Just washed my TM - now the TM trips my home GFI

[cali camping]

What type of adapter are you using to connect the 30AMP service cord from the TM to you homes electrical outlet? Have you tried another adapter? Is there any damage to the TM cord?

[ShrimpBurrito]

The TM has tripped the GFI breaker here at the Grand Canyon. I tried plugging us into the 15A outlet because I don't think the 30A outlet has a GFI. Meanwhile, I have the 3-stage charger plugged in, and we're running everything off 12v. No problems there, but it's only 6 amps in the bulk charging stage, so keeps up but isn't giving us the full charge we need to dry camp for the next 5 days. It's supposed to get down to 14 degrees here tonight, excluding windchill......

I wonder if something in the converter has fried/shorted.

Dave

[ShrimpBurrito]

I pulled out the 30 amp cord all the way, and did't see any damage there or anywhere on the cord where it connects to the converter.

I'm just using a 1-piece no-cord 30-amp to 15-amp adapter. Hadn't considered that as the fault since it is a 1-piece molded thing. Not sure what could go wrong with it, but I may stop over at the market to see if they have another one I could try.

Thanks,
Dave

[cali camping]

Originally Posted by ShrimpBurrito

The TM has tripped the GFI breaker here at the Grand Canyon. I tried plugging us into the 15A outlet because I don't think the 30A outlet has a GFI. Meanwhile, I have the 3-stage charger plugged in, and we're running everything off 12v. No problems there, but it's only 6 amps in the bulk charging stage, so keeps up but isn't giving us the full charge we need to dry camp for the next 5 days. It's supposed to get down to 14 degrees here tonight, excluding windchill......

I wonder if something in the converter has fried/shorted.

Dave

Dave,
Think about what is common both at home and at your current location and then try and find alternatives to check. The campgound host should know if the 30A connection has GFI circuitry or not. Depending on the answer that could be something else you can check. Did you try a different adapter for the 15A plug?

Your current external 3 stage charger putting out 6 amps in bulk mode should be OK for your needs ( 6 amps x 10 hours = 60 amps) and that would be 30% of a 200AMh battery. You may need to unplug and then replug in the charger to force it back to the bulk mode depending on its program.

If you suspect the converter and have the technical know how and tools you could change the converter. This is what came in my 2007 and it works great:
http://www.bestconverter.com/WFCO-89...-_p_65-52.html
There must be an RV repair place every 1/2 mile where you are to support the snowbird crowd, so you should be able to find one easily.

[Bill]

All of the posts so far have concentrated on a hot-to-ground short. But that is not the only way to trip a GFI. On this board, we have experienced quite a few GFI trips due to a neutral-to-ground short.

I know, I know, they are supposed to be at the same potential, because they are connected together at the home's entrance panel. But in fact, they are not quite at the same potential out at the trailer, so a neutral-to-ground current can flow in such a situation. And the imbalance between the neutral current and the hot current will reliably trip a GFI. And if you look only for a hot-to-ground short (such as a scuffed cable), you will end up looking in the wrong place. And since the problem is a neutral-to-ground short, switching off the hot lead in the device (or the circuit breaker to the device) will not eliminate the problem. Even with the circuit breaker off, the GFI will trip.

If you want some dry technical details, check

http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ead.php?t=7220

[ShrimpBurrito]

Thanks for the post, Bill. I took a look at the thread you referenced. So are you saying that with a neutral-to-ground short on any one of the AC circuits will trip the GFI even if the TM main breaker is off?

Thanks,
Dave

The breaker only interrupts the hot side of the circuit. If there is a neutral to ground fault, it will still present itself if the breaker is open. A simple explanation of a GFI is a device the monitors the current traveling through it to the load on the hot side and the current traveling back to it from the load on the neutral. If they are not equal due to a fault ( ie some current traveling back through the ground) it will trip. Here is a nice link explaining the operation.
http://personal.cha.bellsouth.net/j/...les/rv/gfi.pdf

[Bill]

Rumbleweed is exactly right. The article called out in his link is the best I have seen, even though it does not describe a neutral-to-ground fault. FWIW, I have suggested to the author that he include it any future update in the article.

Bill

[Wavery]

Originally Posted by Bill

Rumbleweed is exactly right. The article called out in his link is the best I have seen, even though it does not describe a neutral-to-ground fault. FWIW, I have suggested to the author that he include it any future update in the article.

Bill

I manage a 40 unit apt building (built in '87). In 2001 one of my tenants received a shock from her vacuum cleaner and it burned her quite badly. The only way that could happen is if the outlet were wired incorrectly or defective. I checked the outlet and it was wired incorrectly. (Only the bathroom outlets in this building have GFI outlets.)

I had an electrical contractor come in and check all of the outlets in the building (over 1000 outlets). They found over 200 outlets that were not wired correctly. The contractor told me that is not unusual and it's worse in older buildings. I was shocked.

We own 2 rental homes (built in the '80s), so I immediatly purchased a tool to check the outlets in our houses. I had exactly the same result. About 20% of the outlets were wired incorrectly.

The reason that I bring this up is that you may have a faulty outlet somewhere in your camper.

[mjlaupp]

Dave,
Check behind the lower exterior fridge vent. You will find a 110 duplex outlet there. On mine it is just inside the vent and could get wet from splashing water.
Mike