Fridge Keeps Tripping Outside Storage Facility GFCI Plug

edepp · 04-07-2021, 10:23 AM

Our Dometic refrigerator keeps tripping the storage facility outside "GFCI." We have nothing but the fridge turned on while on the storage lot. We have a commercial extension cord going from our travel trailer directly to the storage unit's GFCI outlet. They said that we may have a power surge "issue." I'm not so "sure." Any ideas?

**chuckster57** · 04-07-2021, 10:44 AM

Has this been an issue from day one? What gauge extension cord and how long? Does it trip as soon as you plug in, or after the fridge has been on for a while?

The electric element will cause an increased draw, how many amps is the storage GFCI outlet and are you the only one plugged into that circuit?

edepp · 04-07-2021, 11:04 AM

Happening from day one. We use a 16 GAUGE wire, 25 foot, 13 amp, 125 volt, 1625 watt, 5-15P/R, UL Listed outdoor extension cord. We have the receptacle to ourselves. We know it works. When we are there to clean up, we have the fridge on, lights and tv running. No issues. We turn everything off except the fridge when we leave. We have even gone back the next day and everything is fine. But it has tripped multiple times while we aren't there. We have a 2021 Keystone 30ripr. Thanks, Erin

Javi · 04-07-2021, 11:29 AM

Most likely the fridge is on a GFCI in the trailer... Plugging the extension cord into a GFCI can sometimes cause problem... GFCI don't like being in a chain...

https://diy.stackexchange.com/questi...er-gfci-outlet

cavie · 04-07-2021, 11:59 AM

trip the GFI circuit in your RV and report back with the results.

edepp · 04-07-2021, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cavie

trip the GFI circuit in your RV and report back with the results.

Thanks. I'll give it a try. I'm also going to check out how the others have their RVs plugged into their individual spots. Maybe we're using the wrong cords.

edepp · 04-15-2021, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cavie

trip the GFI circuit in your RV and report back with the results.

TO ALL IN THIS THREAD: Checked and the fridge is not on a GFCI. (There is one in the bathroom and it isn't tripped.) We've tried everything. Our hookup at our storage facility is: 50amp to 15amp is plugged into our rv with a heavy gauge extension cord plugged into the 15AMP, and that's plugged into the storage facility receptacle. I checked all the other RVs around us and they are all hooked up exactly like ours. The only thing we have on in the RV is the fridge. Not even lights. It's a small 8 Cubic foot fridge. What's weird is that our entire electrical system works when we hook up our 50AMP directly to a campsite. We went camping last weekend and had zero issues. When we took it back to storage and tried to plug the 50 to 15 amp to 110 receptacle, it immediately tripped again. We verified that our 50 to 15 amp plug is good. Since we're still under warranty (only had it since Aug 2020) we're taking it to have it looked at along with a few other minor issues. Thanks to everyone that replied here to help me out. I appreciate every one of you! Erin

edepp · 04-15-2021, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Javi

Most likely the fridge is on a GFCI in the trailer... Plugging the extension cord into a GFCI can sometimes cause problem... GFCI don't like being in a chain...

https://diy.stackexchange.com/questi...er-gfci-outlet

TO ALL IN THIS THREAD: Checked and the fridge is not on a GFCI. (There is one in the bathroom and it isn't tripped.) We've tried everything. Our hookup at our storage facility is: 50amp to 15amp is plugged into our rv with a heavy gauge extension cord plugged into the 15AMP, and that's plugged into the storage facility receptacle. I checked all the other RVs around us and they are all hooked up exactly like ours. The only thing we have on in the RV is the fridge. Not even lights. It's a small 8 Cubic foot fridge. What's weird is that our entire electrical system works when we hook up our 50AMP directly to a campsite. We went camping last weekend and had zero issues. When we took it back to storage and tried to plug the 50 to 15 amp to 110 receptacle, it immediately tripped again. We verified that our 50 to 15 amp plug is good. Since we're still under warranty (only had it since Aug 2020) we're taking it to have it looked at along with a few other minor issues. Thanks so everyone that replied here to help me out. I appreciate every one of you! Erin

**flybouy** · 04-07-2021, 02:09 PM

16 ga wire is too light, use 14 or 12. When you say "turn everything off" do you turn the breaker for the converter off? Depending on the battery condition the converter can draw a considerable load, look at the breaker for it for the rating. If the outlet only trips when you are not present then I suspect either the battery charger is kicking it off when the fridge is running or someone is plugging something in when you aren't there. Of course, some could be tripping it just to mean as well. I would get a decent extension cord first and eliminate that.

edepp · 04-07-2021, 05:06 PM

Thanks. We’ll try a different extension cord. As far as what is plugged in/left on, we have the electric ‘on’ at the control panel, then we turn everything off except the fridge. No lights or anything else are left on. The tv is plugged in, but off, obviously.

edepp · 04-07-2021, 05:10 PM

Oh. And not sure about what you mean by converter.

**chuckster57** · 04-07-2021, 05:11 PM

[QUOTE=edepp;442953]Thanks. We’ll try a different extension cord. As far as what is plugged in/left on, we have the electric ‘on’ at the control panel, then we turn everything off except the fridge. No lights or anything else are left on. The tv is plugged in, but off, obviously.[/QUOTE
If you don’t turn off the breaker for the converter, then it’s on and doing it’s thing. On the flip side, you do need 12VDC for the fridge controls. Kind of a catch-22.

edepp · 04-07-2021, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flybouy

16 ga wire is too light, use 14 or 12. When you say "turn everything off" do you turn the breaker for the converter off? Depending on the battery condition the converter can draw a considerable load, look at the breaker for it for the rating. If the outlet only trips when you are not present then I suspect either the battery charger is kicking it off when the fridge is running or someone is plugging something in when you aren't there. Of course, some could be tripping it just to mean as well. I would get a decent extension cord first and eliminate that.

You mentioned the converter. We are learning since this is our first trailer BUT I think the converter may be in the same compartment with the fuses. We are learning as we go, as you can tell.

Not sure what to check, though.

bobbecky · 04-07-2021, 06:23 PM

Another thing to consider is, being outside, have you had rain? If the connections, either at the trailer end or at the receptacle where the cord is plugged into are getting wet, even from heavy fog, it’s possible that the moisture can be tripping the GFI.

edepp · 04-08-2021, 07:26 AM

It's in a dry location.

cavie · 04-08-2021, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by edepp

It's in a dry location.

And your point is??

**flybouy** · 04-07-2021, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by edepp

You mentioned the converter. We are learning since this is our first trailer BUT I think the converter may be in the same compartment with the fuses. We are learning as we go, as you can tell.

Not sure what to check, though.

The converter is the device that takes 120 vac and converts it to 12 vdc. It has a built in battery charger to keep the trailer battery charged. Typically it's attached to the back of the electrical distribution panel where your 120 vac breakers and 12 vdc fuses are housed.

edepp · 04-08-2021, 07:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flybouy

The converter is the device that takes 120 vac and converts it to 12 vdc. It has a built in battery charger to keep the trailer battery charged. Typically it's attached to the back of the electrical distribution panel where your 120 vac breakers and 12 vdc fuses are housed.

Thank you! We'll be checking it today.

edepp · 04-15-2021, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flybouy

16 ga wire is too light, use 14 or 12. When you say "turn everything off" do you turn the breaker for the converter off? Depending on the battery condition the converter can draw a considerable load, look at the breaker for it for the rating. If the outlet only trips when you are not present then I suspect either the battery charger is kicking it off when the fridge is running or someone is plugging something in when you aren't there. Of course, some could be tripping it just to mean as well. I would get a decent extension cord first and eliminate that.

Thanks for the suggestions. Here is an update: TO ALL IN THIS THREAD: Checked and the fridge is not on a GFCI. (There is one in the bathroom and it isn't tripped.) We've tried everything. Our hookup at our storage facility is: 50amp to 15amp is plugged into our rv with a heavy gauge extension cord plugged into the 15AMP, and that's plugged into the storage facility receptacle. I checked all the other RVs around us and they are all hooked up exactly like ours. The only thing we have on in the RV is the fridge. Not even lights. It's a small 8 Cubic foot fridge. What's weird is that our entire electrical system works when we hook up our 50AMP directly to a campsite. We went camping last weekend and had zero issues. When we took it back to storage and tried to plug the 50 to 15 amp to 110 receptacle, it immediately tripped again. We verified that our 50 to 15 amp plug is good. Since we're still under warranty (only had it since Aug 2020) we're taking it to have it looked at along with a few other minor issues. Thanks so everyone that replied here to help me out. I appreciate every one of you! Erin

**flybouy** · 04-09-2021, 07:46 AM

Back in the early-mid 1970's I was deer hunting in WV. As a passenger the car was hit on the passenger side door. Broke a bunch of bones (pelvis, 3 vertebrae, etc.) so they carted me off to nearest hospital some 25 miles away. Small hospital didn't even have an orthopedic doctor. After a general surgeon set my pelvis and after waiting 2 weeks they transported me to a hospital in Baltimore.

Now to the relevant part.

They stopped the ambulance at the Maryland state line and fueled up the ambo. The girl in the back with me (I think she was a nurse) asked me if minded if they bought some beer. I told her that was fine with me and that I wouldn't say anything about it. She explained that they wanted to get it then because they feared the store would be closed by the time they returned. WV had a 3.2 alcohol limit on beer so they wanted the "good stuff" from Maryland. Apparently the entire firehouse had placed an order.

So, after about 40 min of the 2 drivers and the nurse loading up the back of the ambo I was literally surrounded with cases of Rolling Rock as tall as my head.

She threw sheets & blankets over the beer to hide it. Well, you should have seen the look on the hospital's attendants faces when they looked in the back of that ambo! It looked like two gurneys with bodies on then, covered in sheets. I told the attendant that It was a rough ride and the other 2 didn't make it. This was 2 weeks before Christmas. The nurse about busted a gut trying not to laugh. She sent me a Christmas card with a note thanking me for making their trip. Apparently the story was a big hit back at the Volunteer Fire/Rescue Squad.

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