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Snoopkat · 09-21-2018, 07:37 AM

We're sitting in a park with 50 amp power hooked up. Power keeps fading just enough to shut off the TV or microwave then comes right back on. This happens repeatedly at different intervals between events. The breakers never pop and the power always returns to normal until next power dip. My inverter and surge protector seems to be functioning normally. Any ideas? Thanks much!

BigSkyBob · 09-21-2018, 07:51 AM

I'd try to determine first if it was the park power fluctuating or your coach systems. If it happens on a regular basis I'd put a meter on the power post to see if in fact the incoming power is the problem. Can you quiz others nearby to see if they experience the same thing? If your surge guard is cutting the power off due to a low voltage condition then the issue lies with the incoming power.

Hit_the_Rhod · 09-21-2018, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sofakleez

We're sitting in a park with 50 amp power hooked up. Power keeps fading just enough to shut off the TV or microwave then comes right back on. This happens repeatedly at different intervals between events. The breakers never pop and the power always returns to normal until next power dip. My inverter and surge protector seems to be functioning normally. Any ideas? Thanks much!

You need to go to the office and ask them what the heck is up with their electricity!

Doesn't sound like a coach problem to me. Do you have an electrical monitoring system? If so, it should be telling you what is going on.

Sbrownstein · 09-21-2018, 08:12 AM

Inverter????? What may be happening is the pedestal power drops below the threshold of your "surge protector," it shuts down and the inverter picks up your TVs and other devices. Then the power comes back and the whole thing starts again.

docj · 09-21-2018, 08:17 AM

Here's a situation in which Progressive power management system's ability to display the "previous fault" (which is shown by "PE" and a number) is essential to being able to diagnose what is going on compared to a SurgeGuard

We had exactly the same thing occur at an RV site we actually own in south TX. At the time I had a SurgeGuard power management device and it kept turning off the power and then turning it back on. Since I couldn't find anything wrong and the voltages seemed normal I attributed it to something wrong with the SurgeGuard.

However, the problem continued after I replaced the SurgeGuard with a Progressive but I was then able to use the Previous Fault feature to figure out what was going on. It turned out that the problem wasn't low voltage at all, it was momentarily high voltage caused by loose neutral connections in the pedestal. On split phase circuits such as used to develop 120V from a 240 V feed, loose connections can increase the resistance in the circuit which raises the voltage on one leg while lowering it on the other. If the resistance increase is intermittent it can lead to the erratic behavior I was experiencing. Having the power company tighten all the connections solved the problem.

IMO, the problem you have is real, but it may be difficult to figure it out unless you have a device that can tell you what is happening.

Sbrownstein · 09-21-2018, 08:22 AM

Loose or floating neutral on a 50 amp connection is a bad, bad thing to have...especially without a good surge protector or PD smart transfer switch!!!!

Snoopkat · 09-22-2018, 08:35 AM

Thanks to all who shared your experience/ideas/knowledge on this electrical issue. Very much appreciated! I'll pursue that neutral idea first and hope it takes care of it. Thanks again!