Connecting TT to home

Bri01605 · 06-20-2020, 05:39 PM

Hi folks
Brand new TT. Got home and attempted to connect our 30amp TT to our house. We used a 30 to 15 dog bone attached to a surge protector. Each time we plugged in, we reset the GFCI in the house outlet. Nothing we tried worked.
Thoughts friends?
Brian

cekkk · 06-20-2020, 06:27 PM

Assuming you're home electrical supply is reasonably pure and safe, try it without the surge protector. What many here use rather than surge protectors are electrical management systems. They protect your camper from voltage problems. On a happier note, reading your title, attaching travel trailer to house, I was afraid we were going to start reading about a redneck room addition

Bri01605 · 06-20-2020, 06:30 PM

Thanks. We tried every variation we could on multiple outlets. Power seems good, attach 30a converter. As soon as we attached the RV, the outlet pops.

cekkk · 06-20-2020, 06:33 PM

There are some very knowledgeable people here that should come on pretty soon and give you a better answer

colby · 06-20-2020, 06:38 PM

You don’t have the AC going do you?

Scott · 06-20-2020, 07:21 PM

The 15amp GFCI pops most of the time when I plug the TT into the house too. I don't have anything running in the TT. I simply reset the GFCI and it then works. I'm not sure why.

JimD · 06-20-2020, 07:37 PM

Have you tried plugging into a non-GFI outlet? Is the same GFI breaker protecting all of the outlets you tried? Is this GFI a breaker that is installed in your breaker panel or is it a push button on a GFI outlet.

I installed GFI breakers in my breaker box is the only reason I ask. If it is a GFI outlet only with push button, I have seen some of those that have a hair trigger and replacing it solved my problem.

A GFI will trip if is senses current flow between hot and ground rather that hot and neutral. Something you can try is to shut off all breakers in your trailer and then plug in. Hopefully it won't pop with everything disconnected. Then flip one breaker on at a time and see if it pops for a particular trailer breaker. If so, this is where you should look for a leakage to ground.

RetiredOne · 06-20-2020, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimD

A GFI will trip if is senses current flow between hot and ground rather that hot and neutral.

I think his GFI outlet pops because the ground and neutrals are connected, which faults the GFI. Sometimes the grounds and neutrals in the TT panel need to be on a separate buss and isolated.

I built a tiny house on a trailer, and to keep it from popping a GFI outlet I had it plugged into, I had to isolate the neutral and ground in the tiny house panel.

He should try plugging into a standard outlet and see what happens.

Screwby · 06-20-2020, 09:28 PM

Our camper pops our GFI outlet every time too. I can just reach in there and reset it while the camper is still plugged in and all is well. It only pops when I initially plug it in from the sudden draw from the camper. GFI has its place but like they’ve said above, they can be really sensitive.

Stainless · 06-21-2020, 02:19 AM

I can connect to house if I do not use the surge protector. If I use a 20A circuit I can even run the AC. But the 30A surge protector will trip GFI or circuit breaker every time.

Oh also I am not using an extension cord but just the 30A RV cord with adapter. That can make all the difference.

Cavie · 06-21-2020, 03:50 AM

sometimes 2 GFI's in series don't play nice. Turn OFF the GFI circuit in your RV.
All will be good. Or plug into a non-gfi circuit.You do not need a surge protector at home.

mokurt · 06-21-2020, 06:19 AM

I can connect to the 15A GFI thats next to my driveway but it only trips the breaker(not the reset button) when tying to use the A/C.

Lake Huron · 06-21-2020, 06:20 AM

My first trailer I had I plugged into a plug via extension cord in my garage. It almost always tripped the GFI in the garage. Even if the trailer was not plugged in and I was working in the garage had a few things plugged into the plugs the stupid GFI would trip. I ripped it out and replaced it with a regular plug. That was quite a few years ago and ever since then I've plugged my trailers into the garage plug circuit with no issues. However, I was getting sick of having the 30A cord run under the garage door every time I wanted to plug it in. So, last year I debated on a 30A or 50A dedicated plug on the side of the house where the trailer sits. Go big or go home, I went 50A. Cost difference was minimal. Now I can plug in and run both A/C units if i want, residential fridge, everything. Absolutely no regrets at all on installing that plug AND going 50A too.

Cavie · 06-21-2020, 06:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mokurt

I can connect to the 15A GFI thats next to my driveway but it only trips the breaker(not the reset button) when tying to use the A/C.

Probably have other things running on that outlet circuit. Everything else in the RV must be off.

mokurt · 06-21-2020, 06:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cavie

Probably have other things running on that outlet circuit. Everything else in the RV must be off.

I will have to check that.
The outlet was added on next to the main panel.

Thanks

us71na · 06-21-2020, 07:05 AM

First step is to turn off all circuit breakers in your trailer including the main breaker. Then plug in your power cord with the adapter. If the ground fault doesn't trip proceed to step two which is to turn on the main breaker in the trailer. If no fault occurs, proceed to step three which is to turn on the other breakers one at a time to see which circuit trips the ground fault. If a circuit trips the ground fault, leave that one off and proceed with your test. You can now troubleshoot the circuit(s) in question to determine the cause.

Note that some microwave ovens do not play well with ground faults. This fact is noted in most operation manuals for microwaves.

Cavie · 06-21-2020, 07:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mokurt

I will have to check that.
The outlet was added on next to the main panel.

Thanks

Very easy fix to put on it's own 20 amp breaker. Problem solved.

Woodworker · 06-21-2020, 08:17 AM

Could be your GFI goin bad

Cavie · 06-21-2020, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bri01605

Thanks. We tried every variation we could on multiple outlets. Power seems good, attach 30a converter. As soon as we attached the RV, the outlet pops.

you are plugging into a GFI circuit. Turn off the GFI circuit in your RV.

RetiredOne · 06-21-2020, 10:01 AM

I plug my rig into a 20 amp outlet that is on a GFI breaker, that was installed as part of my pool pump setup. The GFI breaker has never popped when the rig is plugged in.

When I was building the tiny house, and was using that outlet for power, if I accidentally touched a white neutral with the ground when installing a switch or receptacle, it would pop the GFI breaker.

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