Passport electrical problem

[Iracethetruck]

I have a 2009 passport that I bought new from camping world. I have been experiencing a electrical problem from day one. I know I should have made camping world fix the problem but they were more than an hour away and I have just been dealing with it. The problem itself is when I plug my shore power cord in I get a poping noise and sometimes a spark. Also, when the camper is hooked to my truck I get a message on my dash saying "Wiring fault on trailer". We have had no other trouble with any other electrical components on the camper working. I am no expert in electrical systems but it seems to be a bad ground maybe? Like I said I have just dealt with it but now we are trying to sell and it's just the type of thing to make a buyer run. Has anyone else experienced this or could share some insight?

[SAD]

Originally Posted by Iracethetruck

I have a 2009 passport that I bought new from camping world. I have been experiencing a electrical problem from day one. I know I should have made camping world fix the problem but they were more than an hour away and I have just been dealing with it. The problem itself is when I plug my shore power cord in I get a poping noise and sometimes a spark. Also, when the camper is hooked to my truck I get a message on my dash saying "Wiring fault on trailer". We have had no other trouble with any other electrical components on the camper working. I am no expert in electrical systems but it seems to be a bad ground maybe? Like I said I have just dealt with it but now we are trying to sell and it's just the type of thing to make a buyer run. Has anyone else experienced this or could share some insight?

I would divide this into two problems perhaps...

Shore power... You get a pop noise or a spark? Where is this occurring? Is it near the end of your shore power cord?

Plugging in your RV to the shore power outlet with the breaker turned on, will definitely cause an arc condition. Examine the prong ends on your RV cord, they will likely have dark/burnt spots.

If so... Simply file these clean - provided the remainder of the cord is in good visible condition.

To prevent this from happening, switch the camp power pedestal breaker OFF prior to plugging in your RV... Plug in RV... THEN flip camp power pedestal on. Do the reverse when UNplugging as well.

OR.... is your spark/pop sound coming from some other place?? Has it been happening since new? Like for the last 5-ish years?

[SAD]

On your truck's dash message.... That is likely a fault on the trailer's brake system wiring. Likely unrelated to the shore power cord issue.... Are the lights on the trailer working in concert with the truck lights? Do you get the message immediately when plugging the trailer into the truck? Or only when brakes are applied (either through the manual lever on the brake controller OR through the brake pedal)?

[Javi]

Originally Posted by SAD

I would divide this into two problems perhaps...

Shore power... You get a pop noise or a spark? Where is this occurring? Is it near the end of your shore power cord?

Plugging in your RV to the shore power outlet with the breaker turned on, will definitely cause an arc condition. Examine the prong ends on your RV cord, they will likely have dark/burnt spots.

If so... Simply file these clean - provided the remainder of the cord is in good visible condition.

To prevent this from happening, switch the camp power pedestal breaker OFF prior to plugging in your RV... Plug in RV... THEN flip camp power pedestal on. Do the reverse when UNplugging as well.

OR.... is your spark/pop sound coming from some other place?? Has it been happening since new? Like for the last 5-ish years?

One note to this... I've been to a few parks that do not have a breaker at the plug... when this is the case it is best to turn off the 110V/120V breakers in the trailer's converter panel before plugging in the power cord.

[SAD]

Originally Posted by Javi

One note to this... I've been to a few parks that do not have a breaker at the plug... when this is the case it is best to turn off the 110V/120V breakers in the trailer's converter panel before plugging in the power cord.

Yup... Good point.

When plugging in/out of my portable generator, I do the same. I shut off the main 50 amp in the RV so I know there is no current draw when I plug/unplug.

[JRTJH]

As stated above, these are two separate and different issues. The shore power, if at the plug end, is solved by turning the pedestal CB off before plugging the shore power cord into the outlet.

As for the "Wiring Fault on Trailer" warning on the truck's dash, there is a known problem with the truck/trailer 7-pin connector "holes/pins" not being the same size. Ford uses one "common 7-pin receptacle" and Keystone uses another brand "common 7 pin plug". The two usually work well together, but occasionally there is a problem with some applications. The pins on the trailer plug are not quite big enough to make good contact with the holes in the truck receptacle. You may be able to use a circular wire brush and clean the truck's connector and the trailer's plug. After a good cleaning/wire brushing, apply a good coating of di-electric grease. This sometimes works. If it doesn't, then I'd change out the trailer 7 pin connector. Buy a "quality" connector, not a "cheap knockoff" brand.

[Iracethetruck]

Ok, so I guess I am just an idiot and was never instructed to trip the breaker before plugging in my power. That solves that issue. As for the dash warning, I do in fact own a newer Super Duty so that may the answer to that. Thanks guys, you made my day.

" There are only two kinds of campers, the ones that leak and the ones that are going to."

[PARAPTOR]

Originally Posted by Iracethetruck

Ok, so I guess I am just an idiot and was never instructed to trip the breaker before plugging in my power. That solves that issue. As for the dash warning, I do in fact own a newer Super Duty so that may the answer to that. Thanks guys, you made my day.

" There are only two kinds of campers, the ones that leak and the ones that are going to."

"IDIOT" By no means, you noticed something you fealt was unusual and asked questions where as, an IDIOT would have kept doing it

[Bob Landry]

Originally Posted by Iracethetruck

Ok, so I guess I am just an idiot and was never instructed to trip the breaker before plugging in my power. That solves that issue. As for the dash warning, I do in fact own a newer Super Duty so that may the answer to that. Thanks guys, you made my day.

" There are only two kinds of campers, the ones that leak and the ones that are going to."

Filing the contacts are going to be a marginal fix at best. By the time the prongs are burned, the heat has also probably destroyed insulation further into the cable. Cut the plug off and put on a new one. They are only around $20. You'll only have to cut back an inch or two to get to clean wire.Also check the inlet on the trailer. If it's discolored replace it also. They are a little more expensive, but if the contacts are burned and have resistance, that resistance will create heat that will carry over to the new plug and you'll burn that one up also.

On the truck dash message. That's a bad 7 pin connector on the trailer. The same thing happened to me on a trip. My message said trailer disconnected, but I had everything but brakes. The truck only senses the connection for the trailer brakes.

Ford uses Pollak connectors, and I think Keystone uses Bargman. They mate OK for a while, but after a little corrosion and wear and it becomes unreliable. I replaced my trailer 7 pin with a Pollak and it almost snaps into place, it mates so well. It was only about $8 so shop around and don't settle for any other brand

[Javi]

I replaced the Pollak on the F250 with a Bargman, seemed like a better choice to me.