โMar-11-2024 10:59 AM - edited โMar-11-2024 11:09 AM
I have a 2000 Keystone Montana that I'm attempting to hook up to a power line from our PV solar system we have on our property. The 5th wheel has been on our land since we bought it about 5 years ago, and when we needed power (it's more of a storage unit for my tools and a break room when it's raining than a true rv right now.), we used our 4kw Sportsman generator.
My problem is that I've run a 100' rv power cord from the systems 'power control shed' and something isn't clicking. Until I completed the PV system, we used a 4000w Sportsman generator when we needed power in the 5'er. And when I hooked up the system to the trailer the first time to check if all was well, the 120v lights and the air conditioner came on and seemed to work fine. But the other day when I tried it again, I'm not getting current past the power cable. I've used my Fluke 117 multimeter to troubleshoot, and this is what I'm coming up with. Let me preface this with what the pv system is composed of. I have (2) Trace SW5548 inverter/chargers run in series with the connection cable to perform this. 8kw of solar panels feeding it. I've run two legs of 120, one from each inverter, to a 50A connection box mounted on the side of the 'power shed'. Since the 5th wheel is a 30A system, I bought a 30A 100' 10g wire power cable to run from the shed to the trailer. I've got a 50A to 30A adapter at the shed, and an adapter from the 3 wire cable plug to mate with the 3 prong hook up on the trailer, which uses the 2 "bent" connectors (hot and neutral), along with the 'flat' ground. I'm getting 120v at the hot connector on the cable there, with 0 on the white/neutral. All good up to this point.
But when I try to take readings at the breaker box on the inside of the rear wall where the input is, which is only about 18" of main wire between the outer socket and the breakers, I'm getting no voltage coming out of the breakers, and power only coming into one of them. Something else I don't quite understand is that there are 4 wire's coming into the box. Black and red, which I would normally say are the hot wires, one feeding each of the two breakers, a white neutral and a green ground. How can there be 4 wires coming off of a 3 wire prong? At first I thought, well maybe one is feeding the converter to charge the batteries??, but both the wires are feeding into the inputs of the two breakers in the box.
These two breakers are both T&B breakers. One is a 30A single pole SR-100 type TB, and the second is a 20A double pole YF-6738 type TBBD.
I failed to try checking it with the generator due to darkness falling. Although I'm posting to mainly find out if anyone knows where I can find these breakers to buy as replacements in case they are bad, I'm also really confused about the box wiring, also. Short of pulling the socket coming into the 5th wheel to find out how these wires are configured and 'what goes where', I was wondering if anyone here could explain where these wires go, and what may be the cause of suddenly not getting any power inside, when there is at least one leg of 120 at the plug going into that socket. I've attempted to find the schematics on this rig before, but apparently Keystone is not giving out that information, at least that was the general consensus a few years ago when I looked for it.
So, if anyone out there knows where I can buy some replacement breakers (I believe T&B has been bought out by another company), or if anyone can give me any information about something I'm missing here, I would really appreciate it. Thanks in advance for any ideas or comments on this. Lee
โMar-14-2024 05:12 PM
I bought a 30A 100' 10g wire power cable to run from the shed to the trailer. I've got a 50A to 30A adapter at the shed, and an adapter from the 3 wire cable plug to mate with the 3 prong hook up on the trailer, which uses the 2 "bent" connectors (hot and neutral), along with the 'flat' ground. I'm getting 120v at the hot connector on the cable there, with 0 on the white/neutral. All good up to this point.
But when I try to take readings at the breaker box on the inside of the rear wall where the input is, which is only about 18" of main wire between the outer socket and the breakers, I'm getting no voltage coming out of the breakers, and power only coming into one of them. Something else I don't quite understand is that there are 4 wire's coming into the box. Black and red, which I would normally say are the hot wires, one feeding each of the two breakers, a white neutral and a green ground. How can there be 4 wires coming off of a 3 wire prong? At first I thought, well maybe one is feeding the converter to charge the batteries??, but both the wires are feeding into the inputs of the two breakers in the box.
These two breakers are both T&B breakers. One is a 30A single pole SR-100 type TB, and the second is a 20A double pole YF-6738 type TBBD.
so I was just re reading this and I think you have more going on than breakers, and they may not be the issue, or at least only a small part.
10amp extension cord isn't rate for 30 amps over 100 feet, at that distance it is only up to 20amps.
RV 50amp outlets have 4 cables, two hot, one nutral and one ground. the reason for this is it is real two 120V circuts not a 240V, so you need the nutral. it would be handy to see a picture of the two wires you are talking about that are feeding the panel breakers, both at the panel and where they start. once you get into a RV the colors can be what ever the manufacture had availble at the time ๐
โMar-14-2024 05:52 AM - edited โMar-14-2024 05:55 AM
Thanks stircrazy and opnspaces- that's a new one on me. I'm thinking the idea of the PO needing a breaker fast and this was the one on hand. Funny thing happened this morning, though. I got an email from e-trailer.com asking how the adapter I bought from them a year ago for the 100' rv power cord was working. I'd sent the first one back because it wouldn't connect correctly. (it wouldn't seat completely so that the fastening ring was not able to screw in.) I've checked the power at the cord at the trailer, and inside the trailer, but I did not consider checking at the adapter, which is after the cord and before it enters the trailer. Maybe that's the problem?? Kind of doubt it, but I'll have to put the multimeter on that too. Meanwhile, I've got the 30A breaker from Menards and am waiting on the 20A from ebay. Thanks again, everybody! Lee
โMar-14-2024 08:32 AM
Not sure if this will help, but I have a 2012 Cameo and one of the breakers failed. I found a breaker on Amazon that matched with the same specs as the OEM. Check this location and you might find a like breaker even though not the same manufacturer. Schneider Electric. I have a Square D QOT1520CP Circuit Breaker. Good Luck.
โMar-13-2024 12:12 PM
It's just two breakers in the traditional space of one breaker. Double pole breakers are typically used where you need to add a new circuit and are out of slots in the box to add a breaker. So you remove one existing single breaker and replace it with a double pole breaker. If the double 20amp breaker you pictured has only one wire to it then it's using only one 20 amp breaker. And you have a spare 20amp breaker that is not being used.
As to why? Could be a plethora of reasons why there is a second unused breaker. It could be that they ran out of single breakers on the assembly so the installer just used a double. Or the original failed while on vacation and the owner could only get a double in the small town they were in.
โMar-12-2024 03:33 PM
The breaker you show is not a double pole breaker. It is two single pole breakers in a single 1" space, often called a twin breaker. They are made in 2-15 amp, 15-20 amp, 2-20 amp, 15-30amp, 20-30 amp and 2-30 amp and others. If you have two wires hooked up to the breaker, you have two separate 120 volt circuits. Be careful what you do, you may cause a fire, or worse zap yourself. Former electrical contractor.
โMar-13-2024 06:49 AM
Thanks, deltafired0g55s. I guess I've never seen one of them. But why would this be used, or even necessary? Seems like the ability to have two 120v wires stuck into a single breaker, which means 240v input? Or is it just twice as much current leading into the 5th wheels system? I don't understand what the use or need for this type of breaker when you it could do the same thing with a single pole breaker. Especially since this one is a 20A. And what circuit is the air conditioner running off of?
Also, I found the breakers to replace these two. Found a new Thomas and Betts pole/switch 20A breaker on ebay, and it's on its way. Found an Eaton single pole 30A breaker at Menards locally, so I'm waiting for the one one order to get here before I go back down to the property (30 miles away). Will report back with the results. Thanks again, folks!
โMar-13-2024 05:08 PM
its called a space saver. as we evolved and required more electrical loads on a house they came up with these (2 breakers in the space of 1) to be able to add cirvuts to older houses with outupgrading their old 70amp panels.
โMar-12-2024 06:05 AM
While I'm on this subject, can anyone tell me why there is a double pole breaker in this box? There is only one wire coming into it. What good is a double pole breaker that's only being fed on one side?
There's a piece of tape just to the right of the two breakers in the box labeled "water heater", but the label was placed pretty much in the center of the two, so I don't know which one is the water heater and which is the rest of the trailer's AC circuit. Or did someone replace a breaker along the way with a double pole incorrectly? They are both T&B's. I'm going to try to trace them down once the power is flowing again, but I'm still skeptical about the dual pole breaker. AND the 4 wires coming into the breaker box from a 3 wire input socket on the 5th wheel's exterior port.
โMar-12-2024 05:57 AM
Thank you, Stircrazy! After posting yesterday, I spent some time searching the subject and found both of the breakers online. The single pole 30A breaker had to be replaced with an Eaton CL type, but it's exactly the same. The other, a double pole 20A breaker, which is in a single pole size casing, I actually found a new T&B breaker. Hopefully, this is the problem. I don't see what else it could be, short of a bad socket on the 5th wheel, since that's all there is between the 100' cord and the breaker box. I'll report back after I get back down to the property and install them. I also need to hook up the generator and see what happens with that.
What is so strange about this is that just a month or so ago, after I finished firing up the system after having to get two new breakers for the PV input into the charge controllers, I hooked it up and everything worked fine. I'll report back after I try the breakers when they arrive. Thanks again!
โMar-11-2024 05:11 PM
Siemens or Eaton breakers are compatible with Thomas and Betts panels. just take a old breaker to Home Depot and look for a Eaton and make sure they look the same.