Popping breakers at Night! stumped

[Usmcsousa]

any assistance is appreciated. we have been at a campground for about 5 weeks now and haven't had any issue up until recently. About 4 nights ago at about 1 am, our coach lost all 120v power, I checked the interior breaker box and had no tripped breakers, I manually reset all of them anyway just to be sure. Next I went to the Power Pole and saw that the 50amp outlet breaker had been tripped so I reset it and got 120v power back for about 30 seconds before tripping again. After the second trip, the power would not come back to the 50amp outlet. I used my 50 to 30amp dog bone and connected to the 30 amp and had power, no issues for the rest of the night. the next day DW ran the Coffee pot with both roof airs running and popped the 30amp exterior breaker. I tried connecting back up to the 50amp outlet and had 120 power all day without issues. Temps have been at 95+ degrees. Both ACs running, TV coffee pot microwave ect. nothing was tripping. then again the Second night around midnight, same ol story, couldn't get 50amp to work, changed over to 30amp for the night. now at night we only have one of the two ACs on, and obviously no TV or microwave use ect. This has me stumped. The camp ground is almost completely full, and the few open sites are really cruddy( next to dumpster,or very small) I don't really want to change sites Ive asked the Camp host to send someone to check on the condition of the power pole, said they put in a work order and recommended I change sites.
Do y'all think there could be something going on in my rig that's causing this? usually when I've had power issues, its the inside breakers that will pop before the outside. We are in a 36ft Class A with 50amp service.

[MrWizard]

He did complain, and they did replace the 50 amp breaker

[Cloud_Dancer]

I always assume that nobody really wants to hear my complaints. The few times that I've encountered similar pedestal problems, I've cranked up my generator. Sooner or later someone stops by and complains TO ME, and I explain that there's a problem with the park's electrical system,....and that someone should complain to THEM. Pretty soon, it gets fixed. If not, I leave.
In the last 17 years, this has happened three(3) times. In two cases the problem was fixed, and in the other I left.

[MrWizard]

Spiders?
Not unless they climbed inside the breaker and between the contacts
That thing was just worn out

[dougrainer]

Usmcsousa wrote:
So quick Update, CG sent an electrician this AM. Of course he suggested underlying issues in my rig at first. Last Night I stayed hooked up to 30amp and all went well. The 50amp breaker was replaced and there was a massive colony of really ugly spiders living behind the breakers. Electrician says the Breaker was "weak" and the furry critters living behind there could have contributed to the strange power issues along with the weak breaker.I am hooked back up to 50amp and so far so good, will see what the night brings. Thank you all very much for your help!!!

The electrician(probably NOT a real electrician) is an idiot. IF you had underlying issues in the RV, you have BREAKERS (15 and 20 amps, maybe a 30 or 2) that would TRIP inside that YOUR breaker box if an appliance/'s were causing an overload. Doug

[Usmcsousa]

So quick Update, CG sent an electrician this AM. Of course he suggested underlying issues in my rig at first. Last Night I stayed hooked up to 30amp and all went well. The 50amp breaker was replaced and there was a massive colony of really ugly spiders living behind the breakers. Electrician says the Breaker was "weak" and the furry critters living behind there could have contributed to the strange power issues along with the weak breaker.I am hooked back up to 50amp and so far so good, will see what the night brings. Thank you all very much for your help!!!

[Usmcsousa]

smkettner wrote:

Usmcsousa wrote:
OK so one side is Front AC,TV,bathroom outlet,Dinet & sofa Outlets, Microwave
Second is Rear AC, Kitchen Outlet(coffee pot,)rear Tv,Bedroom outlets

That seems reasonably balanced. Can you put water heater and fridge to run on propane only?

Problem is probably the pedestal supply but this may help mitigate the issue during your stay.

After the First night i switched Water Heater and Fridge to Propane, did not want to wake up to a spoiled fridge if I didn't wake up to another outage.

[wa8yxm]

I too would think the problem would be greater during the day. but I do not know the campground...

So I will describe where I am.. This is a combination of resident and transit campers.. Some of us are here for months or even ears. Some I know have been here since 2011 at the latest and are still here.. I'm here for about 4 years if things go as planned.

Many have day jobs (Work = income) I'm retired so do voulenteer work.

Many turn off the A/C or cut it down to one (if they do not have pets, I have pets) PLUS the overnighters.. Well they leave long about 8-10 amp and do not get replaced till around 3-7 in the evening.

So the load is much greater on the park electrical system at night.. Just the opposite of what you woudl think..

Now where I am the owner did the absolute best job of wiring the park that I have ever seen, In fact I can not imagine a better job.. Each row of campers has a distribution panel at the end of the row. And each site has its very own circuit breaker, and very own feed, from that box.. NO DAISY CHAINS.. (Well one, but there is a 30 amp rig on that site one of the "been here since before 2012" rigs,,,, and the water pump, that is the chained "site").

So I do not have that problem.. But in many CG's... When the people get "home" the voltage drops. this means current increases in reactive loads like A/C's which are the biggest power suckers in the RV.

[time2roll]

Usmcsousa wrote:
OK so one side is Front AC,TV,bathroom outlet,Dinet & sofa Outlets, Microwave
Second is Rear AC, Kitchen Outlet(coffee pot,)rear Tv,Bedroom outlets

That seems reasonably balanced. Can you put water heater and fridge to run on propane only?

Problem is probably the pedestal supply but this may help mitigate the issue during your stay.

[Acampingwewillg]

I may have missed something but didn't the OP state that during the day, he had everything working off the 50 amp outlet(of course my thinking is the campground during the heat of the day is when this condition would be more likely?) not at midnight when power usage throughout the Park would be less, possibly! The only way I see that happening late at night is if there is some type of Brownout, less power available. I mean worn contacts, improper wiring, heated cord's ect ect would seem more likely during high usage(day-high temps) although I suppose if your in an area where the campground is abandoned (tourist attractions) maybe that would explain....just thinking out loud.

[wa8yxm]

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Circuit breakers wear out. A dual pole breaker has more krap inside to anneal and lean on a shovel. Most power pole connections are so corroded and ugly they would make Jed Clampett gag.

I had that happen at one park,, I went on a conservation program and got my draw down to less than 25 amps over all (Between the two legs) and still they were pop-a-matics....

Touched the panel and dang near burned my fingers.. AH A hint, not supposed to get that hot.. Called management, electrician arrived (Eventually) and swapped out the breakers.. HE DID burn his fingers they were that hot..

No problems after that.

Manager tried to convince me it was my fault...Uh.. Somewhere in the coach (I actually know exactly where) is a document that proclaims I've been trained in that kind of thing... And it tells the truth.

[dougrainer]

Usmcsousa wrote:

dougrainer wrote:
I will bet you do NOT have 50 amp service. What you have is a 50 amp receptacle on a single 50 amp breaker with the 2 hot spades tied together. You need to do a simple voltage check with the 50 amp pole breaker reset and NOT plugged into your shore cord. Measuring the 2 hot spades at 3 and 9 o clock should yield double the line voltage(120 times 2 for 240). IF NOT this voltage and you get 120 on each 3 and 9 spade to ground or the neutral, then you have what is called "cheated" 50 amp service. This is NOT 50 amp service and you should not have to pay for this. Remember, 50 amp RV service is a TOTAL of 100 amps with 50 amps on each hot leg. Doug

I Wasn't aware of that,the Pole has two 50amp breakers bridged together, and showing 240v on the meter.

Then you are fine. You have 50 amp service. You stated the CG was full. What IS the actual line voltage? Doug

[Usmcsousa]

dougrainer wrote:
I will bet you do NOT have 50 amp service. What you have is a 50 amp receptacle on a single 50 amp breaker with the 2 hot spades tied together. You need to do a simple voltage check with the 50 amp pole breaker reset and NOT plugged into your shore cord. Measuring the 2 hot spades at 3 and 9 o clock should yield double the line voltage(120 times 2 for 240). IF NOT this voltage and you get 120 on each 3 and 9 spade to ground or the neutral, then you have what is called "cheated" 50 amp service. This is NOT 50 amp service and you should not have to pay for this. Remember, 50 amp RV service is a TOTAL of 100 amps with 50 amps on each hot leg. Doug

I Wasn't aware of that,the Pole has two 50amp breakers bridged together, and showing 240v on the meter.

[Usmcsousa]

smkettner wrote:
Open the breaker panel in the RV. Most branch circuits should be labeled.

Each set of branch circuits will be next to a 50 amp main breaker.
L1 & L2 refer to the main breakers and then listed what is associated (connected) with each main.

OK so one side is Front AC,TV,bathroom outlet,Dinet & sofa Outlets, Microwave
Second is Rear AC, Kitchen Outlet(coffee pot,)rear Tv,Bedroom outlets

[dougrainer]

I will bet you do NOT have 50 amp service. What you have is a 50 amp receptacle on a single 50 amp breaker with the 2 hot spades tied together. You need to do a simple voltage check with the 50 amp pole breaker reset and NOT plugged into your shore cord. Measuring the 2 hot spades at 3 and 9 o clock should yield double the line voltage(120 times 2 for 240). IF NOT this voltage and you get 120 on each 3 and 9 spade to ground or the neutral, then you have what is called "cheated" 50 amp service. This is NOT 50 amp service and you should not have to pay for this. Remember, 50 amp RV service is a TOTAL of 100 amps with 50 amps on each hot leg. Doug