Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 08-08-2021, 12:40 PM   #1
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Sonoma, CA
Posts: 30
Plugging into GFI outlet Problem

On recent trip I plugged my trailer into a standard GFI outlet and it trips after a few minutes. It does not seem to be a load issue as I connected a hair dryer to the extension cord I was using and had no problem. Also, it trips under no load other than the inverter charging the 12V batteries. It would even run the air conditioner for a few minutes before tripping.
Is there something in the operation of my inverter that would trip a GFI or other possible answer?
KenSchmitz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-08-2021, 12:46 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Englewood FL
Posts: 2,797
GFI's are modern marvels...you cannot run two of them in series. It is a well known problem and has nothing really to do with your trailer.
__________________

2015 335DS
ScottBrownstein is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-08-2021, 02:04 PM   #3
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Sonoma, CA
Posts: 30
Thanks, that was my best guess or should I say hope.
KenSchmitz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-08-2021, 02:44 PM   #4
Norwood Auto Italia
 
Join Date: Aug 2020
Location: Montana & TX
Posts: 1,483
Its an issue discussed on this and a number of other forums. The problem seems to center around the following items:
1) Is the GFI a 15 or 20 amp version. I5 amps will not work with virtually any I/C system
2) Are you using a high enough rated cable - seems to need at least a 10 gauge
3) What amperage does the I/C system draw. Many are preset to draw their maximum charge rate irrespective as to whether the Inverter is enabled. If that maximum is (say) equivalent to more than 20 amps AC, that will op the GFI. Remember AC amps are not the same as DC amps. I believe its a factor of 4X.
4) age of GFI. Once a GFi is more than 5 years old, its not able to sustain its rated amps.

Items 1 & 4 seem to be the problem you saw. Initial success, followed by a pop as the GFI overheated with age or a draw over its rating.
__________________
2000 Sportsmobile E350 EB
2006 Renegade/Peterbilt K1854 and T1220
2021 Isata 5 28SS Explorer
vlamgat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-09-2021, 05:57 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 173
This is why it trips

Every electrical appliance has a minute amount of current leakage, because there is no such thing as a perfect insulator. For this reason, a GFCI breaker allows that minute amount of leakage without tripping. An actual fault exceeds this allowable current leakage, and trips the breaker.

When you plug your RV into an outlet protected by a GFCI breaker, you are now supplying a number of circuits (refrigerator, converter, multiple other GFCI breakers which have their own leakages, etc.) through that one breaker. While the allowable leakage from each circuit individually would not trip the breaker, the sum of their allowable leakages is enough to exceed that allowed by the breaker, it sees this as a real fault, and it trips.

You can get the same result by running multiple appliances at once on a GFCI-protected circuit in the kitchen at home. Their cumulative allowable leakages exceed that permitted by the GFCI breaker, which trips even through there is no ground leakage fault.
__________________

2018 Coachmen Viking 21RD
2012 Ram 1500 5.7L Hemi 4x4
Full-timing since October 2017
johntaylor is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-10-2021, 01:13 PM   #6
Norwood Auto Italia
 
Join Date: Aug 2020
Location: Montana & TX
Posts: 1,483
Quote:
Originally Posted by johntaylor View Post

You can get the same result by running multiple appliances at once on a GFCI-protected circuit in the kitchen at home. Their cumulative allowable leakages exceed that permitted by the GFCI breaker, which trips even through there is no ground leakage fault.
Agreed and the older the appliances/connections, the more likely the trip. However my experience shows that even with the appliances eliminated, the wiring, socket, connectors and breakers that have aged make a major contribution to this increasing leakage and the battery charger is often the biggest culprit whether new or not.
__________________
2000 Sportsmobile E350 EB
2006 Renegade/Peterbilt K1854 and T1220
2021 Isata 5 28SS Explorer
vlamgat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-10-2021, 01:18 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: North of Seattle, WA
Posts: 17,283
Quote:
Originally Posted by vlamgat View Post
Agreed and the older the appliances/connections, the more likely the trip. However my experience shows that even with the appliances eliminated, the wiring, socket, connectors and breakers that have aged make a major contribution to this increasing leakage and the battery charger is often the biggest culprit whether new or not.
Not to mention that RV's usually have an outside receptacle that often gets wet. Wet equals more leakage.
__________________
"A wise man can change his mind. A fool never will." (Japanese Proverb)

"You only grow old when you run out of new things to do"

2018 Flagstaff Micro Lite 25BDS
2023 f-150 SCREW XLT 3.5 Ecoboost (The result of a $68,000 oil change)
TitanMike is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-10-2021, 02:34 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Idaho
Posts: 270
Quote:
Originally Posted by KenSchmitz View Post
On recent trip I plugged my trailer into a standard GFI outlet and it trips ... ...
...
Greetings KenSchmitz ... First, I think you made an inadvertent typo. A bit of clarity: The term "inverter" normally refers to a device used to convert DC to AC, that is to create 120VAC power from our 12VDC battery. The term "converter" normally refers to a device used to convert AC to DC, that is to create 12VDC power from our 120VAC shore power.
The GFI device compares the load current (hot wire) to the return current (neutral wire). The two should be equal, and the GFI trips if the two are not equal. The normal cause for an imbalance between the two lines is current also flowing to ground so that the return path is divided between the neutral wire and the ground wire. Since such an imbalance is usually indicative of a safety issue, the GFI automatically shuts the power off.
Something in your trailer is creating a low resistance path between the neutral line and the grounding line. This condition creates an imbalance in the neutral wire current (as compared to load wire) at the GFI causing it to trip.
You might test for this condition by unplugging your trailer from shore power and use an ohm-meter to measure the resistance between the neutral line and ground on the power cord. It should measure as an open circuit. I suspect you will measure something close to a short condition.
Although the cause and solution is probably not the same, a very similar situation as yours was recently discussed and solved. I think you may find many of the opinions expressed in that thread useful:
https://www.forestriverforums.com/fo...fe-233483.html
FollowTheSun is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Forest River, Inc. or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:39 AM.