220v scare ?

[knot-my-fault]

So I'm trying to figure out if I just got extremely lucky. I was tired from traveling and I pluged my trailer into my daughters 220 V outlet. It seemed like nothing worked on the trailer, but I recharged the battery and it had to sit for several days because it was pouring rain and now everything seems to be working. I tested the microwave the television and the entertainment center and all seem to be working. I am currently checking the fridge to see if that works properly


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[SidecarFlip]

Like to know how you did that..NEMA receptacle standards make it impossible to connect a 110/1 plug to a 220/1 receptacle and/or a RV plug to either a 110/1 or 220/1 receptacle without an adapter and the adapter will only interface with a NEMA 110/1 (not a 220/1) receptacle.

[wmtire]

You almost always lose the converter in these instances, so your 12 volt things (lights. pumps, detectors, furnace) may seem to be working, but they could be working direct off of the battery....and thus the converter won't be able to recharge the battery.

Once your battery depletes again (you said you recharged it), then these items may also quit working.

Exactly what did you plug into at your daughters house and is your RV of the 30 amp variety?

I usually try to get involved in these type threads, and try to see wherein the problem lies for future advice/solutions. That's why I am asking the questions, so as to see how this occurred (and if your RV is 30 amps or 50 amps).

Here are some previous threads discussing this:

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ml#post1161452

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ml#post1158775

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ml#post1028200

[youroo]

Did you push real hard to get your power cord in the "Welder/Dryer" outlet,or did a "Electriician Wannabe" wire it for a RV? Youroo!!

[SidecarFlip]

It's early but I made a bag of microwave popcorn with extra butter... Just in case......

[knot-my-fault]

I had to work extra hard to be stupid, I went to Home Depot and got a dryer cord and wired it to receptacle that fit my RV plug. I was tired and I don't think I am normally this stupid. I was focus on 30 amps and forgot about 220 volts. So after I recharged my battery and reinstalled it the battery only items worked and not the AC items (microwave, TV, stereo) before I took it to the dealer I decided to check the AC cord, plugging the TT in brought the microwave , TV, and stereo to life. Am I missing something? I am posting this to help anyone who isn't thinking clearly, and what else can I do to check my converter. My TT is 30amp and I plugged into my daughters dryer outlet.


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[wmtire]

Originally Posted by knot-my-fault

I had to work extra hard to be stupid, I went to Home Depot and got a dryer cord and wired it to receptacle that fit my RV plug. I was tired and I don't think I am normally this stupid. I was focus on 30 amps and forgot about 220 volts. So after I recharged my battery and reinstalled it the battery only items worked and not the AC items (microwave, TV, stereo) before I took it to the dealer I decided to check the AC cord, plugging the TT in brought the microwave , TV, and stereo to life. Am I missing something? I am posting this to help anyone who isn't thinking clearly, and what else can I do to check my converter


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Do you have a multimeter, and know how to use it?

If so we can check voltage at the battery and see if the converter is outputting/charging the battery

[knot-my-fault]

So would there be 13-14v at the battery if the converter is working? Are interior light hard wired to the battery ?


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[325BH]

Originally Posted by knot-my-fault

I had to work extra hard to be stupid, I went to Home Depot and got a dryer cord and wired it to receptacle that fit my RV plug. I was tired and I don't think I am normally this stupid. I was focus on 30 amps and forgot about 220 volts. So after I recharged my battery and reinstalled it the battery only items worked and not the AC items (microwave, TV, stereo) before I took it to the dealer I decided to check the AC cord, plugging the TT in brought the microwave , TV, and stereo to life. Am I missing something? I am posting this to help anyone who isn't thinking clearly, and what else can I do to check my converter


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Sounds like you [attempted] to make your own adapter cord from a 240/120v dryer to a 120v RV receptacle.

There isn't anything wrong with what you tried to do, however you didn't say how you wired it. You were going from a 4-wire source to a 3-wire receptacle. Again, this is OK... as long as you wired it correctly... which we don't know.

You should have kept ground-to-ground, neutral-to-neutral and ONE hot from the dryer cord to the RV receptacle hot. The other hot from the dryer should have been capped off with a wire-nut.

If you wired both hots from the dryer cord you introduced 240v to your camper via the neutral or ground. Either way, incorrect and not good.

Need more info to help.

[wmtire]

Let's do a quick RV electric 101 course.

Mark Polk has some great articles on this and explains what works off of 120 volts AC, and what works off of 12 volt DC...and then what your converter does in converting 120 volt AC to power the 12 volt DC things (as well as recharging your battery

Basic RV Electricity - RV Information (RV Maintenance)

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

[knot-my-fault]

Unfortunately I wired both hots to the receptacle, all I can figure out at this point is maybe I didn't plug it in all the way I'm really not sure. So far the converter seems to be working when from what I have read it shouldn't be


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[5picker]

To help us understand what might have happened (or didn't happen) we need to know exactly how you wired the dryer service cord to the RV receptacle. Was the dryer cord 3 or 4 wires? Was the dryer outlet 4 prong? (older ones were only 3) How/where was each wire connected to the RV receptacle?

Are you still plugged into this contraption or are you somewhere else now and plugged in differently that things seem to be working?

[knot-my-fault]

Her dryer is three prong, once it didn't appear to be working I unplugged the power cord and left it alone. It sat a few days as it was raining pretty hard. I wired the center ground to the receptacle ground and the hot leads to the hot on the recepetacle. Afterwards I got a proper 110v adapter and after the battery charged hooked everything back up. First I checked the battery only without shore power and the battery only Items worked, so then I turned off the battery switch and hooked up shore power to the TT and the 110v items are working. Hope this helps and I greatly appreciate all the input. I am going to get a multimeter.


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[jk510]

This is another post showing the need for some type of power line protection. I use a Progressive Industries unit that is hardwired into my coach. It is very difficult to bypass and you can't just not hook it up.

[knot-my-fault]

I am definitely going to look into this


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[emm-dee]

Pretty sure if you're plugged into shore power and then flip the battery connect switch/knob your 12vdc items will continue to work. If they do then you know the converter is working, although how well remains to be seen. Or, if the battery is only depleted enough to dim the lights they will brighten up when shore power is applied.

[325BH]

Originally Posted by knot-my-fault

I wired the center ground to the receptacle ground and the hot leads to the hot on the recepetacle.


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If you wired BOTH hot leads from the dryer cord to anything together (meaning both hot leads were touching each other), you would have tripped the dryer breaker (or blew the dryer fuse if that is what is used) as soon as you plugged the cord in to the dryer receptacle. That would actually be good.

If you wired the three wires from the dryer to the three spades in the receptacle (isolating all three leads), you introduced 240v to the main breaker box in the camper. At that point, any device that isn't fried is due to that device have its own voltage protection or is functions on dual voltage. The converter would be in the list of devices that could be damaged.

GFCI's could be damaged too.

Although it would have been wired incorrectly, the panel should be OK.

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by knot-my-fault

Her dryer is three prong, I wired the center ground to the receptacle ground and the hot leads to the hot on the recepetacle.

Can you Clarify something as it's confusing as you have it written. That's one of the main troubleshooting parts of online forums, is making sure everyone is clear.

Correct me where wrong:

Daughter had a 240 volt dryer plug with three wires, which should be something similar to this:



Y and X are both 120 hot legs and the W is actually a neutral in this connection (there is no ground)

So if I understand correct with your adapter cord you made to the TT30-R outlet (pic below), you connected the dryers W neutral to your trailers G ground, then ONE of the dryers hots (Y) to the trailers hot line....then the other dryers hot line X to the trailers neutral (W).



Or did you you do something different? Like connect the dryers two hots Y and X to the trailer one hot leg?

[knot-my-fault]

Sorry I can't quote, but that's how I did it


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[wmtire]

Originally Posted by knot-my-fault

Sorry I can't quote, but that's how I did it


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Uhh, which way? You may have missed my last paragraph there....or are you answering 325BH?