Only thing getting power is the 220V Appliance!?

[jeff_1981]

Hey electrical geniuses out there, I need your help. I know next-to-nothing about electrical. Maybe the answer is something simple. Either way, I don't know it, and I need some guidance, big time.

Wife and I are starting a mobile coffee and pastries business. Had an older camper fixed up. Looks great. Tried hooking it up to the generator today for the first time...and I'm perplexed. At first I thought nothing got power, but actually the 220V, 4000W, 20A espresso machine is the only thing that switches on. No other equipment or outlets work.

The generator is a Champion 8750 Watt Inverter, Model 100520. The plug going into the Camper is a big 4-Prong (I assume a 50A?). For the part going to the generator, I had to use a 30 Amp Generator 4 Prong to RV30 Amp Adapter cord I got from Home Depot.

I turn on the generator fine, I plug it in to the camper, and nothing. No lights go on. The refrigerator, kegerator, water heater, outlets, etc., nothing. EXCEPT that the humongous espresso machine (connected DIRECTLY to the breaker box, not an outlet) will switch on. Most of the outlets are GFCI, but none are tripped. I tried flipping off the circuit breakers for a while then switching back on. Nothing.

I. Don't. Get. It. And we can't even get a health inspection if we can't get the equipment running.... I had a theory that maybe the 30 Amp adapter cord was not enough? Maybe I need a 50 amp? I just don't know what to try.

HELP!!!!!!!!!

[time2roll]

You need 4 prong to 4 prong like this:



Adapter Cord 4-Prong Twist Lock 30A L14-30 Male to RV 50A 14-50 Female

[time2roll]

jeff_1981 wrote:
Oh my gosh thank you for this analysis!

Would this type of adapter work as someone else mentioned? https://www.park-power.com/en/173arv

The RV end works but that only has 3 pins for the generator.
Not going to work.

[jeff_1981]

enblethen wrote:
After seeing photos, No the adapter will do no good.
You need the correct male range plug on the shore power cord then if wired correctly to panel it would work.
The receptacle in the photo needs to get wired correctly if that is the one to the expresso machine. Parallel blades are the power.

This is a picture of the actual receptacle on the outside of the camper trailer: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qJirz6rJ9OUwniTEEF0FBqXgV7kAqqyy/view?usp=sharing

Is that what you need to see? Assuming it is wired correctly...what type of cord or cord/adapter combo do I need? I'm struggling to locate the right item....

Thanks so much. Really appreciate your help!

[enblethen]

After seeing photos, No the adapter will do no good.
You need the correct male range plug on the shore power cord then if wired correctly to panel it would work.
The receptacle in the photo needs to get wired correctly if that is the one to the expresso machine. Parallel blades are the power.

[jeff_1981]

Oh my gosh thank you for this analysis!

Would this type of adapter work as someone else mentioned? https://www.park-power.com/en/173arv

[Old-Biscuit]

Your picture of Main AC Panel
Bottom set of wires:
*1 white that goes to left side for Neutral Buss
*1 bare copper wire that goes to right side for GROUND Buss
*1 White HOT (black tape on end) goes to ONE main Circuit Breaker
*1 Black HOT goes to Other Main Circuit Breaker
The 2 HOT Wires are Main 120VAC Wires from your external 4 prong plug
Those 2 Circuit Breakers are Mechanically connected so BOTH Trip should either one exceed the CB Amp Rating (Which should be 50A CBs)


Top Left are Two 30A breakers
*1 has Blue Wire (Hot to Expresso)
*1 has Brown Wire (Hot to Expresso)
*Also there is 1 Yellow wire that is connected to white wire with Red wire nut....goes to GROUND Buss

Expresso is 220VAC ----2 Hots & 1 Ground

Then you have 4 individual CBs for outlets and such'
*1 above the Mani CBs is 20A and has Black (Load), White (Neutral) Bare (Ground)
*3 on left side all 20A with Black, White, Bare

All wiring is correct in Main AC Panel
***except left buss bar where Neutrals are connected is actually a Ground Buss Bar (Green Screw for Main Ground wire) and the right buss bar where bare Grounds are connected is Neutral buss Bar
Electrically is doesn't matter cause Main Neutral is connected and Main Bare Ground is connected so circuits will work


Picture of Receptacle is a 50A 4 prong outlet
**WHERE IS THIS RECEPTACLE????????


Ground round top slot
Left/Right Slots are the 2 Hots
Bottom Slot is Neutral


Your adapter (Nema TT-30R) does NOT have a Neutral
Just 2 Hots and a Ground
So none of the individual outlets etc will work cause they have no return path (Neutral)

Wrong adapter



This is the control panel on that Champion 8750
Two 120V 20A standard outlets
ONE twist lock NEMA LT14-30 30A 125/250 4 prong outlet
(2 Hots, 1 Neutral, 1 Ground)

[enblethen]

The receptacle photo(ending 061) does not have a connector in the left side port. The receptacle is not a standard for RV installation. It should be a four wire range receptacle and matching male connector.
Second photo shows strange colored wires feeding main breaker. There should be four wires, black, red, white and green. Red and black connect to the breaker and connect to the shore power cord to parallel blades.
White should be connected to the isolated neutral buss. This the short buss on lower right and long buss on the left side.
Cannot tell from the two links if there is more issues.
You need to find some trained and experience RV help!

[Mmwtdh]

Yup, this is not a do it yourself project......

[midnightsadie]

you better call a rv tech mobil guy or a electric guy. before something gets fried besides a potato.

[jeff_1981]

Lynnmor wrote:
There is no connection to the neutral, it is up to you to find it.

What does this mean? Is the neutral the ground?

[jeff_1981]

AllegroD wrote:
Wait! Before you go buying stuff off of others recommendations, I think something is missing? Is you camper a 30 amp rig? Is it a trailer or MH? What make and model? That is what I think you are saying. Take a pic of the 120 volt circuit breakers and post them. Take a pic of your Auto Transfer switch, if you have one and post it here.

***Link Removed***

This WAS a 1964 (?) Avalon. It was gutted and completely redone. It definitely has a four-prong female outlet ***Link Removed***.

***Link Removed*** on the inside when I get into the breaker box.

I hope it's just a cord issue...

EDIT: Is it really not letting me post the links? What about this: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iEJFB8zZU11HCk9di6xwVHyojVKEbC-x/view

http://mobileimages.lowes.com/product/converted/695706/6957064521061.jpg?size=pdhi

[Lynnmor]

There is no connection to the neutral, it is up to you to find it.

[time2roll]

jeff_1981 wrote:
Any chance I just need a new cord or adapter?

If the trailer has a 4 prong main cord... you have the wrong adapter.

[AllegroD]

Wait! Before you go buying stuff off of others recommendations, I think something is missing? Is you camper a 30 amp rig? Is it a trailer or MH? What make and model? That is what I think you are saying. Take a pic of the 120 volt circuit breakers and post them. Take a pic of your Auto Transfer switch, if you have one and post it here.

Photo Posting App page.

[enblethen]

Your adapter is not the correct one.
You need a L14-30 to 50 amp four prong.
Adapter