Another electrical question

ktsame

All was well with our T@B 320 electrical system last weekend when camping and hooked up to 30 amp outlet.  I just plugged it in at home and I have to use a long extension cord from the garage to an adapter to the Progressive surge protector to the 30 amp cord.  The surge protector isn't registering any errors.  The voltage is reading 119 or 118 (seems like it was higher when I plugged it in before).  Now there isn't any power to the fridge, or the outlets (including the outlet the AC is plugged into).  The AC fan works, the fantastic fan, works, the lights and radio are OK, the ALDE panel works.  Is this just a low voltage problem or have I blown a fuse?  I appreciate any help anyone can offer.  I did look at the Fuses for Newbies and I figured out what fuses go to what appliances but I was hesitant to start messing with them. 

ScottG

You may be getting a little voltage drop from the long run, but unless the surge protector has shut things down, that shouldn't translate into the no-power-at-all situation you describe.

I'm assuming you have no 120V power at all but your battery is still connected, which is why your 12V devices continue to work. Have you checked the main 120V 30A breaker in the converter's AC distribution panel? If not, start there. Good luck!

falcon1970

How long is your "long extension cord?"  And what gauge is it?  The longer your extension cord the greater the resistance--and the greater the voltage drop.  The smaller the gauge of your extension cord (the larger the gauge number) the greater the resistance and the greater the voltage drop.  Always use as short an extension cord as possible and as large a gauge as is reasonable.  12 gauge cords are pretty pricy and 10 gauge cords are astronomical--especially in longer lengths.  If you have to run 50 feet or less a 12 gauge cord is the smallest you should use.  A 10 gauge cord would be better.  If you intend to run a lot of equipment in the trailer you should go with a 10 gauge cord.  Buy the length of cord you need.  Don't join two shorter cords together--there is an increased resistance at each connection.
BTW, with long runs of smaller gauge cords (under even a small load) you will notice the cord heats up considerably.  That is a consequence of the high resistance.

4ncar

How long is your extension cord, and where are you reading the voltage(low as it is) from? Depending on 5e length you will see a voltage drop. Everything except ac & fridge is on 12 volts, so they will work... check gfci on floor electrical outlet AND on AC plug.

ChanW

If the Progressive reads 118-119, then it looks like you don't have enough voltage drop to matter, so chances are good that your cord is adequate.

As @ScottG suggested, first check your breakers in the Tab (the fuses are only for 12V items). Also check the GFCI breaker on the outlet under the bed to be sure it's reset (however, I don't think the fridge is on the GFCI circuit). There's also a special breaker on the plug for the AC.

But because all the 120V outlets seem to be off, I'd suspect the Tab main breaker.

rfuss928

There will not be any voltage drop if nothing is running no matter how long or what size the cord(s) are.

I suspect the GFI or the Main breaker might be tripped as has been suggested.

You will want to check the voltage at the PI EMS when there are loads running (Air Cond, converter, refrig.).  The PI will shut down if it drops too low.

If you are just running the converter to maintain the battery you should have no problem.  Be careful running the AC.

webers3

I regularly connect 2 standard outdoor variety 50ft each extension cords to reach the T@B without any problems, I would check the circuit breakers.

ktsame

Thanks for all the advice.  I’m running a few errands and will check the circuit breaker and gfi when I get home.  I did look at the circuit breaker - what does it look like if it is tripped?  

Bayliss

@ktsame, if tripped, the circuit breaker switch set in the "ON" position will likely be a little lower than adjacent circuit breakers.  If you lightly jiggle each circuit breaker switch up and down, a blown one will have some play while the others should be solidly in the "ON" position.  If not sure, just flip each one "off" and then back "on."

Also, since it sounds like you are plugged in to a 15A circuit at your house, keep in mind that you are going to have less available electrical power than you would otherwise have when plugged in to a 30A circuit.  Therefore, be careful not to overload the circuit by having too many electrical devices on at the same time.  If you are trying to run too many things at once, you're likely going to trip one or more circuit breakers.

davel4wa

Invest in a heavier duty extension cord, at least 12 AWG. If you are not going to run heavy loads like A/C or the Alde you should be OK. I'm not sure how the GFCI outlets are wired in your unit but it's not unusual for there to be several outlets looped from the GFCI outlet. If the GFCI trips or is bad and they are notorious for going bad, then all looping plugs will be dead as well. GFCI outlets are often packaged with a sheet of "GFCI Protected" labels for use on looped outlets but RV manufacturers frequently do not apply them.

ktsame

So I’m not sure what I did but shore power is working now.  The circuit breaker didn’t feel like it was tripped but I did flip it off and on.  The gfi didn’t seem like that was tripped either but I did push on it.  I also pushed the buttons on the AC plug.  I did get a 12 g extension cord.  Seemed like the last thing I did was push the buttons on the AC plug then it came on but not immediately. Gremlins??  Thanks for all your help.  I’ll keep you posted if it happens again.  

Bayliss

Congrats @ktsame!  The delay in the power coming on was likely the delay built into the EMS (to protect your camper), which tells you that it is doing its job.