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Electrical Short on Shore Power

Yahoo Message Number: 91390
I just acquired a 1991 Country Coach Concept. 6V92TA with a 50 amp shoreline service. It came with adapters to split the 50 amp supply line down to 2, 30 amp feeds, two 15 amp feeds or a single 15 amp feed. With the understanding that the single 15 amp feed would not run much of the coach, I would at least like to run the converter to keep the batteries up while at home. My problem is, every time I plug in the coach (with all circuit breakers off) it shorts and blows my home GFI circuit. I have tested the shoreline cord without being plugged into the coach and that seems to work fine but as soon as it comes in contact with the coach, POP, a nice arc and a popped GFI?? The manual says the transfer switches are supposed to be automatic and I can see them release when the generator is turned off. Getting kind of frustrated! Am I missing some simple switch somewhere? Any ideas? FYI, everything works great on generator power and/or inverter power.

Re: Electrical Short on Shore Power

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 91392
I have a couple of thoughts. Are the adapters home made or commercial adapters? Are they made correctly? I like verifying everything is correct with a meter.

This site is great for wiring diagrams for all types of RV adapters. http://www.dmbruss.com/zFullTimeLifeStyle/FTLS_ElectricalAdapters.htm
Put your meter on continuity mode (so it beeps when they probes are touched) and follow the diagrams to validate your adapters.

GFCI's work by monitoring the amount of current flowing between the hot and the neutral. If there is an imbalance (indicating current leakage to the ground) it trips the circuit. The leakage can be as small as 3-4 milliamps.

When you plug it in, some current is leaking to the ground, the GFCI senses it and trips. The fact that you are seeing an arc also indicates something is grounding out.

Get a meter and check for resistance between the neutral and the ground at the RV plug. There shouldn't be any.
Do the same with your extension cord on the neutral and ground wires.

Also this post on an electrical forum mentions the type of extension cord that has a light at the end (to show it is energized). They claim that many times that light is tied to both the neutral and ground, which would cause the issue. Have you tried a different extension cord?

http://forums.mikeholt.com/showthread.php?t=110411
Good Luck!
Dan

2006 Allure 430 with tag
#31344

Re: Electrical Short on Shore Power

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 91394
Battery charge often will trip a residential GFI. The trip lower than an industrial GFI. Have you tried it plugged into a non GFI circuit?

Mikee

Re: Electrical Short on Shore Power

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 91405
I had the same issue with the 15 amp GFI circuit being tripped by nothing more than the charger in the inverter. It was fixed by upgrading the residential GFI outlet with a commercial quality outlet that could handle a greater fluctuation in the load.

Jim Coshow 2005 Inspire 51501

Re: Electrical Short on Shore Power

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 91409
Upgrading the GFI might be a good idea, however, it could also be that you have a neutral and hot reversal in one of the cords you are using.

Dave 1996 Intrique #10410

Re: Electrical Short on Shore Power

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 91412
As far as I know all GRI's work about the same, they run the hot wire and the neutral through a current transformer and any delta shuts the outlet down. GFI's go bad. I've had transients trip a GFI, not exactly sure why that would happen (actually haven't thought about it, since it doesn't happen often). If your tripping a GFI I would surmise that you have a ground fault or a bad GFI.

Judy n Joe 98 Intrigue 10578

Re: Electrical Short on Shore Power

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 91421
I have occasional trips but I am convinced due to other connections, and not necessarily on the same post, but have never been able to prove it. Other than all running fine for several days, a new guy bowls up and bang the trip goes in the coach within minutes of him hooking up, or so it seems.


Michael 2008 Allure 31683
 

Re: Electrical Short on Shore Power

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 91423
GFI's do wear out. We had one that kept tripping for no apparent reason so we just had them replaced with better quality and higher amp from 15 amps to 20 amps and so far so good.

Dan 2006 Allure 31348 C-9