Electrical Fire at cord

[HookedOnWeb]

Has anyone experienced an electrical fire due to a faulty main power cord?

We just lost our 2014 Jayco UltraLight to an electrical fire.

[hoppers4]

Yowza, whatta mess!

Had a problem with the main power cord that had been overheated. Opened the partially melted potted plug to discover an inadequate crimp on the 115V leg of the connector.

[Grumpy]

Sorry to hear that, didn't the circuit breaker pop in the house?

[curver900]

no EMS ?
yikes...

[Camper_bob]

I had a problem, but thankfully I caught it before it could burn my rig down.

This one was mostly my fault, but it could just as easily have been caused by Jayco in production. They used wire nuts to attach the shore power plug to the Romex that goes to the main panel in a junction box in the back of a compartment in my rig. I modified that connection, and when I put it all back together I emulated the installation Jayco had done. A few weeks later I was having some power problems and as part of my trouble-shooting, I ended up discovering that I had not made a good connection in that junction box. One of the wire nuts came loose from movement and I got some pretty good burns inside that box.

Like I said, thankfully I caught it before there was major damage, and when I repaired it, I did it A LOT better than Jayco did, and A LOT better than I did the first time. Seeing the damage and knowing what could have potentially happened scared me.

Loose connections can also be found on the back of the main service panel in many rigs. I've seen anecdotes on this very forum that scare me greatly, and pictures that push home the point. Some fires just waiting to happen. I checked those connections on my rig a long time ago, but not closely enough IMO since that box is right below my bed...

[kblast523]

Originally Posted by hoppers4

Yowza, whatta mess!

Had a problem with the main power cord that had been overheated. Opened the partially melted potted plug to discover an inadequate crimp on the 115V leg of the connector.

As preventative measure, have removed ALL the pigtail and 12v body connectors on the front of my 2018 Jayfeather. Found the crimp where the power lead for the brakes connects to the positive battery post basically just sitting inside what should have been a crimped connector. Found a mess with the ground (negative) battery side with a wire nut loose, and the clamp mounted to the trailer frame with a self drilling bolt was also loose. Two of the in-line crimp connectors for the fused circuit to the slide and front power jack were sloppy and the green/black wires were wadded up in a non-weatherproof steel box. Will send before/after pics when I 'git 'er done'.

[Marcm157]

Very sorry for your trouble. Hopefully no one was hurt. Can you elaborate on what caused the fire?

[Vicr]

This may not have been the cause of that fire but when cords are coiled up because the pedestal is close and there is a heavy load on the cord they will heat up significantly and have caused fires.

[HookedOnWeb]

>>>SloPoke
>>>Senior Member

>>>SloPoke's Avatar

>>>Join Date: Apr 2016
>>>Location: Sandy Utah & Kingman AZ and in our Seneca everywhere else.
>>>Posts: 2,119
>>>Registry

>>>What were you plugged into? RV park pedestal?
>>>__________________
>>>Steve & Stacy,
>>>Ned and Ellie (Red Labrador, Border Collie/Boxer)
>>>2015 Seneca 36FK
>>>2007 Toyota FJC - on the trailer
>>>2020 Coors Light - in the fridge

I was plugged into a electrician installed 30 amp/120 volt service connection at our house. It had been plugged in for over a month this last time with only the AC and Refrigerator running. I've had it plugged in for a year before that, without any heating issues. Only the main factory installed service line melted and started the fire. The 30 amp breaker did trip after the cable melted to the point of short, but by that time the fire had already spread through the rear of the trailer and was moving through the ceiling.

[Route 66 Traveler]

Was the end of the cord that plugged into the RV the typical twist lock type with the plastic locking ring? It's hard to tell from the photos. A poor connection will generate a lot of heat that can lead to a fire. Will the fire department write a report stating the exact cause of the fire?

[HookedOnWeb]

Originally Posted by curver900

no EMS ?
yikes...

I was not home at the time, but my neighbor is a fireman in a different town, who just happened to be home. He recognized the electrical smoke smell and looked outside (after checking all the electrical outlets in his own house :-).

He called 911 and four firetrucks were on the scene within 4 min. (I guess when they get a call from a fireman, they know it's an emergency...)

[HookedOnWeb]

Originally Posted by Grumpy

Sorry to hear that, didn't the circuit breaker pop in the house?

Yes, the breaker at the house tripped. None of the breakers on the panel inside tripped. But by the time the house breaker tripped, the fire had already started.

[HookedOnWeb]

Originally Posted by Vicr

This may not have been the cause of that fire but when cords are coiled up because the pedestal is close and there is a heavy load on the cord they will heat up significantly and have caused fires.

This is a good point! The majority of the cable was coiled up inside the trailer. Only about three feet was outside.

But if that's the case, you'd think they would have a warning in the owner's manual. They have warnings for everything else!!

[HookedOnWeb]

Originally Posted by Marcm157

Very sorry for your trouble. Hopefully no one was hurt. Can you elaborate on what caused the fire?

First off, I want to say we love Jayco! We are third generation RVers and love to travel.

That said, we had a devastating fire loss of our 2014 Jayco UltraLight travel trailer due to a main electrical cord short. Everyone safe, but trailer a total loss.

We have two small children and look forward to continuing the RV tradition as we move forward from this. Maybe a Jayco Class C next time.

Favorite plaque, "An Old Camper Lives Here, with the flame of his life!"
I guess I better change my favorite sign!

[Grumpy]

Originally Posted by HookedOnWeb

But if that's the case, you'd think they would have a warning in the owner's manual. They have warnings for everything else!!

Granted no warning as such, but they do tell you to extend the entire cord. (my bold)


Connecting the power cord
Always test the 30 amp external power source (i.e., the campsite power receptacle
or electrical box) with a ground monitor before connecting your power cord to it. If
the ground monitor indicates 'reverse polarity' or an 'open ground' DO NOT
connect the power cord.
1. Turn “off” the load center main 30 amp 120-volt circuit breaker.
2. Carefully extend the entire length of the power cord (approximately 25’-35’)
from the electric cable hatch to the external power source.
3. Plug the power cord into the receptacle. Be sure all the power cord prongs
are properly plugged into the receptacle.
4. Return to your RV and turn “on” the load center main circuit breaker.
5. To help prevent power surges from damaging the connected loads, please
follow these instructions when hooking up to the external power source:
The shore line power cord should be unplugged when the RV is

[ALJO]

In "General" never use a heavy electrical load on any coiled (extension) cord. Always roll out a extension cord. For RV's always fully extend the inside coiled electrical cord (where applicable). When using a 3 prong twisted RV connector, always be sure it is locked.
Be aware to use the proper size extension. Do it correct now or pay for damage later.

[Cavie]

Originally Posted by Grumpy

Sorry to hear that, didn't the circuit breaker pop in the house?

CB trip on overload and direct short. Not heat.

[Jagiven]

Sorry to hear about your HTT, very glad no one was hurt.

I have had my cord get hot near the plug. Always while running the AC, and at a CG. Those outlets really get abused. Coiled cords are dangerous. If I recall correctly it is called a Tesla coil.

When I bought my HTT, there was a lot of posts at the time, were people were having electrical issues, where the terminal connections at the "fuse" box were loose, and wires were arcing and the insulation was melting. Those issues seemed to have faded off around 2014. Don't recall anyone during that time having a fire.

What is scary, is the number of posts lately about their TT catching on fire. I suspect you are the 4th post I've read this past year. One was a bad gas fitting on a frig (recalled, but not repaired, brand new delivery, owner did not know about the recall at the time of delivery). I recall two others that involved electrical. I feel like there was a another fire report too.

No matter what, glad you and your family are safe. The TT can be replaced, and your memories of it will be with you for a life time.

[DavePRossi]

I "almost" had a fire this past week.
My DW smelled something, I could not, she mentioned it, I did not pick up.
I think it was because of a double hit. Last Tuesday, found my battery would not hold a charge, replaced it. After that my DW smelled something electrical, I finally smelled it as well.
Anyway, the hot leg on the 30 amp circuit must have loosened at the "inlet", see the result in the attached pictures.
A trip to purchase a new inlet and cord solved the issue.

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by DavePRossi

I "almost" had a fire this past week.
My DW smelled something, I could not, she mentioned it, I did not pick up.
I think it was because of a double hit. Last Tuesday, found my battery would not hold a charge, replaced it. After that my DW smelled something electrical, I finally smelled it as well.
Anyway, the hot leg on the 30 amp circuit must have loosened at the "inlet", see the result in the attached pictures.
A trip to purchase a new inlet and cord solved the issue.

That's about what mine looked like. I discovered it when I began moving my shore power pigtail around and heard arcing from the junction box. I knew immediately what it was and immediately went and opened the breaker. Opened the junction box and found basically what you found. Glad it didn't cause more damage than it did.

Loose connections on AC circuits are SUPER dangerous.