Community Forums

Brianna · 09-06-2020, 05:51 AM

As many have noted above, ground fault is different than current overload.
When I was running a high amperage tile saw (basement outlet powered by generator) the bathroom GFI, on the same circuit suddenly tripped after about an hour.
I presumed I tripped a breaker because it was a giant rental saw with a very high amp motor.
I checked the breakers and they were all fine.
I didn't have time to stop and troubleshoot, so I switched to a different basement outlet and finished the job.
Later, as I was about to start dismantling the outlet to look for the cause, I asked the forum and they immediately suggested i check the bathroom GFI. Sure enough that was what had happened.

So the moral of the story is that it doesn't take much, perhaps even just an extension cord laying in water, to pop those things.

Another story is, when I was still working, we had a brand new kitchen in the office. All brand new wiring throughout the building.
There was a counter with a GFI outlet at both ends. One of them started popping when we used the coffee machine but the other outlet was fine. So, as mentioned above, the outlet itself can be defective or become over sensitive.
So yeah, as suggested above, switching out the GFI outlet at your rv storage location would be an easy and inexpensive experiment.

vlamgat · 09-07-2020, 05:59 AM

Like all our home electrical infrastructure, the standards were set for this stuff in the 60s and the quality is not what it could be. It is generally accepted by the Electrical manufacturing industry that the US has the lowest standards for its home quality breakers, GFIs outlets and switches in the world. However our price points are also 30% lower than the EU. when I was at Brown Boveri (EU) manufacturer we struggled to break into the US market because of these factors and because US home builders saw no benefit in specing a 30 year+ capability into their products.
So I would presume that the GFI is at fault. I have had similar problems with a Sportsmobile install. Replaced my GFI with a commercial EU designed product 8 years ago and no problems since.

Brianna · 09-08-2020, 04:01 AM

We could get into a larger discussion about how our society is drawn towards cheaper/disposable in general, but to focus on electrical outlets, you don't even need to go to the EU.
Just take a trip to your local home depot. There are basic 15A outlets that cost $4, the same product for $2 or the same thing for only 49 cents.
As an avid remodeler in my previous life, I probably installed hundreds of those 49 cent outlets. I never had an issue, but it always seemed weird to me that such an important component was so cheap. And I always wondered if I was being foolish, or if I was missing something.

DBLB · 09-10-2020, 08:35 AM

If it is the GFI in the Coach that is tripping I would start by looking for a loose or bad neutral connection on the source end. A GFI will always trip if the neutral connection is missing. Buy yourself and inexpensive GFI tester. When plugged in to the outlet it will indicate what the problem is ie. bad ground bad neutral, reversed wiring etc. Once you know what your looking for your search becomes that much easier.

Ernieo · 09-15-2020, 05:51 AM

May have found the answer, but that leads me with more questions.

First, I moved the MH to another spot. Plugged it in to shore power via the 50' cable, 15' extension, surge protector (because my MH's in-house sp was replaced/removed), 20amp/50amp reducer, gfi outlet (shore power). Came back after 2 days and POP.

So I reset the shore power GFI and in about 30 secs pop again. I disconnected the MH from the outlet, reset everything, waited about 1 min and no issues.

Then I decided to connect the MH directly into the surge protector and then into the 20/50 reducer (originally, I didn't think it would reach). Within 30 sec., pop went the gfi. Lastly, I connected the MH directly into the 20/50 amp reducer and into the service, waited about 1 min and NOTHING! No pop and the Silverleaf is reading 110 amps of service going into the bus.

So, is there a problem in the 15' extension the surge protector? And if so, why does it not trip my house 50amp service when I am connected to my house shore power? I know that line might be confusing as I am mixing a gfi outlet with a house 50amp breaker. But I am sure someone here can educated on how they are very different and why this is happening.

twinboat · 09-15-2020, 06:01 AM

The surge protector is doing a test in the first 30 seconds, and during that test, it must be creating a temporary ground fault. That's what GFCI detector outlets watch for.
They are not for overload protection, like circuit breakers.

Circuit breakers protect wiring from overloading and fire.
GFCIs protect from deadly currents from going thru your body.

Your home 50 amp outlet does not have a ground fault, GFCI , monitor.

Leave the surge thing out.

Alpine36 · 09-15-2020, 09:40 AM

We have a hard wired PD surge protector. It must be turned off if plugging in to a 15a GFI outlet, or it will trip the GFI. I believe the instruction manual even states to do this as it "can" trip some GFI's. Well, it does.
This was what prompted me to add a 30a circuit outside our garage.
Agree with Twinboat, leave your surge protector out of the system.
We have no issues when plugged in to standard 30/50a circuits.