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Electrical problem

Yahoo Message Number: 4024
I am having a problem with the circuit breaker tripping. I am plugged into a 30 AMP breaker but until yesterday have managed without a problem. Now, it trips before I can even walk around the coach. The only things on are the clock on the microwave, what ever power is needed for the refrigerator to run on gas, and any "hidden" things like the leveling system and inverter. I have even unplugged the electric clock and electric blanket. I turned off the inverter, but that did not make any difference. I used a 30 AMP cord and adapter and plugged into a receptacle at the house. The only one that I can reach is 15 AMP and it tripped immediately as well.
I used the digital volt-meter and at the house, it is 120 volts. The power for the house and RV come from the same electrical supply. I have a multi-meter, but don't know how to use it to check the breaker :(

Any suggestions?

I still have the water leak problem that I asked about recently. The pump cycles on and off frequently and when the water is turned on at the faucet, it slowly fills the fresh tank. I am just living with it until I get back to the states.

Ree

Full-timin' in a 2003 Allure #30852
Currently at www.eldoradoranch.com on the Baja near www.sanfelipe.com.mx

Re: Electrical problem

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 4025
Ree,

If you power up with your generator will it trip the breaker on the gen. If it does look at your transfer switch.

Jim C.

Re: Electrical problem

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 4026
Ree,

You didn't say what breaker is tripping. Is it on the shore power? If it is that one and the breaker trips before you can even get into the coach it sounds like some is wrong with the Shore Guard. It has a 2 plus minute delay before power is delivered to the coach.
I don't know enough about that component to help you. A call to CC tech folks is in order.

Dick May

2002 Intrigue, #11438
Dick May
2002 Intrigue, #11438, towing a
2014 Jeep Gr Cherokee ecoDiesel

Re: Electrical problem

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 4028
Ree, I believe everyone with a 2003 Allure is having the same problem you have. Jim Cooley, one of the very best people CC has, figured out while we were in Ft. Myers that when we are plugged into shore power the water heating elements in the Hurricane are always on and they pull enough amps to trip a 30 amp breaker because the battery charger pulls 23 amps. Jim is working on a fix and in the meantime you can turn off your Hurricane breakers in the bedroom breaker box. You can still get hot water from the diesel side of the Hurricane.

Walt Rothermel
2003Alluere30811

Re: Electrical problem

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 4036
It is the shore power breaker that is tripping. I started the generator a little while ago. It ran for 5 minutes or so and tripped. I reset it and it did okay for 15 minutes or so, then I turned on 1 heat pump. Continued to run okay. Let it go 15 minutes or so, then reset the shore power breaker, turned off the generator, and it is still running. It has been about 3 hours and still running.

Jim mentioned a transfer switch. Is that the same as the Shore Guard that you mentioned, Dick? Can anybody tell me about that???

I will see what happens between now and tomorrow.
Wed. AM The ISP here is a bit unreliable and I could not get the above note to go out yesterday.

The breaker did not trip again until 5 or 6 PM. Then would not stay on.
This morning, it would not stay on, so I ran the generator for 7 -8 minutes, then switched the breaker on, after 5 min. I turned off the generator. It has been 15 minutes and is still doing okay.
I have noticed that the voltage varies a lot--yesterday evening it stayed around 114-115, and I guess it kept getting lower until it tripped.
This morning I had to turn off the inverter and run the furnace on 12V.
It would be difficult to call CC from here. The rate is anywhere from $.50 to $.80 per minute, and who knows how long I would end up on hold.

Now to see if the ISP is up this morning!

Ree

Full-timin' in a 2003 Allure #30852
Currently at www.eldoradoranch.com on the Baja near www.sanfelipe.com.mx

Re: Electrical problem

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 4037
I keep it turned off except for a few minutes in the morning to get the chill off and heat water for a shower. There was a coach parked nearby that said they could not sleep--every time the blasted thing cycled on it woke them up! I have wondered how much diesel the Hurricane burns they way it goes on and off so frequently. Sure do love the long hot showers that I can get from the Hurricane!

I guess there in some consolation in knowing that I am not alone in this.
But, I am wondering if I would not have been better off to keep my previous coach. It was not nearly so complicated.

Ree

Full-timin' in a 2003 Allure #30852
Currently at www.eldoradoranch.com on the Baja near www.sanfelipe.com.mx

Re: Electrical problem

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 4042
Ree,

I ran into the same kind of problem in AZ. The park 30 amp breaker kept tripping so I went to the office and complained. Of course the first thing they said was that there is something wrong with my coach. They finally sent out a guy that knew something. He used a breakout setup that allowed him to monitor the current to the coach.
We turned everything off and started adding loads. The AC on start up would draw about 20 amps but would settle down to 8 amps. Kept on adding loads untill the coach was drawing 23 amps. As we were standing there the breaker tripped. He went to reset the breaker and it was hot, real hot. The panel and my power cord were also pretty warm. He changed the breaker and we had no further trouble. My theory on this is that people, when hooking up the a power pedestal, use the breaker like a light switch which it is not. They turn it off, plug in and turn it back on. Continued on and off of the breaker weakens the breaker and it will not carry its rated capacity. Low park voltage doesn't help either. Based on what you have said, I don't think there is anything wrong with your coach.
Don

'02 Intrigue #11427
'02 Intrigue #11427

Re: Electrical problem

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 4043
Ree, I have the identical unit you have and it is not nearly as noisy as previous units---your neighbor is just awfully picky. Don't give up on your coach---there's not a better one on the market to compete with the new Allure. As I stated in an earlier msg there is a fix coming for your breaker tripping problem. The reason it is inconsistant is becauseyou are reaching float charging stage instead of bulk charging. I'm no electrical engineer, but have been through the identical problem while Doug Rutherford and Jim Cooley were handy. If CC says they'll fix it you can take it to the bank.

Walt Rothermel
2003Allure30811

Re: Electrical problem

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 4044
Ree,

Don and Walt both give good possibilities. There are probably many others.
Another feature that should or could be tried is the LOAD SHARING. In general it reduces the amps drawn by the charging circuit in favor of other appliances, lighting, etc., in use at any one time. Then when other demands are lower the inverter again channels power to the charger. This process can slow the recharge of the batteries but who cares if the breaker stops tripping and the batteries are ready the next day.
As I understand it, the transfer switch controls the input of ac power servicing the coach. Either from the outside 30/50 amp outlet or the onboard generator. This function is automatic and outside power is given priority over the generator. The Shore Guard unit is a whole-coach surge protector and also cuts power to the coach if the voltage from the ac power source, either outside or generator, drops below a certain point. I don't recall what the cutoff point is right now and can't get to my manual now. Neither of these items should cause the power pole breaker to trip... assuming neither has gone bad.

If there is indeed a problem with the Hurricane heater not turning off, and not knowing what the draw is when the electric side is heating your water, that could be part of the problem. I have also experienced campground power that was never designed for the power needed by today's coaches, never updated to meet the need and can't deliver the minimum volts/amps to keep us up and running.

As I usually say... this is the way I understand things. I'm not an expert or engineer. It's just the best I can do with my little pea brain.
If you don't mind the slowness of the process, you can email the CC service techs instead of phoning them. Their email address are on the CC website, in the Destinations magazine or I will be happy to send them to you.

Dick May

2002 Intrigue, #11438
Dick May
2002 Intrigue, #11438, towing a
2014 Jeep Gr Cherokee ecoDiesel

Re: Electrical problem

Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 4059
Don,

We always turn the breaker off before we plug in. We were told by several people at CCI that will keep you from shorting out your electrical system when pluging in. We have done that for the passed 8 years and have never had any battery or major electrical problems. We will continue and the campgrond can replace the weak breakers.

Bill G. 2001 Magna #5998

Re: Electrical problem

Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 4060
Ree

Your coach has a system that protects you from wreaking your electrical appliances with bad power from a sub standard campground. We have been in several campgrounds in Canada, Mexico and the Martimes where we had to dry camp or run the generator, because the breakers would not stay on. We once had a Safari with a Camping World protection system we installed and it worked the same way.

One time my wife fought with me to bypass the system so she could use the washer without the generator but I never did. In that case the campground had a generator that did not cycle properly and we had a propane generator which used a gallon of propane per hour. Many people with cheaper coaches were using the power but we did not. This is one of those things you need to live with to protect those expensive electrical items.

Bill G. 2001 Magna #5998

Re: Electrical problem

Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 4061
Walt,

We all have that same problem in a 30 amp site. Our 2001 Magna does not have the same system you have but our electric HWH pulls 12 amps and when we are on 30 amps we have to be careful what we run and how we do it. Sometimes we go to our gas HWH to solve the program. There is a campground near Richmond, VA where the owner tells people with CCs to turn off their electric HWHs so they don't blow the 30amp breaker which takes him a while to access.

Bill G. 2001 Magna #5998

Re: Electrical problem

Reply #13 –
Yahoo Message Number: 4062
Bill,

I think that turning off the breaker is redundant. With the CC installed surge guard there is no voltage applied to the coach for 2 min 16 sec after you plug in. During this time the surge guard is checking for correct grounding and correct voltage. If I remember correctly, the voltage has to be above 98 and below 132 before the coach gets power. I don't see how you can short your electrical system by turning off the breaker first.
Don

'02 Intrigue #11427
'02 Intrigue #11427
 

Re: Electrical problem

Reply #14 –
Yahoo Message Number: 4067
Bill:

We have had the same problems in the same areas, especially the Maritimes. In Newfoundland, we stayed in campgrounds proudly declaring 30 amp service. We could not get the breaker to stay on. In two cases we examined the campgrounds' circuits, and found 15 amp breakers attached to 15 amp wires which ended in 30 amp receptacles. In another case, only 15 amp receptacles were available. When I asked about the 30 amp availability he advertised, he said: "Look at the receptacle. It has two 15 amp plugs. That totals 30 amps."

Steve, Intrigue 11294

--- gablerwh@... wrote:

Quote
Ree

Your coach has a system that protects you from > wreaking your electrical

appliances with bad power from a sub standard > campground. We have been in

several campgrounds in Canada, Mexico and the > Martimes where we had to dry

camp or run the generator, because the breakers > would not stay on. We once

had a Safari with a Camping World protection system > we installed and it
worked the same way.

One time my wife fought with me to bypass the system > so she could use the

washer without the generator but I never did. In > that case the campground had

a generator that did not cycle properly and we had a > propane generator which

used a gallon of propane per hour. Many people with > cheaper coaches were

using the power but we did not. This is one of those > things you need to live

with to protect those expensive electrical items.

Bill G. 2001 Magna #5998
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