2017 bhpr blown converter

charleshoffman455 · 05-28-2023, 09:01 AM

I have a 2017 Premier 34 BHPR. We came back to camp after being gone for a couple of hours. Converter and main breaker were kicked. We had AC power (microwave and 2nd A/C worked) but nothing else. Tested converter and no power was coming out to the battery. Replaced the converter and soon as I plugged it in it blew up. The only thing plugged in while we gone was the golf cart to the outside receptacle. The GFI was not kicked. Pulled all outlets and did not find any burnt wires. Here is where things get weird. For some reason there is 220 going to the ghi. The ghi did not blow. But then suddenly I had 110 to everything and I could have plugged in another converter but decided to wait. After about 1/2 hr it went back to being 220 and finally killed the GFI outlet. Any suggestions other than tearing apart the camper to find a short? Even with the breaker off to the GFI it’s showing 75 volts and 230 when it’s on. On my outlet tester it shows red fault 30 VAC hot/grd rev when plugged into the converter outlet and the gfi before it burned up.

**JRTJH** · 05-28-2023, 09:37 AM

Where is your trailer plugged into shore power ?????

It sounds like a problem OUTSIDE the trailer since it's a 2017 year model and this hasn't happened in the past....

Do you have a "true EMS" installed in the trailer or plugged into the shore power receptacle on the campground power post ????

I'd look first at the incoming power source and verify that it's correct.

charleshoffman455 · 05-28-2023, 09:49 AM

We don’t have ems but the pole was tested and it was fine. We are seasonal and the camper has been fine before this happened.

**JRTJH** · 05-28-2023, 10:23 AM

Then I'd question the way the power pole was "tested and determined to be fine".... Simply measuring to make sure there's 120 VAC on both legs and 240 VAC between the hot legs is not adequate testing. There's probably not a "miswired plug on the power pole" (unless somebody has been swapping wires since last season), but my bet would be on a corroded ground or a broken neutral in the campground electrical grid.

It is difficult to believe that a "wiring change" occurred inside the trailer with nobody claiming to have changed anything, but, to make sure you're not "chasing the wrong rainbow", before you start complaining about the campground power grid, disconnect your shore power cord and do a complete continuity check on each pin back to the inside connectors in the box behind the mouse hole door. Several people have reported a broken wire inside the molded plug on the shore power cord and a few have reported a broken wire or a damaged connector in that metal junction box (usually mounted on the floor of the trailer) where the shore power cable connects to the trailer ROMEX wiring.

If your trailer wiring is intact, then it's probably an issue in the campground power pedestal.

And, I'd strongly urge that you get either a hardwired or a portable EMS to protect your trailer. A "true EMS" isn't cheap, but at the price of converter/chargers, if you'd have had one already, you wouldn't be on your "third converter this season".....

charleshoffman455 · 05-28-2023, 10:34 AM

My AC power keeps coming on and off. The campers rear A/C will work sporadically. When it stops so does the microwave. It wil start working again when it feels like it. Yesterday, randomly I had correct current everywhere. But the GFI started making a burning smell. When it finally quit everything in the camper went back to being rev ground flashing red on my meter.

charleshoffman455 · 05-28-2023, 10:40 AM

I’m not an electrician. Is there a simple guide to follow to check continuity? And thanks for helping us. We are running off a house ac unit to keep the dogs cool on this holiday weekend.

**JRTJH** · 05-28-2023, 11:07 AM

First, disconnect the trailer from shore power and remove the front cover from the trailer power center. Check EVERY screw on EVERY buss bar to make sure all the wires are tightly secured in their respective wire terminal. Also check the circuit breaker wire terminals to make sure they are tight. If everything is tight and doesn't appear to have overheated (burned or brown wire insulation or soot at the screws holding the wires in place), then you can assume that the trailer power center wiring is good.

Next, I'm assuming you have a removeable shore power cable ????

If you do, then disconnect it from the trailer and lay it on the ground. Get both ends close to each other and have one person hold the ohmmeter with one lead on the L1 pin on the campground end of the plug (the end with pins) and the other lead on the L1 "hole" on the trailer end of the plug. You should have 0 ohms. Have another person "twist, bend and wiggle" both ends of the cable end plugs to check for a loose/broken wire inside the cable assembly.

Repeat this for L2, Neutral and ground pins/receptacles on the plug.

THEN, repeat the entire process with one of the leads on L1 and the other lead on the other three pins to see if there is a short inside the shore cable end plugs. Repeat this check on L1, Neutral and Ground pins.

Any needle movement on the ohmmeter (or changing LCD numbers) will indicate a problem on the inside of the shore power cable. If the cable functions properly, then you've pretty much eliminated the trailer as the problem. That only leaves the campground power pedestal and/or the campground power grid....

When you consider that the power pedestal sat all winter, outside in rain and snow, it's realistic to expect if there's a "dramatic change in power" that the pedestal is probably the "weakest link" or the "greatest probability of causing problems"....

This does not "completely rule out the trailer as the cause of the problem, but does help narrow down the cause to be outside the trailer.

charleshoffman455 · 05-28-2023, 11:12 AM

Present situation. Like I said randomly the converter plug show correct and ac power is working.

**flybouy** · 05-28-2023, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by charleshoffman455

I’m not an electrician. Is there a simple guide to follow to check continuity? And thanks for helping us. We are running off a house ac unit to keep the dogs cool on this holiday weekend.

. Can you clarify the bolded sentence? Are you saying you have the camper plugged into a 15 Amp receptical via a plug adapter?

charleshoffman455 · 05-28-2023, 01:28 PM

Portable ac unit plug into separate receptacle on pedestal.

charleshoffman455 · 05-28-2023, 01:30 PM

I have no help but in theory if I contort the cable it should set the tester to fault inside the camper correct.

charleshoffman455 · 05-29-2023, 12:44 PM

Did the wiggle test and no change. We borrowed a fancy surge protector/meter and there has not been a problem since. AC power has worked with no interruptions. I have not put the new converter in yet. I don’t want to blow another one but at this time, it’s been 24 hrs with no faults, that I should install it. Would a bad or weak battery cause this problem? The battery wouldn’t charge. I checked and saw it had almost no acid. I added a lot of distilled water and recharged with no problems.

**flybouy** · 05-29-2023, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by charleshoffman455

Did the wiggle test and no change. We borrowed a fancy surge protector/meter and there has not been a problem since. AC power has worked with no interruptions. I have not put the new converter in yet. I don’t want to blow another one but at this time, it’s been 24 hrs with no faults, that I should install it. Would a bad or weak battery cause this problem? The battery wouldn’t charge. I checked and saw it had almost no acid. I added a lot of distilled water and recharged with no problems.

. Sounds like the electrolyte (battery water) boiled out then the plates inside the battery warped until they shorted out. No amount of distilled water will fix that. Replace the battery before doing anything else.

. As to the converter it may be damaged. A battery with a shorted cell can cause the converter to fail. I'd turn the breaker to the converter off, remove the DC side wires, then turn the breaker on and check for DC voltage. If the two reverse polarity fuses are confirmed good and the DC side of the converter isn't producing over 12 vdc then the converter has failed.

charleshoffman455 · 05-31-2023, 05:09 PM

No need. I watched 3 converters catch on fire.

**flybouy** · 06-01-2023, 05:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by charleshoffman455

No need. I watched 3 converters catch on fire.

On the same trailer?

n1282x · 06-07-2023, 05:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by charleshoffman455

I have a 2017 Premier 34 BHPR. We came back to camp after being gone for a couple of hours. Converter and main breaker were kicked. We had AC power (microwave and 2nd A/C worked) but nothing else. Tested converter and no power was coming out to the battery. Replaced the converter and soon as I plugged it in it blew up. The only thing plugged in while we gone was the golf cart to the outside receptacle. The GFI was not kicked. Pulled all outlets and did not find any burnt wires. Here is where things get weird. For some reason there is 220 going to the ghi. The ghi did not blow. But then suddenly I had 110 to everything and I could have plugged in another converter but decided to wait. After about 1/2 hr it went back to being 220 and finally killed the GFI outlet. Any suggestions other than tearing apart the camper to find a short? Even with the breaker off to the GFI it’s showing 75 volts and 230 when it’s on. On my outlet tester it shows red fault 30 VAC hot/grd rev when plugged into the converter outlet and the gfi before it burned up.

Your problem is an open neutral leg. Concentrate on that!

wiredgeorge · 06-07-2023, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by n1282x

Your problem is an open neutral leg. Concentrate on that!

No offense but the OP doesn't appear to be highly skilled regarding electrical workings. Perhaps some explanation of what or how to check an open neutral leg might be in order.

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