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Winged_One's avatar
Winged_One
Explorer
Sep 15, 2018

A bad converter?

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.
  • BFL13's avatar
    BFL13
    Explorer II
    Sep 16, 2018
    Good work on that so far. Good news your converter is ok.

    Plug the fridge into another outlet via extension cord to see if that fridge outlet in the outside is guilty.

    Don't know why the televisions going from standby to on trips the GFCI. Are the TVs into some sort of fancy receiver complicated thing that itself is the problem?

    Can you unplug each Tv set and try it individually in other outlets and check for GFCI?
  • Winged_One's avatar
    Winged_One
    Explorer
    Sep 16, 2018
    Ok, well I am now at the point I would like to see the thing burn down and get a new one.

    I put all the GFCI's back together in the trailer. No issues.

    I unplugged the converter. No change (still blows the GFCI in the garage).
    I plugged a fan into the converter outlet (that the converter was plugged into). Outlet works fine.
    I completely removed the converter. No change.

    I turned off all trailer breakers. Turn on main breaker. Ok.
    Turn on a single breaker for the rear of the coach. Stereo comes on ok. TV light is on. Turn on TV. Blows GFCI in garage.

    Repeat turning on the front of the coach, TV in front on standby ok. Turn on that TV. Blows GFCI in garage.

    I have 3 individual 20 amp breakers in the garage each to their own GFCI outlet. Changing to a different one makes no difference.

    Plugged the trailer into a non GFCI outlet on the front of the house (runs to the basement). Everything works without blowing the basement breaker. I turned on, plugged in every 110 operated item in the trailer. According to the panel, I am pulling 4 amps and about 115 volts on each (2) circuit.

    Well not everything. It appears in this BS, the Norcold fridge got fried as I get a LI-op error whether on AC or Gas. And I know it was working (heard the gas running) when we got home from Ludington, before I plugged in.

    I am at a loss.
  • wa8yxm's avatar
    wa8yxm
    Explorer III
    Sep 16, 2018
    Though in SOME cases they wire the Converter on the GFCI there is no reason to do that. So the converter should have NO Effect on the GFCI inside the RV. none zip. nada..

    But the GFCI in the garage is a different animal.

    Test procedure

    Step one turn off ALL Circuit breakers inside RV
    Step 2 plug in RV. you should hear the CLUNK, GFCI shoud hold.
    Step 3 Plug a 120 volt Drop cord light (Trouble light) into other half of duplex outlet you plugged RV into and place the light where you can see it INSIDE the RV.

    Now turn on the MAIN breakers inside the RV.. Light remains bright. GOOD

    Turn on the 1st Branch if light remains bright turn on the 2nd, and 3rd and so on till light goes out. TURN that breaker off Reset the GFCI (light back on) and continue with the NEXT breaker till you have identified the breaker(s) that trip the Garage GFCI.

    NOTE what they power

    Good chance you have some thing like water in the patio outlet box due to a failed cauling bead. This will trip the RV's GFCI and might do the garage as well. but the "Which breaker kills it" test will find it.
  • ScottG's avatar
    ScottG
    Nomad
    Sep 15, 2018
    If disconnecting the converters ground connection stops the tripping, it's still bad and needs replacing to be safe.
  • BFL13's avatar
    BFL13
    Explorer II
    Sep 15, 2018
    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.
  • ScottG's avatar
    ScottG
    Nomad
    Sep 15, 2018
    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.

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