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Old 10-19-2017, 04:01 PM   #1
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Exclamation PLEASE HELP! Trip tomorrow and electrical issue!

1995 Gulfstream on a Ford F53

Hello all,
We just finalized packing for our trip to Colorado in which we are supposed to leave tomorrow at 4 AM. I normally step my coach down from 50 amp to 15 amp and plug it into a wall circuit it home to run the charger for the house batteries and anything inside while I work on it. I've been running it this way for the last three months in my driveway with no issues.

Upon returning from work today, I noticed the breaker that it is plugged into was thrown. This is not uncommon if the air-conditioning is running on a hot day for it to throw the breaker, however everything inside the coach was turned off. I found it odd, but went to reset the breaker and it immediately pops. I tested my cords and they have good continuity. I tried several different circuits in my home and all of them immediately popped. I turned on A portable gas generator and plugged it into that and it immediately popped the breaker. Remember, nothing is turned on, just the act of plugging it in throws the breaker. When I plugged it into the gas powered generator you could hear a giant draw on the motor before it threw the breaker. I also tried running the RV generator. The main 30 amp breaker on it also trips. Does anyone have an idea? It sounds to me like it could be a short, but I have no idea where to start looking. I can't imagine anything that I've done recently that would've damage the wire. It was working all the way up until 10 PM last night when I was last in the coach.
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Old 10-19-2017, 04:11 PM   #2
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Yep, it sounds like you have a problem. Good detective work on your part.

Try this: Turn off all the breakers in the coach, and then plug back in to one or more sources, as you tested before. If nothing trips, so far so good. Then turn on one breaker at a time until the source breaker trips again. If nothing else, you have now narrowed it down to that circuit, and more work will need to be done to find out what's going on.

One step at a time.
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Old 10-19-2017, 04:31 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pusherman View Post
Yep, it sounds like you have a problem. Good detective work on your part.

Try this: Turn off all the breakers in the coach, and then plug back in to one or more sources, as you tested before. If nothing trips, so far so good. Then turn on one breaker at a time until the source breaker trips again. If nothing else, you have now narrowed it down to that circuit, and more work will need to be done to find out what's going on.

One step at a time.
Good idea. I'll try this now
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Old 10-19-2017, 04:35 PM   #4
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I have this same problem when I bring my unit home and plug it in. For me it was as simple as plugging into a completely different circuit. Might want to give that a try too. I have 2 separate circuits running into my garage. When I plug into one it pops immediately. I go plug into the circuit on the other wall and all is well. More things tunning on the first side I guess.
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Old 10-19-2017, 04:53 PM   #5
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He did. 3 different sources. Still had the problem.
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Old 10-19-2017, 04:55 PM   #6
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You got a good short somewhere. Start looking from the transfer switch to the main panel. If there is a short after the main panel it should trip a breaker in the panel , but not always . Start with all breakers off.
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Old 10-19-2017, 04:58 PM   #7
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Upon trying this method, I narrowed it down to the breaker for a circuit called recept. Assuming Left receptable, although it's all of the receptacles on the right side of the coach, AC power to the fridge, and both TVs.

Is it possible the breaker itself is bad?
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Old 10-19-2017, 05:01 PM   #8
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Any idea on how to test this breaker?
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Old 10-19-2017, 05:03 PM   #9
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Any idea on how to test this breaker?
Looks like a double pole 240V

The other side works.
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Old 10-19-2017, 05:03 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by whozleft View Post
I have this same problem when I bring my unit home and plug it in. For me it was as simple as plugging into a completely different circuit. Might want to give that a try too. I have 2 separate circuits running into my garage. When I plug into one it pops immediately. I go plug into the circuit on the other wall and all is well. More things tunning on the first side I guess.
Yessir. Tried that
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Old 10-19-2017, 05:11 PM   #11
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I tesed both ways across the wires coming into the bottom of the breaker and I have 110 across both sides. I imagine it's the breaker itself or something after the breaker on that circuit.
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Old 10-19-2017, 05:13 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nominefili View Post
Upon trying this method, I narrowed it down to the breaker for a circuit called recept. Assuming Left receptable, although it's all of the receptacles on the right side of the coach, AC power to the fridge, and both TVs.

Is it possible the breaker itself is bad?
No, they are not 240V double pole breakers. They are a double place single pole breakers. Each providing 110V to the load side.

I am concerned looking at this picture that there are (2) 40A breakers in this panel feeding the coach. One is marked MAIN, and if it is a 30A 120V service it should be a 30A MAIN breaker.

What size is the service for your coach? I am assuming it is a 30A 120V service. If so, there should not be anything bigger than 20A breakers in your coach.

Something is wrong. Someone had their hands in there before you. It's like the olden days when people would put a penny under the 15a fuse in the fuse panel when the fuse kept blowing. What's wrong with this picture?

I think you may have a bigger problem than a bad breaker. If it's leaking current (to ground) a prior owner may have put a larger breaker in the coach to make it work.

You need a qualified electrician. Sorry.
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Old 10-19-2017, 05:15 PM   #13
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Anyone know how to remove the breaker?
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Old 10-19-2017, 05:16 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pusherman View Post
No, they are not 240V double pole breakers. They are a double place single pole breakers. Each providing 110V to the load side.

I am concerned looking at this picture that there are (2) 40A breakers in this panel feeding the coach. One is marked MAIN, and if it is a 30A 120V service it should be a 30A MAIN breaker.

What size is the service for your coach? I am assuming it is a 30A 120V service. If so, there should not be anything bigger than 20A breakers in your coach.

Something is wrong. Someone had their hands in there before you. It's like the olden days when people would put a penny under the 15a fuse in the fuse panel when the fuse kept blowing. What's wrong with this picture?

I think you may have a bigger problem than a bad breaker. If it's leaking current (to ground) a prior owner may have put a larger breaker in the coach to make it work.

You need a qualified electrician. Sorry.
It's a 50A coach. The previous owner, sole owner, was a master electrician.
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