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Old 03-27-2020, 09:09 AM   #1
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Pedestal or home breaker tripping every time I plug RV into outlet

Hi, I have asked this question before, but in a different section of the forum. I thought I would post here with so many at home, there might be more people reading.

What i have
2017 Georgetown GT5 model 31L5
It is a 50 amp coach

Situation
Got back up north from Florida and wanted to keep the coach warm, and not have the water freeze in the pipes before re-winterizing it.

Every outlet i plugged into would cause the house breaker to trip. When I say house breaker i mean sticks and bricks house.

I have had this same type of issue on SOME 30 amp service campgrounds, but not all.

I have turned the main breaker in the coach off, so there should be no load on the circuit.

The outlets i tried at home have little or no load on them, yet they still trip.

If I run the generator power supply is fine.

Never had the issue when connected to a 50 amp outlet.

Any thoughts?
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Old 03-27-2020, 09:18 AM   #2
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Sounds like a faulty dog bone adapter. Got a volt meter. Are you tripping a standard breaker at home or a GFI breaker?
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Old 03-27-2020, 09:20 AM   #3
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The house breaker you’re using.....how many amps is it rated for?
Is your outlet from your house a GFI breaker?
At your house, are you powering the motorhome from a 15, 20, 30 or 50 amp plug?

I have a dedicated 50 amp, can step it down to 30 amp with a dogbone adapter if I wanted to.
I have powered from a 15 amp, but I usually only use it for chilling the fridge.
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Old 03-27-2020, 09:34 AM   #4
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I tried both, but have never been able to plug into GFI plug, so other plugs i tried were 15 amp
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Old 03-27-2020, 09:35 AM   #5
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I have two different dog bones both do the same.
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Old 03-27-2020, 10:38 AM   #6
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I currently have my 50 amp trailer plugged into a 20 amp GFI using a 15-50 dogdone and an old 100' extension cord. At some point I have powered everything, but the AC, in the trailer so a typical house circuit is more than enough to keep the trailer up an running.

I was going to say that you must have a large "phantom" load that is on. Like the water heat, tank heaters, converter,.... I was going to suggest that you shut off all the breakers, plug in, and then start turning them on one at a time and see when it trips. But it sounds like you say it trips even if the main breaker is off.

I don't know how motor homes work (with the generator, transfer switch,...) but there must be a "short" somewhere in the system. You said you tried 2 different dog bones so thats not it then. Can you unplug or bypass everything else and just get your house circuit straight to the RV main panel? Or maybe measure the resistance from hot-hot, hot-neutral,..... and see if there is a short somewhere. I would imagine that the hot-hot and hot-gnd should be an open circuit. Not sure what a hot-neutral would ohm out as.

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Old 03-27-2020, 10:52 AM   #7
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Depending on how old your home is, any outlets outside or in the garage will be GFCI protected even if the outlet itself is not a GFCI outlet. Try an outlet in the living space away from water.
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Old 03-27-2020, 10:52 AM   #8
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So, have you just tried the dog bone adapters without the coach cable attached? Does it trip only when the coach cable is also in the circuit? Suppose you meant "main breakers) (both) in the coach off.
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Old 03-27-2020, 10:54 AM   #9
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If all breakers are off then there should be no load. If on gennie and you turn off all breakers what still has power? Does the generator power go through the shore power cord or is it hard wired? Shore power cord shorted?
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Old 03-27-2020, 10:57 AM   #10
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Hmm. I would reverify that absolutely nothing in the coach is powered when you flip the master breaker. I would also disconnect the battery bank. I might go as far as removing all 12v fuses and flip all breakers off. When you are positive that nothing is powered in the coach (12v or 110) see if the problem still exists. If it does, it's between the power center, transfer switch, and the cord end. If the problem goes away, then start turning breakers on and installing fuses one at a time (reconnect bat) first.
If all else fails, might be time to call a mobile rv tech.
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Old 03-27-2020, 11:44 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Flybob View Post
Depending on how old your home is, any outlets outside or in the garage will be GFCI protected even if the outlet itself is not a GFCI outlet. Try an outlet in the living space away from water.
Done, same issue.
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Old 03-27-2020, 11:46 AM   #12
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I would take a close look at your transfer switch. Others have had this exact problem and it turned out to be a loose connections in your transfer switch. I would recommend that you pull the cover off of your TS and have a look see.
Of course do this when the electric is ALL OFF.
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Old 03-27-2020, 11:47 AM   #13
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Originally Posted by NMWildcat View Post
Hmm. I would reverify that absolutely nothing in the coach is powered when you flip the master breaker. I would also disconnect the battery bank. I might go as far as removing all 12v fuses and flip all breakers off. When you are positive that nothing is powered in the coach (12v or 110) see if the problem still exists. If it does, it's between the power center, transfer switch, and the cord end. If the problem goes away, then start turning breakers on and installing fuses one at a time (reconnect bat) first.
If all else fails, might be time to call a mobile rv tech.
Some good ideas, I will try. I have have RV service look at the issue, but they couldn't find anything.
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Old 03-27-2020, 12:02 PM   #14
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Sounds like a dead short. Ohm check the cord by itself and then attach to rv and ohm check it again at the breaker box with the breaker removed.
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Old 03-27-2020, 12:21 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gordalder View Post
Hi, I have asked this question before, but in a different section of the forum. I thought I would post here with so many at home, there might be more people reading.

What i have
2017 Georgetown GT5 model 31L5
It is a 50 amp coach

Situation
Got back up north from Florida and wanted to keep the coach warm, and not have the water freeze in the pipes before re-winterizing it.

Every outlet i plugged into would cause the house breaker to trip. When I say house breaker i mean sticks and bricks house.

I have had this same type of issue on SOME 30 amp service campgrounds, but not all.

I have turned the main breaker in the coach off, so there should be no load on the circuit.

The outlets i tried at home have little or no load on them, yet they still trip.

If I run the generator power supply is fine.

Never had the issue when connected to a 50 amp outlet.

Any thoughts?
My power wire was grounding to frame causing breaker on post to trip. Took 1.5 years to show up.
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Old 03-27-2020, 12:21 PM   #16
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Disconnect the power cord from the RV. remove a 4 wires from their connections. Now plug it in. If the breaker holds you have eliminated 1/2 the problem. You will know the problem is in the RV. If it does not hold the problem is in the cord. Now hook it back up and go to the transfer switch and disconnect that. Test again. If you have a cord real check that first. One step at a time from shore power to main RV breaker.
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Old 03-27-2020, 12:26 PM   #17
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That’s what I figured because the same thing happened to me. I had to run a new main wire from the breaker box to the cord connection at a campground.
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Old 03-27-2020, 12:42 PM   #18
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Quote:
I have turned the main breaker in the coach off, so there should be no load on the circuit.

The outlets i tried at home have little or no load on them, yet they still trip.

If I run the generator power supply is fine.

Never had the issue when connected to a 50 amp outlet.
Based on the above statements the only difference between times all works OK and times it doesn't is the dogbone.

No problems when plugged into 50 amp outlet pretty much clears the cord and anything inside the RV and Cord.

The fact your main breaker in the coach is turned OFF eliminates all other circuits inside as the culprit. No need to pull fuses on 12 V circuits or the like. Focus only on what's between main breaker and the house outlets you are plugging into. Transfer switch, cord, dogbone, Start with dogbone.
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Old 03-27-2020, 01:07 PM   #19
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Hot water heater

Is your hot water heater turned to electric?
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Old 03-27-2020, 01:16 PM   #20
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Is your hot water heater turned to electric?
If the main breaker in the coach is off, no power should be going to ANYTHING, including the water heater's electric element.
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