Check your 50 & 30 amp cable

[LarryL]

I just got back from 9 days camping at Pismo Beach got there on super bowl Sunday about 3:30pm, getting RV set up put slides out hooked water and tv then plugged in the 50amp electrical went inside turned the tv on, game just getting started.
We have a small wine cooler I plugged it in gfi breaker popped in bathroom
unplugged cooler, tv went off reset breaker turned tv back on plugged cooler into another receptacle flash from inside cooler breaker popped again unplugged cooler ok something is wrong with cooler, reset breaker I then put the breaker on for electric water heater when I did that, I heard a sizzle sound from the basement turned that breaker off , opened the door where my sears 19.2 battery charger was plugged in charging a battery, charger and battery were melted, unplugged 50 amp from campground listed to
game on the radio.
Monday morning got campground to check shore power it was ok they plugged it back in checked outlets in side trailer no neutral, we unplugged shore power I called a rv service that comes out to the campground could not get there until Tuesday morning so we had no power for one more day .
I wanted to make sure I plugged the cable into the trailer the right way so I unplugged it from the trailer and started to plug it back in when the cable fell out of the plug,
with the neutral coming loose in the plug I had 240 volts going through my trailer it took out the microwave oven the electric side of the refrigerator the wine cooler.
I am lucky that was all, I wanted to buy a surge protector did not know which to buy the one you put on the shore power or the one you put in the trailer I think the one you put in the trailer is the one I will buy the one you put on the shore powerwould not have stopped this problem check your cable at the plug into the rv end.

[f6bits]

Shoot, that’s a bummer. I think the pedestal end of my power cable is sealed. I already have a portable surge guard, so I’ll just keep my eyes open when working with the power cord. I now know that the space below my breaker box is pretty empty. Had I known that and wanted to tackle a worthwhile project, I’d install the inline surge protection in that space, and while I was at it, an inverter.

[LarryL]

I didn't think the power cord would come apart so easy I don't
drag it around by the plug it was just not put together very
good and it will cost me.

[geo]

Larryl -

Yes, I had something similar happen. See http://www.keystonerv.org/forums/showthread.php?t=4567. I replaced both plugs at the ends of the cable. The pedestal male plug end was pulled out where i could see the wires. But it was the fiver attachment end that was my primary problem. Sounds like I was mighty lucky! You do have my thoughts and sorry for your misfortune though.

Just a reminder to everyone to constantly inspect and check both ends of the shore line cable!

Ron

[KAB449]

First mod I did was to install the Progressive Industries 50 amp EMS. The hardwired version as close to the trailer power distribution panel as you can get. Will find an open neutral and shut down. Well worth the approx $250.

[LarryL]

I will buy the EMS-HW50C but was thinking of putting it in
the cabinet where the power cord comes into the trailer
lots of room and over a foot of cable I can splice into I
have seen that others on this forum have put it there.

[Bob Landry]

I nstalled mine in the bottom of the cabinet that sits between the chairs. It needs to be as close to the inlet as possible so that all of your wiring is protected. Theoretically, it shuts down power before anything bad happens, but I roll on the same theory that any protective device is there to protect the wire, not the appliance.

[Bob Landry]

I nstalled mine in the bottom of the cabinet that sits between the chairs. It needs to be as close to the inlet as possible so that all of your wiring is protected. Theoretically, it shuts down power before anything bad happens, but I roll on the same theory that any protective device is there to protect the wire, not the appliance. I also installed it using interlocking 30A plugs so in the unlikely event the EMS goes south, I can remove it and reconnect the two plugs and continue on with shore power.