Canadian Rainbirds
Vancouver Island (Winter: Mainland Mexico)
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KD4UPL wrote:Overloads do not make properly functioning GFI outlets trip. Nor do other properly functioning GFI outlets.
If your RV is tripping a properly functioning GFI outlet than your RV has a ground fault somewhere. This can be dangerous if left uncorrected. Replacing the tripping GFI with a non GFI outlet DOES NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
That's like taping shut the mouth of a good friend trying to warn you of something.
As has been suggested, you need to isolate the RV circuits and then the loads on those circuits until you find and correct the ground fault.
If it matters, I am a master electrician and Class A electrical contractor.
I do understand your comments-I have a pretty good understanding of electricity, current paths, ground faults etc: I am an Amateur Radio Operator, Advanced and have build radios, wired my ham shack (which passed the inspection) but I am NOT an electrician, so thanks for your input. I was sure that this should not be normal! I'll do the tests you suggested and contact one of my many brothers-in-law who IS an electrical contractor (retired). One of the advantages of having 4 sisters--Brothers-in-Law who cover everything!
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PackerBacker
Montreal (Qc) Adirondacks (NY) Myrtle Beach (SC)
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I have the same issue with my exterior GFI outlets at home although they don't trip every time. I just plug mine into a regular outlet in my garage.
Eric
2009 Holiday Rambler Admiral 33SFS (34' 3")
2008 Jeep Liberty - North Edition (4x4 auto)
FQCC/Camping Quebec, KOA, Good Sam, Coach-Net
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wa8yxm
Wherever I happen to park
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The prosine has a screw that bonds neutral to ground when it is in INVERTER mode.. If you have hooked everythign up properly, that only affects INVERTER mode.
If not it may trip a GFCI breaker. (IE If you hook the ground wire under that screw)
And that is just one of the possible causes.
Nothin adds excitment like something that is none of your business
Kenwood TS-2000 housed in a 2005 Damon Intruder 377
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wilanddij
CA Desert
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Has it ever worked on a GFI? If it has worked in the past, maybe something you mounted on a wall with a metal screw has run thru a wire connecting neutral to ground. First thing to do is pull out any new screws that were put in the walls. If that's not a possibility, you need to go further to identify the problem.
Here, the troubleshooting process gets pretty involved. Turning off the interior breakers will not help you find the source of a neutral to ground problem. To proceed, you will have to open up the breaker box in the RV and (with the unit unplugged) disconnect the neutral lead from a circuit, make sure its not touching anything, and then plug the RV into the GFI again. If the GFI trips, you need to unplug, go to the next circuit and repeat the disconnect. This needs to be done until you find the failing circuit. BTW, I've been through this once, and found a sheet rock screw (mfg. install) that was doing exactly what I described.
If this doesn't lead you to the problem, it means the ground fault is in the main circuitry before the distribution box.
Will & Di
2004 Southwind 32VS
Workhorse/8.1
Jeep Wrangler/Blue Ox
"We have met the enemy, and he is us" Pogo
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garry1p
Oklahoma
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I suspect it is the inverter in the RV world ground and neutral should not be connected together and some inverters tie them together.
Garry1p
1990 Holiday Rambler Aluma Lite XL
454 on P-30 Chassis
1999 Jeep Cherokee sport
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Canadian Rainbirds
Vancouver Island (Winter: Mainland Mexico)
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garry1p wrote:I suspect it is the inverter in the RV world ground and neutral should not be connected together and some inverters tie them together.
I'm thinking that may be the problem. I remember reading something about that somewhere but can't remember when, where or any details!.
Home this week, no rain forecast so a good time to start looking and following up all the suggestions.
Thanks all who have responded. I'll post if and when I find the problem.
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kd8wdave
Middletown,OH
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Canadian Rainbirds wrote:I just realised that our 2002 Itasca Horizon doesn't like being plugged into an outlet that is on a Ground Fault circuit. It causes the GF break to trip every time.
I seem to remember hearing or reading something about this but don't remember any details.
I don't know if it is pertinent or not but the rig has a Xantrex Prosine 2 inverter which monitors incoming AC power and will drop it out if the parameters aren't within spec.
"Somewhere" on your rig, you have both the neutral(white wire) connected to the same 'ground' as your "ground"(green wire). The inverter is a good candidate. Do as others suggest, and test one at a time til you find it. It could also have been done by 'repair tech' in your power box as well.
Good Luck
cheers
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Canadian Rainbirds
Vancouver Island (Winter: Mainland Mexico)
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Well I finally got around to checking things out: The ground fault breakers that had been giving me trouble were:
1) at the "long term" parking up near the well, 150 feet of #4 cable run from the tool shed near the house to the pump house and 50 feet of #12 extension from there to the rig.
2) At my niece's house, using 50 feet of #12 plus the 50A cable.
Both locations tripped the GFI instantly. At my niece's, it worked fine using the same cables from inside their shop. (non GFI outlets)
Today, with the rig parked in the driveway I plugged the rig directly into the GFI outlet in the tool shed using 10 feet of #16 extension cord. This is the same outlet that supplies the outlet for the cable that runs to the pump house. Rig powered up just fine! I didn't try to draw much power but the microwave powered up, the electric water heater worked fine.
Tomorrow I have to move a bit of junk, then I will be able to plug the short extension into the same outlet that the pump house cable plugs into. IF that works OK I'll park the rig back up top, kill the main breaker and all the branch circuit breakers in the coach and see what happens.
Mean while, 
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LoneCowboy
Colorado
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Joined: 04/26/2012
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I had an electrician wire me a new shore power outlet at my house (same thing, it was tripping the GFCI outlet)
First thing he asks is "does the motorhome have an electric fridge?"
yep
that's why.
He even said, look at your house, your entire kitchen will be GFCI except a dedicated non-GFCI circuit for your fridge.
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CT_WANDERER
E. Lyme, CT
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Joined: 10/24/2007
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Before I put in my dedicated power sypply to the MH, I had a 100ft 10awg extention cord plugged into on of the outlet at out pool. On a 20amp GFIC ciruct. Most of the time I had no problems. Sometimes if it rained hard and the end got flooded it would trip the GFI. I would just clean the plugs with WD40 and was good to go.
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