Community Forums

Cwald · 01-05-2019, 05:55 PM

I’m looking for my first RV ever. I just talked with one owner that told me he plugged into a 220 circuit and it blew out the inverter and the reset button on Generator. so now I wonder what else was hit? This happened awhile ago and he has used the RV since he had it repaired. He also thinks the shop that did the repair put in 12v batteries for the house batteries, instead of 6 volt. so my question is this ok? What else should I be concerned about??

I need to find a RV inspector in the Minneapolis area to look at this one. Does anyone know anyone?

Love these forums, ask and you get answers, so thanks in advance.

Clint

docj · 01-05-2019, 06:02 PM

I don't care what the owner says he had repaired. If he admitted to having done that I would take care to examine everything electrical in the RV to ensure that it hadn't been damaged. TV's and other AV equipment, each and every outlet, GFCI's, refrigerator running on both 120 and propane, etc, etc

Old Scout · 01-05-2019, 06:04 PM

….walk away now.....

Cwald · 01-05-2019, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by docj

I don't care what the owner says he had repaired. If he admitted to having done that I would take care to examine everything electrical in the RV to ensure that it hadn't been damaged. TV's and other AV equipment, each and every outlet, GFCI's, refrigerator running on both 120 and propane, etc, etc

New Microwave and it has new Residental Frig, not sure about the TV’s and av equipment.

**NLOVNIT** · 01-05-2019, 06:18 PM

If this is an RV you are considering purchasing, unless the owner is going to pay YOU to take it off their hands, I'd RUN, not walk, away from it. It would need to be gone over with a fine tooth comb by a certified master RV technician to find out what could be wrong & even then, I don't know if everything could be found.

Lori-

Sweetbriar · 01-05-2019, 06:52 PM

Walk away. Based on the owner's statements they know about as much as you concerning an RV AC and DC electrical service. It can only get worse.

BCam · 01-05-2019, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweetbriar

Walk away. Based on the owner's statements they know about as much as you concerning an RV AC and DC electrical service. It can only get worse.

I think there's a consensus here. If the owner is that clueless, who knows what else he's done.

aether_one · 01-05-2019, 07:02 PM

So how did he plug an (assumed) 120 VAC 30 Amp RV plug into a 220 VAC outlet? Has to be more stupidity to that story.

And most RVs do have 12 VDC batteries, or 2 6 VDC batteries in series to make 12 VDC.

Rockwood27 · 01-05-2019, 07:04 PM

What is the year, make and model RV you're considering? If it has a residential frig, I would think the RV has 50 amp service. If this is the case, then the RV is equipped for 220 volt service. If the RV has 30 amp service, then it has a 120 volt system. I wouldn't want a residential frig in a 30 amp RV. It requires extra batteries and a larger charger, which takes away from the available 30A power.

mike brez · 01-05-2019, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rockwood27

What is the year, make and model RV you're considering? If it has a residential frig, I would think the RV has 50 amp service. If this is the case, then the RV is equipped for 220 volt service. If the RV has 30 amp service, then it has a 120 volt system. I wouldn't want a residential frig in a 30 amp RV. It requires extra batteries and a larger charger, which takes away from the available 30A power.

It's not a 220 volt service. It has two 110 legs with a neutral.

docj · 01-05-2019, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rockwood27

f it has a residential frig, I would think the RV has 50 amp service. If this is the case, then the RV is equipped for 220 volt service. ?

Following on this thought, it's possible that what the owner did was plug into a 50A outlet that had a floating (or disconnected) neutral when then applied up to 240V across the two input legs without any neutral to "bridge" to create a 120V source.

Since you are new to RVing you might not realize that ALL 50A RV outlets will measure 240V across the two hot poles. Inside most RVs that 240V is not used and the system is wired as if the outlet contains two 120V legs each with 50A capacity.

If this is the case, it's all the more reason many of us swear by having power management devices that would detect such situations and prevent power from being transferred to the RV.

I'm not as skittish as some of the posts by others. I think this MH should be carefully evaluated and the owner should understand that he can't ask for a top dollar price. But, if carefully evaluated, this could be a totally fine RV. I'm a physicist and understand electricity and don't fear it.

If everything checks out Ok then it's not as if there are going to be multiple hidden problems. But everything electrical has to be checked! It's not as if he applied 10 thousand volts to it!

The basic wiring can easily handle the extra voltage; what got fried got fried, but that's all there is to it.

docj · 01-05-2019, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike brez

It's not a 220 volt service. It has two 110 legs with a neutral.

With all due respect, the service for an RV is exactly the same as four a modern 4-wire dryer connection. It is a 240V split phase circuit with a neutral tap. Notice I didn't say a 3-wire dryer connection, but a 4-wire one.

The fact that most RVs aren't wired internally to use 240 volts doesn't mean it isn't available at the pedestal. In fact, if you owned a Prevost or other high end coach you might discover that some of them have provisions for 240V dryers and induction cooktops and yet they can plug into the same 50A outlets as you do.

Lastly, your statement that the 50A service is simply two 120V legs, ignores the fact that it is imperative that the two 120V legs be out of phase with each other. That way the maximum current on the neutral wire of the power cord can never exceed 50A. If they were simply 120V legs, possibly on the same phase, the neutral current could reach 100A which would grossly overload the cable.

Rockwood27 · 01-05-2019, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by docj

Following on this thought, it's possible that what the owner did was plug into a 50A outlet that had a floating (or disconnected) neutral when then applied up to 240V across the two input legs without any neutral to "bridge" to create a 120V source.

Since you are new to RVing you might not realize that ALL 50A RV outlets will measure 240V across the two hot poles. Inside most RVs that 240V is not used and the system is wired as if the outlet contains two 120V legs each with 50A capacity.

If this is the case, it's all the more reason many of us swear by having power management devices that would detect such situations and prevent power from being transferred to the RV.

I'm not as skittish as some of the posts by others. I think this MH should be carefully evaluated and the owner should understand that he can't ask for a top dollar price. But, if carefully evaluated, this could be a totally fine RV. I'm a physicist and understand electricity and don't fear it.

If everything checks out Ok then it's not as if there are going to be multiple hidden problems. But everything electrical has to be checked! It's not as if he applied 10 thousand volts to it!

The basic wiring can easily handle the extra voltage; what got fried got fried, but that's all there is to it.

Unless that 10K volts came from a lightning surge.

Cwald · 01-05-2019, 07:41 PM

I do have some understanding of electricity. So this is a 50amp system so I thought it would be a 220v system. so I don’t understand neither how he smoked the system. But he did take to a shop in the twin cities that did all the electrical rebuild. My major concern is, there is just one wiring that was burnt through it could short out or get hot enough to start a fire. I think I will have to pass. By the way it is a 2006 Alpha for $44,000. it also has the pitting issue along the bottom trim.