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Old 08-03-2023, 10:26 PM   #1
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GFI pops off at the campground post

Trailer was plugged in at home with no issues. At the campground the braker pops and the GFI light lights. I turned off all the 115 V brakers in the trailer and the GFI still lights and the braker pops??????
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Old 08-04-2023, 12:04 AM   #2
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Try unplugging fridge to see if that stops the tripping. Not the breaker, the plug.

Next is water heater wires, black is on breaker so shut that off but white is on bus bar. Need to remove that to.

Converter/charger if it has a plug otherwise again both black and white.

If you feel brave, cut the ground pin off the plug. That will stop it from tripping and the GFCI should still protect you from shocks.

I did that 2 weeks ago on my boat to get the A/C running.
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Old 08-04-2023, 06:30 AM   #3
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Cutting the ground pin off will not protect you from shocks. It will allow the frame and metal skin to be hot when plugged into shore power.

Sometimes, switching branch breakers "off" can help in troubleshooting GFCI trip issues. Many times both the hot and neutral must be disconnected to troubleshoot.

Unplug appliances that have plugs. That disconnects both hot and neutral.

For branch circuits, switch breaker "off" and disconnect neutral from neutral buss.

Possible causes:
  • Electric heating elements like electric water heater, or absorption refrigerator. A water heater element that was turned "on" without water in the heater can do that.
  • Some very old converter/chargers.
  • Someone grounding the neutral bus inside the RV. Neutral should only be grounded in the shore power system itself. Not in the RV.
  • Any appliance can develop a fault.
  • Wiring especially at connectors can become loose or corroded. Corrosion often leaks enough to trip a GFCI.
  • GFCI breakers can fail
  • Radio frequency devices like florescent lights can trip some GFCI devices.
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Old 08-04-2023, 06:55 AM   #4
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Originally Posted by Persistent View Post
Cutting the ground pin off will not protect you from shocks. It will allow the frame and metal skin to be hot when plugged into shore power.

]
If the frame and skin is hot and you complete that circuit to ground, you are the alternate path to ground. THAT is what causes a GFCI to trip, so yes it will protect you.

The ground conductor was an early design to limit shocks, by connecting one conductor to earth ground, cutting in half the chance of a shock.

Now with sensitive electronics in the GFCI, they are protecting both conductors from a earth ground shock.

Have you noticed that the ground conductor is disappearing on some equipment. My pressure washer has a GFCI protected, ungrounded plug.
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Old 08-04-2023, 08:29 AM   #5
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were you pugged in to a gfi at home? Is the camp ground using the gfi plugs or did they put in the newer ark fault plugs? If they put in the arc fault you may never get it to stop tripping as they detect arc that is found in just about anything with a motor and will trip...
Not sure why a rv site would have a GFI for a camper to plug in to that is just asking for issues
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Old 08-04-2023, 09:07 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Smythe38 View Post
Trailer was plugged in at home with no issues. At the campground the braker pops and the GFI light lights. I turned off all the 115 V brakers in the trailer and the GFI still lights and the braker pops??????
I'm unclear, are you plugged into 30 or 50 amp shore? They may be out there but I have never run across a pedestal that had those in a GFCI version. Or are you plugged into a standard 15/20 amp duplex GFCI?

As far as twinboat's suggestion to cut the ground pin off, which ground pin? Might it be better to get a 3 to 2 prong polarized adapter? I certainly don't know for sure but doing away with the ground doesn't sound like the way to go. Thinking I may learn something here.
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Old 08-04-2023, 10:59 AM   #7
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There are some municipal campgrounds that started using GFCI , 30 amp outlets, which are causing all sorts of problems.
I believe the code has been changed now and they don't need them.

15/20 still do.
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Old 08-07-2023, 02:35 PM   #8
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GFI pops off at the campground post

We traced the offending appliances to the water heater (gas atwood with electronic ignition) and the converter. At the campground we tried both the 30 amp and the 15 amp and both breakers would trip and indicate a GFCI fault. The tracing was done at home using a 15 amp GCFI breaker. We shut off both 3o amp breakers in the trailer and all the circuit breakers, then turning on breakers 1 by1 we found the culprits. Funny thing is I thought we had done this at the campground and were unable to locate the problem appliances. I wonder if the campground GFCI is more sensitive than the home one.

Either way it goes to the dealer Wednesday and we will see what he says.
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