My husband and I stayed on his brothers 40 acre ranch this summer to get out of the Arizona heat. We live full time in a 2007 Bighorn 5th wheel.From doing research on the web, I've always known RV power is a different than regular house power, but I don't quite have the language to describe the difference. When we arrived in Minnesota and our BIL proceeded to get the wiring ready for us, I pleased with him to please be careful, I know RV power is a little different, it's more sensitive, etc.He didn't listen, he's a contractor after all, and how hard could this be to hook up a little ole RV when you hook up entire houses? He hooked us up and we immediately blew the following four things:-Fireplace no longer works-Microwave blew out-In floor vacuum cleaner system no longer works-Fridge will only work on propane now, whereas it would switch back and forth between the electric and propane before this.We live in Arizona most of the year, so I can live with the Fireplace. We bought a new microwave for $99 at Lowe's, so all good there. I hated the in ground vacuum cleaner thingy, so no worries there. The fridge only working on propane really bothers me though.I estimate we spend an extra $40 a month on propane due to not being able to run the fridge on electric. That's almost $500 a year. If we stay in the RV 5 years, that's $2,500.Everything else works just fine. Outlets, etc, all work throughout the RV.My husband is a master mechanic so he's very handy but he doesn't know/understand about electrical in an rv either.I'm wondering if someone can point us in the right direction to help us troubleshoot this?We are on our way back to Arizona and I'd like to get this fixed once and for all. (and send my BIL the bill) ;)If I had to guess, some sort of master motherboard thingy burned out when he overshot the power. (see what I mean by I don't have the language for this?)Really appreciate any/all help.Susan & Dave,Currently in Nebraska, headed to Arizona

ah, yes. here's the deal.This is almost certainly a simple case of the power being wired for 240 volts, instead of 120 volts, and the over voltage burned out lots of things. It is an easy mistake to make, especially if you don't pay attention to somebody trying to tell you things.You see, the plug on your RV, which is wired to a rig that HAS NOTHING IN IT THAT IS 240 volts, is the same plug used in residential construction to hook up things like electric clothes dryers and washing machines and such that are all 240 volts. This leads many folks to the problem you now describe.This is why I personally highly recommend everyone carry a cheap voltmeter with them if they own an RV. Plug that sucker into the power and verify you only get 120 volts before you plug in the rig. The $10-$20 you spend on the voltmeter will be recovered the very first time you save yourself from getting 240 volts. (And yes, you need to do that at campgrounds, too. You'd be surprised how often the electrician called in to fix something or install things at a campground will make that same mistake.)Now you are going to have to replace a bunch of things, and since you and your hubby are not competent electricians, I highly recommend you take your RV to a dealer and tell them what has happened. Be prepared to replace a LOT of things.

most things blown when plugged into 220 ac board fridge boardconvertertv'shotwater heater boardmicrowave30amp is a single 110 volts leg50amp is 2 110 volt legs the trailer is just divided into 2 curcuits

I have a BIL that knows everything too,......meaning that you can't tell him anything.The 220 volts din't blow out your converter ?? You in good shape.

Quote:You see, the plug on your RV, which is wired to a rig that HAS NOTHING IN IT THAT IS 240 volts, is the same plug used in residential construction to hook up things like electric clothes dryers----------------------------------------------------Where did you come from ??!!Are you sure you should be giving advice here ??And you even cheated to get your false info in front of all the others !

I hope your Brother-InLaw is bonded and has insurance to replace all of your burned up items...Good luck with that huh haha...Roy Ken

Brother in Law knows everything, now we have a problem

coolbreeze01
Explorer
Oct 07, 2014
Kind of makes me want to hook-up my bil.......No good deed........
Huntindog
Explorer
Oct 07, 2014
Ozlander wrote:
No way would your frig use $40 worth of propane a month. Either you have a leak or the furnace is running.

X2. I too would want it fixed, but the fridge uses very little propane.
NinerBikes
Explorer
Oct 07, 2014
isellsunshine wrote:
My husband and I stayed on his brothers 40 acre ranch this summer to get out of the Arizona heat. We live full time in a 2007 Bighorn 5th wheel.

From doing research on the web, I've always known RV power is a different than regular house power, but I don't quite have the language to describe the difference.

When we arrived in Minnesota and our BIL proceeded to get the wiring ready for us, I pleased with him to please be careful, I know RV power is a little different, it's more sensitive, etc.

He didn't listen, he's a contractor after all, and how hard could this be to hook up a little ole RV when you hook up entire houses?

He hooked us up and we immediately blew the following four things:

-Fireplace no longer works
-Microwave blew out
-In floor vacuum cleaner system no longer works
-Fridge will only work on propane now, whereas it would switch back and forth between the electric and propane before this.

We live in Arizona most of the year, so I can live with the Fireplace. We bought a new microwave for $99 at Lowe's, so all good there. I hated the in ground vacuum cleaner thingy, so no worries there.

The fridge only working on propane really bothers me though.

I estimate we spend an extra $40 a month on propane due to not being able to run the fridge on electric. That's almost $500 a year. If we stay in the RV 5 years, that's $2,500.

Everything else works just fine.
Outlets, etc, all work throughout the RV.

My husband is a master mechanic so he's very handy but he doesn't know/understand about electrical in an rv either.

I'm wondering if someone can point us in the right direction to help us troubleshoot this?

We are on our way back to Arizona and I'd like to get this fixed once and for all. (and send my BIL the bill) ;)

If I had to guess, some sort of master motherboard thingy burned out when he overshot the power. (see what I mean by I don't have the language for this?)

Really appreciate any/all help.

Susan & Dave,
Currently in Nebraska, headed to Arizona

Prevent this in the future, wire it yourself when you show up at his place... then you have only yourself to blame. Looking the gift horse in the mouth will only cause you grief.

RV power is not any different than house power... It's still 120V per leg at 60 hz. Each leg gives 120V when run to the neutral, white wire. Each leg wire is a different color, usually red and black. Neutral is always white in AC wiring. Ground is always pure copper.

A complete circuit from a colored wire to the neutral wire will give you 120v. A complete circuit from a colored wire to a colored wire with give you 240V, and that's when things get voltage overload in most of your devices in your 5th wheel.

My guess is someone did not look at and read correctly the back of the female receptacle properly for wiring the hot, colored wires, right where you plug in.

Alternately, you could always run a Honda Generator and make your own electricity to avoid this situation, or get enough solar and a inverter to be self sufficient.

That your refrigerator still runs on propane says that the circuit board on the fridge is still good. heater element or fuse to fridge or both may need replacement, check fuse first.

If you paid him to do the wiring and he blew something up on your rig, then the burden is on him to compensate to get it fixed. If he offered to do it for free, well, you get what you paid for.

Trust, but ALWAYS verify.
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Oct 07, 2014
House power is normally 120/240/120 volt at 100, 150 or 200 amps.
What that 120/250/120 means is you have 3 (+safety ground) wires, I will call them L-1, N and L-2 L-1 to N=120 L-1 to L-2 = 240, N to L-2 is 120 again.

RV power comes basically in two sizes
30 amp: This is 120 volts, at 30 amps Pick an L and Neutral (Plus safety ground) and that's it. only 30 amps though

50 amp is identical to the house, save for the 50 amp breaker.

NORMALLY there is either nothing in the RV that needs 240 volt or just one thing, that one thing is a device that determines (Automatically) if you are on 30 or 50 amp (or at least tries to) it is called an Energy Management System by some companies (Intelletec for example) Other companies use that name for other stuff.

But all it uses the 240 volt is sensing a 50 amp supply. If it does not see that it assumes 30 amps.
M_GO_BLUE1
Explorer
Oct 07, 2014
MULTI-FUNCTION SURGE PROTECTOR or an EMS SYSTEM...

I still find it hard to believe nothing else got fried...
Bumpyroad
Explorer
Oct 07, 2014
smkettner wrote:
Bumpyroad wrote:
smkettner wrote:
Yes 50 amp RV... but I have not seen what outlet it was plugged into.
Could have been 30 amp outlet.

it would be quite a trick to plug a 50 amp cord into a 30 amp socket.
bumpy
And yet it happens every day with a common adapter.

if the OP used an adapter of any kind, that information should have been forthcoming.
bumpy
time2roll
Nomad
Oct 07, 2014
Bumpyroad wrote:
smkettner wrote:
Yes 50 amp RV... but I have not seen what outlet it was plugged into.
Could have been 30 amp outlet.

it would be quite a trick to plug a 50 amp cord into a 30 amp socket.
bumpy
And yet it happens every day with a common adapter.
ken_white
Explorer
Oct 07, 2014
Old-Biscuit wrote:
Really think 'Bobbo' picked up on the issue

BIL wired 50A outlet incorrectly. 1 Hot/neutral reversed.

Fridge not working on AC......fuse on control module (backside of fridge) for electric circuit blown, outlet fridge plugs into (outside compartment) dead or electric heating element failed.

Bobbo wrote:
...
It sounds like there was a problem with the neutral wire to the BIL's outlet and they were getting 240v through a line that should have been 120v. If one of the hot wires was swapped with the neutral wire, you would get 240v through 1/2 of the RV's circuits, and 120v reverse polarity through the other 1/2 of the RV's circuits. That is exactly what it sounds like happened to me. The reverse polarity would not have caused a problem, but the 240v would have burned out whatever was on that circuit, leaving the items on the other circuit untouched.

I agree since some items worked, or are still working, and other items fried.

Do not replace anything until the wiring is fixed...

Oh and invest in a Progressive Industries EMS-PT50C
dougrainer
Nomad
Oct 07, 2014
beemerphile1 wrote:
isellsunshine wrote:
...I don't feel so bad now, as this *is* more confusing than I thought...we for sure have 50 amps....

Some of the confusion is people are giving advise and making guesses thinking your RV uses 30a service. Ignore the 220, 240, and 30 amp responses.

Here is what probably happened; your RV experienced an open neutral either due to plugging into a hot outlet or a miswired receptacle.

Never plug into or unplug from a 50a service with the receptacle hot (on). If the plug is wiggled a little while inserting, a temporary open neutral can fry some appliances.

Your BIL could have done everything correct and the problem could still occur from plugging into a hot receptacle --- or he might have miswired the receptacle.

I test EVERY RECEPTACLE I USE with the RV BEFORE plugging in the cord.

This is the closest to what probably happened. IF your BIL wired a 4 prong 50 amp outlet and you burnt out the appliances, the odds are
1. he did NOT install a Neutral(white) wire and used 2 hots on the 2 hot blades. An open(not installed or not connected Neutral) will apply 220 volts to a 50 amp RV
2. OR, he install one of the hot leads where the neutral was supposed to be on the 50 amp receptacle
3. IF he wired a 30 amp plug and expected you to use the 50 to 30 adapter, he installed 2 hot leads on the 2 blades of the 30 amp receptacle instead of the Neutral (took a 220 receptacle and used a 30 amp RV receptacle, thinking it was the same except for the round ground pin when the 220 has 3 blades). That supplied 220 to your RV
4. I doubt the refer board is bad, the 120 heat element fuse is blown on the board and "maybe" the 120 element blown also(happens, but rarely). Doug
westend
Explorer
Oct 07, 2014
The problems could be any one of several causes. I would show the BIL and hubby the thread you've started here.