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Power load balance


Georgia Mike

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NOTE. Moderator's NOTE. There were TWO THREADS RUNNING ON THE SAME ISSUE ON THE SAME MOTORHOME.  THESE have been combined as they are confusing and the information in the first one is pertinent to the second.

First time using are new to us Dynasty in hot weather. Arrived at campground and got all set up. Turned on all 3 ac units and some other small things including some small fans outside. After about 20 min or so we lost all power. I went out to the power box and the breaker was not blown. Went to grab the 50 amp plug to pull it out to check for voltage with my meter and it was so hot I couldn’t hold on to it. I checked for voltage and it was dead. I called the park we are at and they sent out there service people and found that a breaker in another main feeder panel had blown feeding my box. Now I am only running two ac units for fear I’m going to blow the breaker again. No one else around me is having problems. I don’t understand why the plug is getting so hot, I should be able to run all 3 units with 50 amps(really 100amps) without any problems. Voltage is within range and the plug socket looks ok.

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I've been to 2-3 different rv parts that have issues with  their 50 amp service. Most cases it's a weak breaker or bad connection. Have electrician put an amp probe on your shortie and see what you drawing. Don't if you have the alladin system that will also show amp draw on each 110 leg. Could also be loose bad connections on your side, check for heat.

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Mike , when I bought my coach I had a similar problem and found that the contacts in the breaker box were worn. With the advise from the guys here, I replaced the box and the breakers. Everything I needed was available at home depot. 20211030_162118.thumb.jpg.aa89177b54a27d1ede76151ec0b09f08.jpg

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Mike, you say the"plug was so hot......". Really hot connectors, either on the plug or receptacle ends indicates a poor, or high resistance connection, which also equals voltage drop across the connection. This should show up on your incoming power volt meter. I have experienced several park power outlets that have lost there tension producing a high resistance causing my plug to overheat. Good luck.

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As Brent said, you likely have bad connections.  This could be dirty contract between the plug and the park outlet.  But I would suspect the wires in the cable are not well connected to the plug itself.  Unfortunately, most of the plugs are "molded"on to the cable so inspection is a destructive process.  Order a ND plug to put on the end before you start.  You might be able to sense the plutonium with a good ohmeter, but that will require thousands to disconnect the other end of the cable. 

  - Rick N 

I forgot to add, the problem is where the heat is generated.  So, unless your whole cable is very hot, the problem is not inside your coach.  You may have more than one problem though.

  - Rick N 

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6 minutes ago, waterskier_1 said:

As Brent said, you likely have bad connections.  This could be dirty contract between the plug and the park outlet.  But I would suspect the wires in the cable are not well connected to the plug itself.  Unfortunately, most of the plugs are "molded"on to the cable so inspection is a destructive process.  Order a ND plug to put on the end before you start.  You might be able to sense the plutonium with a good ohmeter, but that will require thousands to disconnect the other end of the cable. 

  - Rick N 

I forgot to add, the problem is where the heat is generated.  So, unless your whole cable is very hot, the problem is not inside your coach.  You may have more than one problem though.

  - Rick N 

I would NOT TRAVEL without having a SPARE NEW CAMCO 50 Amp replacement plug. You also need a tube of Dow Corning #4 Electrical Insulating Compound. If you have a problem, then putting on a new plug is a 30 minute, max, job. Amazon sells both.  Make sure that your DOUBLE and TRIPLE tighten the screws....using a large screwdriver and a shop towel or wash cloth around the handle to give you more torque. THEN...I would use it for a day or so or plug and unplug a few times. THEN retighten. THEN pot or coat or flood the cavity of the plug and put the cover back on. GOOD AS MOLDED....better since you did the connections.

The OTHER THING.  You should turn off the Genny Breaker, cover your solar, if there, and UNPLUG. Then pull off the main breaker panel and go inside and tighten every screw, allen head, hex head or whatever. VIBRATION will cause a FIRE.  Then, pull off the cover of the Automatic Transfer Switch and do the same.

Good Luck....  BTW... I am not just giving advice without experience. I barely bumped...as the hydraulic gas strut on a bay opened up and went to full open....not me pushing it. It tapped the molded OEM Monaco 50 amp cord....and that actually jarred it and the neutral wire came loose internally. I did the above and also found the J-Box from the Reel to the Cable going to the ATS and tightened every connection. MANY WERE LOOSE...

The OTHER THING....if you are new to cord reels. NEVER, EVER pull it out all the way and run there all the time. That assumes you have a reel and not a tub style. We often have folks that have power problems as the reel always works on the same point and the contacts arc. Running it in cleans that...as does extending.  BUT stop it Randomly...and not yank it out all the way.

Good Luck.

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Great advice thanks.  Tom you said ….…and also found the J-Box from the Reel to the Cable going to the ATS and tightened everyconnection. MANY WERE LOOSE... I crawled in the bay trying to find where the cord real (yes I have one) connections are but just found a round cylinder that looked like I couldn’t get access to it. I already tightened all the wires in the breaker panels and they looked good but I need to do the transfer switch. The in side of the transfer switch has to go to the cable reel and terminate somehow and I want to find that as well but not sure what to look for.

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25 minutes ago, Ivan K said:

If yours looks like our Glendinning cable master, the cable terminates (or should) right in the ATS (or EMS if you have it) and there is nothing to see inside the drum.

https://www.glendinningprods.com/products/cablemaster/rvcm-7/

My Camelot has a cable reel, like an air hose in a garage. There are 4 Contact Rings inside...  If you have the tub or the type that pulls in the cable and you do NOT see the reel...then it is different.  I THINK that the cable or the cord is run straight out.

NOW....there WILL be a Junction Box that connects the pigtail from the end of the cable to the cable going to the ATS....unless the ATS is located right next to it.  My electric is on the Driver's side at the very rear.  To find the Junction box, I had to feel around and use a flash light. I also had to remove the Engine Air Intake hose (from the upper inlet on the corner) and move it out of the way. THEN the J-Box was more readily, a PITA THOUGH. I pulled off the cover and tightened the 4 connections. From there the cable goes directly to the ATS...

That's as much as I can swear to.....Good Luck.

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Thanks Ivan i wasn’t sure if the cable end terminated in the cable real somehow so it just coils up inside there and the end just goes to the transfer switch. I am going first thing in the morning to an rv place to get a new end a I will check the connections in the transfer switch when I have everything disconnected 

Just was your post Tom. Yes my cord real looks just like the link Ivan has in his post and my transfer switch is about 6 feet away in the bin next to the electric bay so I believe it goes straight to it. Thanks for all the help hopefully I can get this fixed and enjoy the rest of my week here.

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Hi Mike,

On our 2005 Signature the 50A cable passes through the CableMaster tub and continues on to the Transfer Switch (at the front of the next bay) without a junction box.

Paul

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10 hours ago, pwhittle said:

Hi Mike,

On our 2005 Signature the 50A cable passes through the CableMaster tub and continues on to the Transfer Switch (at the front of the next bay) without a junction box.

Paul

Thanks for confirming that.  As I said, my reel is different and no two Monaco's, not even coming off the line at the same time, are repeats. That is great as there is one less J-box and connections on a terminal strip to vibrate loose.

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Found a new 50 amp plug end installed yesterday and now the plug is barely warm…..huge difference. So I definitely had a loose connection in that plug. Now I’m getting some issues when I run all 3 units. I m trying to get as much info on what’s happening so I can relay it accurately. 
one thing I don’t understand is when the rear ac is on and we turned on washer/ dryer the rear ac shut down and no breaker was popped. After 10 min the ac tried to come back on but immediately shut back off. We turned of the washer and after a while the rear ac came back on and ran all night just fine. Is there some kind of shedding system? 

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7 minutes ago, Georgia Mike said:

Found a new 50 amp plug end installed yesterday and now the plug is barely warm…..huge difference. So I definitely had a loose connection in that plug. Now I’m getting some issues when I run all 3 units. I m trying to get as much info on what’s happening so I can relay it accurately. 
one thing I don’t understand is when the rear ac is on and we turned on washer/ dryer the rear ac shut down and no breaker was popped. After 10 min the ac tried to come back on but immediately shut back off. We turned of the washer and after a while the rear ac came back on and ran all night just fine. Is there some kind of shedding system? 

Suggest you do more searches here.  Here is the link and there have been several different threads.  You have an Intellitec “load Shredding” device….as some have called it.  It allows the W/D to take priority over the AC.  Many have failed.  Reason….it was not really, we believe, to handle the constant switching.  When your W/D is in a low current draw mode, your AC works.  But that constant in and out causes issues or leads to premature failure.  Simpliest solution, assuming your unit is working OK. Put a reminder up. TURN OFF REAR AC WHEN DOING LAUNDRY. Some have reversed the wiring so the AC is priority. Then, they turn off the AC and do laundry.  Some have considered putting in a contactor with a selector switch controlling the coil.  No easy way to run power to WD from main breaker panel.

I assume you do plan on using the new plug to make sure screws are tight.  If you only have covered receptacles, then OK as is. But if you want the equivalent of the OEM one, order the Dow Corning #4 Insulating compound,  Silicone is NOT an acceptable substitute.  Mine has it and I know it might fail, so I carry a new Camco, which is the top dog of replacements and the Dow Corning.

You might start browsing the activity here.  At your MH’s age, the Monaco gremlins start to come out.  FWIW…do NOT use the ON/OFF switch on the 5 button Thermostat.  Leave it ON.  USE the mode button and go to OFF. The snap switch buttons are prone to failure….more so than the buttons according to many members…

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One of the things I haven't seen mentioned is the absolute need for a Portable Surge Guard Protector. They are worth their weight in gold and are invaluable for keeping your coach's electrical system safe from campground service connections.

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Everything has been working fine till this morning around 630 all the power shut down I thought the park power had gone out only our pedestal blew the breakers at the main box again I went over to the Magnum inverter and it was flashing red saying there was a back feed problem. Everyone next to me experienced the power fluctuating went out for a split second then came on only I had the issue of the breaker blowing at the main box anyways we got it reset and power back to the coach. Everything is back on and running normally except the inverter is dead and I have this backfeed error I can’t seem to get the inverter to turn on. The green light is off on the inverter and none of my batteries are charging. I have turned the breakers off to the inverter and disconnected the 12 V power cables to it hoping to reset it somehow. 
if there was a power surge the transfer switch has surge protection built into it it should have stopped it I would think. this is becoming the trip from hell. And my generator wasn’t running and it does not automatically turn on so no back feed from the generator could’ve possibly happened.

E20067F9-1281-41A8-996A-C1BBA3E1F244.jpeg

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I ended up finding out how to do a soft reset on the inverter. I tried it one time and it didn’t work then I shut off the AC breakers to it and tried it again and it worked and now everything is back up and running. I’m just baffled as to why my breaker is the only one that blew out of all these people around me in this park I’m hoping it’s just a lazy breaker that’s tripping easy 

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I’d find another campground or, at a minimum, another spot, Mike. It sounds like the issues are on their end, not yours. At least you’d know 100% for sure by moving spots if it’s them or your coach with the issues.

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6 hours ago, Georgia Mike said:

Everything has been working fine till this morning around 630 all the power shut down I thought the park power had gone out only our pedestal blew the breakers at the main box again I went over to the Magnum inverter and it was flashing red saying there was a back feed problem. Everyone next to me experienced the power fluctuating went out for a split second then came on only I had the issue of the breaker blowing at the main box anyways we got it reset and power back to the coach. Everything is back on and running normally except the inverter is dead and I have this backfeed error I can’t seem to get the inverter to turn on. The green light is off on the inverter and none of my batteries are charging. I have turned the breakers off to the inverter and disconnected the 12 V power cables to it hoping to reset it somehow. 
if there was a power surge the transfer switch has surge protection built into it it should have stopped it I would think. this is becoming the trip from hell. And my generator wasn’t running and it does not automatically turn on so no back feed from the generator could’ve possibly happened.

E20067F9-1281-41A8-996A-C1BBA3E1F244.jpeg

OK, here goes…based on pure curiosity…..and a little bit of electronic education and 13 years of learning about our monsters.

This is a new one….and I have been moderating this and the old site for 10+ years.  I called our chief site electrician….here is what we concluded.

So we are all on the same page.  Power surge or whatever.  The pedestal breaker tripped.  Your MAIN breaker did not trip. You got the backfeed.

Questions you may NOT know if this is a “New to Me” MH….also NOT talking down to you,but asking or trying to understand your knowledge of the crazy redundancy electrical systems we have.

IF  the MH is “as delivered” and AS WIRED….you have a TRC Surge Guard ATS (Auto Transfer Switch).  If you have the Aladdin system, there is information or error codes about the ATS in it.  READ. If you have the TRC with idiot lights, Google the model number.  If you got the briefcase that Monaco put in originally, pull the Mgnum and TRC manuals.  Read.

FRST STEPS….  I suggest you move, as others did, to another site.  Then, prior to plugging in, TURN OFF the Genny circuit breakers on the control panel.  Then the cover on the ATS and look.  IF you see any charred or burned spots…..your TRC has been damaged.  IF NOT, use a big screwdriver and wrap a shop towel around the handle and tighten the terminals.  That is SAFE.  Go over ONCE….then check again.  This is critical and is supposed to be done annually.

Cover back on.  Plug in.  Look at the idiot lights or go into the Aladdin system and see if there are any error codes or status or warning.  So far….so good.

The Backfeed is a very, very RARE occurrence.  The Magnum THINKS some idiot has hooked up ANOTHER Line or power source to the OUTPUT of the Magnum and it does NOT want the company.  When this happens, it could be a serious problem….or a one time or somewhere in between.

I ASSUME you read the Soft Reset procedure.  I PERSONALLY would do it again,  Make sure there is no power on.  Then plug in and go from there.

OK…FWIW.  Some theories…..from both of us.

EDIT….

Per the 2006 Sales Brochure .

RESIDENTIAL Refrigerator Option comes with a 2,800 (probability MS 2812 Magnum).  Also has 8 house Batteries Instead of FOUR…I you have a residential refrigerator and do  NOT have the 8 house or 2 banks of 4, then someone upgraded.  You SHOULD have a build sheet in the briefcase or posted in the bedroom closet.  That will have the refrigerator info.  If it is a Norcold or a Dometic, that is a RV type.

If it was upgraded and converted to electric household, then read on…. Turn off power or Genny.  Turn OFF Power to the Magnum on the control panel (your remote pictured above).  The display will be blank and all outlets are dead.  If the res refer is working, then you have another inverter and the blip could have come from it..

On the Magnum, there are four telephone cable jacks.  The Red one should be empty or not used.  That is for stacking or adding another Magnum remote.  If there is a cable, in the RED hole,  you have TWO INVERTERS…odds are a second for a residential refrigerator..  then THAT could have caused the backfeed.

OTHER theories are that a motor, like on a refrigerator, was running and when the Magnum restarted, the motor was like a generator for a few “Hertz or cycles” and it was a fault….but went away.  It DOES RARELY happen.

I would suggest, if you don’t understand how to “set up” the Magnum inverter from the remote, call Magnum.  They will walk you through it.  Write down every setting or “page”.  Do NOT ENABLE SEARCH WATTS OR THE #1 SCREEN.  Then, wait a week, let the MH run off battery for an hour or so and then go back on AC….A FEW times.  Recheck or confirm the setup.  If it has changed or you are locked out of a page, order a new MAGNUM RC50 Remote from Amazon for $170.  Been there…done that.

if you keep getting issues, have a competent tech look at your system and wiring.  Odds are, you have a defective main circuit board.  Buy a NEW INVERTER…..don’t fix….things will keep going wrong and you will  have a newer and improved inverter.

let us know

 

 

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2 hours ago, jacwjames said:

What kind of surge protector do you have?

If STOCK OEM Monaco, he has the TRC Surge Guard. There were, I think, 2 or 3 models….don’t know which . The Sales Brochure just says “Surge Protection”.

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1 hour ago, Tom Cherry said:

If STOCK OEM Monaco, he has the TRC Surge Guard. There were, I think, 2 or 3 models….don’t know which . The Sales Brochure just says “Surge Protection”.

JFSAG I downloaded the brochure, shows at least two models of the 50 amp transfer switch, one with "limited" surge protection, the other with Full protection. 

So I wonder which one was installed, I would think the better one but who knows. 

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I think that's the good one.  Do you have the optional display that shows voltage, amps, and faults if there are any?

https://www.rvupgradestore.com/Optional-Remote-For-SurgeGuard-40250-RVC-p/55-2718.htm

 

I've got the progressive surge protector, this is separate from my transfer switch.  I installed a display that I can see when I plug in  and a second one in the coach that I can easily see/check during the day.  I keep an eye on it when I start seeing lower voltage.  Lower voltage means higher amps and potential problems.

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