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Old 06-26-2013, 06:01 PM   #1
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plugging into house electric

just got home from camping and tried plugging the camper into 110volt but it trips the GFI receptacle in my garage. I have went to a receptacle that is on a 20 amp breaker by itself. I have also turned all the breakers off in the camper and turned them on one by one and as soon as i turn on the GFI/converter breaker it trips the breaker in the garage. If I turn the main breaker and the air conditioner breaker its ok until i try to turn the fan on, then it trips. Its a 2012 Rockwood Signature Ultralite Model 8317RKSS. any suggestions
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Old 06-26-2013, 06:11 PM   #2
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You can not have two GFI items in a single circuit, they fight each other. If you have a GFI protected circuit in the garage, the one installed in the bath or galley area in your camper will cause this problem.
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Old 06-26-2013, 06:24 PM   #3
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Also the 20 AMP breaker can't take much more than the AC starting an other appliance before tripping that's the reason the camper is 30 Amp or 50 Amp
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Old 06-26-2013, 09:26 PM   #4
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I have had camper plugged into garage receptacles n past and able to run everything. I was only trying to run fan on the ac unit and not the ac itself. The fan only draws minimal amps. With all the breakers off except the main and the ac. As soon as I turn the fan switch on, it trips
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Old 06-27-2013, 05:00 AM   #5
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Actually the camper was plugged n all winter no problems
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Old 06-27-2013, 05:52 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by outdoor cooker View Post
I have had camper plugged into garage receptacles n past and able to run everything. I was only trying to run fan on the ac unit and not the ac itself. The fan only draws minimal amps. With all the breakers off except the main and the ac. As soon as I turn the fan switch on, it trips
The GFI trips if there is anything wrong in the circuit. It could be things like an appliance getting wet and sending small amounts power to the ground.
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Old 06-27-2013, 06:38 AM   #7
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If you are running the RV's Air Conditioner, you are very close to the maximum current that can be provided; especially if you are using an extension cord of any kind to get to the camper.
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Old 06-27-2013, 06:48 AM   #8
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You state that the garage breaker is the one tripping. What all else do you have running on the circuit in the garage that supplies power to the outlet?

Have you bought a freezer or anything else that is now using that circuit...... especially a window unit air-conditioner in the garage.

You could be close to overloading that circuit BEFORE you ever plug the trailer into an outlet there.....and thus the trailer is enough to trip the breaker.

Also, as Lou correctly pointed out, are you using any kind of extension cord from the trailer to the outlet? Your problem could easily lie there in the extension cord.
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Old 06-27-2013, 06:55 AM   #9
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If you are running the RV's Air Conditioner, you are very close to the maximum current that can be provided; especially if you are using an extension cord of any kind to get to the camper.
The OP said it was fan only on the AC, not the actual condenser...
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Old 06-27-2013, 07:04 AM   #10
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If applicable. ....
How long is the ext. Cord?
What size is the ext. Cord?
Does it have the ground post missing?


Turbs
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Old 06-27-2013, 07:06 AM   #11
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The OP said it was fan only on the AC, not the actual condenser...
I read that again and I can see how I misinterpreted his post.
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Old 06-27-2013, 07:20 AM   #12
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The outlet is called a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI). It's there to protect people from electrical shock, so it is completely different from a fuse.
A GFCI is much more subtle. When you look at a normal 120-volt outlet in the United States, there are two vertical slots and then a round hole centered below them. The left slot is slightly larger than the right. The left slot is called "neutral," the right slot is called "hot" and the hole below them is called "ground." If an appliance is working properly, all electricity that the appliance uses will flow from hot to neutral. A GFCI monitors the amount of current flowing from hot to neutral. If there is any imbalance, it trips the circuit. It is able to sense a mismatch as small as 4 or 5 milliamps, and it can react as quickly as one-thirtieth of a second.
So let's say you are outside with your power drill and it is raining. You are standing on the ground, and since the drill is wet there is a path from the hot wire inside the drill through you to ground. If electricity flows from hot to ground through you, it could be fatal. The GFCI can sense the current flowing through you because not all of the current is flowing from hot to neutral as it expects -- some of it is flowing through you to ground. As soon as the GFCI senses that, it trips the circuit and cuts off the electricity.
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Old 06-27-2013, 07:25 AM   #13
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If I am reading the OP's first post correct, they stated that they started out by plugging into a GFCI outlet that tripped....then plugged into a non GFCI protected outlet that now trips the breaker to it.

I am almost willing to bet they are using an extension cord, as Lou pointed out, and they are having a problem there.....but we will know more when the OP responds.
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Old 06-27-2013, 07:52 AM   #14
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If I am reading the OP's first post correct, they stated that they started out by plugging into a GFCI outlet that tripped....then plugged into a non GFCI protected outlet that now trips the breaker to it.

I am almost willing to bet they are using an extension cord, as Lou pointed out, and they are having a problem there.....but we will know more when the OP responds.
My only issue is - they also indicated that it used to work (I even got the impression it is same house, outlet and camper) and this is a recent development. So, what would have changed or could cause this to start acting up.
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Old 06-27-2013, 07:57 AM   #15
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Originally Posted by ependydad View Post

My only issue is - they also indicated that it used to work (I even got the impression it is same house, outlet and camper) and this is a recent development. So, what would have changed or could cause this to start acting up.
Heat load could be a factor.
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Old 06-27-2013, 08:01 AM   #16
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So, what would have changed or could cause this to start acting up.
Possibly a different or now damaged extension cord.

Could even have something broke in their trailers cord now.

Of course this is all guessing and speculation.
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Old 06-27-2013, 03:04 PM   #17
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I am using a GFCI receptacle that is by itself on a breaker (20amp). Trying only to turn on the circulating fan. Not the entire air conditioner. In the camper I have ALL the breakers off EXCEPT the main and the AC breakers on. And when i turn the fan to ON it trips the gfi in the garage. Or I only turn on the main and the GFCI/converter breaker, which trips the gfi n the garage. I'm using the power cord supplied with the camper with a three prong adapter ( which I have tried three different adapters). While camping the week before I was plugged n to campsite service with no problems. I have tried three different circuits n my garage and still same problem. Think something wrong with camper. Not sure what.
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Old 06-27-2013, 03:42 PM   #18
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Is your garage on 3 circuits or 3 outlets my garage is on one circuit with several outlets.......... Have you tried another outlet somewhere that is not GFCI protected????? GFCI are sensitive.
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Old 06-27-2013, 03:54 PM   #19
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I am using a GFCI receptacle that is by itself on a breaker (20amp). Trying only to turn on the circulating fan. Not the entire air conditioner. In the camper I have ALL the breakers off EXCEPT the main and the AC breakers on. And when i turn the fan to ON it trips the gfi in the garage. Or I only turn on the main and the GFCI/converter breaker, which trips the gfi n the garage. I'm using the power cord supplied with the camper with a three prong adapter ( which I have tried three different adapters). While camping the week before I was plugged n to campsite service with no problems. I have tried three different circuits n my garage and still same problem. Think something wrong with camper. Not sure what.
Maybe not. Plugging a GFCI into another GFCI can cause unreliable tripping. Try a circuit not GFCI protected. If the GFCI in the camper trips you have a fault condition in the camper. If not, you could just be having "dueling GFCIs."
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Old 06-27-2013, 04:00 PM   #20
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Maybe not. Plugging a GFCI into another GFCI can cause unreliable tripping. Try a circuit not GFCI protected. If the GFCI in the camper trips you have a fault condition in the camper. If not, you could just be having "dueling GFCIs."

X2
I think its the gfci as well.
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