Electrical problem

[scuba dude]

I have a 2020 3813 legacy package including the touch pad and new electrical center in the storage comp. It is still under warranty but trying to avoid the 3plus hour drive back to dealer. We were using camper 2 weeks ago and brought it home and parked it with electric plug in left fridge on and left everything in freezer and fridge planning on using it in a couple weeks. Pulled it out today batteries dead, fridge dead, smelled like something DEAD in fridge cause we had freezer full of chicken and beef. Electric plugs in kitchen area and living area are dead. The two plugs on island are reading live but reading 245 volts on them. I know this because I pluged a fan into one to move air and it blew the fan so I started checking plugs with a meter. I have a progressive surge suppressor and I understand this camper has one built in. Stereo is working but tv plug is dead. Anyone have any idea.
Thanks Richard

[jimcol]

If you are confident in your reading 245 volts on a 110 plug you have lost your neutral. Happened to a guy at our first Rally years ago and burnt up all his electronics including the ceiling fan. If the fan you plugged in operated like normal you meter is either set wrong or not reading correctly. I'd also check my battery disconnect switch to insure it is passing voltage. Lots of confusion on what on and off mean. If it is in disconnect position battery will go dead shortly and RV fridge will not operate even if you do have 110 to it. Needs the 12v to operate the control board.

[scuba dude]

NO it blew the fan when I pluged it in that's what got my attention that something wrong.

[jimcol]

Check your neutral

[Carl n Susan]

Are you on a 30 or 50 amp connection?

Are there dog bones involved?

I don't know what Progressive comes installed. I thought it was just the transfer switch was made by Progressive (and apparently prone to failure - but that is another topic).

Is you own Progressive power system plugged in?

Is it hard wired or at the power pole?

If the EMS system (whatever it is) detected a problem it would shut down the input power. That would make the refer dependent on the inverter and batteries. Once the batteries are depleted, the refer is off and food spoils. This is one possible explanation.

But what is unknown is why some plugs are hot (with 240V) and others are not. As I recall the inverter powers the refer, TV and a bathroom outlet. That is three and I think read there are five outlets. Are they all dead? Which outlets are live?

Have you measured the voltage at the breaker panel? Is there 120V on each leg?

This is very confusing. I would start at the power pole and check voltage at each point along the input path. Something is definitely wrong.

[BB_TX]

On the outlets you are reading 245 volts, I assume that is between the hot pin and the neutral pin. Use your voltmeter and check between the hot pin and the ground pin. Should read 120 vac. Then between the neutral pin and the ground pin. Should read 0 vac.

[scuba dude]

I am pluged into 50 amp at my house. Have never had a problem with it but I checked the grounds with my meter and the progressive says grounds or neutral is good. At first I thought something happened to fridge but after checking plugs in kitchen and living and bath all those plugs are dead so the fridge plug is probably dead also but the microwave is still on

[scuba dude]

The surge suppressor is pluged in and the voltage is 120 on each leg both grounds seen good. If the invertor powers fridge and tv that could be the problem.

[uhftx]

240V on a 120V circuit will surely cause problems. Similar to a bolt of lightning. First Take you meter and measure the hot to ground inside the rig. That is the smaller blade of a plug to the round one. Next measure the larger side of the plug to the round one.
The larger blade to ground should only register a couple of volts if any.

Secondly do the same for all four receptacle of the plug disconnected from the rig. There could be a short on the prong side of the receptacle of the rig. Causing a hot to neutral short. A protection circuit or a fault in the circuit is shutting down your devices. A neutral short will cause this.

You are getting 240V and a hot leg is in contact with a neutral which should be close to earth be a few volts. Can you measure your neutral to ground safely with an ohm meter. If you have 120V on the neutral this is not recommended.

Ohm meter will not tolerate voltage on the resistance scale.
You could drive a ground rod. Or 100 penny nail into the ground and measure the voltage from here to neutral and here to ground on the ohm scale. Try to measure the voltage first. If Zero volts then proceed to the Ohm scale and repeat the measurement.
Remember safety first and do not touch any metal or wear rings or jewelry while testing.


Report back here.

[Oldharley]

go to you fuse panel in the rig and start checking volts there. make sure the neutral does not have 120v to it, but it would have to if you are reading 240 at a plug. check both sides of the fuse panel and see if it's the same. if it is you fried the converter as well. then start going towards the plug and see what's up.

[MuddyPaws]

Have you plugged into that specific 50A plug at home before? Has anybody worked on it since?

[scuba dude]

Well, after checking everything I could think of I decided to make the trip back to dealer where my description of the problem had them stumped. So they hooked it up and turned things on inside and let it run. After two days of running they call me and say everything is working perfect and I say well I will come back down in a couple of days and we will see. The next day they call me back and say the next morning when one person goes in the camper to check on things it is acting up and I say thank god. Turns out to be the shore power cable is bad and replacing the whole thing cable reel spool and all connections. Happy Ending, Hopefully anyway.

[scuba dude]

Oh and thanks for all the help.