15amp shore power

JudyandJim · 08-28-2006, 12:32 PM

We have tried several times over the past 3 years to plug into a standard residential wall outlet. Each time, (always at a different house) we get no power inside the MH and blow the circuit breaker in the house.

We have set the EMS to both 20amp and 15amp settings, but still cannot make it work.

We have tried turning our SurgeGuard off or on bypass, and still no power and still we blow the house breaker.

I have read other past posts about this capability and we are following the procedures that are outlined, but with no success.

We now have the MH in storage and wanted to plug in again (as all the other coaches there are doing), but keep tripping the GFCI breaker in our storage space, and get no power inside.

We got around the problem by running an extension cord from the outlet to our BatteryMinder which charges our engine battery. However, we wanted to be able to plug into the main power cord so we could also charge the house batteries.

What are we doing wrong? Or is this feature malfunctioning and I need another trip to the dealer?

JudyandJim · 08-28-2006, 12:32 PM

We have tried several times over the past 3 years to plug into a standard residential wall outlet. Each time, (always at a different house) we get no power inside the MH and blow the circuit breaker in the house.

We have set the EMS to both 20amp and 15amp settings, but still cannot make it work.

We have tried turning our SurgeGuard off or on bypass, and still no power and still we blow the house breaker.

I have read other past posts about this capability and we are following the procedures that are outlined, but with no success.

We now have the MH in storage and wanted to plug in again (as all the other coaches there are doing), but keep tripping the GFCI breaker in our storage space, and get no power inside.

We got around the problem by running an extension cord from the outlet to our BatteryMinder which charges our engine battery. However, we wanted to be able to plug into the main power cord so we could also charge the house batteries.

What are we doing wrong? Or is this feature malfunctioning and I need another trip to the dealer?

Kazoo Tom · 08-28-2006, 12:58 PM

There really should be no problem plugging in to the house outlet. Check to make sure that everything is turned off prior to plugging in. You will not be able to use much when plugged in to a 15 amp circuit. Don't even attempt to use the a/c units. Try turning off the converter/inverter/charger prior to plugging in. That would otherwise be turning itself on as soon as you plug in. If that saves the circuit breaker, you have found your culprit. It may be drawing excessive current on start up.

JudyandJim · 08-28-2006, 01:58 PM

Before connecting to the 20amp outlet, I set the EMS to 20amps (have also tried 15amps), turn off the inverter, turn off the charger, fridge and water heater are either off or on LP.. No air conditioning. Everything is off. Breaker still trips.

When the charger is on, it is using from 7-10amps, so even if it was on, it shouldn't have a problem. Can't figure it out...

"007" · 08-28-2006, 02:51 PM

You may have a faulty or incorrectly wired GFCI outlet. Also check your power cord from each leg of cord to the chassis frame for a short with a test meter on buzzer or OHM's. Will read or buzz when your on ground pin of cord. Could be whats been causing your previous electrical problems.

Will send this down to RV sys also.

gMw · 08-28-2006, 03:15 PM

We routinely plug in to a 15 amp GFCI breaker/circuit at our place, and have no problems. Of course we don't turn on much. Basically we just run the refrig and the converter/inverter/charger before each trip.

If you keep tripping the GFCI breaker, my take would be to check for leakage between the Neutral and Ground wires. I've been told one such leakage can originate from the electric water heater element. Turning off the electric to the water heater won't stop this type of leakage.

I'd also check male and female plug ends to be sure none of the wires are loose.

Most campgrounds, actually none I know of in my area, do not have GFCI breaker on their 30 and 50 amp outlets. Next time you're in a camp ground, after you verify the coach is plugged in and operating normal, try turning almost everything off and plug in to the 30 amp outlet (I take it you have 50 amp service). Once done, your inside amp meter will indicate the current draw. If it's under 15 amps, as I would expect, then plug in to the GFCI 15/20 amp outlet. Just to see if it pops. All campgrounds in my area must have a GFCI outlet for 15 and 20 amp circuits.

If the GFCI breaker pops, you know it's a leakage problem vs a current draw problem. Might help isolate if it's a problem with the coach or your GFCI breaker in the storage space.

Let us know what you find..

JudyandJim · 08-28-2006, 03:55 PM

Thanks for all the input. Let me just reclarify:

It has happened at 4 different houses and/or storage facilities, not at the same house, so it isn't the GFCI breaker.

When running the gen or on 30 amp, I have noted that there is 1 or 2 amps usage from miscellaneous things, and the charger will take it up to 14 if the house batteries need a full charge.

That being said, I have turned off the charger, and everything else that I can, prior to setting the EMS to 20/15 amps incoming.

I doubt the small amount used for the water heater even when it is not on, would push me over.

I never get the chance to turn the charger on, because something makes the GFCI blow within 10 seconds of plugging into it... at all of the 4 locations we have tried.

So, now that you have all confirmed that you have no problem plugging your main power cord, with adapter, into a standard house outlet... I suppose we have a problem for the dealer. Thank God for extended service plans.

As noted in another post, our previous electrical problem was a melted junction box to the microwave and that just happened. This problem has been there for 3 years, so I don't think they are related.

We have not really had a need to plug into a standard outlet until this month, when we have put our coach in storage, so we never took the time to fully troubleshoot the problem. Until now, the coach has always been plugged into either 50 or 30 amps, and we didn't have to worry about keeping the house batteries charged.

In the meantime, our BatteryMinder is plugged into the GFCI outlet and keeping our engine battery charged.

Thanks for the info......

bflem · 08-28-2006, 05:06 PM

I had the same problem and did everything anyone suggested with no results. After talking to an electrical engineer I removed all common wires in the breaker box with the power unplugged. I then plugged the coach into a 15 amp circuit and with an insulated needle nose pliers and insulated scredriver started hooking up the common wires one at a time until the breaker poped. It was the recep for the refrigerater that had a bad connection and after fixing it my problem ended. Might be worth a try. I don't think your problem is an overload but a leak from common to ground.

AFChap · 08-28-2006, 05:18 PM

We had the same problem at one home we plugged into. We left the power cord plugged in, found the tripped GFCI and reset it, and had no further problems there.

"007" · 08-28-2006, 07:24 PM

I'am talking about the GFI's inside your coach not out in CG's post. If one is incorrectly wired or defective you will have problems.

Try bflem

to isolate the problem.

Hitchhiker · 08-28-2006, 10:00 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by JudyandJim:

"........and blow the circuit breaker in the house."

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Are you tripping the house's circuit breaker or the house's ground fault breaker?

Are you connecting to a light duty power cord or are you using an adapter? If using light power cord, maybe it's shorted or has a bad ground lead?

DonavonP · 08-29-2006, 05:19 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by bflem:
I had the same problem and did everything anyone suggested with no results. After talking to an electrical engineer I removed all common wires in the breaker box with the power unplugged. I then plugged the coach into a 15 amp circuit and with an insulated needle nose pliers and insulated scredriver started hooking up the common wires one at a time until the breaker poped. It was the recep for the refrigerater that had a bad connection and after fixing it my problem ended. Might be worth a try. I don't think your problem is an overload but a leak from common to ground. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thanks bflem, Great idea!!

Gary RVRoamer · 08-29-2006, 06:27 AM

If you trip the breaker (not the GFCI) on several different 15A outlets, I would bet that that your 15A adapter is faulty. Borrow one from somebody else and try it out.

Based on what you hgave described in your other repsonses, everything seems normal in your rig. The problem is in the connection, not inside the rig.

JudyandJim · 08-29-2006, 07:57 AM

Thanks again for the great suggestions.
We have tried more than one extension cord, but will swap out the adapter cord.... hadn't thought of that!

If that doesn't work, we will try the other ideas.

Thanks again! Judy

"007" · 08-29-2006, 08:02 AM

At least you loaded for bear when you see your Dealer.

Gsetter · 08-29-2006, 10:48 AM

We had a problem like that and did what Bflem suggested. We would trip a breaker with everything off. This was a travel trailer and not as complicated as a motorhome tho. We traced the problem to a loose ground wire in the AC unit. Good luck!

grtharris · 08-29-2006, 04:49 PM

Do you have a 1500 watt inverter there is a know problem with the inverter common being grounded. Winneabgo carried the inverter common to the main breaker panel which caused the motorhome common to be connect to ground. This will cause any GFCI to trip that the shore power cord is connected to. There is a server bulletin to correct this.

JudyandJim · 09-01-2006, 02:36 PM

Thanks. I will check that out. Where do I find the Server Bulletins? Or is that something our dealer will know about???

Judy

grtharris · 09-01-2006, 05:57 PM

Service bulletin No. 7SB007-03-02A
L, P & Q models equipped with Heart/Xantrex 1500 or 2000 watt inverters
Certain 2003 L, P and Q series motor homes (if equipped with the Heart /Xantrex 1500 or 2000 watt inverter) may
trip the GFCI protected outlet when the shore cord is plugged in.

AFChap · 09-03-2006, 04:00 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Service bulletin No. 7SB007-03-02A </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Do you have a copy of the Service Bulletin that you can post?