GFI Problem 2013 31SB

[honkonmybobo]

Hi,



I just bought a 2013 Crossroads 31sb Zinger ( 3 weeks old) couple little issues we had fixed ( outdoor kitchen door broke, sink leaking) but one still is not fixed.. The mobile tech was up at our campsite and tried fixing it.. he could not.. so here's the issue..



from Day 1 of owning it.. GFI @ front door that controls the front half of the trailer keeps popping.. tv/dvd plugged in ent. center or cell phone charging.. doesn't matter what it is, just pops (GFI in bathroom is fine) happens either on 15A or 30A service. (we have both at our site but hook up to 30A , I just tried the 15A to see what happens)



The Tech changed the GFI plug but nothing fixed.. still pops. He brought out his GFI plug-in checker and checked the plug.. It said faulty ground neutrel, then he said he checked all the plugs in the trailer and that all the plugs read the same.. He said that it's probably the campsite power that is the problem..



So here's my problem with the Diag of the Mobile tech..
1. happens on either 15A or 30A servicefrom different plugs and breakers on campsite power
2. if all plugs in trailer were reading faulty , then why doesnt the rear GFI pop when we plug things into it or other plgs in rear of camper?
3. campsite owner checked his 30A service .. said it was 120V ( so I assume its getting full 30A)



SO any thoughts??



Regards Jason,
Ontario Canada

[MAR&JWR]

just a thought, check all of the junction boxes under the trailer to ensure wiring is correct... we had a kitchen GFI kept tripping, changed it out same thing... checked all of the junction boxes and found one was full of water, dried it out and a-ok. Probably not water but maybe a wiring issue.

[TrainSafe]

The GFCI is the first outlet (or closest to the shore line). If the tester showed a fault thre, it has to be upstream somewhere. That means you can rule out all the other outlets.

It is either a problem with the wiring in the pedestal at the campground or in the shore connection of your camper.

[Lloyd]

I have carried one of these for years. I always check the pedestal before I plug the camper in. Many times I have found a problem that way. Usually the campground isn't even aware of it. They have always told me to pick a different site if I wanted to.

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[honkonmybobo]

Thing that gets me is if it was the campsite power wouldnt it affect the other GFI ? I'm going to stop in at HomeDepot tonight and buy a GFI tester and if I can find a 30a to 15a adapter to check my 30A service.. if not i'll hook up to the 15A if it ( campsite side) tests good. I want to get this fixed before the winter !!!

[honkonmybobo]

MAR&JWR,



When you say junction boxes under trailer. do you mean under the sink counter area? or under the camper.. IE: the underbelly skirt of trailer???? if so, where abouts would the boxes be?

[TrainSafe]

Originally Posted by honkonmybobo

Thing that gets me is if it was the campsite power wouldnt it affect the other GFI ? I'm going to stop in at HomeDepot tonight and buy a GFI tester and if I can find a 30a to 15a adapter to check my 30A service.. if not i'll hook up to the 15A if it ( campsite side) tests good. I want to get this fixed before the winter !!!

It might, or might not. If GFCI's are within specifications, they should trip at 4 to 6 mA of fault current. Because that's a decent range, you could have one that senses the fault sooner and reacts to it.



It might also be that the other GFCI isn't working properly. One study of building inspection records across the country in 2001 indicated that about 15% of GFCIs installed are not functioning. Usually when they fail, they just turn into a plain old receptacle and still provide power, but don't trip. They're particularly prone to surges from storms, utility switching, and other trainsients that come in on the power line.



The receptacle tester (any of them with the 3 indicating lights are fine) will give you a good ideaof any mis-wiring issues. I'd recommend you buy the cheaper $3 version that doesn't have the built-in GFCItester. Why? The test/reset mechanism built into the GFCI actually does a better job of testing than any of the aftermarket testers. The built in test circuit returns the fault current onto the neutral conductor. The aftermarket testers have to return the fault current onto the ground counductor which isn't as elegant of a solution. I'm not knocking these testers, just pointing out that you don't really need to spend the money for that functionality.



Let us know what you find out.

[Stan]

The grey junction boxes are usually located under the slides or in that area. They are clearly visible and will have a blank cover. i had water in mine after driving in the rain. I took the covers off (3) and drilled holes to drain out future water accumulation.

[honkonmybobo]

So.. went out to Canadian Tire and bought a GFCI tester.. only $11.. not bad.. but also ordered a 30A (male) to 15A(female) adapter from Princess Auto $20.. At least now I can check the campground power myself when I want.. and hopefully this issue will get resolved quick..



Besides this issue we love the trailer.. lots more room than our last one.. great to have the extra tipout in the rear for my son's bedroom. Just finished re-building our deck this weekend.. Now to relax the rest of the summer..

[honkonmybobo]

Figured out the problem with the GFI . the campground power was reversed.. On my GFI tester it came up as hot/neut reveresed.. the owner and I took apart his 30a service outlet and sure enough wires were in wrong place.. switched them round and now tester says.. Correct !! and the GFI didn't pop at all.. (My son watched transformers 3, three times in a row ) it used to pop after 45 mins..

In total i spent $30 on GFI tester and 30a(to 15a) adapter.. and it's fixed.. only a month left of camping.. time to enjoy.



Thanks for all the info and suggestions



Jay