No AC power

[Winder31]

Hey,

Living in this new to us trailer for a few months while house is finished. 2009 Laredo. Left to run an errand this morning and came back to heat up my coffee in the microwave and no light on. Space heater plugged in not working. No AC power. No breakers tripped, everything just dead. Plugged into a 50 amp connection with a 30 amp adapter. Cycled those breakers, power checks good at outlet. Guy I’m buying the house from says there should be a 30 amp main breaker somewhere. I’ve looked in and out but only electrical I see is the breaker and fuse box. Any ideas appreciated. Thanks!

[jasin1]

Originally Posted by Winder31

Hey,

Living in this new to us trailer for a few months while house is finished. 2009 Laredo. Left to run an errand this morning and came back to heat up my coffee in the microwave and no light on. Space heater plugged in not working. No AC power. No breakers tripped, everything just dead. Plugged into a 50 amp connection with a 30 amp adapter. Cycled those breakers, power checks good at outlet. Guy I’m buying the house from says there should be a 30 amp main breaker somewhere. I’ve looked in and out but only electrical I see is the breaker and fuse box. Any ideas appreciated. Thanks!

I would get a tester and double check the outlet and check the adapter and your shore power cable

[CedarCreekWoody]

I can see the 30 amp main in your photo. It doesn't look tripped but flip it off and back on. Use your multimeter and test it for voltage.

Edit: although it looks like a breaker for a circuit it is actually your main. Power ENTERS through this breaker, feeding the others.

[Winder31]

Originally Posted by CedarCreekWoody

I can see the 30 amp main in your photo. It doesn't look tripped but flip it off and back on. Use your multimeter and test it for voltage.

Edit: although it looks like a breaker for a circuit it is actually your main. Power ENTERS through this breaker, feeding the others.

Ok, so that is the main. Thanks. No voltage there.

[Winder31]

Originally Posted by jasin1

I would get a tester and double check the outlet and check the adapter and your shore power cable

Ok, good idea. Didn’t check the adapter. Will do that tomorrow, thanks.

[wiredgeorge]

Power at your 30A outlet goes through an 50->30A adapter. Use a multimeter set to AC on a range high enough to read your voltage (such as 200 VAC). You could check the power right at the 50A outlet by checking each 120V leg and the neutral (four holes on the outlet) or check the voltage on the end of the 30A adapter. If you have 120V AC in either spot, go to your power center and pull out the only breaker that says 30A and put your probe on the black wire inserted and held by a set screw and on the bar where the white wire connects. You should have 120V AC there as well. If your camper's power cord comes in directly through a hole in the camper, there will be a black, white and green wire with the black connected to the main breaker which sits in that tray holding all breakers and feeds positive AC to each of the others. The white wire end of your power cord connects to a metal bridge and is the neutral and all the other neutrals in other circuits connect here. The green is ground and connects to a ground bar and all other grounds from the circuits in your camper connect here.

When checking the power, remove your 50 to 30A adapter and check the metal contacts carefully as they may show signs of burning and the same for your shore power cord plugged into the adapter.

[Winder31]

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

Power at your 30A outlet goes through an 50->30A adapter. Use a multimeter set to AC on a range high enough to read your voltage (such as 200 VAC). You could check the power right at the 50A outlet by checking each 120V leg and the neutral (four holes on the outlet) or check the voltage on the end of the 30A adapter. If you have 120V AC in either spot, go to your power center and pull out the only breaker that says 30A and put your probe on the black wire inserted and held by a set screw and on the bar where the white wire connects. You should have 120V AC there as well. If your camper's power cord comes in directly through a hole in the camper, there will be a black, white and green wire with the black connected to the main breaker which sits in that tray holding all breakers and feeds positive AC to each of the others. The white wire end of your power cord connects to a metal bridge and is the neutral and all the other neutrals in other circuits connect here. The green is ground and connects to a ground bar and all other grounds from the circuits in your camper connect here.

When checking the power, remove your 50 to 30A adapter and check the metal contacts carefully as they may show signs of burning and the same for your shore power cord plugged into the adapter.

All done just as you suggested. No power at that 30 amp main breaker. Shore power verified as well as power out of adapter. Took RV power cord plug apart, all good. Appears power is entering through cord and never making it to main breaker. Been working fine for 2 weeks. Trailer has not moved.

[Winder31]

Going to try and troubleshoot each leg of cord using an extension cord.

[snoobler]

Originally Posted by Winder31

Going to try and troubleshoot each leg of cord using an extension cord.

The 30-50A adapter jumpers L1 and L2 so that both legs of the 50A RV system gets 120VAC to N but 0V to each other, and you're restricted to 30A over BOTH legs since N is being used as a live conductor rather than just balancing load between the two legs when connected to 50A.

If your unit has an automatic transfer switch, ATS, to select between generator and shore power, it might have failed. Find where the power cord attaches and see if you're getting voltage at those terminals. Check all three of them to each other.

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by snoobler

The 30-50A adapter jumpers L1 and L2 so that both legs of the 50A RV system gets 120VAC to N but 0V to each other, and you're restricted to 30A over BOTH legs since N is being used as a live conductor rather than just balancing load between the two legs when connected to 50A.

If your unit has an automatic transfer switch, ATS, to select between generator and shore power, it might have failed. Find where the power cord attaches and see if you're getting voltage at those terminals. Check all three of them to each other.

You have that reversed. The OP has a 30 amp camper plugged into a 50 amp pedestal.

[Winder31]

Originally Posted by flybouy

You have that reversed. The OP has a 30 amp camper plugged into a 50 amp pedestal.

Correct. No generator.

[CedarCreekWoody]

As suggested, if you have a transfer switch, check that is passing power. It is very rare that a cord would have power at one end and not the other. Check in your circuit breaker box that all connections (power and common) are all solid and not loose or corroded.

[Winder31]

Appears the connector inside the plug is bad. Heading to Lowe’s to get a new one.

[flybouy]

Make certain you strip the wire back far enough yo get to shiney, new looking copper in the wire.

[CedarCreekWoody]

Originally Posted by Winder31

Appears the connector inside the plug is bad. Heading to Lowe’s to get a new one.

Glad you found the problem.

[Winder31]

Originally Posted by CedarCreekWoody

Glad you found the problem.

Welp, still no power. At a loss now.

[Winder31]

Originally Posted by flybouy

Make certain you strip the wire back far enough yo get to shiney, new looking copper in the wire.

Green wire very shiny. White and black is somewhat discolored. I’ve go back several inches. Really think that will make a difference?

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by Winder31

Green wire very shiny. White and black is somewhat discolored. I’ve go back several inches. Really think that will make a difference?

Absolutly. Discoloration is caused by oxidation from overheating. That discoloration is a coating on the wire that will impeade the wires ability to carry current. Ohms law states the that with voltage constant the higher the resistance the higher the amperage for a given load. If you can't get the wire stripped back to find undamaged wire than the cable should be replaced. The disclaimer of course is that I'm not looking at the wire. A picture would help if it's decent quality.

[Winder31]

Problem found. It was the black wire in the cord. Did a continuity test and found it bad. Took a broken electrical cord, used all 3 wires and hooked that up to plug and breaker and we have power.

Question I have is obviously the cord needs replaced. The other odd thing is the wire at the plug end is strand, the wire going into the breaker is solid. Obviously they meet somewhere. There is a small junction box in the receptacle where the hose is stored on the RV. Can you replace the hose from there? Thinking the in and out movement of that 13 year old cord would break in that area.

Figured all 3 wires is about the equivalent of that solid wire for 30 amps for a temp fix.

[wiredgeorge]

Originally Posted by Winder31

Green wire very shiny. White and black is somewhat discolored. I’ve go back several inches. Really think that will make a difference?

You bet. SHINEY is where you want to connect to those screws inside the plug and not discolored; that is oxidized wire and doesn't conduct well.