Cougar 27SAB Trips House 20amp breaker

[jbt816]

Second post in as many days...


Prior to leaving on our first campout, I plugged the trailer into the 110V/20amp breaker in my garage through a series of dogbones in order to get the refrigerator cold and so we could pack. No issues. Everything went well.



We just returned from the trip and I plugged the unit back into the garage receptacle as before but now I am tripping the breaker in the garage.


The only thing that is different is that the power went out to the subdivision for about an hour while the trailer was plugged in and it was still plugged in when power was restored.


The water heater and HVAC are both off.


I certainly would appreciate any wisdom here on what happened.


Again, thanks in advance.
Bruce

[JRTJH]

It may just be that you're overloading the 15/20 amp plug circuit,,,

Start by turning off ALL the circuit breakers in the trailer, then plug the shore power cable into the house plug. Go into the trailer and turn on the main circuit breaker. Then turn on each breaker, one at a time. You'll come to a breaker that "trips the house circuit"... If you do, take note of what's running in the trailer, what you "need" and what you "don't need"...

I'd guess that while the power was out, your depleted your trailer battery a bit and now, as soon as you turn on power to the trailer, the refrigerator "switches to electric", the WFCO converter "switches to high gear" (to "fast charge the battery") and any other "unrecognized drains add to the 15 amps" and you trip the house breaker....

It doesn't take much to overload a 15 amp circuit. The converter and the refrigerator are "close to the limit" and anything else is "over the top"....

Also, take note of what else is on that "garage plug circuit"... A freezer, the lights in the garage, garage door opener, or other appliances/lights possibly even in another part of the house.... They also are a part of that 15/20 amp house circuit.

[jbt816]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

It may just be that you're overloading the 15/20 amp plug circuit,,,

Start by turning off ALL the circuit breakers in the trailer, then plug the shore power cable into the house plug. Go into the trailer and turn on the main circuit breaker. Then turn on each breaker, one at a time. You'll come to a breaker that "trips the house circuit"... If you do, take note of what's running in the trailer, what you "need" and what you "don't need"...

I'd guess that while the power was out, your depleted your trailer battery a bit and now, as soon as you turn on power to the trailer, the refrigerator "switches to electric", the WFCO converter "switches to high gear" (to "fast charge the battery") and any other "unrecognized drains add to the 15 amps" and you trip the house breaker....

It doesn't take much to overload a 15 amp circuit. The converter and the refrigerator are "close to the limit" and anything else is "over the top"....

Also, take note of what else is on that "garage plug circuit"... A freezer, the lights in the garage, garage door opener, or other appliances/lights possibly even in another part of the house.... They also are a part of that 15/20 amp house circuit.

Thanks for the quick response! First I need to ask what WFCO means. Also, I actually had the refrigerator off prior to the power going out (even though I posted that I had it on).



There isn't anything else on that particular circuit in the garage.


I will turn off the breakers and try to eliminate one that is causing the breaker to trip.

[flybouy]

WFCO is the brand name of the converter that takes the 120 VAC and coverts it to 12 vdc and has a charger for charging the battery,

[sourdough]

Hopefully the power outage didn't get to some electronic device inside. I've had outages and brownouts fry all kinds of electronics in our little town. I hope you have an EMS to protect you from those types of issues. Also, I've ran my trailer on a 20A breaker lots of times, it doesn't take a lot to trip it if not paying attention...or others get inside. It is a 20A vs 15A I assume?

[jbt816]

Originally Posted by sourdough

Hopefully the power outage didn't get to some electronic device inside. I've had outages and brownouts fry all kinds of electronics in our little town. I hope you have an EMS to protect you from those types of issues. Also, I've ran my trailer on a 20A breaker lots of times, it doesn't take a lot to trip it if not paying attention...or others get inside. It is a 20A vs 15A I assume?

Yes it’s a 20 amp breaker. I have a whole house surge protector.

[wiredgeorge]

A surge protector has only one function where an EMS protects against many things that can cause damage to you camper's electrical components. Not the same thing.

[cavie]

Originally Posted by jbt816

Thanks for the quick response! First I need to ask what WFCO means. Also, I actually had the refrigerator off prior to the power going out (even though I posted that I had it on).



There isn't anything else on that particular circuit in the garage.


I will turn off the breakers and try to eliminate one that is causing the breaker to trip.

GFI breaker. Is there power to the outlet?

[jbt816]

Originally Posted by cavie

GFI breaker. Is there power to the outlet?

Yes. I checked it out

[KimNTerry]

Always check any dog bone adapters. I have had more than one cheap Wal-mart dog bone release it's smoke causing the garage breaker to trip.

[Ken / Claudia]

I have had the same problems in the past so much so. I had a 30a RV outlet added to the vacation home, my last home and my new home. Now no problems until I buy a 50a RV. It was the best 200 to 300 bucks I did and never worry or have blown another 15a /20a circuit while having a RV in the driveway. Mine was from something else in house getting turned on or to many things in RV getting turned on.

[jbt816]

Ok to all that have helped me thus far, I turned off all of the breakers in the rv, plugged the rv into the shore power (on a 20 amp breaker in the shop) and then individually turned each breaker starting with the main.

When I got to “GFI” labeled breaker in the RV, it tripped. I started over but skipped over the GFI labeled breaker.

Everything was fine for about 8 minutes and then it tripped.

So I started over again. I only had the 50 amp breaker in the rv on when it tripped again.

So when I say tripped, I mean the 20 amp breaker in the shop panel tripped but each time, it sounds as if it is coming from the rv.

I also plugged the rv into a different 20 circuit. It tripped that circuit with just the “main” breaker.

I am installing a dedicated 50 amp plug in the shop tomorrow. Should I plug the rv into it?

[Canonman]

When you had the trailer out did you use shore power or batteries?

"We just returned from the trip and I plugged the unit back into the garage receptacle as before but now I am tripping the breaker in the garage." Did this happen before the "neighborhood power" went out?

Something is drawing more than 20 amps. If you were not using shore power on your trip, then the batteries might be charging. This draws additional amps. Also, what is the distance from the 20amp outlet to the trailer? Could be the extension cord wire gauge is too light causing it to get hot and draw more amps. Or, could be the adaptors as suggested earlier.

If you have an amp meter, I'd use that to troubleshoot the circuit, step by step.

Your garage outlet should be GFI protected. It doesn't take much of an imbalance to trip the GFI breaker.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by jbt816

Ok to all that have helped me thus far, I turned off all of the breakers in the rv, plugged the rv into the shore power (on a 20 amp breaker in the shop) and then individually turned each breaker starting with the main.

When I got to “GFI” labeled breaker in the RV, it tripped. I started over but skipped over the GFI labeled breaker.

Everything was fine for about 8 minutes and then it tripped.

So I started over again. I only had the 50 amp breaker in the rv on when it tripped again.

So when I say tripped, I mean the 20 amp breaker in the shop panel tripped but each time, it sounds as if it is coming from the rv.

I also plugged the rv into a different 20 circuit. It tripped that circuit with just the “main” breaker.

I am installing a dedicated 50 amp plug in the shop tomorrow. Should I plug the rv into it?

To answer your question highlighted in red: Are you installing the plug or are you having it installed? If you are installing it, are you a qualified electrician??? or ???

I'm not trying to "point fingers or be smart" rather just questioning the experience and reliability of the person doing the wiring and installation.... If it's installed correctly, no harm in connecting the RV to it. On the other hand...... It could potentially burn down both the shop and the RV if incorrectly wired and you don't have an EMS...

[jbt816]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

To answer your question highlighted in red: Are you installing the plug or are you having it installed? If you are installing it, are you a qualified electrician??? or ???

I'm not trying to "point fingers or be smart" rather just questioning the experience and reliability of the person doing the wiring and installation.... If it's installed correctly, no harm in connecting the RV to it. On the other hand...... It could potentially burn down both the shop and the RV if incorrectly wired and you don't have an EMS...

No I am not a licensed electrician but I am a code-certified residential electrical inspector.

But direct current is not my area of expertise.

[jbt816]

Originally Posted by Canonman

When you had the trailer out did you use shore power or batteries?

"We just returned from the trip and I plugged the unit back into the garage receptacle as before but now I am tripping the breaker in the garage." Did this happen before the "neighborhood power" went out?

Something is drawing more than 20 amps. If you were not using shore power on your trip, then the batteries might be charging. This draws additional amps. Also, what is the distance from the 20amp outlet to the trailer? Could be the extension cord wire gauge is too light causing it to get hot and draw more amps. Or, could be the adaptors as suggested earlier.

If you have an amp meter, I'd use that to troubleshoot the circuit, step by step.

Your garage outlet should be GFI protected. It doesn't take much of an imbalance to trip the GFI breaker.

We were on shore power at a state park. I’m not using an extension cord but am using the RV’s cord with a surge protector, 50 to 30, 30 to 15 dogbones.

As mentioned earlier, I used this set up minus the surge protector on Friday and ran the refrigerator without issue.

To my knowledge this all started after the power outage.

The receptacles in the shop/garage are not GFCI.

[jbt816]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

To answer your question highlighted in red: Are you installing the plug or are you having it installed? If you are installing it, are you a qualified electrician??? or ???

I'm not trying to "point fingers or be smart" rather just questioning the experience and reliability of the person doing the wiring and installation.... If it's installed correctly, no harm in connecting the RV to it. On the other hand...... It could potentially burn down both the shop and the RV if incorrectly wired and you don't have an EMS...

My rationale for the "should I plug it in" question was more to the point of frying a circuit board. I do not have an EMS.

[cavie]

Originally Posted by jbt816

No I am not a licensed electrician but I am a code-certified residential electrical inspector.

But direct current is not my area of expertise.

You got this! It has nothing to do with direct current. Where did you get that from?

[cavie]

Originally Posted by jbt816

My rationale for the "should I plug it in" question was more to the point of frying a circuit board. I do not have an EMS.

You can not screw up 2 hots, a neutral, and a ground on a 50 amp service.

[jbt816]

Am I mistaken in that everything in the rv except the AC and the microwave operates off of the battery? And that the system is constantly keeping the battery charged when in shore power?