GFIC G-N fault at converter

OMG - tracking it down to a staple!

I just talked to a trailer electrical repair guy and he felt like it was no big deal - that some converters simply don't play nicely with GFI's. Not sure that I'm fully comfortable with that answer. It seems (from what I've read on these forums), opinion is split on this issue, with half agreeing with the repair guys' opinion, and half saying whenever your tripping a GFI its a safety issue that should be tracked down and corrected.

Everything works (AC, microwave, battery charging, etc) if I use a cheater plug (without a ground), and I suspect that everything will work fine on a non-GFI outlet. It sounds like many areas are going to GFI only, and the cheater plug seems like a bad idea in general.

Other than disconnecting the converter from the battery, are there other ways to make sure the problem is within the converter itself. Can problems on the DC circuits cause this problem? (such as a staple hitting a DC line, bad water heater, etc)?

When I brought my trailer home it also tripped the GFCI. I found the problem to be a staple in a run of Romex to the A/C unit. It wasn't shorting the hot wire, it was bridging the neutral and ground.

Ground faults can be difficult to find but it sounds like you are on the correct path.

It sounds like the power connection to the converter is reversed. Its neutral wire is probably connected to the breaker. Or if it has a plug, it or the receptacle is backwards.
If that's not it the the converter is shot.

it goes to the batt and panal at the same time on most yes unwire or pop the breaker if you do this it takes the converter out of the loop.the batt charger is now acting as your converter

Newman,

That's the big question - is it bad converter or something else. Are you suggesting disconnecting the converter it at the battery (vs. at the panel) and rechecking the GFI?

Being new to this and not having wiring diagrams I feel like I'm doing a lot of guess work. For example, does all of the converter's DC output go to the battery first, then from the battery back to the panel with the DC fuses for distribution?)

Thanks.

sounds likea bad converter.unhook it hook a battery charger to the battery and see if the problem goesaway if so time for a new converter