Half power. Help please!

[TeamRAB]

I can’t figure this one out. My ‘18 whitehawk 29RL only has power to the right half of the fusebox.

I’ve been connected for a while with no issues. But recently this would happen. The first time, it was a loose shore power cord. I plugged it back in and righted it up, works great. Today this.

Any help would be appreciated.

[RogerR]

Could be your plug is bad, the parks box is bad. If you have one move from 50 to 30 amp plug and see if that helps. Also, if you have the cable, run it to the next nearest box as a test.



If nothing helps than you may have a bad connection on the back of the box from the two legs.



(all of above based on 50 amp connection)

[Grumpy]

Have you tried to reset the main breaker in your panel and at the post? I have seen breakers trip, but not move. Also as was mentioned take the cover off and check the wiring on each leg to be sure the screws are tight.

[TeamRAB]

It is a 50 amp. Park’s box is good.

Just to clarify, the three 15s and the 20 on the left have no power as well. The two 15s and two 20s on the right have power.

[TeamRAB]

I have reset all breakers, no change. Looks like I’m opening the cover.

[TeamRAB]

All wires inside are secure.

[Jagiven]

I suspect that you have a loose lug, at the 50 amp breaker. I recommend pulling the box, and tightening all the lugs for both the 12 & 120 volt systems. Many years ago, jayco did not do a good job, properly tight the lugs.
I pulled my panel when I added a 12 volt circuit. Nearly every lug was loose.

Make sure to fully disconnect the battery and shower power.

[JohnWedell]

Only if you know what you’re doing,
1 - Check the power pedestal and make sure you have 115 V on each phase
2 - If that checks out unplug the cord from the trailer and verify you have 115 V on each phase going into the trailer
3 - If that checks out remove the panel cover inside the trailer and check that you have 115 V on each phase into the 50 amp breaker
4 - If that checks out and you still don’t have power to one side, probably the breaker is bad
( if the cord doesn’t unplug from the trailer skip step two )
( you can also work backwards I could do it either way.)

I’m a retired electrician and that’s the method that I would use

[MPD56]

I assume you have a 50 amp connection

Try connecting with a 30 amp adapter, and let us know.

[2naEagle]

When you say "loose shore power cord" is it at the pedestal or trailer?

You may also need to pull the 50 amp receptacle at the trailer and check the wires where they connect in the back of it.

[TeamRAB]

Update: several of the thing recommended were outside my wheelhouse. (Pretty much everything jagiven and John recommended) After going away for a couple days, I returned expecting to have no power and to call and have the mobile RV repair man come over. Lo and behold, I had full power.

Do you think I should still call the repair man, or would he not be able to find anything as full power has returned?

[2naEagle]

Well you had a problem. It was not found or repaired. I would want to check everything that has a connection. If you have to call in someone so be it. A loose connection will eventually become a big problem.

[Dao]

Originally Posted by 2naEagle

Well you had a problem. It was not found or repaired. I would want to check everything that has a connection. If you have to call in someone so be it. A loose connection will eventually become a big problem.

I agree. My dad who was an electrician, said that 90% of all electrical problems are bad connections. Of course he also said, "when playing with electricity only use one hand, that way the shock won't go though your heart". Might be good advice, but I prefer to turn the power off...

[MPD56]

Originally Posted by Dao

I agree. My dad who was an electrician, said that 90% of all electrical problems are bad connections. Of course he also said, "when playing with electricity only use one hand, that way the shock won't go though your heart". Might be good advice, but I prefer to turn the power off...

Well if electricity goes through your organs, your heart would be the least of your worries.

If he tried a 30 amp adapter, we would've knew if he lost a phase in the pedestal or the trailer.

[norty1]

My first thing to eliminate would be the common ground neutral on the power cable feeding your trailer. Of course if it's now working it will occur again at another inconvenient time.
I would have a knowledgeable person with the proper equipment follow up on it. Looking for loose terminal connections or bad connections.

Read up on floating neutrals.

[2naEagle]

Losing one side of the line on a 50 amp is very inconvenient.
A loose connection will eventually become a problem.

Most people with a 50 amp RV just do not understand how devastating a open neutral can be to your RV.

[MPD56]

If the problem was with the neutral, you would still read voltage at both sides. Although pluging things in receptacles would change voltages at the receptacles.

Using a 30 amp adapter would confirm a phase loss or open neutral.

There is a new post
Where a member lost a phase because loose connection on the main trailer breaker,from the factory. I don't assume anything,.

[RetiredOne]

I don't think it's a open neutral, since he still has one leg live.

I agree with probably a bad/loose connection maybe on the breaker or incoming connector. Loose connections seems to be big trend on these rigs.

[TeamRAB]

Updating in case anyone in the future has the same problem! I called a tech and he said to let me know if it happens again. It happened again yesterday.

Tech soles out and finds that the wires connecting to the input for the shore power cable were loose. Reconnected them and power is at 100%.

Thanks to everyone who offered help back in September, and happy camping!

[TCNashville]

Thank you for the follow up. Too many times someone posts up with a problem and we never hear if it was resolved or not. Much appreciated.