Reversed Polarity

Dogden

Hi everyone.. I bought a special order 2018 TAB and have been out only 6 times.  I am getting ready for this year and I see my "pigtail" is showing one red one green light = reversed polarity.  This is my 3rd pigtail, others just quit working I thought it was maybe rain got them wet so now I put in a plastic bag, but this issue has me upset.  I took the factory supplied charge cord and my pigtail and my prong converter to the local TAB dealer service dept in PDX.  He tested these parts and all tested good to go.  I go back home attach all to my house power (which I tested and the power cord 2 of them I tested ok) and I attach to my trailer and I get "reversed polarity"!  My PDX facility is booked so far out, even thought I bought it from them they give no consideration to people that buy from them.  What does this mean and how could it have happened?  I for sure swapped no wired, but they did work on my electrical deployment of my stabilizers - would that have had an effect?  The PDX guys said no.  I am at a loss.  Please help.  Thank you

Sharon_is_SAM

Just to clarify, your "pigtail" is your 7 pin cable or is your pigtail a dogbone connector?  
What are you using to test your house power?  

ScottG

Yes, please clarify what you mean by "pigtail." I'm assuming from your description this is something you are putting between the electrical outlet and your camper power cord.

Also, how did you go about testing your house power to ensure it is ok?

Reverse polarity in a 120V AC circuit means the hot (black) and the operating ground (white) wires have been swapped around somewhere in the circuit. Electrical devices will still work properly, but this creates a potentially dangerous situation as on/off switches are now on the ground leg rather than the hot leg. If you become the path to ground in this situation, you will get shocked.

While I suppose a defective pigtail is possible, it seems more likely that you actually have a improperly wired circuit in your house, and your pigtail is doing exactly what it is supposed to do. 

Marceline

I agree with @Sharon_is_SAM- it’s a little hard to envision what you’re talking about. 
“Pigtail” generally refers to the cable that’s hard wired onto your trailer at a junction box. 
Examples- https://www.etrailer.com/search/Rv+Pigtail

Do you mean a “dogbone” adapter? If so, exactly what kind of adapter? 50 amp to 30 amp? Or maybe it’s a dogbone with a circuit tester? Like this? https://www.etrailer.com/RV-Wiring/Camco/CAM55312.html 

If you can provide better information we might be able to help you figure this out. 

klenger

Pictures would help

VictoriaP

You may also want to clarify how you’re testing all of this. It’s not unheard of for testers to go bad or be defective from the start, especially cheap ones. Pictures of the pigtail and any adapters you are using to plug in to house power would also help.

Homebodyatheart

@Dogden if you’re talking about Apache in PDX you may want to call Phil Irvin at their Poulsbo location (360) 319-7603, although sometimes he is at other locations. He is their tech head manager (I think that’s his title) and knows more about Tabs than most dealers around. Tell him Becky from Lincoln Rock referred you. He is incredibly helpful, a nice guy and he loves to help Tab owners! Good luck!

davel4wa

Pretty interesting comment about PDX Apache RV. As a motorhome owner (no longer, actually) trying to get appointments for RV service has certainly been a problem for me in SW Washington. Camping World in the PDX area have been booking appointments several months out. I used a couple different local companies to do installation/service related work which had much more reasonable schedules. I find it perplexing that the dealers and places like Camping World have not made any moves to resolve their service backlog problems.

davel4wa

I hope by now you have resolved this problem as it can be disquieting. For years I have always carried a circuit tester like this:
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Southwire-Analog-120-Volt-GFCI-Receptacle-Tester/50129726

This one also provides testing for GFCI devices. Use it before you plug in anywhere. To test the normal campground 30A service you just need a 30A plug to U-ground (standard household receptacle) adapter. The 30A RV service is not that special, just a different connector to differentiate it from a 15/20A receptacle. Once you have tested the campground or home circuit you don't need to keep any kind of monitoring device in circuit as the power is not likely to change. If you are using a surge protector with the inbuilt reversed circuit monitor and they are 'going bad' I would certainly contact the manufacturer to complain. Those things are or should be designed to be weather proof.
Personally, I owned a motorhome for 25 years and never used a surge protector and some of the campgrounds certainly had dicey looking electrical hookups. If there is a general feeling in the RV community that surge protectors are recommended or necessary, then perhaps RV manufacturers should build them in.
Also, from the WFCO converter product PDF, there is this:
"ALL MODELS: Standard Safety Features/Protections: Over Current, Over Temperature, Over Voltage, Reverse Polarity"

ScottG

davel4wa said:

...
Also, from the WFCO converter product PDF, there is this:
"ALL MODELS: Standard Safety Features/Protections: Over Current, Over Temperature, Over Voltage, Reverse Polarity"

I think the reverse polarity protection in the WFCO apples only to the DC side--specifically to the leads coming from the battery. There is a special circuit with a 12V fuse that is supposed to blow if the battery is connected backwards. I'm uncertain if any such protection applies to the AC side. It might be necessary to protect the converter, but knowledge of converter innards are out of my pay grade...

I don't usually camp with hookups, but when I do I use the same method as you to check the connections. It sounds the pigtail/dogbone/whatever the OP refers to has some similar functionality as our testers.