Electrical Wiring - 15 amp Breaker Trips

[benchmarks]

Update. So I turned off one of the breakers. #2 on the picture. This turned of ALL of the outlets. Not a one works separately. Is this common in trailers? As mentioned I had a 18' Starcraft and had no problems. Dunno. Thanks again for the feedback.

[gectisme]

When you turned off the #2 breaker did the Refrigerator also stop working off 120vac? If so, you have all your outlets on the same breaker as the Refrigerator. I don't know if that is normal for your model but I wouldn't want it that way. Unless you never use the refrigerator on 120vac. As stated, on our WJ, the outlets have their own breaker so they can draw a full 15 amps if needed. They do all go off if the breaker labeled GFI is turned off or trips.

[rockfordroo]

For whatever reason, they seem to wire all the outlets to one breaker. They run a wire from the breaker to a GFCI outlet, and then daisy-chain all the other outlets off of it.

You may have an other option, although you may want someone more familiar with electric work to do it for you: If you have an empty breaker location (most of us do, at the bottom of the column of breakers), you could add another breaker and wire it to another new GFCI outlet near wherever you want to run either the heater or the Mr Coffee.

Keep in mind, though, that you will still be pulling the same 20 amps through the MAIN 30 amp breaker, so if your water heater is on electric and turns itself on, or your fridge is on electric and turns itself on, or you start your microwave, you will most likely trip the MAIN 30 amp breaker.

If you aren't great with electrical, and it sounds like you aren't, I would suggest you stick with the extension cord to the power pole solution per crunchman12001 (post #7).

[CedarCreekWoody]

Most likely you have only one circuit for electrical outlets, and they will all be downstream from the GFCI in the bathroom. Just get in the habit of turning off the heater when making coffee. Also, your heater may have a low setting. I can can run both if on low while coffee is brewing.

[benchmarks]

Will do and thanks everyone.

[D W]

Originally Posted by crunchman12001

Buy a Progressive industries EMS. You will be able to see your amp draw on the display. You will see the electric heater will most likely be 15 amp by itself.

...or, do it the free and simple way, find out the wattage of the heater from the label and divide it by your supply voltage. That will give you your amperage draw.

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by benchmarks

Will do and thanks everyone.

Some suggested reading so you will understand the amps and overloading:

Basic RV Electricity - RV Information (RV Maintenance)

Also suggest you read about the converter and the difference between AC and DC amps:

RV Converters and Amp Draw - RV Information (RV Maintenance)

as Clint Eastwood/Dirty Harry famously said:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VrFV5r8cs0

[wmtire]

I forgot to add in my previous post, Welcome aboard.

Can I ask about your username? Is the benchmarks referring to geodetic control points or other?

[Flutooth]

I don't know if its been done before, a digital display of the total amps consumed from the Trailer placed at the main control panel.

I think this mod will help with power management.

[325BH]

Originally Posted by Flutooth

I don't know if its been done before, a digital display of the total amps consumed from the Trailer placed at the main control panel.

I think this mod will help with power management.

The hard-wired PI EMS does this. Many of us have one.

[markb422]

I added a circuit to the panel dedicated for a space heater. It took my panel to 7 circuits because the water heater is gas only. One thing to remember is that you will not be using the A/C at the same time as a space heater so you should not be overloading the panel. Another idea if you do not want to add a circuit is to tap into the 20 amp A/C circuit for a dedicated heater as you would not be using the heater and the A/C at the same time.

[benchmarks]

Originally Posted by wmtire

Some suggested reading so you will understand the amps and overloading:

Basic RV Electricity - RV Information (RV Maintenance)

Also suggest you read about the converter and the difference between AC and DC amps:

RV Converters and Amp Draw - RV Information (RV Maintenance)

as Clint Eastwood/Dirty Harry famously said:

Great info. Thanks.

[benchmarks]

Originally Posted by wmtire

I forgot to add in my previous post, Welcome aboard.

Can I ask about your username? Is the benchmarks referring to geodetic control points or other?

No, but that sounds interesting.

[wmtire]

The below is a copy and paste, and I usually recommend it to those just starting out (or novice as you called yourself ). Some of it, you may already know, or may not be applicable to your particular RV. You will be able to filter out what pertains to your situation or not.

You can just peruse at your leisure:

Basic electric:

Basic RV Electricity - RV Information (RV Maintenance)

RV Electric

Your very important converter:

RV Converters and Amp Draw - RV Information (RV Maintenance)

Suburban water heater (if applicable to your RV):

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...tml#post327988

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ml#post1527599

Water Heater bypass/crossover valves:

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...st-103381.html

And the newest addition to help understand what constitutes a true full cylinder in refilling vs exchanging propane cylinders

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ng-133760.html


Hope this helps.

[CedarCreekWoody]

Most likely your fridge and microwave are on dedicated circuits, but all "open" outlets are usually on a shared circuit. I expect they do this in order to NOT do what you want to and run too much at one time. You could then easily overload your 30 amp main and trip off everything.