Country Coach Owners Forum

Country Coach Restoration, Repair & Parts Forums => Country Coach Archive => Topic started by: Jan McNeill on April 19, 2006, 11:05:31 pm

Title: GFCI keeps kicking off...park or us?
Post by: Jan McNeill on April 19, 2006, 11:05:31 pm
Yahoo Message Number: 22367 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/22367)
We're in an RV park where we've had some electrical problems before. We usually had the Autoformer trip on "over/under voltage." Today, though, after being here several days with 50 amp power, our GFCI keeps tripping...so far about 6 times. We unplugged everything that might be a problem, but it still trips. They (the campground people) think it's us, we think it's them. We can move to another site tomorrow to check and see if it's this site, but would like other input from folks if they can offer us any other solutions.

Thanks...
Jan McNeill

2001 Intrigue 11320
Title: Re: GFCI keeps kicking off...park or us?
Post by: JJBorsetti@aol Com on April 20, 2006, 09:23:00 am
Yahoo Message Number: 22372 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/22372)
had two gfi's replaced in two cc 1 magna bedroom 1 aff bedroom same problem tripping they can get tired cheap fix if works jjb
Title: Re: GFCI keeps kicking off...park or us?
Post by: Ray G_01 on April 20, 2006, 11:32:55 am
Yahoo Message Number: 22375 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/22375)
You might want to run on generator power for a while to see if it still trips. If so, then it would confirm that it's in the coach.

If you have unplugged everything and it still trips, then you may need to replace the GFCI. They aren't expensive. If that doesn't do it, you might want to check for an intermitten ground connection at each of the receptacle plug ins that are downstream of the GFCI. Most of them are the "squeeze the wire" types and if not ramped home at installation time, they can work their way loose over time. Of course, MAKE sure their is no power applied to the coach while doing this. The ground fault is looking for an interuption in ground and an intermitten connection can cause it to trip "for no reason".

Hope that this is helpful

Ray and Rue
05 Allure 31176

Quote from: janmcneill
We're in an RV park where we've had some electrical problems

before. We

Quote
usually had the Autoformer trip on "over/under voltage." Today,

though,

Quote
after being here several days with 50 amp power, our GFCI keeps > tripping...so far about 6 times. We unplugged everything that might

be

Quote
a problem, but it still trips. They (the campground people) think

it's

Quote
us, we think it's them. We can move to another site tomorrow to

check
Title: Re: GFCI keeps kicking off...park or us?
Post by: Richard Frothinger on April 20, 2006, 01:56:55 pm
Yahoo Message Number: 22376 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/22376)
I am having same problem for some time...I've had help tring to find problem...most resent I was at Country Coach in March....still cannot find problem 1999 allure Please let me know if you find the problem..thanks rich
Title: Re: GFCI keeps kicking off...park or us?
Post by: Richard Frothinger on April 20, 2006, 02:04:36 pm
Yahoo Message Number: 22377 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/22377)
My problem is at the external power source. not on board. thanks rich

JJBorsetti@... wrote:
Title: Re: GFCI keeps kicking off...park or us?
Post by: Henk J Bots on April 20, 2006, 06:05:47 pm
Yahoo Message Number: 22382 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/22382)
Jan,

The likelyhood of a GFI tripping because of outside events is very low. They can occur when you use a surgeprotector, and the outside power surges. A GFI must trip when there is 5 milliAmp or greater difference between outgoing and incoming current.
If you're not using a surge protector (under load or not), it is more likely that you have some intermittent short. They don't have to be serious shorts that would blow an ordinairy circuit breaker, a small leakage of 5 mA is sufficient to cause the problem.
I'd replace the GFI first, if that doesn't solve it, hunting down the intermittent short could be a challenge.
I had a GFI issue a winter back (using a 5-10A heater). I replace mine and the problem went away.

Henk Bots, Magna #5824

Quote from: janmcneill
Title: Re: GFCI keeps kicking off...park or us?
Post by: Marvin Swenson on April 20, 2006, 06:45:07 pm
Yahoo Message Number: 22384 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/22384)
Jan:

I have the same problem how-ever my problem is in the inverter charger internal configuration. In with in the Trace Inverter / Charger manual I found a change notice addendum to the manual.
The unit I have is a Trace RV2012. (EARLY VERSION) The addendum states

"Reason for change: the RV series Inverter /Charger neutral - ground bonding system has been changed to eliminate GFI ( ground circuit interupter)nuisance triping when the unit is first pluged into a utility (shore power) outlet." The addendum talks about the FIX but I have not done so. So jsut live withe it for now. sometimes it is ok and other times it trips the GFI also happins some of the time when the contactor switches to Gen power.

Marv Swenson
Intrigue #11314

Quote from: janmcneill
We're in an RV park where we've had some electrical problems

before. We

Quote
usually had the Autoformer trip on "over/under voltage." Today,

though,

Quote
after being here several days with 50 amp power, our GFCI keeps > tripping...so far about 6 times. We unplugged everything that

might be

Quote
a problem, but it still trips. They (the campground people) think

it's

Quote
us, we think it's them. We can move to another site tomorrow to

check

Quote
and see if it's this site, but would like other input from folks

if
Title: Re: GFCI keeps kicking off...park or us?
Post by: Richard Stearns on April 21, 2006, 05:02:57 pm
Yahoo Message Number: 22397 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/22397)
First, I'd check on the AC receptacles. As someone else mentioned on this thread, often the push-in connections vibrate loose and make just enough resistance to cause the GFI to trip. Sometimes just a 'feel check' is sufficient: if it's warm, turn off the power and rewire to the screws. We experienced this condition last year and a rewire fixed the problem.

Dick

Allure# 30519