Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
RV Trip Planning Discussions

Go Back   iRV2 Forums > THE OWNER'S CORNER FORUMS > Excel Owner's Forum
Click Here to Login
Join iRV2 Today

Mission Statement: Supporting thoughtful exchange of knowledge, values and experience among RV enthusiasts.
Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on iRV2
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 03-21-2008, 03:33 AM   #1
Senior Member
 
ChiefJohn's Avatar
 
Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Anywhere, USA
Posts: 2,472
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
ChiefJohn is offline   Reply With Quote
Join the #1 RV Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

iRV2.com RV Community - Are you about to start a new improvement on your RV or need some help with some maintenance? Do you need advice on what products to buy? Or maybe you can give others some advice? No matter where you fit in you'll find that iRV2 is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with other RV owners, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create an RV blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Old 03-21-2008, 03:33 AM   #2
Senior Member
 
ChiefJohn's Avatar
 
Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Anywhere, USA
Posts: 2,472
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
ChiefJohn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-21-2008, 04:46 AM   #3
Senior Member
 
Workshop's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 1,334
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
__________________
2000 Alpenlite, 29 ft Valhalla - 2014 F350
Workshop is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-21-2008, 04:59 AM   #4
Administrator in Memoriam
 
Route 66's Avatar


 
Newmar Owners Club
Retired Fire Service RVer's
Spartan Chassis
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Newark, DE
Posts: 25,898
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.
__________________
Adios, Dirk - '84 Real Lite Truck Camper, '86 Wilderness Cimarron TT, previously 4 years as a fulltimer in a '07 DSDP

Route 66 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-21-2008, 05:11 AM   #5
Senior Member
 
ChiefJohn's Avatar
 
Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Anywhere, USA
Posts: 2,472
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.
__________________
John & Marilyn Yoder, Sophie & Misha (Bichons)
2008 Vectra 40TD, WIT-151980 FMCA F265880
ChiefJohn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-21-2008, 05:13 AM   #6
Senior Member
 
ChiefJohn's Avatar
 
Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Anywhere, USA
Posts: 2,472
Thanks Dirk -- I've informed the park staff of the problem and an electrician should be out today.
__________________
John & Marilyn Yoder, Sophie & Misha (Bichons)
2008 Vectra 40TD, WIT-151980 FMCA F265880
ChiefJohn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-21-2008, 06:12 AM   #7
Senior Member
 
D and J's Avatar
 
Excel Owners Club
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Sioux Falls (fulltiming)
Posts: 361
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!!
__________________
Doug and Jutta

2005 Forrest River Charleston 400TS DP
D and J is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-21-2008, 06:29 AM   #8
Senior Member
 
rockintom's Avatar
 
Excel Owners Club
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Fulltime TX Escapee
Posts: 8,901
Jutta bug you about something....I don't believe it!

Good info Doug. Thanks for sharing!

Tom
__________________
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
rockintom is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-21-2008, 08:30 AM   #9
Senior Member
 
ChiefJohn's Avatar
 
Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Anywhere, USA
Posts: 2,472
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.
__________________
John & Marilyn Yoder, Sophie & Misha (Bichons)
2008 Vectra 40TD, WIT-151980 FMCA F265880
ChiefJohn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-21-2008, 03:13 PM   #10
Senior Member
 
Still Working "NOT"'s Avatar
 
Excel Owners Club
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Oakley, Kansas
Posts: 2,066
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.
__________________
Larry & Billie Eberle
2010 Wild Cargo SKM
'98 Volvo, HD Mule
Still Working "NOT" is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-21-2008, 03:23 PM   #11
Senior Member
 
chasfm11's Avatar
 
Texas Boomers Club
Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: DFW Area, TX
Posts: 2,040
<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
__________________
2000 Georgie Boy Landau 36' DP
2018 Equinox toad
KF5-NJY
chasfm11 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-21-2008, 03:41 PM   #12
Senior Member
 
MakinSmoke's Avatar
 
Excel Owners Club
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Big Pine Key, FL
Posts: 1,424
John,
Pull the Autoformer out of line and check for the open then...the problem may be in the Autoformer.
__________________
Member # 47, "squirt", Smart Cabriolet The Newest Family Addition
The Wagon, Excel L36CLO, Overkill, Volvo 610, Venture Out, Cudjoe Key, FL
MakinSmoke is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-21-2008, 05:21 PM   #13
Senior Member
 
Still Working "NOT"'s Avatar
 
Excel Owners Club
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Oakley, Kansas
Posts: 2,066
<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.
__________________
Larry & Billie Eberle
2010 Wild Cargo SKM
'98 Volvo, HD Mule
Still Working "NOT" is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-01-2008, 05:32 AM   #14
Senior Member
 
george henry's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Atlanta, GA. , South Beach, FL. Naples, Fl , Coral Gables,FL.
Posts: 1,112
I totally agree about high opens.
george henry is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply



Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Open Ground Question traveler of california Winnebago Industries Owner's Forum 7 01-26-2008 02:25 PM
Securing front door open, vulnerable to being sprung open past hinge limits. Gary CA Winnebago Industries Owner's Forum 9 09-13-2005 02:02 PM
NO BRAKES WHEN THE GROUND FUSE GOES OPEN FRED MASINO Alpine Coach Owner's Forum 28 03-07-2005 11:12 AM

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 08:23 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.