plugged into 15 amp or 20 amp at home and the home breaker it tripping but no trailer breaker it tripping, I think you have too many things drawing "normal" power and exceeding the home breaker rating. I would turn off all trailer circuit breakers. Then turn one on and see if the home breaker trips. If not, then turn that breaker off and turn on the second breaker and see if the home breaker trips. If not then do the 3rd, 4th, etc the same way turning each one off before turning another on. If the home breaker does not trip with any single breaker turned on, then there is no single circuit that is exceeding the home breaker rating or trailer breaker rating. Then try combinations of two trailer breakers on at the same time and see if the home breaker trips. If not, then move on to three breakers. When you find the breaker combination that trips the home breaker, then find out what is on those circuits and turn off or unplug all devices on those circuits. Then one by one turn on or plug in those devices one by one until the breaker trips again. That should get you down to isolating the cause of the problem.

This doesn't mean you don't have a separate issue with the water heater heating properly.

[Jeff n Susan]

yep what BB_TX said is very good information....

[mazboy]

To help you, we need more information David. What is your trailer plugged into at home?

[rmthelen]

Looks like your thermostat is malfunctioning.

[Leftie Canuk]

I wonder if a quick check with a multi meter in would help determine if there is continuity in the element, or an out-of-range resistance reading for the element ? I suspect a fried element.