Forum Discussion

DoneItAll's avatar
DoneItAll
Explorer
Sep 20, 2014

Help Me Troubleshoot

My 30 amp power cord is tripping the breaker at the campsite. Molded plug is not in good shape, partially pulling away from the cord. Outlet tests just fine. I suspected cord male plug, so I replaced it but now it still trips the breaker. Plug tests open between ground and neutral but grounded between ground and hot. Tripped the camper main 30 amp breaker but problems persists. Since it remains a problem even though I had tripped the main breaker in the camper, does this narrow it down to a bad cable leading into the camper? How hard is this to replace.

John
Truck Campers
  • DoneItAll's avatar
    DoneItAll
    Explorer
    Sep 20, 2014
    I'm pretty certain I matched what I saw when I cut off the old plug. I'll give that a try though and see what I get.

    John
  • DoneItAll's avatar
    DoneItAll
    Explorer
    Sep 20, 2014
    Removed the replacement plug entirely and test resistance between the three wires. 0 (O.7) ohms between green and white, 138 ohms between green and black, 138 ohms between black and white.

    John
  • ManitouF's avatar
    ManitouF
    Explorer
    Sep 20, 2014
    You had black and white reversed in your plug repair... or in the camper at other end before repair... you can have conductivity between neutral and ground. But never between hot and ground. Nor between hot and neutral... any conductivity between hot and neutral will be equal to the load resistance of an appliance you have turned on... light bulb or otherwise...
  • Harvard's avatar
    Harvard
    Explorer
    Sep 20, 2014
    The neutral (White) and ground (Green) IN THE RV should be isolated.

    Neutral and Ground are connected together at the shore power distribution panel ONLY.
  • ManitouF's avatar
    ManitouF
    Explorer
    Sep 20, 2014
    You are incorrect that neutral and ground will always be isolated at the invertor. They often land on the same lug under the same nut.
  • ManitouF's avatar
    ManitouF
    Explorer
    Sep 20, 2014
    Even if you were correct... he would close neutral white and ground green at the point he plugged in... the problem here is that hot black is finding a direct short to ground or neutral... be it the plug repair, or the cable, or black against white at any point... if his ohm check is as stated... then reversing white and black from the point of tripping breaker... is very likely the fix..
  • jimh406's avatar
    jimh406
    Explorer III
    Sep 20, 2014
    I think it is unlikely it's your cord. Have you tried a different campsite or tried plugging into your generator if you have one? Are several appliances on when you plug in or are they all off?
  • DoneItAll's avatar
    DoneItAll
    Explorer
    Sep 20, 2014
    Haven't tried the generator. Camper main breaker off when resistance readings taken. Wouldn't isolate pretty much just the cord?

    John

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