2011 Coachmen Brookstone, 50 amp, with a Progressive EMS-HW50C inline that I installed 6 years ago.This last camping trip of 4 days to Ludington Michigan State Park. 30 amp service. It seemed no issues from the park. No storms.2nd day noticed the bathroom GFCI was tripped. Maybe first time since we have owned the trailer. 3rd day tried the living room stereo/dvd player. Acted very weird. Very slow running of the DVD. Would not seek out radio stations. No sound. Figured it had gone bad.Everything else seemed ok. Fridge ran on AC without issue. TV's worked ok.Arrive home. Plug into 20 amp service at home, just like we have when loading or unloading for the last 6 years.Trips the GFCI outlet in the garage (where we plug in). The garage has its own circuit breaker (switchable) in the garage that then goes to a GFCI outlet. Same everything we have always used for 6 years. Checked breaker, GFCI, extension cord, all ok and normal.Plug into the trailer, with the Progressive operating, shows no issues on the monitor panel (E0), 124 volts, normal. When Progressive lets the power through (like it normally does after several seconds), a "clunk" is heard in the area of the Progressive and an instant trip of the GFCI in the garage.If I bypass the Progressive (with the switch on the Progressive monitor), instant trip.There are 2 GFCI outlets in the trailer (stock). I have disconnected both. No change.I turned off all the trailer breakers, applied power and no fault.I then turned on the main breaker in the trailer, no fault.I went through all individual breakers and no faults until I turned on the breaker labeled for the "converter". Instant trip.I know I am asking a lot, but would you say the converter might have gone bad (or loosened connections)?Might a bad converter explain the bathroom GFCI tripping and the stereo going bad?Thank you again for any input you can provide.

The PDI doesn't care about GFCI so it wouldn't do anything about it. Sounds like your converter has failed. A loose connection isn't going to cause a GF unless a wire is completley disconnected and touching ground someplace.The converter might cause the GFCI to trip IF it's powered by it and the stereo could be affected by excessive ripple on the 12V circuit. Do these items behave with the converter disconnected (not just having the breaker off)?FWIW, flipping a breaker wont always isolate a ground fault even though it seems to have done so in this case.

Is the converter hard wired or does it have a cord you plug into a receptacle? If the latter, unplug it and go with battery for 12v and shore power for 120v. If ok, then plug something else in to that receptacle instead of the converter. Plug the converter into a different receptacle on a different circuit and see if that circuit now causes a GFCI trip. Use extension cords as required.If the converter is hard wired, its black wire will go to a breaker and its white wire goes to the neutral buss. You can move the black wire over to a different breaker and see if the GFCI goes there now.Is the converter chassis grounded to the frame of the RV or not? If so, try it with that chassis ground disconnected. 12v ground and 120v ground are shared in the Rv where both use the frame, so all sorts of funny things can happen.I got GFCIs mostly from the outside receptacle getting water in it and it was on the same GFCI circuit as most of the inside receptacles.

If disconnecting the converters ground connection stops the tripping, it's still bad and needs replacing to be safe.

Thanks guys. I will be tearing into it tomorrow.

Consider an upgrade to the converter.

A bad converter? | Good Sam Community

wa8yxm
Explorer III
Sep 16, 2018
Sounds like your TV has a problem since it is the Tripper.... Possible. Very possible. Screws do come loose bouncing down the highway. Many RVers have a few screws loose or so some folks tell me... I've even found a few (Phillips head type).
ForestRiverInc
Explorer
Sep 18, 2018
Winged One,

Please accept our sincerest apologies for the issues and any inconveniences as a result of your concerns with your Brookstone. If this issue is still unresolved, please contact Joe Schueneman in our service department by visiting this personalized link: http://www.coachmenrv.com/DirectServiceContact.aspx?ID=636728760555705439. In order to resolve your concerns as quickly as possible, please use this link to outline your concerns and Joe Schueneman will respond with 24 hours.

Thank you,
Forest River
BFL13
Explorer II
Sep 21, 2018
I went camping and lost contact for a few days. OP, what ever happened? We all learn from each other here, so it is important to follow up. Thanks.
Cydog15
Explorer
Sep 21, 2018
Just call Best converter like everybody does at the end of the day and your problems go away. These guys love to steer you but you will never get it done quicker than calling Randy. It will be done in 5 minutes.
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Sep 21, 2018
If you do need a converter replacement I have two suggestions

For stand alone (it seems you have one) Progressive Dynamics 9200
For "built into the power center) the 4600

When I got my RV 13 years ago It came with a PD 9180+Wizard (equal to 9200+Dongle) and I hit the web researching to find if there is any better. Still looking, not yet found one. (For Flooded wet cells. if you use different types of battteries there are better choies) when my 9180 failed last Halloween.. I got a Factory Refurb.. Since I was "passing by" more or less. I got it at the factory (Where better?) Very happy with the thing..

It does have one recurring "Failure" mode.. it's a plug in model. You can likely guess (I snag the cord and pull the plug).
Cydog15
Explorer
Sep 22, 2018
wa8yxm wrote:
If you do need a converter replacement I have two suggestions

For stand alone (it seems you have one) Progressive Dynamics 9200
For "built into the power center) the 4600

When I got my RV 13 years ago It came with a PD 9180+Wizard (equal to 9200+Dongle) and I hit the web researching to find if there is any better. Still looking, not yet found one. (For Flooded wet cells. if you use different types of battteries there are better choies) when my 9180 failed last Halloween.. I got a Factory Refurb.. Since I was "passing by" more or less. I got it at the factory (Where better?) Very happy with the thing..

It does have one recurring "Failure" mode.. it's a plug in model. You can likely guess (I snag the cord and pull the plug).

I would get the Boondocker that you can now adjust above 13.8.
Nothing wrong with the PD but they are not adjustable.
Winged_One
Explorer
Sep 23, 2018
Hi guys,

Thanks for the continued interest.

Well, not much has changed. I did put it all back together (reinstalled the converter, plugged it in, turned on the related breaker).

When I plug into the front of the house (no GFCI), everything works like it has for the last 6 years (no issues). I can run everything (well limited to 20 amps), and no issues. Converter isn't tripping anything inside the house.

One thing I have NOT done is reconnected to where I usually do in the garage. Honestly, I am afraid too. This was when it tripped the fridge (note I fixed that with the magnet trick).

I just don't understand what happened. I have been using all those GFCI plugs in the garage for 6 years with this trailer (and more years with a prior trailer). Why now?

So right now, I cannot find anything wrong. Maybe it is the house?!?

Well THANK YOU ALL for your input and advice. As usual, I seem to get gremlins that just cannot be tracked down.
BFL13
Explorer II
Sep 23, 2018
The RV fridge is plugged into a receptacle outside behind its vent cover. You could unplug it so it can't be involved while you continue your GFCI fault search.

Perhaps you can by-pass the garage GFCI receptacles and try it with the bathroom's? Long extension cord to RV shore power adapter on cord

As you have been doing, it is all about eliminating suspects one at a time. GFCI receptacles themselves can start to act up. You might have been onto something when you noted the GFCI did not pop until you turned on something that drew a few amps, but did not pop with a low amp draw, and it didn't matter what you turned on that popped it.

What was that surge all about anyway? That could have been a factor.

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