Please check your 120v wiring

[INSPECTORBOB]

I had a strange electrical problem with my (new to me) rig, a 2000 Itasca 35u. I keep the rig in storage, but bring it home occasionally to work on it. When it is home, I plug it into an outlet in my garage that is on a GFI. Often times, the GFI in the garage would intermittantly trip. I just chalked it up to some dampness in the electrical system, because everything in the rig always worked fine when I plugged it into a non-GFI protected outlet.

This week-end, I could not get the garage GFI to stop tripping. I figured that it has been real hot in California, and with no dampness, something must really be wrong. The generator powered everything ok, and everything worked when I plugged the rig into a non-GFI outlet. I started opening up outlet boxes any where I thought water could have migrated, like the outside receptacles and junction boxes, but everything looked fine.

I noticed that one of the legs on the 30 amp plug looked a little discolored, but nothing real obvious. However, this was my first clue. Following the cord, I opened the power switch and checked all the connections on the buss bar. Bingo! The white (neutral) was very loose. In addition, the wire exhibited severe arcing, and the insulation looked like it had been burned. After checking all the terminals, I found most of them needed to be tightened. I decided to also open the breaker panel and check the connections on the buss bars and breakers. These were also loose!

I'm not an electrician, but am retired home inspector. This was a fire waiting to happen. Please be sure to check your 120v wiring connections, and tighten any that are loose. Poor contact causes very high resistance, which makes the electrical system over-heat and possibly cause fires. The breakers will not trip to alert you to this condition! Obviously be sure the power is disconnected before working on any panels, and get the aid of a licensed electrician if you are not sure of what you are doing.

Bob

[frankdamp]

That's a real wake-up call, Bob. I accidentally ripped the umbilical out of the automatic change-over relay box by running over it. There wasn't enough slack in the cable for the duallies to pass over it!

Whan I took the old relay box off, three of the terminals weren't tight, so I guess my ineptitude allowed me to dodge a bullet. I now have index cards that can be Velcro-ed on the dashboard saying "Electrical cord attached", "Water hose attached" and "Sewer hose attached". I have them on my post-docking checklist. Don't need any more "sudden twangs".

[Petro]

Bob;

Thanks for taking the time to make your post. It should be a wake up call. I am sure there are more like problems out on the trail. There is a saying my buddy always tells me. Put your cottage on the bed of a truck and drive it 65 MPH around the country and see what gets loose.

Don

[Luv2go]

Several years ago we were camping in front of my in-laws house with our old coach. We started smelling something like plastic burning. After the initial panic where I got everyone out of the coach and the power disconnected I opened the electrical box and found several neutral wires with insulation charred and melting. Almost all the neutrals were loose.

With the frequency of posts I have seen like this I suspect this is more common than I thought. Needless to say, I check the box wiring periodically nowadays.

They are fairly easy to check, as inspectorbob suggested, just disconnect your shore cord, make sure any inverter/generator is off, open your breaker panel (usually 4 screws, then pull the cover off) and check all the screws you see wires going to. In most cases, there will be bare copper wires going to a ground bar, white wires going to a neutral bar and black or red wires going to your breakers.

Stewart

[wa8yxm]

Quote:

Originally Posted by INSPECTORBOB I I noticed that one of the legs on the 30 amp plug looked a little discolored, but nothing real obvious. However, this was my first clue. Following the cord, I opened the power switch and checked all the connections on the buss bar. Bingo! The white (neutral) was very loose.

Bob, if you follow my posts then you will know I'm fond of saying that many RVers have a few screws loose.

I see you found the very screws I am speaking of when I type that.

By the way.. When I first got my rig everything worked, but then suddenly I had issues with the air conditioners.. sometimes one would work, sometimes the other, occasionally both (I DO NOT HAVE AN EMS)

sure enough, when I opened up the breaker box and "Attacked" with the old #2 Square bit.. some of those screws took well over a full turn, IN fact I think the winner was 2.5 turns or about that. Before I was happy.

OH and the problem with the A/C... Have not had one since.

[INSPECTORBOB]

I'm glad you were able to find it before it caused some real serious trouble. In my home inspection days, I was always finding fried wires in panels that were caused by loose connections. It wouldn't be a bad idea to check house wiring occasionally as well.

Bob