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 > TRAVEL TRAILER, 5th WHEEL & TRUCK CAMPER FORUMS > Travel Trailer Discussion
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 10-30-2012, 01:24 PM   #1
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 7
Rookie mistake (never trust friend)

Well I believe I have learned a big lesson and not to trust a good friend whom informs me he knows electrical. SITUATION: Setting up a box at my residence to plug in TT, informed buddy that I needed 110-30 amp service out to trailer, and showed him the writing by the plug that says it all in black and white. Dug the trench for 100 feet and layed out the wire in conduit, all he had to do was hook up the box by the TT and inside the main breaker box. I had to go on travel upon my return he called and said everything is good to go, just plug in and you should be set. Without checking I plugged in the TT, opened the camper to see what worked. Microwave was not on, no power, TV would not turn on, turned air on ran for a few seconds then tripped breaker, what in the world, so I turned on the fire place and sparks and popping noise, turned off went outside unplugged went into main breaker and oh my goodness, (few other choice words), YES he had 240 hooked up. I changed to a regular 30 amp single pole, pluged up the TT and started to see what was wrong, microwave no power, TV no power, fire place no power, hooked to a 110 extention cord no power, believe they are gone unless someone knows something else. Ac and furnce work all electrical outlets work, second TV works.

Question: I am not a electrician, but what else should I check, exspecially in the fusebox? How about the converter? It seems like the battery is running everything when I plug the TT in, slides wants to run on the battery etc. All outlets run when plugged in and off when unplugged.

I know I made a huge mistake, but be easy, first time camper, and now will be asking lots of questions I pray that I did not blow everthing up; will take all comments because this should not had happened -

I bought a 2012-JayFlight 33RLTS from a guy whom purchased in April
__________________
RON & CHRIS
2012 JAYCO JAY FLIGHT 33RLDS
SPUTTER 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 10-30-2012, 02:03 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
trackman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 1,136
Friend fried your smalls. Looks like you still have the unit. Lucky you.
trackman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-30-2012, 02:16 PM   #3
Moderator Emeritus
 
RickO's Avatar


 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Litchfield Park, Arizona
Posts: 10,530
Welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear of your troubles, but as you said, it's a learning experience. Maybe another lesson here is to invest in a good Surge Protector which will protect you from mis-wired power as well as nasty lightning strikes, etc.

Best of luck.

Rick
__________________
Rick, Nancy, Peanut & Lola our Westie Dogs & Bailey the Sheltie.

2007 Itasca Ellipse 40FD
RickO is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-30-2012, 02:40 PM   #4
Registered User
 
Vintage RV Owners Club
Gulf Streamers Club
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Indiana
Posts: 4,951
Best lesson is to never trust an electrical hook-up period. Regardless of who hooked it up. In this case, I'm betting your friend simply forgot you asked for 120vac, and assumed, as most electricians do, that you want a 'normal' 220v 30amp. If they do not regularly wire campgrounds, this is the only 30 amp they know.

While your friend hooked up the wrong voltage, the fault for this is mostly yours..
Midniteoyl is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-30-2012, 03:13 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 390
what probably got fried , or at least took out the internal fuse if it has one , was any appliance, lights that were on at the time. microwave, tvs, battery chargers, are usually on even when your not using them. sorry to hear about your problem. homes haven't used 30 amp 110volt circuits for a long time. back then in a duplex one apt. would get one phase of 30 amp 110 volt to run the whole apt. and the other apt. would get the other phase.
wonderer1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-30-2012, 03:18 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
topdownman's Avatar


 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 1,489
This sort of thing happens all the time when even real electricians confuse a dryer plug for an RV plug. When that happens, smoke gets out.
__________________
Mark Anderson - FMCA 351514 - NRVIA Certified Level 2 Inspector
Louisville, KY
2011 Tiffin Phaeton 40QTH
2006 Jeep Commander
topdownman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-30-2012, 03:22 PM   #7
Member
 
Drafter's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 82
Quote:
Originally Posted by RickO View Post
Welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear of your troubles, but as you said, it's a learning experience. Maybe another lesson here is to invest in a good Surge Protector which will protect you from mis-wired power as well as nasty lightning strikes, etc.

Best of luck.

Rick
Sorry you are starting with problems, and welcome to the forum. I think Ricko gave you the right advice. Never ever trust a electric plug even in the best CG. invest in a GOOD Surge Protector and even in a test meter. I always double check before I plug in. My MH has a built in surge protector and I use one at the pole to make sure. The wrong wing can fry everything in you Camper. Good luck! And don't be too hard on youself, everyone makes mistakes, some just want admit it. Happy Camping.
__________________
2004 Country Coach Magna Chalet Bob Lee Edition-Saturn Aura-Tow
Drafter is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-30-2012, 07:24 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 390
sputter--- when you fixed the house wiring since it was wired 30 amp 220volt (correct wiring for 220 volt is 2 colored hot wires and a green ground) . if this is the way the electrican wired it make sure you tape both sides of the wire you made a neutral, white to make sure no one else makes a mistake. people get sloppy and look at colors when puting things back together. (was a lead electrican. one of my electricans working on a remodel had taken apart 8 boxs during the day. end of day turned circuit on and pow. had to open up all of the boxs to find his mistake. earlier electrical used green for hot on one run, box to box, and while taking things apart he didn't take time to tape correct color to wire. yup he got yelled at).
wonderer1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-30-2012, 08:10 PM   #9
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 29
Quote:
Originally Posted by wonderer1
sputter--- when you fixed the house wiring since it was wired 30 amp 220volt (correct wiring for 220 volt is 2 colored hot wires and a green ground) . if this is the way the electrican wired it make sure you tape both sides of the wire you made a neutral, white to make sure no one else makes a mistake. people get sloppy and look at colors when puting things back together. (was a lead electrican. one of my electricans working on a remodel had taken apart 8 boxs during the day. end of day turned circuit on and pow. had to open up all of the boxs to find his mistake. earlier electrical used green for hot on one run, box to box, and while taking things apart he didn't take time to tape correct color to wire. yup he got yelled at).
Used green for hot? Color blind or high??
fschambe is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-31-2012, 03:00 AM   #10
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 390
believe it or not i know electricans that are color blind. on the old two wire outlets lots of (when you're looking at the outlets right blade power left blade neutral) you never knew until you tested which terminal was hot. the lazy guys didn't care. going thru a house they'ed switch back and forth.
wonderer1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-31-2012, 09:22 AM   #11
Senior Member
 
wa8yxm's Avatar
 
Damon Owners Club
Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 24,024
One club I never joined was the "I plugged into 240 volt" club.. Sorry you had to join.

Search the forum and you will find dozens of thereads from folks who did as you have done.

Possible damage list includes

Air contitioner you turned on (May have survived, may have burned out)
Microwave
Radios, Televisions, Converters,

Fridge and water heater (Again this is a may or may not)

Automatic transfer switch (Depending on if you have one and it's model)
GFCI outlet

Microwave.

And any other 120 volt device which was turned on and drawing power or which turns on with a remote

Your 12 volt devices (like the furnace) should be ok.
__________________
Home is where I park it!
wa8yxm is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-31-2012, 09:31 AM   #12
Senior Member
 
Texas Boomers Club
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Cypress, Texas USA
Posts: 8,854
I'm sorry this had to happen to you. It's too late to help you, but for anyone else who may be reading this, the lesson is that BEFORE you plug an RV into a newly-wired outlet (or, taking it to extremes, any unfamiliar outlet), it's highly recommended to use a voltmeter to check across what should be the hot (L1) and neutral terminals. If the electrician has wired it correctly, it should read 120VAC. If, on the other hand, the electrician has wired it like a dryer outlet (which happens far too many times), it will read 240VAC.

Rusty
RustyJC is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-31-2012, 09:58 AM   #13
Senior Member
 
wa8yxm's Avatar
 
Damon Owners Club
Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 24,024
Hey, I resemble that remark (Color blind, though not nearly that bad, I can tell the difference between black, white, green and red, also the difference between copper and silver colored screws (and green).


To the Original poster: Yours is the latest in a whole string of such threads. I though I'd posted in this thread earleyer

Damage from 240 volt may include any of the following.

Radios, Televisions and such (The ones that work of 120 volt, the dash radio is safe)
Any eppliance turned on (The air conditioner) (May or may not have burned out).
Fridge and water heater (Heat elements and control relays, again may or may not, also the sensors on the fridge that tell it to switch to A/C that is the control board.. NOTE: If the fridge board is damaged, consider Dinosaur board replacements, higher quality, lower price)

Microwave,

Converter

Some Automatic Transfer Switches (others do not care)

Surge Protectors (Power guards, which by the way will protect you should you ever do it again).

ANY device that turns on with a remote (DVD player, CD player, VCR, Any device with a remote EXCEPT a Carrier Air V air conditioner which is off (The control system is 12 volt and thus protected)

And.. The converter. (If you have an inverter of the in-line type,, that is on the list too)

Some hardware is smart enough to protect itself,, But most.. Does not.
__________________
Home is where I park it!
wa8yxm is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-31-2012, 10:01 AM   #14
Senior Member
 
Blag's Avatar
 
Vintage RV Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Ireland
Posts: 182
I have nothing more to add but to say "ouch".

that is all...
Blag 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


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 03:00 AM.


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