Breaker tripping at pedestal

[Towinghome]

I've have a 2120 3120rl legacy edition. I have had the breaker at the pedestal trip, at two different campgrounds, trip only once during multiple day stays. In addition, it had been a couple of weeks and multiple campgrounds between incidents. Both times it was in the middle of the night so only AC's, RV fridge and a small fan running. It has been raining, but not when the breaker tripped. Both times, when the breaker tripped, I noticed that the Norcold rv fridge had switched to propane, but was throwing a "dc low" code. I also noticed that the In Command system was only showing 12.4V. I have 2 100AH liPo4 batteries. Shunt showed 95% charge. Volt meter showed 13.2V at battery with shore power shut off manually, left it off for a couple of hours along with a couple of 4 hour travel days, and the fridge has not thrown the dc low code. I did notice a slight humming sound in the battery compartment when on 12V power that I don't hear when hooked to shore power. With shore power disconnected, I checked voltage across the two 50 amp resetable breakers in the battery compartment. One of them read the same voltage as the battery on both terminals, while the second read the same as the battery on one side (13.2) and 12.4 on the second side. I did have quite a few lights on along with the fridge running. Could the difference in voltage on the resettable breaker indicate that the breaker is the problem? I do have a cord reel, but if that was tge issue, wouldn't the breaker be tripping more often? Any other ideas? Thans in advance!

 

[Towinghome]

I've have a 2120 3120rl legacy edition. I have had the breaker at the pedestal trip, at two different campgrounds, trip only once during multiple day stays. In addition, it had been a couple of weeks and multiple campgrounds between incidents. Both times it was in the middle of the night so only AC's, RV fridge and a small fan running. It has been raining, but not when the breaker tripped. Both times, when the breaker tripped, I noticed that the Norcold rv fridge had switched to propane, but was throwing a "dc low" code. I also noticed that the In Command system was only showing 12.4V. I have 2 100AH liPo4 batteries. Shunt showed 95% charge. Volt meter showed 13.2V at battery with shore power shut off manually, left it off for a couple of hours along with a couple of 4 hour travel days, and the fridge has not thrown the dc low code. I did notice a slight humming sound in the battery compartment when on 12V power that I don't hear when hooked to shore power. With shore power disconnected, I checked voltage across the two 50 amp resetable breakers in the battery compartment. One of them read the same voltage as the battery on both terminals, while the second read the same as the battery on one side (13.2) and 12.4 on the second side. I did have quite a few lights on along with the fridge running. Could the difference in voltage on the resettable breaker indicate that the breaker is the problem? I do have a cord reel, but if that was tge issue, wouldn't the breaker be tripping more often? Any other ideas? Thans in advance!

Forgot to mention that I do have an EMS and it is not showing any codes.

 

[Carl n Susan]

There are two distinct problems here.

1.) The breaker at the pedestal is tripping. This is a 120V side supply issue. Where you using 50 amp receptacle and a 50 amp cord or something less? I suspect a 30 amp setup as the EMS or RV circuit breakers didn't trip but the one at the pedestal did.

2.) The 12.4 voltage on one side of the 50 amp CB (and 13.4 on the other) is definitely a failing breaker. It needs to be replaced, preferably with an 80 amp one.

 

[BB_TX]

I agree with Carl about the failing 12 vdc breaker. But that should not cause tripping of the pedastal breaker.

Does your EMS show your real time 120 vac current draw?

It sounds as though you may have an intermittent short somewhere between the pedastal and your on-board 50 amp breaker. I would look carefully at all plugs and connectors in your power cords for any signs of burning or overheating. Including the connector on the back of the trailer. It’s possible you have some bare wires at some point in that power cord string that only touch and short out under certain isolated conditions.

If there was a short inside the trailer it should trip the associated sub breaker rather than the pedastal.

 

[Towinghome]

There are two distinct problems here.

1.) The breaker at the pedestal is tripping. This is a 120V side supply issue. Where you using 50 amp receptacle and a 50 amp cord or something less? I suspect a 30 amp setup as the EMS or RV circuit breakers didn't trip but the one at the pedestal did.

2.) The 12.4 voltage on one side of the 50 amp CB (and 13.4 on the other) is definitely a failing breaker. It needs to be replaced, preferably with an 80 amp one.

 

[Towinghome]

Using 50 amp receptacle in both instances. Already have an independent 80 amp breaker for the leveling system.

 

[Towinghome]

I agree with Carl about the failing 12 vdc breaker. But that should not cause tripping of the pedastal breaker.

Does your EMS show your real time 120 vac current draw?

It sounds as though you may have an intermittent short somewhere between the pedastal and your on-board 50 amp breaker. I would look carefully at all plugs and connectors in your power cords for any signs of burning or overheating. Including the connector on the back of the trailer. It’s possible you have some bare wires at some point in that power cord string that only touch and short out under certain isolated conditions.

If there was a short inside the trailer it should trip the associated sub breaker rather than the pedastal.

Plug looks fine. Unfortunately, as I mentioned, I have a cord reel so I can't really see the connections behind the reel.

 

[Towinghome]

Plug looks fine. Unfortunately, as I mentioned, I have a cord reel so I can't really see the connections behind the reel.

Also, my hardwired Progessive Industries EMS does show real time voltage, and am at 120V for leg 1 and 121V on leg 2. It indicates no current or past error codes. I have had the rig since new and are on our 3rd long trip of over 100 days and have not had this issue before.

 

[Carl n Susan]

I think the second 50 amp DC Circuit Breaker is your problem on the refer with low voltage I don't have time right now (we are on the road) to find the diagram, but the second one feeds to the converter (which feeds the house 12V circuits)?

 

[DutchmenSport]

This entire thread has me completely confused. The original poster said the breaker at the pedestal is popping. The breaker at the pedestal is 120 volt AC and is a 50 amp hook-up. Yet, the conversation in this thread is talking about an 80 amp breaker on the DC (Battery) side and all this back-and-forth about this being a DC (battery) problem. And then the 12.* volts, and all of that is DC (battery stuff). Someone how, I don't see how the DC problem is causing the AC shore power outlet breaker to pop, especially with an EMS working?

What am I missing here?

 

[rhondalarson]

I've have a 2120 3120rl legacy edition. I have had the breaker at the pedestal trip, at two different campgrounds, trip only once during multiple day stays. In addition, it had been a couple of weeks and multiple campgrounds between incidents. Both times it was in the middle of the night so only AC's, RV fridge and a small fan running. It has been raining, but not when the breaker tripped. Both times, when the breaker tripped, I noticed that the Norcold rv fridge had switched to propane, but was throwing a "dc low" code. I also noticed that the In Command system was only showing 12.4V. I have 2 100AH liPo4 batteries. Shunt showed 95% charge. Volt meter showed 13.2V at battery with shore power shut off manually, left it off for a couple of hours along with a couple of 4 hour travel days, and the fridge has not thrown the dc low code. I did notice a slight humming sound in the battery compartment when on 12V power that I don't hear when hooked to shore power. With shore power disconnected, I checked voltage across the two 50 amp resetable breakers in the battery compartment. One of them read the same voltage as the battery on both terminals, while the second read the same as the battery on one side (13.2) and 12.4 on the second side. I did have quite a few lights on along with the fridge running. Could the difference in voltage on the resettable breaker indicate that the breaker is the problem? I do have a cord reel, but if that was tge issue, wouldn't the breaker be tripping more often? Any other ideas? Thans in advance!

You mentioned you had a cord reel. Is the cord in the shape of a coil? Have the cord laying out so it is a single line and no overlapping of the cord. See if that works.

 

[Carl n Susan]

This entire thread has me completely confused. ......

What am I missing here?

THe OP mentioned two problems. One is the 120V power tripping at the poet circuit breaker. The second was a "lo dc" error on the refer and they measured only 12.4 DC (instead of 13.6) at a 50 amp DC CB.