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03-27-2020, 09:09 AM
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#1
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 97
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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?
__________________
2018 Forest River Georgetown model 31L5
Flat towing a 2019 Chevy Spark
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03-27-2020, 09:18 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Port Charlotte Fl/Hinsdale Ma
Posts: 4,823
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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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03-27-2020, 09:20 AM
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#3
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Kanadian Kamper
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Southern Ontario
Posts: 8,113
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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.
__________________
Ken and Terry
2018 Sunseeker 2430S-CD, nicely modified and carried by a 2017 Ford E450 Sport
Former Georgetown 330TS owner for 10 years with more mods than I can count, pushed by our 2017 GMC Terrain
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03-27-2020, 09:34 AM
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#4
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 97
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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
__________________
2018 Forest River Georgetown model 31L5
Flat towing a 2019 Chevy Spark
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03-27-2020, 09:35 AM
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#5
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 97
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I have two different dog bones both do the same.
__________________
2018 Forest River Georgetown model 31L5
Flat towing a 2019 Chevy Spark
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03-27-2020, 10:38 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Central NJ
Posts: 1,001
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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.
Jim M.
__________________
2020 Flagstaff Super Lite 26RBWS
Former: 2017 Rockwood MiniLite 2104S
2015 Silverado 2500HD 6.0L Gas
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03-27-2020, 10:52 AM
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#7
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Site Team
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 15,243
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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.
__________________
2015 Freedom Express 248RBS
TV 2015 Silverado HD2500 Duramax
TST Tire Monitors
Honda 2000I + Companion
2 100W solar panels
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03-27-2020, 10:52 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 7,640
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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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03-27-2020, 10:54 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,114
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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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03-27-2020, 10:57 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Southern NM
Posts: 9,505
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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.
__________________
Scott and Liz - Southern NM
2012 Wildcat Sterling 32RL - w/level up (best option ever)
2007 Chevy 2500HD Duramax
Reese Fifth Airborne Sidewinder
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03-27-2020, 11:44 AM
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#11
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 97
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Flybob
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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Done, same issue.
__________________
2018 Forest River Georgetown model 31L5
Flat towing a 2019 Chevy Spark
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03-27-2020, 11:46 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Hawkins, Texas
Posts: 1,243
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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.
__________________
Chuck & Sandra
Engineer/Teacher
2010 F350 CC 6.4
2015 Prime Time Sanibel 3601
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03-27-2020, 11:47 AM
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#13
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 97
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NMWildcat
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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Some good ideas, I will try. I have have RV service look at the issue, but they couldn't find anything.
__________________
2018 Forest River Georgetown model 31L5
Flat towing a 2019 Chevy Spark
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03-27-2020, 12:02 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 168
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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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03-27-2020, 12:21 PM
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#15
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Retired Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Lagrange Ga
Posts: 167
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gordalder
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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My power wire was grounding to frame causing breaker on post to trip. Took 1.5 years to show up.
__________________
Pam and Murry Wilbanks
2018 SIERRA 377 FLIK
2018 Ram Laramie 3500 DRW
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03-27-2020, 12:21 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Port Charlotte Fl/Hinsdale Ma
Posts: 4,823
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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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03-27-2020, 12:26 PM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 168
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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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03-27-2020, 12:42 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: North of Seattle, WA
Posts: 17,263
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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.
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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.
__________________
"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 )
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03-27-2020, 01:07 PM
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#19
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Member
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Lewis Center, Ohio
Posts: 91
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Hot water heater
Is your hot water heater turned to electric?
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03-27-2020, 01:16 PM
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#20
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: North of Seattle, WA
Posts: 17,263
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TGO Bill
Is your hot water heater turned to electric?
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If the main breaker in the coach is off, no power should be going to ANYTHING, including the water heater's electric element.
__________________
"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 )
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