We have 2010 Jayco 32BHDS Travel Trailer, bought it new from a dealer in the fall of 2009. No problems until last year. We returned to our campsite after a day at the local amusement park to find no power on our site. Our TT had tripped the breaker on the campground pedestal. We flipped the switch back on and it ran for about a minute before tripping again. It was late so we decided to just leave the electricity off and deal with it in the morning. Called a mobile tech out and he stated that it looked like a wire had come loose in travel in the main power supply and arched inside the metal junction box. He fixed up the wiring put on new wire nuts. We ran the electric water heater and A/C for about 6 hours and started to smell burning plastic. :E Turned off the water heater and a few minutes later the breaker tripped on the pedestal again and would not turn back on. Called the tech out again and he said the original issue caused a problem with the transducer in the A/C unit and it was pulling to much power. He replaced the A/C unit with a new one we purchased and picked up from CW, a put new wire nuts on AGAIN. All was well for the remainder of the trip, about 4 days. We used the TT for hunting season but did not use the A/C or Electric HW and of course had no issues. Just used the TT for the first time this season over the weekend. Got to the CG and about 30 minutes after turning on the Electric water heater and A/C we smelled the burning plastic. :M Sure enough the twist nut was melting. Turned off both the water heater and A/C. Next day turned on just the fan and immediately smelled burning plastic. The wires were heating up using the microwave too. Urghhhh!! What is going on with the electrical system and why aren't we blowing a fuse or tripping breakers before the wires start melting and smoking?!?!?

Welcome to RV.net!Your system is being overloaded some how.What size is the electrical service? 30 or 50 amp?Does the 120 volt panel have a main breaker?What is the make and model of the electrical power distribution panel?

It could be low voltage. Do you not have an EMS?Bruce

Hi Bud! Thanks for the welcome..The electric service is 30 amp but I am not sure on the rest of the questions. I know there are a bunch of fuses and I believe four breakers inside the panel, though what they are all for I am not sure. I will get some more information when I get home from work today and post some more specifics.

Jayco517 wrote:What is an EMS??It is a surge protector with voltage protection.Bruce

Wires are MELTING!!!! | Good Sam Community

mhardin
Explorer
Aug 22, 2014
kodiakcanuck wrote:

I have run the water heater, A/C and microwave on 30 amp at the same time at most campgrounds. It's only when my wife adds the hair dryer to the mix that I pop the breaker :S

Yeah, that hair dryer gets me, too.
kodiakcanuck
Explorer
Aug 22, 2014
mhardin wrote:
enblethen wrote:
Operating water heater electric element and AC on a fifty amp shore power is no problem. Operating it on a thirty amp can be more then what it can handle with addition 120 volt loads such as converter, and microwave.

Well, if you want to include the microwave, you are correct. I have to turn something off to use it. However, I have no problem with running the water heater, A/C and converter at the same time on 30 Amps.

I have run the water heater, A/C and microwave on 30 amp at the same time at most campgrounds. It's only when my wife adds the hair dryer to the mix that I pop the breaker :S
myredracer
Explorer II
Aug 22, 2014
enblethen wrote:
Bad ground wiring causing the neutrals to over heat?
Hopefully they told you where this is or was.

x2 Doesn't make sense to me either. A ground wire is not supposed to carry current.
enblethen
Nomad
Aug 22, 2014
Bad ground wiring causing the neutrals to over heat?
Hopefully they told you where this is or was.
Jayco517
Explorer
Aug 22, 2014
Sorry for the delayed response, but we have been dealing with flood cleanup here in Michigan that put the RV issue on the back burner. We ended up taking the rig to the RV dealership for repair. Got the call from them last night that a bad ground wire was to blame and they have replaced it. They ran the equipment overnight to test the repairs and no issues so we are picking it up today (along with an EMS). We will camp next weekend and test it out. Thanks to all who took the time to read and respond!
nomad297
Explorer
Aug 16, 2014
enblethen wrote:
We haven't heard back from OP on whether the rig is 30 or 50 amp.
We are just guessing as to what the problem is.

He previously stated it is 30amp.

Bruce
enblethen
Nomad
Aug 15, 2014
We haven't heard back from OP on whether the rig is 30 or 50 amp.
We are just guessing as to what the problem is.
myredracer
Explorer II
Aug 15, 2014
smkettner wrote:
These wires should never melt unless poorly installed.
Everything is protected with a circuit breaker to prevent overload.

This is THE correct answer.

If the wiring was overheating at the converter panel, connections and (splices if any) were not done properly at the factory and/or the tech did not do it right. It is not uncommon to find inadequately tightened terminals in a converter panel. OP should check them all.

If the shore power cord plug blades are pitted and dirty, that can cause heating and a meltdown.

If the CG breaker tripped, and you are near the nominal 120 volt level, it's because you just had too much on. If the AC and water heater were on and not much else and the breaker tripped, the voltage was probably low.

If the voltage is at or near 120V, the AC and water heater should work together fine. Only an AC unit will cause the current to go up, for everything else, it goes down so as the voltage drops, you will get closer to the point where the 30A breaker will trip.

As long as terminations and splices in the main 30 amp circuit are all good, either the CG breaker on the one in your TT should trip. Usually the CG one does because it's a bit on the tired side.

I wonder how OP is making out with this?
time2roll
Nomad
Aug 15, 2014
I will let the OP answer the question on the existence of a main breaker in the RV and the rating.
enblethen
Nomad
Aug 15, 2014
Some rigs do not have a main breaker.
They have separate branch breakers.
Yes, the pedestal breaker should trip. What if the shore power is plugged into a fifty amp receptacle and utilizes an adapter?