Electric power problem / need some advice

[smkunder]

Looking to the group for some help. Just returned from a great time at the rally and when I try to plug my trailer in at my garage as I always do it keep tripping my garage GFI. Also it seems that I am unable to reset GFI in coach . Never had this problem before. We did drive trough three hours of torrential rain. Looking for any help you folks might have.

Thanks
Steve

[Cate&Rob]

Hi Steve,

Yup . . . 3 hrs of torrential rain . . . (we are stopped for the night over near Detroit).

Since you are tripping a GFCI, I am thinking you are stepping through several adapters up from 15 or 20 A ??
If so, make sure they are dry and add one at a time starting at the powered outlet, to see if something before the trailer is tripping the GFCI.

Rob

[smkunder]

Think I have narrowed it down, I turned off all breakers and then turned them on one at a time to see what the culprit was and it seems every time I turn on microwave breaker it trips out the whole system. Kind of weird because the only thing on in the microwave would be the clock. Not sure if its a bad plug or bad microwave. I am no electrical guy, wouldn't you know 3 months out of warranty.

[steve gravelle]

x 2 on Robs suggestion. It does not take much moisture in a cord to cord connection to kill the breaker (or GFCI) at the source. Our issue happened during flood time in Texas.

[steve gravelle]

Last message was before I read about the microwave issue. We had that also, 6 months ago. What happened for us was the circuit from the breaker panel to the microwave goes straight back almost to the rear bumper before it goes out to the kitchen slide. There is a Molex(?) connector that is pretty small for all 3 wires that melted down and grounded out, smoked badly and filled up our home. Mobile tech came and pulled lower cover down, cut out the connector and put in a box with wire nuts. He believed the cause was running the microwave on 15 or 20 amp circuits, microwave demanded more amperage because voltage was low. Strongly suggested do not use microwave unless on 30 amp minimum. In current park, microwave + coffee maker + fireplace trips external 30 amp. breaker. We use Progressive external 50 amp protector.

[LCBoyer]

Occasionally a clock will trip a GFCI. Two prong plugs don't have an earth ground

[smkunder]

We did have 30 amp service at the park for the rally and everything seemed to work fine. So are you saying that this connector is near rear of coach above the bellypan cover? The plug we use for the coffee maker is on the GFI protected plugs near sink, so I would assume they are separate from microwave I hope.

[steve gravelle]

Yes, under cover, near drivers side rear corner. In hindsight I could have localized the problem myself, but it seemed like it was an issue with more of the wiring than it turned out to be. The microwave has its own breaker in our unit. I do not like the Molex connector, too many amps in too small a connector, IMHO

[smkunder]

Yes, under cover, near drivers side rear corner. In hindsight I could have localized the problem myself, but it seemed like it was an issue with more of the wiring than it turned out to be. The microwave has its own breaker in our unit. I do not like the Molex connector, too many amps in too small a connector, IMHO

Thanks Steve, I just have the breaker off for now, when I get up the gumption I will try to find that connector and see if anything is wrong. Looks like a big job to drop that cover as the spare also has to come down. I would like to find out if microwave is direct wired or has a plug and where that is located and see if unplugging microwave solves problem. Thanks again for your response.

[steve gravelle]

You are welcome. Our microwave has a GFCI bgehind it- pull the screws and slide it out. May not be your issue but hope it helps!