AC/ electric water heater

[Agewon]

This being our third year camping in our tracer, I noticed that I can't have the electric water heater on with the AC or it trips the service breaker. Where we never had an issue before, I'm wondering if it may be due to a failing inverter. Not long ago, the slide switch got stuck and was constantly in the close slide position for about an hour or so. My DW had cleaned the trailer in prep for a trip and a little while later I was packing the garage when I heard a contact "clicking" noise. When I opened the trailer, I smelt burning insulation (wire insulation) faintly. The slide switch was hot, and I'm guessing the clicking was the inverter.
I have the progressive industries surge protector, but at the time it wasn't connected to AC.
Also, I can't even run the central vac, with no other load, without tripping the progressive industries unit under low voltage. Any ideas?


2014- 25

[Bama Rambler]

Which model do you have?
I see where the Tracers have a converter, but not an inverter.

When you say 'Service Breaker' do you mean the breaker on the pedestal?

The clicking you heard was probably the slide gears slipping.

I would trust the PI surge protector that you have low voltage. Have you checked the voltage at the power receptacle? If so, what was it?

[Agewon]

Model 3150bhd

The clicking was most definitely an electrical sound, but was coming from the front of the trailer where wiring enters (possibly an inline breaker?)
When I try A/C and water heater, it trips at the post. When at the house, using a adapter and plugging into a 20A circuit, the PI trips on low voltage with just the vacuume.
I will check the live voltage with my dmm and post



2014- 25

[ShermanD]

shut the power down, open the fuse and breaker panels and tighten all the wiring connections at the screw terminals. This is one thing that should be included n everyone's annual spring ritual. current running through wiring makes it heat up and expand, cooling allows it to contract, since copper wire is soft, it can change shape and thus loosen up at the connections.

Your problem could be as simple as a loose connection.

Breakers are designed for convenience, are spring loaded. and like anything else mechanical only have a certain number of useful cycles. If the current is too high the spring heats up and allows the breaker to trip. continued overloads will weaken that spring and allow the breaker to trip at a lower amperage than rated. It may be time to replace that breaker. DO NOT INSTALL HIGHER AMPERAGE BREAKER

Hope this is of some help.

[Agewon]

Found the issue; corroded plug.
My DMM showed 120v at the plug in the house, and also on the end of the 15a extension cord. But the PI only showed 108v. When I inspected the 30a plug for the trailer, it looked slightly corroded. I used the corrosion buster pen (very fine fiberglass rods bunched together) and cleaned up the plug terminals. It was amazing to see how corroded it was vs how it looked. Now I have 120 in the trailer and can run the AC, water heater AND coffee maker at 29a.


2014- 25