Tripping Breakers at Campground

[ftrupe]

I was at a campground this past weekend for my first outing this year with my 2015 Passport 23RB. The state park had a 30 amp GFCI circuit breaker on the pedestal. The breaker tripped after several minutes and then kept tripping. Maintenance came and installed a new breaker. This new breaker tripped immediately when the unit was plugged in. So I turned off the main breaker in the trailer and the pedestal breaker still tripped as soon as the plug went in. The maintenance guy said this happened in a few trailers and showed me the solution, which was to use 2 adapters, with the ground removed from the second one, and then plug my trailer in. So now my trailer was not grounded. He even told me that if I went to the local trailer dealer and asked for the XXXXX Special, they would give me the setup. I did and they gave me exactly what he showed me and told me to break off the ground, which leads me to believe this is more of a problem than he said. Since my trailer's main breaker was off, I thought that maybe I had a loose ground on the cord. Opened the junction box where the wire enters the trailer and all wire nuts were tight. Then I went to the panel and checked that the ground lug for the #10 wire was tight and it was. So is it the campground electric or could it be something with my trailer? Also, I don't ever remember seeing a GFCI in a campground before and didn't think they were necessary. I keep the trailer plugged in to a 30 amp RV outlet at my house and the breaker never tripped. Any thoughts ?

[chuckster57]

Just my opinion, I would cross that CG off my list. If you had an EMS it would probably tell you what the issue was.

[LHaven]

I don't think much of this campground manager. First, an RV socket should not be GFCI. Second, if you did that anyway, and it kept tripping, the solution would not be to remove the ground in the customer's trailer, which defeats the GFCI, when it would be easier just to remove the GFCI from the socket and get the same non-protection.

[bobbecky]

With the ground pin removed from your plug, you are risking serious injury from a hot skin condition, and should not be doing that at any time. This is an article by Mike Sokol about a recent change in the NEC that may be the reason for the 30 amp GFCI outlet that was at the site.
https://www.rvtravel.com/30-and-50-a...n-campgrounds/

[DaveAlb]

I was a Park Ranger in a Corps of Engineers park in Iowa that had GFCI outlets. I believe that any leakage current to ground greater than 4 milliamps would throw the breaker. Our electricians would replace the old breakers as needed. I believe that people that generally threw those breakers had a leakage to ground greater than 4. Not what they wanted to hear. I think a good share of them went with the “fix” you noted above. Hard to find a leakage like that. I think just checking everything out one by one maybe starting with the cord.

[shelby_sho]

My trailer used to trip GFI outlets even with the main breaker off. After much searching I found where the dealer managed to drive a screw through one of the 120 volt wires while installing the backup camera. The screw connected the neutral and ground wires. worked fine on normal outlets.

The gfi outlets were working as intended in my case. With the main breaker off And the trailer unplugged check for continuity between the neutral and ground pins. You shouldn't have any. If you do, remove the white wires for each circuit one at a time in the breaker panel until you find the one that's connecting the neutral and ground. The problem will be somewhere on that circuit.

Good luck!

[travelin texans]

Any campground that required me to alter the incoming power cord in order to get their side to work would be a "never return to" campground.
Maybe it is the rv that has an issue, maybe not, but if the rv works at all other campgrounds without altering the cord I'd say it's the campground.
If you don't have your incoming power connected to an EMS, portable or hardwired, do so ASAP before you start ruining your power cord.

[sourdough]

^^^^What Danny said. If you are in a campground with power so bad your trailer will not function.....leave. I've broken off ground pins on extension cords to get something done asap in various situations....little things. Running an RV without a ground (breaking them off )due to campground deficiencies? Not a chance. I am assuming your unit doesn't have electrical malfunctions...if so, fix them before someone gets hurt.

[wiredgeorge]

Well, first, get an Electrical Management System (EMS) (not a cheap surge protector) asap and leave that campground ASAP and camp somewhere that doesn't have electrical problems. The solution given was more than irresponsible but dangerous.

[ftrupe]

I don't have an EMS but use a Progressive Surge Protector. But now I'm thinking of installing one.

[ftrupe]

Thanks. That was a very interesting article.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by ftrupe

I don't have an EMS but use a Progressive Surge Protector. But now I'm thinking of installing one.

In the RV world, among seasoned Rvers, there is no such thing as considering a "surge protector", they won't do a thing for you in 99% of the things you encounter camping. An EMS is THE only way to go....check out the price to replace your RV fridge/AC etc vs the price of that little EMS gadget - absolutely worth the cost, and your safety.

[shelby_sho]

It's good advice to get an EMS, but in this case I'm not sure that it would resolve this issue. If the problem is in fact in your trailer and not the campground pedestal, an EMS won't help.

I think the advice to plug in without the ground was potentially dangerous, but a short between ground and neutral within your trailer seems more likely to be the issue than two GFCI breakers being bad at the campground. Check for that short before you cross the campground off your list of places to stay. ��

[LHaven]

One of the error codes on my EMS is "open ground," so that puts paid to the suggested solution before you even try it.'

I suspect you should be able to unplug your trailer, take an ohmmeter to the ground and neutral pins on the plug, and if there is any continuity at all, you have a problem.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by shelby_sho

It's good advice to get an EMS, but in this case I'm not sure that it would resolve this issue. If the problem is in fact in your trailer and not the campground pedestal, an EMS won't help.

I think the advice to plug in without the ground was potentially dangerous, but a short between ground and neutral within your trailer seems more likely to be the issue than two GFCI breakers being bad at the campground. Check for that short before you cross the campground off your list of places to stay. ��

The highlighted above is not entirely accurate. The Southwire Surge Guard 34951 protects against an open neutral line or load side which gives some protection in the RV behind the EMS. 3rd bullet under "protects against";

https://rvpower.southwire.com/produc...a-model-34951/

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by LHaven

One of the error codes on my EMS is "open ground," so that puts paid to the suggested solution before you even try it.'

I suspect you should be able to unplug your trailer, take an ohmmeter to the ground and neutral pins on the plug, and if there is any continuity at all, you have a problem.

While this is true it likely isn't the issue causing the GFICB tripping. The likely culprit could be anything from an appliance such as the microwave "leaking voltage" to ground to even the shore cable causing an induced voltage to ground.

Just guessing but this is likely a result of an overzealous enforcement of the 2020 electrical code which was written in error and generally the enforcement folks are reverting to the previouse issuance until the 2020 version gets sorted. I've dealt with lot's of code enforcement folks all over the country during my working life and it's amazing how different they can be. It's the one's that still have their badge and sash hanging in the closet from when they were a "hall monitor" in grade school that are the worst.

[ftrupe]

L Haven:
I checked today the continuity on the plug. With the main breaker off, there was no continuity between the neutral and ground or the hot and ground, but there was continuity between the hot and neutral. Does this sound correct? I am hoping the issue was the campground as Flybouy suggested. I have a mobile RV Tech coming next week to repack bearings and adjust/replace the brakes. I'll ask him about the electric issue and what he would charge to put an EMS in if I purchase one, although looking at the install directions, it doesn't seem too difficult. Will all of them fit behind the panel? Any suggestions on brand, such as Progressive EMS HW30c?

[flybouy]

If the breakers were on when you checked continuity then you would get a resistance (ohms) reading between the line and neutral. That resistance most likely would be from the windings of the transformer in the converter. A permenantly mounted EMS may or may not fit behind the converter. Typically there is room to place it where the shore cable connects inside the camper. This is often found indide a cabinet behind a panel held in with a couple of screws.

[ftrupe]

Flybouy:
The breakers were on, but the 30 amp main braeker was off. I can put The EMS where the cable enters the trailer, but that is next to the bed under the nightstand. Not sure where I would place the display module then. If it is where the panel is, I can run the wire up through the closet above it.

[chuckster57]

Remote display has a 25’ phone cable I think.