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03-21-2008, 03:33 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club
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I'm somewhat illiterate when it comes to the fundamentals of electricity. We're at a state park and I noticed this AM that our electrical system monitor is reporting an "Open Ground". How critical is this fault -- we've been here for a couple of weeks and it's probably been this way for awhile.
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John & Marilyn Yoder, Sophie & Misha (Bichons)
2008 Vectra 40TD, WIT-151980 FMCA F265880
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03-21-2008, 03:33 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Anywhere, USA
Posts: 2,472
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I'm somewhat illiterate when it comes to the fundamentals of electricity. We're at a state park and I noticed this AM that our electrical system monitor is reporting an "Open Ground". How critical is this fault -- we've been here for a couple of weeks and it's probably been this way for awhile.
__________________
John & Marilyn Yoder, Sophie & Misha (Bichons)
2008 Vectra 40TD, WIT-151980 FMCA F265880
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03-21-2008, 04:46 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 1,334
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Chief, Have you taken any voltage readings at the pedestal. Would assume that you are using 30 amp service being in a state park?
As a general rule, your electrical path would be between the hot and neutral, the ground being a path incase of a short in equipment with a three prong or grounded equipment. Your equipment should work ok, just not providing that extra protection the ground provides.
Hope I have that right.
Chris
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2000 Alpenlite, 29 ft Valhalla - 2014 F350
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03-21-2008, 04:59 AM
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#4
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Administrator in Memoriam
Newmar Owners Club Retired Fire Service RVer's Spartan Chassis
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Location: Newark, DE
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The critical issue is; if an appliance or part of the rig's electrical shorts to ground.
Since there is no ground, a breaker in the rig will not trip, and the rig's metal parts could be energized with 120 volts.
Standing on the ground and touching the rig could be fatal.
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Adios, Dirk - '84 Real Lite Truck Camper, '86 Wilderness Cimarron TT, previously 4 years as a fulltimer in a '07 DSDP
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03-21-2008, 05:11 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club
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Chris,
We've got 120V and 60 cycles according to our "Good Governor" digital system monitor. We're also connected to 50amp service, with a Hughes AutoFormer.
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John & Marilyn Yoder, Sophie & Misha (Bichons)
2008 Vectra 40TD, WIT-151980 FMCA F265880
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03-21-2008, 05:13 AM
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#6
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Thanks Dirk -- I've informed the park staff of the problem and an electrician should be out today.
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John & Marilyn Yoder, Sophie & Misha (Bichons)
2008 Vectra 40TD, WIT-151980 FMCA F265880
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03-21-2008, 06:12 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Excel Owners Club
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Sioux Falls (fulltiming)
Posts: 361
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We were at a park in upstate NY that had this problem last season. They weren't sure when someone was going to be up to fix it, so I used my jumper cables to connect my frame to their water pipe.
took care of my fault indicator, and more important, made my wife stop bugging me about it!!
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Doug and Jutta
2005 Forrest River Charleston 400TS DP
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03-21-2008, 06:29 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Excel Owners Club
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Jutta bug you about something....I don't believe it!
Good info Doug. Thanks for sharing!
Tom
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2012 Excel L33ft. GKE named Charm as in 3 times is a Charm. Love Fulltiming. Bullet '14 Chevy D/A 3500 LB CC DRW Summit White - Ebony Interior. Check out our blog at: https://claphamstravels.blogspot.com
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03-21-2008, 08:30 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
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Doug,
My DW must be related to yours! She gets an inkling of an issue, then that's all I hear until the "issue" is resolved.
Anyway, the park maintenance guys checked my circuits and there does not appear to be a problem. Their testers indicated a good circuit. However, my circuit monitor still reflects an open-ground -- checked power at the pedestal and the site next to us and my "Good Governor" indicated a good circuit. I can't explain why I get an open-ground with mine and the other circuit testers did not?? Life is short .... time to move on and close this chapter for now.
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John & Marilyn Yoder, Sophie & Misha (Bichons)
2008 Vectra 40TD, WIT-151980 FMCA F265880
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03-21-2008, 03:13 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Excel Owners Club
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Location: Oakley, Kansas
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Chief,
If you remember what I said when MakeinSmoke had his problem with his Autoformer, the same apply here. I'd bet on a loose connection or high open in the ground wiring in the power ped. It will look good if they look at it with an ohm meter.
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Larry & Billie Eberle
2010 Wild Cargo SKM
'98 Volvo, HD Mule
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03-21-2008, 03:23 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Texas Boomers Club Freightliner Owners Club
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">It will look good if they look at it with an ohm meter. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Larry, I'm curious - why would this be? How is it that the Autoformer is detecting it (i.e. how it is testing).
Thanks,
Charlie
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2000 Georgie Boy Landau 36' DP
2018 Equinox toad
KF5-NJY
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03-21-2008, 03:41 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Excel Owners Club
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Location: Big Pine Key, FL
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John,
Pull the Autoformer out of line and check for the open then...the problem may be in the Autoformer.
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Member # 47 , " squirt", Smart Cabriolet The Newest Family Addition
The Wagon, Excel L36CLO, Overkill, Volvo 610, Venture Out, Cudjoe Key, FL
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03-21-2008, 05:21 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Excel Owners Club
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Oakley, Kansas
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by chasfm11:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">It will look good if they look at it with an ohm meter. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Larry, I'm curious - why would this be? How is it that the Autoformer is detecting it (i.e. how it is testing).
Thanks,
Charlie </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Charlie,
What happens is with the ohm meter it will see a source to ground (good circut). When a load (current flow) travels through the wiring, the connection creates a high open which brings the alarm (bad circut). A high open means the wiring is just touching the connection or the wire is broken and just touching within the insulation of the wiring.
I've worked for at&t for many years. Still do. High opens are the most diffucult type of trouble to find.
Hope this helps.
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Larry & Billie Eberle
2010 Wild Cargo SKM
'98 Volvo, HD Mule
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08-01-2008, 05:32 AM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Atlanta, GA. , South Beach, FL. Naples, Fl , Coral Gables,FL.
Posts: 1,112
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I totally agree about high opens.
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