Shore power issues

Bryan R · 12-21-2018, 08:45 PM

I have a Carbon 357 Toy Hauler.
This is our second time to use our RV, the first time we only used the generator everything seemed to work ok.
Now that I’m 800+/- miles from home, at my moms. roll out the shore power cord hooked up the 50-30 amp adapter and plugged in to a plug that dad would use to power his class A RV. Sense Having shore power I thought I could conserve LP by using space heaters during the day. With in 3 minutes all 3 heaters had blown and given off a cloud of smoke! Now the gif in the bathroom trips when anything is plugged in, the microwave does not work, and the fridge will not run.
I don’t know if this would have anything to do with it, but when I hooked up this time the 12v battery was dead and the battery disconnect was in the off position.

**hankpage** · 12-21-2018, 09:05 PM

First, Welcome to the forum.

What you describe sounds like high voltage problem. I Think Dad's outlet is wired wrong or you have the wrong adapter. Are you sure it was not wired for a welder or cloths dryer??
JM2¢, Hank

PARAPTOR · 12-21-2018, 09:12 PM

Unfortunately sounds like that 30 amp service may have been wired incorrectly and may have wiped out some equipment. Do you have any interior lights? may have taken out the converter. With battery dead battery the only way for you to get 12 VDC is from the converter when connected to shore power. If you have not already I would disconnect your shore cable and get a meter and check the power at the outlet you had plugged into.

In regard to the disconnect switch, if it is in the position to disconnect the battery and you are connected to shore power the converter will not charge the battery

**sourdough** · 12-21-2018, 09:24 PM

Unfortunately I have to agree. I hope it's not the case but it sounds like the outlet is wired wrong. If you run 120 in on the neutral or ground legs you will fry most everything you have....which it sounds like you may have. I hope not and wish you the best. You need to get a schematic of the way an RV plug should be wired (30 amp sounds like) and use a meter to determine what is where. It is NOT wired like a dryer plug.

Bryan R · 12-22-2018, 06:00 AM

I might have started with 2 different problems.
1st not hooked up to any power and battery in the disconnect when RV not in use the battery went dead.
2. Moms shore power. I don’t see how her shore outlet would work on her RV and not ours?

ctbruce · 12-22-2018, 06:38 AM

I think you overloaded your system. You were drawing a lot of amps with all of that connected.

Brentw · 12-22-2018, 06:49 AM

You gotta start at the beginning, agree treat them like 2 separate issues for now. But the first thing is for you to prove out the receptical that you plugged into.
What does it look like and meter the connections.

**hankpage** · 12-22-2018, 07:20 AM

Was motor home 50amp or 30?? Check power after adapter. Again, just guessing here.

travelin texans · 12-22-2018, 07:33 AM

Next get a surge protector/ems, portable or hardwired, & ALWAYS plug it in regardless of where/how you connect to shore power, it would have most likely detected the problem, shut the power off to the rv & probably saved the equipment that just got fried.
Curious as to why the breaker from the shore power didn't trip or some of the breakers on the rv.

**JRTJH** · 12-22-2018, 08:05 AM

To "add to the confusion".....

If the 30 amp plug "works with mom's trailer" and "won't work with your trailer".... Here's my guess:

First, you say you plugged in 3 (1500 watts each) heaters as well as running the trailer converter/charger and other things.... So, you overloaded the 30 amp circuit and probably either blew the circuit breaker in mom's home panel or burned up the plug/wiring if the circuit breaker didn't work.

I'd guess the plug is "wired for 120VAC" since mom plugs in her RV there. So

First step: Get a multimeter and check the plug output. You should get 120VAC between the left/right contacts and 120VAC between the left/ground contacts. You should get 0VAC between the right/ground contacts. Any other reading, the plug has problems. If there is no output, troubleshoot the house wiring/circuit breaker. If the output is correct, then troubleshoot YOUR RV plug/trailer.

Let us know the output of the plug on mom's house and we can go from there.

ADDED: Re-reading your initial post, it sounds like mom's plug is a 50 amp plug. If it is, then it's protected by a 50 amp breaker. In that case, if you plugged in a 50/30 amp adapter and then plugged in three 1500 watt heaters, you likely "burned up the adapter plug" and possibly your shore power cord (if it is also 30 amps) or you burned up "one of those two".... Hopefully, your 30 amp breaker in the trailer power center protected your system from excessive amp draw and the system is OK.... I'd still start by checking mom's outlet for proper output, then look very closely at the 50/30 amp adapter plug and your shore power cable.

Bryan R · 12-22-2018, 08:37 AM

It’s been 10 years since dad passed and there has been an RV hooked up.
Mom has let some people use the shop to work on their cars, so I starting to think the plug got re-wired. Don’t have a multimeter with me and dads have gone mia. So I guess I need to go buy one or see if one of dads old friends has one. Now it’s probably a figure out how much stuff got killed/ wounded and what it’s going to take to fix! Right now I have issues with
Microwave- no lights no action- hopefully there’s a reset button I will just have to look in the manual
Refrigerator- it just keeps saying no a/c, just turn it on in LP to see if it works- maybe it’s a breaker that’s bad.
And the GIF in the front bathroom
Once I get a Multi meter I can start to assess the pain and price of not having and checking the plug!

**JRTJH** · 12-22-2018, 08:54 AM

Unplug the trailer from shore power and see if your 12 VDC system is operational. You "should have lights, refrigerator and furnace" if you do, hopefully the 12VDC system wasn't damaged. Then move on to checking mom's plug and the shore cable/adapter...

Harbor Freight typically has a "free with any purchase" coupon for a cheap (really cheap but they work) multimeter. Check the "weekly Sunday magazines" in most local newspapers. If you were around here, I think I've got 6 or 8 HF "free" multimeters hanging on a hook in the garage. You never know when you'll need a "throwaway meter"....

Keep us posted. Good Luck

travelin texans · 12-22-2018, 09:03 AM

Turn this into your rv insurance or Mom's home owner insurance, if you actually fried the appliances mentioned its going to get real expensive very quickly.
Mentioning the battery disconnect, typically it DOES NOT totally disconnect all devices & the battery will be dead in about a week unless you disconnect the main ground cable from the battery or remove the batteries.

Ken / Claudia · 12-22-2018, 12:30 PM

Limited information about what the poster has done since the problem. I hope he unplugged the RV and went right to the breaker in the home/garage. Found what amp source it is and start checking the connection, wires etc. Remember everything that you or anyone you know used and it worked that time has nothing to do with this time. Something(s) broke this time.
Start at the start of the problem not the end, the RV. Was there a another extension cord between RV plug and RV?. What else if anything uses that breaker in the home? I bet a overloaded circuit cause the failure. Sounds like poster is not understanding electricity, circuits, breakers, switches. May be time for a phone call for help with someone being there and looking at the whole thing. No reason to reset anything in the RV if you are just going to plug it in again and blow up more stuff.

Brentw · 12-22-2018, 02:08 PM

Yes, a lot of guessing about situation. You've indicated that portable heaters have smoked up, power is out now. Get some local knowledgeable help, if you cannot identify (no offence intended) whether your receptacle is a 30 or 50 amp and is it supplied by single or double pole breaker, any repairs/ testing you do could expose you to some serious electrical safety issues.
Lots can be done/advised over emails, but it does absolutely rely on accurate information.
Jmho

bbells · 12-27-2018, 08:55 AM

FYI: You said people have been using the garage to work on cars. It is not uncommon for them to rewire the outlet to match their welder. Quite often people buy welders used without the power cord and install their own.

BobMcC · 12-27-2018, 09:00 AM

I have 357 and our GFCI outlet in the Master bath will kill several outlets, don't remember how many but I know the 120VAC fridge outlet in the rear of the fridge (accessible from lower outside fridge plastic cover) is one that goes when that GFCI trips.

PARAPTOR · 12-27-2018, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobMcC

I have 357 and our GFCI outlet in the Master bath will kill several outlets, don't remember how many but I know the 120VAC fridge outlet in the rear of the fridge (accessible from lower outside fridge plastic cover) is one that goes when that GFCI trips.

Very common to have a single GFI protect many other standard looking plugs connected to it (daisy chained on the load side of the GFI). These plugs should be identified with stickers on the standard plug as GFI protected. That is if factory did not run out of stickers

jimborokz · 12-27-2018, 04:30 PM

You say you rolled out the 50-30 adaptor but not anymore about the service. If it was wired for a 50 amp RV the service will be 50amp/240v. That shouldn't change even if rewired for a welder. If you used a proper 50 to 30 amp dogbone, that whould get you to 30A/120v and not cause a problem. The dogbone will only draw power from one side of the 50 outlet. I would first double check the adaptor that it's the right one.

Second concern is the number of electric heater you had on. I've run my 50A RV from a 30A post with the proper dogbone and I couldn't run the microwave if the DW had her hair dryer running without the post breaker tripping. Now the 50A post will provide 50A on each leg but I'm guessing your service panel in the RV has a 30A main which should protect you. I'm still led back to the number of heaters running and the "smoking". If somehow you got 240v going into the rig that would cause major problems.

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