McShank Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 I can use an informed opinion on a little electrical mystery. I installed the recommended converter upgrade in my Sunrader and everything worked great plugged in at the campground, including the AC. When I parked at home I tried running a heavy 15 amp extension cord and 15/30 adaptor to the 30 amp service line to keep the rv battery charged, but my home circuit breaker triped when I pluged it in. This is with no loads on the system. However if I run the extension cord inside and plug it directly into the back of the converter the circuit breaker does not trip and the battery remains charged. The only thing in between the converter and the service cord is a "transfer switch" box to tie in the onboard generator. This situation makes no sense to me at all. I'm not quite sleepless over this but would like to better understand if 15 amp service gets lost in the 30 amp cord. Any help is appreciated. McShank '88 21' Sunrader in Arizona Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 Should not have any effect. Does the extension cord have factory ends on it? Can you plug in you 30 amp cord and adapter to the house? Is the breaker a GFI breaker? All this worked fine at the camp ground so I can't see a problem with the transfer system. Try turning off your MH breakers and see what happens if it works turn them back on one at a time and see if one trips the breaker that will narrow it down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McShank Posted August 22, 2008 Author Share Posted August 22, 2008 The extension cord is new with factory ends. I can't get the motorhome close enough to the house to try plugging directly, but the outside house outlet is on a GFI circuit that includes an interior bathroom. And all the breakers are off inside. So I agree that this should not have any effect. Before I switched the converter this same extension cord and outlet would not trip the breaker. A true puzzle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted August 23, 2008 Share Posted August 23, 2008 What’s the chance that the converter wires are backwards (white/black) or does this thing just plug in? If it trips the breaker with every thing off it still can be the converter wiring because if I’m not mistaken it’s wired to the input side of the main camper breaker. Does this thing have a socket for the shore power that you plug into the camper for the generator or a transfer system? If it’s a transfer system (relay) I wonder if it is back feeding the generator? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McShank Posted August 24, 2008 Author Share Posted August 24, 2008 It's a transfer system with the 30 amp cord running directly inside the transfer box. Hard wires run from there to the AC side of the converter. I'm going camping next weekend and if everything still works fine at the campground plugging the 30 amp cord into shore power I'll scratch my head once more and when back home just run the extension cord directly into the converter plug. Thanks Maineah for your interest. McShank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted August 25, 2008 Share Posted August 25, 2008 Have you tried the generator to see if the breaker trips on the generator? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McShank Posted August 25, 2008 Author Share Posted August 25, 2008 The breaker that trips is a GFI plug on the outside of my home. I haven't used the generator yet because it would not run, just spit roughly and conk out. I removed the carburator and had it professionally cleaned but it needs to be tuned up and the idle properly set before I can see if the transfer switch works correctly. Right now I have an extension cord running from the same GFI outlet and plugged directly into the converter and it is maintaining the battery perfectly at about 13v. Maybe I can get away next weekend and see that the 30 cord still works when plugged into a 30 amp supply at the campground. I don't get much time to work on it or go anywhere for more than 1 day, but I am taking a 1 week vacation up into Colorado at the end of September and anticipate no problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted August 25, 2008 Share Posted August 25, 2008 Good luck have fun and let us know how you made out with the wiring it is an interesting problem that does not make too much sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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