PLEASE HELP! Trip tomorrow and electrical issue!

[Nominefili]

Excellent response all, I really appreciate it. I isolated it to a leg between my dinette outlet and the two tvs that come after. Somewhere between any of these three items there's likely a short. I removed the black load side from the dinette outlet so it still works, but discontinues the circuit towards the offending area.
I'll be able to run the tvs off of extension cords to other outlets, so it'll be a little irritating, by strip will still happen 💪🏻

I'll let you all know anything that transpires later. I'd like to respond to a few of the above as well. Again.. thanks a million!

[Rkesselus]

I would second going back to the original owner for a little information. I have worked with many Magnatek converters and I have never seen one with the breaker configuration like yours. The small colored (blue/red/ 15 amp breakers should be for everything in the coach except for the AC units. There should be a double 50 amp breaker controlling the whole panel and then two 20 amp breakers one each for the AC units and the two 15 amp breakers. What I see are two very strange double breakers with a 40 amp and 30 amp switch combined into one breaker. One of those should be controlling the voltage coming from the transfer switch. protecting the other four. My only guess as to what might have been done is the converter in the Magnatek might have gone bad and a remote converter added. I have seen that done but not with those strange breakers. If you want to pull the breakers make sure you have killed all electrical source to the coach they pull out from the side without the attached wires might have to use a screwdriver to pry them out.

[Podivin]

Nom, glad you got it working well enough that the trip can go on as planned.
Have fun!

[Donlock]

Could it be loose wire at breakers?
Don

[nothermark]

Breakers fail. I'd unplug the shore cord and swap the outputs of the two 30 amp breakers. If the other breaker trips you have a short in the protected line. If the breaker does not trip you have a bad breaker.

The problem may be getting a similar breaker. With the cover off they usually rotate out of the side away from the screw. That side has the clips that connect to the bus bar.

[Nominefili]

Originally Posted by Pusherman

I looked at your pic again (good job!). If it's a 50A coach it should have a 50A double pole breaker as the main breaker. I do not see this.

Please note that this does not mean you have any 240V demand in the coach, but this is how the 50A services in MH's work.

Is there any chance the prior owner changed the service from a 30A 120V service to a 50A 240V service? You did state that he was a 'master electrician'.

I still suspect something is wrong with the service wiring. And I still suspect you are right that something is 'leaking' beyond the one breaker you isolated.

I guess this is possible. He installed an independent double pole 50A breaker for the instant hot water heater he added. The coach’s main breaker is a 40A.

[Nominefili]

Originally Posted by mackwrench

Just a wag, but what type of plug do you have on power supply cord? Is it a sealed molded type, or one that's able to be taken apart, like a replacement style?

By chance is the plug shorted inside?

I damaged my 50amp plug, had to cut off about a foot of cord, installed a new plug connector. A few months later the terminal inside plug works loose and presto, pops a breaker...

It appears to be a sealed cord.

[Nominefili]

I made the 16 hour drive to Colorado last night. My extension cord solution working out so far lol.

Looks like I’ve got a long term detective problem when I return I’m ten days lol

[hohenwald48]

I don't mean to be an alarmist but by simply looking at your pictures I see a few thing that would concern me. There's more to converting a coach from 30A to 50A than just bigger breakers and a fatter shore cord. I doubt I would seek any assistance from the "master electrician" previous owner. I suspect he might just be a "master" in his own mind only.

If you are not qualified (and it sounds like you're not) I'd find someone with a good working knowledge of electricity in general and RVs in particular (not Camping World) and get them to take a look at it.

Just my opinion and worth every penny you paid for it.

[BigSkyBob]

Originally Posted by hohenwald48

I don't mean to be an alarmist but by simply looking at your pictures I see a few thing that would concern me. There's more to converting a coach from 30A to 50A than just bigger breakers and a fatter shore cord. I doubt I would seek any assistance from the "master electrician" previous owner. I suspect he might just be a "master" in his own mind only.

If you are not qualified (and it sounds like you're not) I'd find someone with a good working knowledge of electricity in general and RVs in particular (not Camping World) and get them to take a look at it.

Just my opinion and worth every penny you paid for it.

IMHO the best advice to date.

[Nominefili]

Originally Posted by hohenwald48

I don't mean to be an alarmist but by simply looking at your pictures I see a few thing that would concern me. There's more to converting a coach from 30A to 50A than just bigger breakers and a fatter shore cord. I doubt I would seek any assistance from the "master electrician" previous owner. I suspect he might just be a "master" in his own mind only.

If you are not qualified (and it sounds like you're not) I'd find someone with a good working knowledge of electricity in general and RVs in particular (not Camping World) and get them to take a look at it.

Just my opinion and worth every penny you paid for it.

I do see a Camco power cord, so I’m assuming that’s a replacement. Very likely he changed the amperage. I often question the previous owner’s decisions on many things lol. Yes, no experience here. I took an electrical course for air conditioning 22 years ago and never used it. Pretty much forgotten most of it.
Yeah, I’ll likely have to have someone look at it.

[Pusherman]

Originally Posted by Nominefili

Excellent response all, I really appreciate it. I isolated it to a leg between my dinette outlet and the two tvs that come after. Somewhere between any of these three items there's likely a short. I removed the black load side from the dinette outlet so it still works, but discontinues the circuit towards the offending area.
I'll be able to run the tvs off of extension cords to other outlets, so it'll be a little irritating, by strip will still happen 💪🏻

I'll let you all know anything that transpires later. I'd like to respond to a few of the above as well. Again.. thanks a million!

Nominefili, excellent job on the detective work! At least you have isolated your current issue and have a good temporary solution to your trip challenge.

I don't know how the prior owner wired the new service in your coach, so as time allows, please do more excellent detective work on your part to figure out how the prior owner wired in the new service. As long as there is a 50A double pole breaker protecting the main service, then that is good.

The rest of the wiring in the coach may need more 'brain power' to make sure none of the wiring is under-sized, etc.

I was an electrician in my younger days, and when confronted with shorts in a receptacle run, I did just exactly what you did! It works.

[Hgrace56]

With over 40 years as an electrician, contractor, standby power systems and lighting designer I can guarantee that a competent electrician can isolate and remediate your issues in a short afternoon.
Find one and treat him well.

[hohenwald48]

Originally Posted by Pusherman

As long as there is a 50A double pole breaker protecting the main service, then that is good.

If that 50A double pole breaker is being fed by #10 wires, then it is definitely NOT good. Like I said before, get some competent help. Not internet help from strangers.