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09-03-2019, 06:20 AM
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#1
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Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Dunrobin
Posts: 30
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Electrical meltdown
This is the 30 amp end of our 50 amp to 30 amp connector. It was in between the 50 amp cable coming from the trailer do the 30 amp extension cord plugged into the campground. The two were literally fused together. The 25 foot 30 amp extension cord is shot as well. Does anyone have any ideas what would have caused this? We will replace it today of course but not sure why it would have happened in the first place.
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09-03-2019, 06:29 AM
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#2
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Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Costa Mesa
Posts: 30
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Were you running both AC units at the same time for an extended period of time? Another possibility is the contacts at that connection we’re corroded causing a high resistance connection that generated heat.
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2018 Cougar 25RES
2017 RAM 2500 Diesel
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09-03-2019, 06:54 AM
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#3
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Site Team | Emeritus
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Kansas City
Posts: 3,878
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Are you using an EMS? If not, you may want to consider one.
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Chip Bruce, RPh
Kansas City, MO
2016 Impact 312
2017 Silverado 3500HD SRW
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09-03-2019, 06:59 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Potsdam
Posts: 319
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Since you stated you were using a 50 amp to 30 amp connector my first guess is that you were trying to pull significantly more than 30 amps, the 30 amp breaker at the pedestal didn't trip for whatever reason, and your connector which is only rated for 30 amps overheated.
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2015 Bullet 220RBI
2019 Chevy Colorado extended cab V6 3.6 liter
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09-03-2019, 07:06 AM
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#5
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Dauphin
Posts: 2
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Well, the simple answer is of course heat.
Either something was corroded, badly misaligned (there's possibly some arcing on the upper blade, but impossible to tell when it happened), damaged, manufacturing defect (bad crimp on the blade before it got molded) or it got water in all the wrong places during use.
I'd say that overloading is probably not the root cause, just a high resistance connection.
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09-03-2019, 07:28 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: grand rapids
Posts: 596
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Hey, I've done this a couple of times.
Typically it is because you are pulling too many amps.....You just can't have everything on!
Learn:
http://rvservices.koa.com/rvinformat...d-amp-draw.asp
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09-03-2019, 07:28 AM
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#7
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Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Dunrobin
Posts: 30
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Of course the issue was Heat. We just cannot understand why it would have occurred there. We only have one air conditioner and it really wasn't running that much it certainly wasn't running overnight. I do not think load on the line was an issue. Since the Meltdown happened there and not at the 50 amp end of the connection which was completely normal I have to suspect either a faulty connector or as someone stated possibly some corrosion on the terminals. Thanks for your replies much appreciated
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09-03-2019, 08:39 AM
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#8
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Site Team
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: W. Texas
Posts: 17,702
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Sure looks like arcing from something; either a poor connection due to rusty contacts, misalignment, loose or possibly water intrusion....but, that would be a localized "burn out" at the faulty connection. You mention the entire 30A cord was destroyed as well. If so, then that starts to point toward an overload... EMS anyone?
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Danny and Susan, wife of 56 years
2019 Ram 3500 Laramie CC SWB SB 6.4 4x4 4.10
2020 Montana High Country 331RL
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09-03-2019, 08:53 AM
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#9
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Member
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Dover, Delaware
Posts: 60
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You should definitely check into getting an EMS. My guess is that the voltage at the pedestal you were plugged into was low. When ever you lower the voltage it automatically raises the amps being drawn even though the load hasn't changed. I had a similar problem a couple months ago. Mine wasn't melted as badly as yours but I still had to replace the male plug on the end of my 50 amp power cord. I decided that that was enough of that. I just finished installing my EMS last week.
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Frank & E.B.
2011 3540RL alpine
2009 F-250 Lariat CC 6.4L
U.S.A.F. (ret.) 1976-1996
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09-03-2019, 11:14 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Rincon
Posts: 192
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I would have to lean toward a corroded male cord end or one that was not seated completely in the female side....clean the blades and use a little dielectric grease on it and make sure it firmly seated when plugged in. The 30 amp breaker at the pedestal should have opened under that condition so there’s also the chance that breaker is defective it has probably been opened and closed hundreds of times in its life under all a load which can lead to failure!
I’m not completely convinced that a EMS would have prevented this......they would have protected the wiring in the trailer from lots of different faults but this occurred at the pedestal.
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2017 Ram 3500 CC Cummins
2011 Keystone Laredo 266 RL
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09-03-2019, 11:27 AM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Anchorage
Posts: 610
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Would this have been alleviated if there was a portable EMS(surge protector) plugged in at the pedestal. I understand if you have a 50 amp unit you cant plug in a 50 amp EMS directly to a 30 amp plug and purchasing another EMS is kind of spendy. but I also think it is cheap insurance.
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Mike
2016 Ford F350 CC 6.7 4x4 SRW (Ghost Rider)
2017 Cougar 29 RKSWE (The Tumble Weed)
Connected by a Curt 15K WDH W/Sway Control
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09-03-2019, 12:14 PM
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#12
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Site Team
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: W. Texas
Posts: 17,702
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kksfish
I would have to lean toward a corroded male cord end or one that was not seated completely in the female side....clean the blades and use a little dielectric grease on it and make sure it firmly seated when plugged in. The 30 amp breaker at the pedestal should have opened under that condition so there’s also the chance that breaker is defective it has probably been opened and closed hundreds of times in its life under all a load which can lead to failure!
I’m not completely convinced that a EMS would have prevented this......they would have protected the wiring in the trailer from lots of different faults but this occurred at the pedestal.
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From my understanding this happened in the cable between the ped and the trailer. My EMS plugs directly into the ped so this situation would have been "downstream" from the EMS.
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Danny and Susan, wife of 56 years
2019 Ram 3500 Laramie CC SWB SB 6.4 4x4 4.10
2020 Montana High Country 331RL
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09-03-2019, 04:05 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2019
Location: NE Ohio
Posts: 503
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Poor/loose connection causes arcing,
arcing causes heat,
heat causes what you see
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2018 Cougar 26RBS
2016 Chevrolet 3500DRW D/A
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09-03-2019, 05:54 PM
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#14
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Site Team
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Gaylord
Posts: 26,998
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It sounds like the OP had his 50 amp trailer umbilical cable plugged into a 25 foot, 30 amp "extension cord" and that plugged into a 30 to 50 amp adapter at the campground power pole.
Maybe I'm visualizing too much, but it sounds to me like he is going from a 50 amp trailer cord to a 30 amp extension cord, to a 30:50 amp adapter and plugged into a 50 amp socket on the power pole. If so, then essentially what he had was a 50 amp circuit with a "30 amp fuse" (the extension cord and adapter) in the middle. As soon as his trailer power demands were greater than 30 amps, the "extension cord" became hot, getting hotter and hotter as the electrical load increased. The 50 amp circuit breaker on the campground power pole and the 50 amp circuit breaker in the trailer were never overloaded, only that "weak link" in the middle....
OP, if you could please explain more fully what was plugged into what and the rating of the circuit breakers in the campground power pole that your trailer was powered from.
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John
2015 F250 6.7l 4x4
2014 Cougar X Lite 27RKS
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09-03-2019, 06:10 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Lake Stevens
Posts: 764
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JRTJH
It sounds like the OP had his 50 amp trailer umbilical cable plugged into a 25 foot, 30 amp "extension cord" and that plugged into a 30 to 50 amp adapter at the campground power pole.
Maybe I'm visualizing too much, but it sounds to me like he is going from a 50 amp trailer cord to a 30 amp extension cord, to a 30:50 amp adapter and plugged into a 50 amp socket on the power pole. If so, then essentially what he had was a 50 amp circuit with a "30 amp fuse" (the extension cord and adapter) in the middle. As soon as his trailer power demands were greater than 30 amps, the "extension cord" became hot, getting hotter and hotter as the electrical load increased. The 50 amp circuit breaker on the campground power pole and the 50 amp circuit breaker in the trailer were never overloaded, only that "weak link" in the middle....
OP, if you could please explain more fully what was plugged into what and the rating of the circuit breakers in the campground power pole that your trailer was powered from.
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That was my though also, however I thought most people would know that was going to lead to an issue.
As these extension cables and dog bone adapters became cheap, think manufactured in china or some other countries with questionable quality, this does not surprise me at all. Chris
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09-04-2019, 04:17 AM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Rincon
Posts: 192
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Danny,
yeah your right. I thought you had the EMS connected inside the trailer!
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2017 Ram 3500 CC Cummins
2011 Keystone Laredo 266 RL
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09-12-2019, 07:21 AM
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#17
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Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: SE Michigan
Posts: 67
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Had something similar happen to us. Ours is only 30amp but I was using a 25’ extension while running the AC and hot water. After about 6hrs the two were fused together like yours. It was about 100 degrees out and AC ran nonstop. I had to replace both ends which by the way aren’t cheap. It don’t take long to use up 30amps
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2015 Keystone Bullet 272bhs
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09-12-2019, 07:34 AM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Danville
Posts: 172
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You were using the 25' cord plus this adapter plus a 30' extension to the source? That's 56 feet, I suspect voltage drop played a part in this and the demand with a 50amp unit running on a 30 amp supply - this is the result eventually. Eliminate the 30ft extension and get an EMS to plug in at the power source first.
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John
2020 Keystone Fuzion 369
2020 Ram 3500 CTD DRW 4x4
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Youtube channel - Wingin' it with John
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09-12-2019, 08:01 AM
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#19
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Member
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Calgary
Posts: 58
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Customer1
Poor/loose connection causes arcing,
arcing causes heat,
heat causes what you see
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I second this. I had this happen to me and retracing my steps I realized that I bumped the connection lose at a pedestal once and that loose connection overheated causing it to arc and melt.
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09-12-2019, 08:36 AM
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#20
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Jackson, SC
Posts: 5
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burned out
Quote:
Originally Posted by brucem26
This is the 30 amp end of our 50 amp to 30 amp connector. It was in between the 50 amp cable coming from the trailer do the 30 amp extension cord plugged into the campground. The two were literally fused together. The 25 foot 30 amp extension cord is shot as well. Does anyone have any ideas what would have caused this? We will replace it today of course but not sure why it would have happened in the first place.
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OK so there are a lot of reasons this could have happened, however the most obvious to me is that you were drawing more than 30 AMPS. the reason the 50 AMP line didnt melt down was because it is rated for 50 AMPS while your extension cord isnt...so like water electricity loves to flow through the path of least resistance, and electric motors will pull what they need one way or another in order to run at their design speed..so if you have low voltage, the motor will draw more current to run at its design speed. I could go on, and it could also be that the connection was bad inside the molding. Had you successfully used this adapter before? Is it stamped with the proper UL and CSA markings?
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