From towable to RV, so much different.

Slowrey · 05-13-2020, 04:54 PM

2020 Precept 34g

This is going to sound so silly but..... We have owned a camper, I am the handy girl type, handle all things that go wrong (or try to). Owning an RV has made my brain hurt. It is wildly different and because we purchased it right when Ohio went on lockdown, so our walk through was interesting and I had to much wine the night before. Social distancing and a bit of dehydration headache, in a new RV, was not the most smooth process (to say the least).

Anyways, we have a 30 amp outside outlet. Got an adapter to go down to 30 amp from 50 amp. No power at all to the RV. Reset the breakers, plugged and unplugged. Checked the house circuit breakers and tested the outlet, it is fine. I looked EVERYWHERE for a typical GFI and cannot find one. Husband found one in the bathroom (hubby says its a gfi) but not the typical reset button type? I do NOT understand the inverter but that might be because it never does anything but battery. I can deal with that later? I replaced the 50 amp extension cord and will replace the adapter. But is there a trick to getting power? Is something terribly wrong? It worked at the camper place so I am wildly confused. Did I miss something? Should I stop panicking until the new dogbone comes?

Oh, and the main power light is on and will not turn off. Everything works on generator power and when the camper is running. Could it be behind the refrigerator, where is that plugged in?

Grumpy · 05-13-2020, 07:35 PM

Could be a bad adapter..did you test it?

AKRUEBBE · 05-14-2020, 08:13 AM

Does the gfi outlet in the bathroom have power to it?

Robbbyr · 05-14-2020, 08:22 AM

Is your outside outlet new or has it worked okay on a prior RV? Sometimes people confuse how a RV 30-amp outlet should be wired (for 120-volt) and mistakenly wire them for a 220-volt application like you would use for a welder or something similar.

curver900 · 05-14-2020, 08:42 AM

this sounds like you have a 50amp to 30 amp conversion plug right? maybe that plug is no good...

Rice1951 · 05-14-2020, 09:48 AM

Welcome to the JOF. Your first post is a doozy. Is the clock flashing on your microwave? If so, then you have 120vac. If not, then check voltage at your source outlet. Work your way from the outlet towards the coach checking for voltage at each connection. If it worked at the dealership then it’s unlikely anything on the coach failed. It’s more likely your issue lies with the connections between the coach and your voltage source. Good luck.

Vicr · 05-14-2020, 10:15 AM

Do you have a multi-meter?

If you don't go buy one so you can test your system

If you do start at your '30 amp outlet' and work from there.

We're all assuming you have the correct outlet to plug into if your dogbone adapter plugs in.

Vicr · 05-14-2020, 10:20 AM

If your 30 amp outlets works properly and your generator supplies coach with power, your main power switch is on then you have a problem with the ATS. Check to see if you have power on the incoming lugs for shore power on the ATS.

OR, take it back to the dealer and have them trouble shoot the coach.

Slowrey · 05-15-2020, 06:21 AM

You all are amazing, thank you so much for the replys. Hopefully the new "dogbone" adapter will be here today. I already replaced extension cord and will replace the dogbone (hopefully today). I agree with you all though its probably an outlet issue. I thought that from the beginning but the neighbor tested it and said it was getting the right voltage for a 30 amp. I am baffled!

I will also test the outlet in the bathroom. Which is not a push button reset gfi. It doesnt seem like I have any of those in the RV, the typical gfi. Which is baffling in and of itself.

Question, what is the ATF?

I will keep ya posted!

Robbbyr · 05-15-2020, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slowrey

Question, what is the ATF?

I will keep ya posted!

ATS - Automatic Transfer Switch. It automatically switches the power input from shore power (cord) to the generator and back. Sometimes they fail and "stick" in one position or the other.

You said someone looked at your outlet. Hopefully they verified only 120-volts are present. There are three terminals in a 30-amp RV outlet; 1 hot, 1 neutral, and one ground. 120-volts should show hot to neutral and hot to ground with a meter. Some similar (but not identical) outlets would be wired with L1 and L2 hots and one neutral. That gives you 220-volts hot to hot which may severely damage RV circuits. Fine for welders, bad for RVs!

Slowrey · 05-16-2020, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robbbyr

ATS - Automatic Transfer Switch. It automatically switches the power input from shore power (cord) to the generator and back. Sometimes they fail and "stick" in one position or the other.

You said someone looked at your outlet. Hopefully they verified only 120-volts are present. There are three terminals in a 30-amp RV outlet; 1 hot, 1 neutral, and one ground. 120-volts should show hot to neutral and hot to ground with a meter. Some similar (but not identical) outlets would be wired with L1 and L2 hots and one neutral. That gives you 220-volts hot to hot which may severely damage RV circuits. Fine for welders, bad for RVs!

Is my ATS located under the bed near the fuses like in other threads? I am still waiting on the new dogbone. Shipping is much slower than it used to be. I sent the information to the friend who tested the outlet to see if he checked all that as well.

Thanks so much for all the help!

Robbbyr · 05-16-2020, 03:06 PM

On my 2014 TS my transfer switch is under the wardrobe in the rear bedroom, easily accessible by removing the two drawers located there. Then it is right there on the floor. Not sure where newer units or different floor plans may have stashed it.

Slowrey · 05-20-2020, 07:21 AM

So, here is what we found. Friend came out and did a test on the outlet. When the electric got re-worked the guy did it WRONG. So, it did have 2 hots. We traced back from the outlet through the dogbone, through the extension cord. All fine, which is kind of sad, I was hoping one of them would blow out before the power got into the RV.

We contacted the electricians boss, letting him know what we found. He was NOT HAPPY about the mistake. It clearly says on the front of the outlet RV/Travel Trailer 125 volt.
So huge mistake on the workers part. The owner came out immediately and fixed the outlet and is troubleshooting what is wrong now in the camper so he can fix it because it was his employees fault.

Obviously that snafu created some glitches inside the camper. So we went in, and found the ATS and all the electric under the bed. He tested every line coming into the ATS and it seems like only one line is not getting power. Sadly, the electricians contact in the warranty department (for a major RV seller) just broke his leg so he cannot come out to help troubleshoot and figure out what needs to be replaced. Which would have been the easiest, fastest solution so that we could actually camp sometime soon without depending on the generator.

So, unless the broken leg guy pops up and reads all his texts, looks at photos and directs we wait for my RV place to get back to me about a service call.

Sometimes you just have to laugh at your luck.

Robbbyr · 05-20-2020, 07:59 AM

Very sorry to hear, hopefully they get you "camping-ready" very soon. And thanks for coming back and filling us in, perhaps your (unfortunate) experience will help someone in the future.

Slowrey · 05-20-2020, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robbbyr

Very sorry to hear, hopefully they get you "camping-ready" very soon. And thanks for coming back and filling us in, perhaps your (unfortunate) experience will help someone in the future.

Hopefully (fingers crossed). Not that I want to coin the term "Don't be a Slowrey." Hahaha

Slowrey · 05-20-2020, 03:27 PM

I do not suppose (because service is NOT getting back to me) anyone has any idea how to trouble shoot this situation? I found this in the manual The ATS will disconnect from shore power completely if the power coming in is not high
enough quality (i.e. either low/high voltage, or low/high frequency). But there is nothing saying how to fix it.

Guessing replace the ATS (I sound so smart now). There is not a lot out there and I do not want my electrician (the owner not the one I think got fired) to make a problem worse.

I think I will post a new thread and maybe, just maybe someone has had the same issue?

Wish me luck, and hopefully in time I can help someone with my mistakes.

Vicr · 05-20-2020, 05:50 PM

You can't troubleshoot electrical systems over the internet.

soonergypsy · 05-23-2020, 12:58 PM

I would also invest in a good surge arrestor even when at the house. You may look into a 30amp for the house and a 50 amp for when on the road.

Dave A · 05-23-2020, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by soonergypsy

I would also invest in a good surge arrestor even when at the house. You may look into a 30amp for the house and a 50 amp for when on the road.

We went camping last week and when we plugged the surge protector in it detected a problem and sure enough they had to replace the circuit breaker.

Vicr · 05-24-2020, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by soonergypsy

I would also invest in a good surge arrestor even when at the house. You may look into a 30amp for the house and a 50 amp for when on the road.

Close but no cigar. OP has a 50amp motorhome so he needs a 50 amp EMS. 50 amp EMS’s will work on any circuit of less ampacity. All a “surge arrestEr” does is protect against over voltage events. Most of the issues found at campgrounds and RV parks are under voltage problems due to an over loaded electrical system or a bad neutral, thus the need for an EMS.

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