Community Forums

woodworker414 · 06-29-2014, 05:05 AM

The sister and I went to Osage Beach Rv Park in Osage Beach, MO. Lake of the Osarks in mid MO, last weekend to see one of our sisters and her husband. They have a condo 7 minutes from the rv park. We had a great
4 day weekend. Summer time, hot and humid. Lots of laughter, good chat, stories and some really good eating.

Lots of sightseeing, it had been many years since I have been there. WOW, has it changed.
Came back to the rig on Sat. afternoon for a few minutes to pick up some items. And found the main 30 amp breaker tripped.

Same thing happen Sunday afternoon while we were there. I open the panel door and felt the breaker, really warm. HHHHHHMMMMMM, that will be the chore this week, to find out what the heck is going on.
Safe Travels

RV Wizard · 06-29-2014, 05:16 AM

I take it the breaker was the one in the coach? if so, remove the panel and check for clan tight conductor connections on each breaker and on the neutral bar. You may also want to check any junctions or transfer switch between distribution panel and the power cord. Use a clamp on amp meter and have someone turn on various 120vac appliances. When you get close to 30 amps try adding smaller amp loads until the breaker trips out. If it holds at 30 amps the breaker is fine and something is coming on causing the load to out pull the rating on the breaker. Lessen loads is your only cure.

NeilV · 06-29-2014, 07:00 AM

Do you really have 120 volts comming in from the campground? You will get breakers tripping if the campground has a low voltage problem which is why I put an AutoFormer in my coach to boost voltage back to where it should be so my equipment inside the RV does not take a beating.

Too many waste a lot of time and effort trying to find problems inside their coach when its the campground supplying low voltage thats the root cause.

wb7auk · 06-29-2014, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by woodworker414

The sister and I went to Osage Beach Rv Park in Osage Beach, MO. Lake of the Osarks in mid MO, last weekend to see one of our sisters and her husband. They have a condo 7 minutes from the rv park. We had a great
4 day weekend. Summer time, hot and humid. Lots of laughter, good chat, stories and some really good eating.

Lots of sightseeing, it had been many years since I have been there. WOW, has it changed.
Came back to the rig on Sat. afternoon for a few minutes to pick up some items. And found the main 30 amp breaker tripped.

Same thing happen Sunday afternoon while we were there. I open the panel door and felt the breaker, really warm. HHHHHHMMMMMM, that will be the chore this week, to find out what the heck is going on.
Safe Travels

You say hot and humid any chance you were trying to use 2 AC's at the same time?

vraines · 06-29-2014, 07:40 AM

I have also found that RV main breakers take a lot of punishment over the years. If after the above checks you have not determined the cause, just change it out, however I am betting that you had a low voltage problem at the campground. We are setting in a campground here in Missouri now and have 113/112 volts at the pedestal. Wait until the temp goes up to 85-89 degrees later today and it will be a challenge to keep it all going.

woodworker414 · 06-29-2014, 11:28 AM

Nope only one rooftop a/c.
And dddduuuuuhhhhhh, I forgot to check for low voltage.
Darn it.

Safe Travels

Steve Ownby · 06-29-2014, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NeilV

Do you really have 120 volts comming in from the campground? You will get breakers tripping if the campground has a low voltage problem which is why I put an AutoFormer in my coach to boost voltage back to where it should be so my equipment inside the RV does not take a beating.

Too many waste a lot of time and effort trying to find problems inside their coach when its the campground supplying low voltage thats the root cause.

Excellent post Neil! Another vote for an AutoFormer.

Steve Ownby
Full time since '07

adrianr · 06-29-2014, 12:43 PM

If the breaker was warm its because you are either pulling to many amps (some older breakers may not be able to still handle 30 amps) or a loose connection at the terminal causing the breaker to heat up, the first problem you can correct the other requires an electrician.

wa8yxm · 06-29-2014, 01:32 PM

Most of the breakers are magnetic now days. However if it's very warm, Read on...

Plugged into a fairly new box at a park (Box is newer than my MH, which at the time was 8,, Box perhaps 5) (I mean the entire site is not more than 5 years old). Even just one A/C and the converter would trip the 50 amp breaker... Third time I smelled "HOT WIRE" smell when I got my noise close to the box.
Ran my fingers over the face of the box and .. Well, those puppies were HOT!!!!!!!!!!

Called security, They sent an electrician with breakers (Ok so it took a long time for him to arrive, but that's another story).

He opened the box and went to remove the breakers.. Went back to his truck for gloves.. Put in new breakers, hot 'em hooked up, and was testing when I picked up the old ones from teh ground, it has now been about five mintues they have been lying on the ground STILL too hot to handle comfortablly.

Bad breakers.. Plugged in flipped new breakers on and FULL POWER.