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Old 09-03-2018, 05:31 PM   #21
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Originally Posted by plh869 View Post
Our 2014 Wildwood DBUD 30 amp power cord was melted into one prong of our expensive surge protector when we unhooked to go home today. We went camping in a brand new park. Could their power pedestal have been the cause? We’ve been camping several times this year at other parks, and this has never happened before. At the other parks, we would have our breaker trip sometimes. We’ve only had the surge protector for 4 months!!! It was not cheap either. What does this mean? Any thoughts or suggestions are very welcomed!! Thanks in advance!!!
Thanks to information on this forum, we learned a great lesson. Our shore power connector seemed to be corroding more every trip. Finally came to the experienced and friendly folks on this site, and learned to make sure the shore power circuit breaker is off, hook up, THEN engage the shore power circuit breaker. It has worked great, no further deterioration to the TT cable. Hope this helps, but if not, there are much more knowledgeable people here that will help. Happy Camping!!
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Old 09-03-2018, 05:41 PM   #22
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Don't forget moisture. We melted a plug when it wasn't quite tight and a little rain got in. Not enough to short anything or trip a breaker, but it was here to pull apart after the two melted.. now we're always point the ends down.
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Old 09-03-2018, 05:54 PM   #23
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It is also possible to have a bad connection in the molded plug on the cord that you cannot see.
X2 - I've had this happen too. Was melted inside the molded plug. Sometimes it's not your fault, sometimes
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Old 09-03-2018, 07:21 PM   #24
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Warranty the defective surge protector if possible and cut the damaged plug from the cord and install a replacement plug. Expensive RV surge protectors are extremely way over rated and easily sold to unsuspecting RV owners in my opinion. They only contain cheap MOV's to protect from lightening or high voltages. Some surge protectors measure the voltage and cause more nuisance than they are worth. Many RV owners will not leave home without their surge protector as their rig would be a smoldering pile of rubble without it.
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Old 09-03-2018, 08:39 PM   #25
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loose or corroded connections cause heat which can and does melt the surrounding plastic...

I use this to help that situation...

use it on all electrical connectors including your trailer/TV connectors

In a pinch, even WD40 could help. I have used WD40 in many electrical off road cures when I was a young mudder.
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Old 09-10-2018, 06:41 PM   #26
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I had a similar problem. It was caused by the loose wire connection inside the RV plug.
My Forest River Forrester has a removeable power cord. The connection on the outside of the RV caused the problem. I had to replace both the plug on the RV, and the power cord plug. They were both melted.
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Old 09-10-2018, 06:53 PM   #27
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brown out

Campgrounds many times have low voltage due to too many campers and insufficient power on grid...this causes amperage to increase in your power in line and melt plug. I had this happen to me...melted plug to camper receptacle..had to replace both.
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Old 09-10-2018, 07:39 PM   #28
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I've had something like this happen twice in my travels. The first was on the PDI portable EMS, which Progressive upgraded and repaired for $0. The next time it was my RV cable. Both times it was the neutral pin that got hot enough to burn / melt plastic of the plug. I was pulling right at 30 amps but the EMS didn't trip open nor did the pedestal breaker trip. And, in both cases the pins / contacts appeared to be clean. I cut this one apart to see if I could tell what might be the cause. The only thing I could see was although the nice heavy pin was okay, the attachment to the wire was done with a type of crimp and the metal was thin. I attributed it to Chinese junk. Maybe the plastic can't take the normal heat these things can produce. Anyway, I bought a plug and replaced it. No more problems. The manual says to clean the pins with contact cleaner. I have lightly sand with fine sandpaper to be sure the connection is the best it can be.

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Old 09-11-2018, 08:46 AM   #29
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My understanding here is that turning off the breaker stops arcing when the plug is inserted, and that arcing deteriorates the contacts, correct? Also the use of dielectric grease stops scraping between contacts and stops deterioration of the contacts while not increasing resistance, correct? Sounds like good advice to me.
Not sure about the WD40 as it is very flammable. Probably not much of a chance, but?


Have to say this is one of the few electrical posts that didn't digress.
Wanted to say that I've had my Progressive EMS fill with water also, which can cause a number of problems, so either seal it, or cover it.
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Old 09-11-2018, 10:51 AM   #30
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From what have learned working with electricians (as part of my job)is that the latest 'code' says that extension cords are not 'legal' to have the ends replaced...only the [molded] ends that they were made with are legal...I thought that I would toss that in the mix...also when people say 'dialectric grease', what it means is 'high dialectric' grease (aka. high resistance grease), this grease seals the air away from the connection of the plug [prong] to the receptacle connector and at the same time helps to wick away heat, it also does not conduct electricity [for the most part] so if some accidentally gets on the plug cover etc. you don't have to worry about getting shocked (although you can still get burned if the plug overheats), this is completely different than conductive grease/paste which is used in some situations for electric connectors..never ever, use the latter for the former, you CAN get shocked if it gets on the plug covers etc... Next, Deoxit, while good for removing oxidation ect. from the plug/receptacle connectors does not leave any sort of protective residue (unless they have changed the formula since I last used it) so it might be a good idea to use some sort of protectorant after using it such as the above mentioned dialectric grease, wd40, CRC, etc. to help keep the metals from corroding as quickly (esp. if you are anywhere near salt water)….The first part about extension cords, may not be true across the country, what I do know is that it is true in the state I live in... I am just tossing this information out there for you to do with as you wish, not to stir up anybody etc...
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Old 09-11-2018, 10:53 AM   #31
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Earlier this year, in May, I attended a seminar on RV electrical issues and safety by Mike Sokol author of No-Shock Zone blog. After watching live demos on Surge Protectors and "Hot skin" condition I bought a new model Surge Guard 34930 (30A) for my Class-C from Techno-RV.


Most of the comments in this thread were covered. i.e. plug corrosion and breakers being off before you plug in, clean contacts etc. I like the fact that the 34930 not only has surge protection but tests for other problems too, even some in the RV. In fact, I discovered an 'Open Ground" at a campground in Nebraska in July. Don't know what issues I might have had but I think the purchase may have paid for itself already.



Note: I did report the Open Ground to the town that operated the RV park and got confirmation that they had the problem fixed within a few days so my Surge Guard may have protected some other folks too.
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Old 09-11-2018, 11:13 AM   #32
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Melted power cord

  1. Keep the connections out of the dirt, don't drag across the ground.
  2. Always check power pole breaker off before plugging in, turn it off before unplugging. This avoids arcing which damages contacts.
  3. vigorously wipe the blades of the male contacts with a rag before inserting to remove dirt, oxide, etc
  4. with breaker open "exercise" the connections by plugging and unplugging several times to clean inaccessible female contacts
  5. after all connections made close breaker at power pole
  6. check voltage inside RV, e.g. killawatt will display voltage, current, wattage, etc. (We keep one plugged in at kitchen island and can see it as soon as we open the door). Do this with AC, fridge, and water heater off and then on to see how much voltage drop is occurring across the various connectors. Notify park office if voltage is too high (I consider 125V the limit) with no load or too low (110 or less) with loads applied. I consider a 10v difference between no load and full load a concern. Heat is being generated somewhere, 10V*30 amps is 300 watts for example. If it's all at one connection something is going to get too hot pretty fast.
  7. periodically use contact cleaner on all connectors
  8. use dialectric grease if moisture intrusion is a concern
  9. If necessary occasionally use burnishing tool (with insulated handle unless absolutely confident the circuit is dead) to clean up inaccessible female contacts.
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Old 09-11-2018, 12:44 PM   #33
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30 Amp power cord melted

I find that in lots of camp grounds the maintenance on the electrical pedestal is very poor. So the plog fits very loose, that is a problem, that generates lots off heat. I have had to change my plog 3 times in the last year. Just keep an eye on it!
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Old 09-11-2018, 12:55 PM   #34
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UPDATE...

Thanks so much for sharing all of your knowledge and information with us! Once we had a chance to really look over the surge protector, we realized that the end of the surge protector that plugged into the power pedastal was melted too!! This confirmed that the problem came from the power pedastal at the park. We were told that our surge protector has a lifetime warranty, but it will depend on what caused the damage. We sent it to the company, and hope and pray that it will be replaced under the warranty. We did inspect our camper plug for dirty and/or loose pins, and it did not have any of this as an issue. My husband had cleaned the pins several weeks before this happened. We did purchase a new plug for our camper, and my husband plans on replacing that before we use it again. Our helpful friend at Campingworld mentioned that he would replace the plug on our camper as he would not trust it now after this surge melted the surge protector and our plug. I’ll definitely keep everyone posted on if they warranty our surge protector, and how the new plug works. I thought about contacting the manager at the park about this, but my husband said it would not make a difference so I decided not to. Again, your advice and recommendations were very helpful!!!! This is a really great group of folks!!! Thanks again for your insight!!! I’ll be back with more when we hear from the company who made our surge protector!!
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Old 09-11-2018, 01:00 PM   #35
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I thought about contacting the manager at the park about this, but my husband said it would not make a difference so I decided not to.
If nobody tells him about it, then he doesn't know that it might need to be fixed!
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Old 09-11-2018, 01:27 PM   #36
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I've also used WD-40 for a variety of reasons I never really payed that much attention to how flammable it was until checking this out on their website...So just passing this information on.

WD-40® aerosol is considered flammable for other reasons beyond flashpoint. Aerosols must be tested for “flame extension” (how far a spray will carry a flame), and “flashback” (whether the spray carries the flame back toward the user). WD-40® does not have flashback, but can carry a flame forward, so it is categorized as flammable.
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Old 09-11-2018, 01:54 PM   #37
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If nobody tells him about it, then he doesn't know that it might need to be fixed!

We took our surge protector inside with us at check out, and showed the young lady. We told her that they needed to check that power pedestal, and she wrote it down. Beyond that, we don’t know if they checked it. I sure hope they did, so it doesn’t damage any other RV.
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Old 09-14-2018, 12:17 PM   #38
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Originally Posted by Ang21 View Post
I find that in lots of camp grounds the maintenance on the electrical pedestal is very poor. So the plog fits very loose, that is a problem, that generates lots off heat. I have had to change my plog 3 times in the last year. Just keep an eye on it!

Ang, you are the first person to somewhat mention the receptacle on this post. Regardless whether you are using a surge protector or not, if the plug is loose in the socket it will create heat under medium to heavy loads.

If you detect a loose plug advise the campground they have problem with a worn or damaged receptacle and ask them to fix it now as you do not wish to damage your equipment.

Remember these sockets (the weakest link in the chain) are used constantly, considerably more than your RV plug (unless you are a true full-timer) and they do wear out.

Electrical receptacles are designed to be self wiping of the plug blades, so
unless the plug blades are severely worn and corroded they do make good contact.

Geoff
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Old 09-14-2018, 12:34 PM   #39
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Originally Posted by plh869 View Post
Thanks so much for sharing all of your knowledge and information with us! Once we had a chance to really look over the surge protector, we realized that the end of the surge protector that plugged into the power pedastal was melted too!! This confirmed that the problem came from the power pedastal at the park. We were told that our surge protector has a lifetime warranty, but it will depend on what caused the damage. We sent it to the company, and hope and pray that it will be replaced under the warranty. We did inspect our camper plug for dirty and/or loose pins, and it did not have any of this as an issue. My husband had cleaned the pins several weeks before this happened. We did purchase a new plug for our camper, and my husband plans on replacing that before we use it again. Our helpful friend at Campingworld mentioned that he would replace the plug on our camper as he would not trust it now after this surge melted the surge protector and our plug. I’ll definitely keep everyone posted on if they warranty our surge protector, and how the new plug works. I thought about contacting the manager at the park about this, but my husband said it would not make a difference so I decided not to. Again, your advice and recommendations were very helpful!!!! This is a really great group of folks!!! Thanks again for your insight!!! I’ll be back with more when we hear from the company who made our surge protector!!


Op, your surge protector was almost certainly the culprit having both ends melting. I would say the wiring and/or crimp connectors were undersized or maxed out to 30 amps. If only one end was melted then it would be there at that end you would find an issue but as you state both ends are melted then what is the common denominator??? The surge protector.

Cheap and even moderately expensive electrical equipment can push the limits of safety with using the lowest rated components possible depending on the certification it is tested under. What was yours certified to; CSA, UL or the worst ETL (Chinese), the three common ones I've listed should have a C or US in small text before or after the 2 or 3 main letters.

Monthly I receive a list from ESA (Canada) with a list of recalled electrical goods with, in most cases fake certification labels on them. Usually these are discovered after issues including fires.

I've bought multiple electric items off of Amazon.ca and in three cases returned the items as they were certified illegally or not at all and shipped through resellers who had no thought for anyone's safety.

If this surge is rated at 30 amps I would also say you were probably pulling somewhat close to that through it and again the light surge connections heated up then melted.

An example of this is a 15amp extension cord (14ga wire) used to run a 1500watt heater (12.5amp), both ends of the extension will run warm; if you use an electric kettle, check the cord cap after boiling water a couple of times, even the kettle's wire will usually get warm too. These items are legally pushing the envelope for accepted conductor size.

You have not mentioned the brand or model number of the surge protector, I would be interested in its specs and any buyers feedback on it. Other readers may want to check the temp and condition of theirs too.

Sorry for the long post, anyone reading this please be careful of electrical goods in your home or RV, be sure they are correctly certified for your country. If you have a fire caused by an uncertified or improperly certified product (if proven was the cause) then most insurance companies will void your insurance.



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Old 09-14-2018, 01:10 PM   #40
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An off topic safety item

I don't mean to highjack this thread but an important safety issue comes to mind, mostly concerning Federal Pioneer/Pacific circuit breakers.

The last Canadian sales date back to 2010. It is entirely possible some US or Canadian pedestals have FPE or FP breakers in them that possibly will never trip, leaving only your RV panel as the last safety device.

This applies to your home FPE or FP panels too.

The ESA recommendation on all breakers is to exercise them occasionally in case they get stuck.

Geoff

Further reading;
https://www.csagroup.org/recall/afi-...lectric-11-04/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifes...=.c6bd0378d011

https://greatinspector.com/frequentl...acific-panels/
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