Electrical problem?

[twinboat]

I Emailed Progressive Industry's about using a GFCI outlet if I had a built in or portable Surge Guard.

Subject*GFCI

o****Message*Will your surge protector trip a GFCI outlet if I reduce to a 15 amp plug and plug it in ?

·*********Sent on:*26 March, 2018

There response was vague but makes me think that it may trip the GFCI.

[firedoc]

Originally Posted by twinboat

I Emailed Progressive Industry's about using a GFCI outlet if I had a built in or portable Surge Guard.

Subject*GFCI

o****Message*Will your surge protector trip a GFCI outlet if I reduce to a 15 amp plug and plug it in ?

·*********Sent on:*26 March, 2018

There response was vague but makes me think that it may trip the GFCI.

Now that’s how a politician answers a question!

[db7512]

GFCI will not work supplying power to your RV. Nothing is wrong with the GFCI or your unit. The only thing that I figured out is the GFCI uses earth ground and the RV is on rubber tires so no earth ground.

[Fiesta48]

Twice I've plugged into GFCI circuits, a 15A and 30A. My internal surge guard trips the house or post GFCI.
I just avoid them now.

[firedoc]

Originally Posted by vsheetz

RV plugged into a some GFCI outlet is often problematic due to neutral and ground bonding difference from residential. However its strange that it works ok until the RR is activated. Might be interesting to see if the GFCI trips with the RR plugged directly into it.

Actually I didnt test it with the mh plugged in and the res refrig running or not. I just plugged it iin and the circuit blew. I then just ran an extension cord to the res refrig to keep it running and that worked fine.

[firedoc]

Originally Posted by Gary RVRoamer

The difference between the GFCI and non-GFCi outlet is simply that the non-GFCI doesn't detect the problem. It didn't go away - it just isn't visible. 30A or 50A park power outlets don't have GFCI protection, so you won't see the problem there either. Everything still works, but there is a potential safety problem and you may experience a shock (or worse) at some point in the future.

You have a ground fault somewhere in the RV wiring, meaning that current that is supposed to be going from the hot wire to the neutral wire is somehow escaping, either directly into the ground wire or through the coach frame or body into the ground (the coach chassis is connected to the ground wire just for that reason).

There are two fairly common sources of a ground fault in an RV:
1. The AC electric mode heater in an RV fridge sometimes develops enough corrosion to allow a tiny trickle of current to flow to the surrounding metal. Since yours trips when you run the fridge, this one is a likely bet.

2. The converter/charger or inverter/charger can leak current if not wired exactly per factory specs.

Neither of those are likely to cause more than a slight tingle shock, but some of the less common ground faults can be severe or even fatal.

A third possibility is that a circuit was added or changed in the 120v load center (breaker box) and the neutral wire connected to the ground bus instead of the neutral bus, or the neutral & ground buses were cross-connected (aka bonded). That will appear as a ground fault at the shoreline connection.

As stated, I dont have an RV fridge, I have a residential frig.

[firedoc]

Don't know whether this is normal or not (I doubt it) or if it has anything to do with other problem: But while ,playing around in battery compartment discovered that there was voltage between house battery ( i of 4) (neg term) and a sheet metal shield that was between compartments. Since the sheet metal was basically attached to the frame that would probablymean that there would be voltage between battery (neg term) and frame BUT there doesnt seem to be. See picture below

[firedoc]

Originally Posted by firedoc

Don't know whether this is normal or not (I doubt it) or if it has anything to do with other problem: But while ,playing around in battery compartment discovered that there was voltage between house battery ( i of 4) (neg term) and a sheet metal shield that was between compartments. Since the sheet metal was basically attached to the frame that would probablymean that there would be voltage between battery (neg term) and frame BUT there doesnt seem to be. See picture below

OK picture didnt come through, lets try it a different way:

[J Birder]

If you have voltage from the battery neg. to the shield, but not to the frame, then, clearly, the shield is not electrically connected to the frame. What do you measure between the shield and the frame?

Joel

[twinboat]

You may be testing the negative of a battery that jumps to positive of the next one in the series set.

Measuring between the 2, 6 volt batteries.

What you are seeing is the positive of the other end of the jumper to ground = 6.85 volts.

Normal

[firedoc]

Originally Posted by twinboat

You may be testing the negative of a battery that jumps to positive of the next one in the series set.

Measuring between the 2, 6 volt batteries.

What you are seeing is the positive of the other end of the jumper to ground = 6.85 volts.

Normal

You are absolutely right, cross that one off. I wonder why there is no reading to the frame (ground) or am I showing my ignorance?

[firedoc]

Originally Posted by J Birder

If you have voltage from the battery neg. to the shield, but not to the frame, then, clearly, the shield is not electrically connected to the frame. What do you measure between the shield and the frame?

Joel

I wii test that and get back to you. Thanks everyone!