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Missing 120 volts

Bob_Vaughn
Explorer
Explorer
We came home from our 2 week vacation and plugged our rv into the rv plug in our rv port. A few days later my wife told me that we did not have 120 volts. So I unplugged the cord and got my volt meter out and sure enough no volts.....so I went to where it is connected to the master switch and 120 volts there so some where under the concrete the power disappears. Something is amuck.....
31 REPLIES 31

enblethen
Nomad
Nomad
OP:
Is the same type of wire leaving the power panel getting to the receptacle?
Normally Romex is run in the house and either type UF or is installed in conduit. Either method would have a junction box where it changes.

Bud
USAF Retired
Pace Arrow


2003 Chev Ice Road Tracker

CavemanCharlie
Explorer II
Explorer II
Bob Vaughn wrote:
My neighbor who is an electrician came down and we did a continuity check and discovered that sure enough there is a broken wire under ground some where......so now I have to do something I was not wanting to do and that is rewire the rv pedestal ......


Maybe you'll get lucky and find the broken wire at the bottom of the pedestal and not have to dig up too much.

CavemanCharlie
Explorer II
Explorer II
enblethen wrote:
Here definition of a "contactor". They are normally used for heavy loads like motors and lighting:
Contactor definition
OP:
What type of shore power do you have? Is it a thirty or fifty amp?
Are you using any adapters?


Thanks, I wonder why he needs one of those?

Bob_Vaughn
Explorer
Explorer
My neighbor who is an electrician came down and we did a continuity check and discovered that sure enough there is a broken wire under ground some where......so now I have to do something I was not wanting to do and that is rewire the rv pedestal ......

enblethen
Nomad
Nomad
Here definition of a "contactor". They are normally used for heavy loads like motors and lighting:
Contactor definition
OP:
What type of shore power do you have? Is it a thirty or fifty amp?
Are you using any adapters?

Bud
USAF Retired
Pace Arrow


2003 Chev Ice Road Tracker

CavemanCharlie
Explorer II
Explorer II
Ya, I'm not sure what a "contactor" is either? I think I'm going with Bipeflier and suggest you get a electrician. What ever the problem is you have tried your best and it must be something to complicated for laymen like us to fix.

enblethen
Nomad
Nomad
Where is this "contactor" located? What operates it?
What three circuits connect to it?
Terminology is confusing us!
A contactor is a relay, some call them solenoids
A contractor is a person that does work
Circuit breaker is an over current device

Bud
USAF Retired
Pace Arrow


2003 Chev Ice Road Tracker

Bob_Vaughn
Explorer
Explorer
enblethen wrote:
What is a "contractor"?
Do you mean contactor or circuit breaker? Why is there a contactor in the circuit?
Did you check the neutral connections in the eleectrical panel?

spell check, there are 3 separate circuits that connect to the Contactor . The circuit breaker in in the garage......

Bipeflier
Explorer
Explorer
Please contact a qualified electrician. You are way out of your element and can get killed.
2010 Cruiser CF30SK Patriot
2016 3500 Duramax
1950 Right Hand Seat GPS (she tells me where to go)

enblethen
Nomad
Nomad
What is a "contractor"?
Do you mean contactor or circuit breaker? Why is there a contactor in the circuit?
Did you check the neutral connections in the eleectrical panel?

Bud
USAF Retired
Pace Arrow


2003 Chev Ice Road Tracker

Bob_Vaughn
Explorer
Explorer
aruba5er wrote:
I'm SO confused. Is power at the outlet but not into the camper? Sounds like 120 volt at the wires at the outlet but not out of the outlet. Correct? NO? Maybe a bad outlet? Some people are making the assumption that the wiring is in conduit and new wires can be installed. Is this right or wrong? Is there any chance that the camper outlet is downstream from any other outlet and maybe a lose wire at that point or is is for certain that this is the one and only outlet. Are there any splices anywhere? Is the wiring the same from when it leaves the main box to where it gets to the camper "like # 10 light gray type UF and ends up #12 dark gray uf or maybe white RX? " indicating a splice.

The rv outlet goes straight to the contractor which has 120 volts......a straight wire from rv plug to the contractor........

aruba5er
Explorer
Explorer
I'm SO confused. Is power at the outlet but not into the camper? Sounds like 120 volt at the wires at the outlet but not out of the outlet. Correct? NO? Maybe a bad outlet? Some people are making the assumption that the wiring is in conduit and new wires can be installed. Is this right or wrong? Is there any chance that the camper outlet is downstream from any other outlet and maybe a lose wire at that point or is is for certain that this is the one and only outlet. Are there any splices anywhere? Is the wiring the same from when it leaves the main box to where it gets to the camper "like # 10 light gray type UF and ends up #12 dark gray uf or maybe white RX? " indicating a splice.

enblethen
Nomad
Nomad
What is a "contractor"? Do you contactor and is this the one in the transfer switch?
Is there any junction boxes between the RV receptacle and the power panel?

Bud
USAF Retired
Pace Arrow


2003 Chev Ice Road Tracker

Bob_Vaughn
Explorer
Explorer
Dave H M wrote:
:S I think that i understand that OP now has power at the pedistal but plugged the RV in and it did not have power inside.

OR when he plugged the RV in did it break the continuity and kill the power at the receptacle?

If the power holds at the pedistal (that is good) then should we not charge on and look for the problem from the pedistal to inside the RV?

I have removed the rv receptacle from the pedestal and had to power on the wires. I went to the contractor and tightened the lugs and wire connections. I then checked the wires and had power there at the pedestal. I installed a new receptacle and checked the power before plugging in my rv and no longer had any power. So some where between the contractor and the pedestal I must have a break in the underground wire....