30 AMP keeps Tripping

FrankBarba · 06-14-2020, 01:07 PM

I have a Windsport 25 2020 Thor Motor Home. This is by far the biggest pain in the butt that I have ever had. We just ran 30amp Line here in my driveway. Worked fine until I took to Camping World for winterization (since no-one knew where any of the empty lines are at - even includes the factory). Well I plug in and with in 3 minutes my breaker trips and I have 400 amp coming into my box so I know I'm good. Are there any 2020 wind sport owners here that can help me with questions since the Dealer, and Factory can not answer.

TurnerFam · 06-14-2020, 02:11 PM

'WHAT' keeps tripping? Your Shore Power breaker, in your home's main panel, or your RV's own Main breaker, inside the RV?

cavie · 06-14-2020, 02:18 PM

Winterization had nothing to do with your shore power. Turn off all the breakers in your trailer. Plug into your new shore power. Now, turn on the main breaker only and wait for the 3 min. Then turn on the 20 amp A/C breaker only. Turn on the A/C wait the 3 min. Do this with all the remaining breakers. At this point you should have all breakers on. If one trips before you get them all on then that is the problem circuit. :thumb Do not turn on the WH if there is no water in it.

**16ACE27** · 06-14-2020, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrankBarba

I have a Windsport 25 2020 Thor Motor Home. This is by far the biggest pain in the butt that I have ever had. We just ran 30amp Line here in my driveway. Worked fine until I took to Camping World for winterization (since no-one knew where any of the empty lines are at - even includes the factory). Well I plug in and with in 3 minutes my breaker trips and I have 400 amp coming into my box so I know I'm good. Are there any 2020 wind sport owners here that can help me with questions since the Dealer, and Factory can not answer.

Windsport 25? You sure it's not a 29M? Or a 35M?

Is it a 30 Amp RV or a 50 Amp RV?

Is your 30 Amp GFCI?

The more accurate information we have the better we can help you.

lwmcguire · 06-14-2020, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cavie

Winterization had nothing to do with your shore power. Turn off all the breakers in your trailer. Plug into your new shore power. Now, turn on the main breaker only and wait for the 3 min. Then turn on the 20 amp A/C breaker only. Turn on the A/C wait the 3 min. Do this with all the remaining breakers. At this point you should have all breakers on. If one trips before you get them all on then that is the problem circuit. :thumb Do not turn on the WH if there is no water in it.

And check to be sure your electric water element isn't switched on or any thing else you might have pulling watts

FrankBarba · 06-14-2020, 08:37 PM

50 AMP Motor Home. 35 Windsport.

This started happening after the dealer winterized. I turned off all the breakers including the main. I turned off Breakers for the Washer/Dryer, Water Heater, Microwave, TV, left the refrigerator on. Breakers tripped.

PS...At my house I have 400 amp service. I had an electrician run an isolated 30amp to keep the MH on during the summer. Worked Last year can't figure out this problem...

And check to be sure your electric water element isn't switched on or any thing else you might have pulling watts Where is this located?

30amp on post in my driveway. I wouldn't know if it is GFI if it is the code its that way. I have GFI receptacles all thru the MH.

WHAT' keeps tripping? Your Shore Power breaker, in your home's main panel, or your RV's own Main breaker, inside the RV? Breaker in my home's panel is tripping

cavie · 06-14-2020, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrankBarba

50 AMP Motor Home. 35 Windsport.

This started happening after the dealer winterized. I turned off all the breakers including the main. I turned off Breakers for the Washer/Dryer, Water Heater, Microwave, TV, left the refrigerator on. Breakers tripped.

PS...At my house I have 400 amp service. I had an electrician run an isolated 30amp to keep the MH on during the summer. Worked Last year can't figure out this problem...

And check to be sure your electric water element isn't switched on or any thing else you might have pulling watts Where is this located?

30amp on post in my driveway. I wouldn't know if it is GFI if it is the code its that way. I have GFI receptacles all thru the MH.

WHAT' keeps tripping? Your Shore Power breaker, in your home's main panel, or your RV's own Main breaker, inside the RV? Breaker in my home's panel is tripping

forget about that for now.

so you have a 50 amp MH but you only installed a 30 amp service??

So, this is a 30 amp single pole breaker you had installed? Is this the one you had installed for the MH? Is it a GFI breaker with a yellow test button on it?

So you are using a 30/50 dog bone adaptor?

FrankBarba · 06-15-2020, 10:32 AM

so you have a 50 amp MH but you only installed a 30 amp service??
Yes only a 30amp. It was installed before i was able to update my service, should not be a problem since it worked from July 2019 to October 2019, When plugged in March 2020 does not work.

So, this is a 30 amp single pole breaker you had installed? Is this the one you had installed for the MH? Is it a GFI breaker with a yellow test button on it?
Yes Single Pole, Electrician installed. The breaker itself has a red button, no yellow.

So you are using a 30/50 dog bone adaptor? yes

cavie · 06-15-2020, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrankBarba

so you have a 50 amp MH but you only installed a 30 amp service??
Yes only a 30amp. It was installed before i was able to update my service, should not be a problem since it worked from July 2019 to October 2019, When plugged in March 2020 does not work.

So, this is a 30 amp single pole breaker you had installed? Is this the one you had installed for the MH? Is it a GFI breaker with a yellow test button on it?
Yes Single Pole, Electrician installed. The breaker itself has a red button, no yellow.

So you are using a 30/50 dog bone adaptor? yes

Now it is getting clear. GE is the only manufacturer to use a RED test button. The NEC does NOT require a 30 amp outdoor receptical to be GFI. Sometimes 2 GFI's in series do not play nice. You have a GFI circuit in your RV. If you are tripping the house side GFI you will need to turn off your RV GFI circuit. Or better yet Replace the GFI in the house to a non GFI breaker.
It is possible to disable the GFI side of the breaker but I'm not gonna tell you how. Call an electrician.

It takes only 5 mA (0.005 A) of current leakage from the hot wire to the ground to cause a GFCI to trip. A small amount of leakage current may be difficult to avoid in some normal circuits. Hand-held power tools do not cause a tripping problem if the tool is maintained in good condition. Some stationary motors, such as a bathroom vent fan or fluorescent lighting fixtures, may produce enough leakage to cause nuisance tripping. Another problem may be a long circuit with many splices. If possible, keep GFCI circuits less than 100 feet long. To avoid nuisance tripping, a GFCI should not supply:Permanently installed electric motors Think A/C compressors.

You are not tripping 30 amps of power.

Judge · 06-15-2020, 12:13 PM

Cavie is on the right track......

Get rid of the 30-AMP GFCI Breaker in the panel in your house... that is very likely the source of the issue.

Before I installed a 30A RV panel for my coach, I would use an adapter to plug into the 20A outlet on my house that was a GFCI. All I was doing was letting the Converter / Charger maintain the battery and it would trip the GFCI randomly. When I plugged into a non-GFCI outlet, everything was fine.

cavie · 06-15-2020, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrankBarba

I have a Windsport 25 2020 Thor Motor Home. This is by far the biggest pain in the butt that I have ever had. We just ran 30amp Line here in my driveway. Worked fine until I took to Camping World for winterization (since no-one knew where any of the empty lines are at - even includes the factory). Well I plug in and with in 3 minutes my breaker trips and I have 400 amp coming into my box so I know I'm good. Are there any 2020 wind sport owners here that can help me with questions since the Dealer, and Factory can not answer.

If you turned on the WH with electric with no water in it you cooked the element and that can be your problem. That is why I said to turn OFF the breakers.

Chance · 06-15-2020, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrankBarba

50 AMP Motor Home. 35 Windsport.

This started happening after the dealer winterized. I turned off all the breakers including the main. I turned off Breakers for the Washer/Dryer, Water Heater, Microwave, TV, left the refrigerator on. Breakers tripped.

....cut....

I’d find root cause of problem before eliminating GFI. If it worked before and it doesn’t now, something changed. If they grounded a neutral, or they/you melted the element in Water Heater so neutral side is grounded, it’s possible that even if you turn off the breakers, the GFI will still trip. Mine would trip with all breakers off due to a grounded neutral. GFIs can’t handle that. Mine would trip instantly, and I’m not sure why yours is taking minutes to trip.

As I mentioned in other threads, there are now campgrounds with GFI on 30A service and the last thing you want is to pull in and not be able to plug in because you trip the breaker (granted you’re not going to see it on 50A service, but you’ll want option to plug into any 30A). I tripped 30A GFI at a campground until I fixed the problem and can now run A/C on GFI at home while getting ready for trips. Before I found problem I could only plug into non-GFI outlets.

Judge · 06-15-2020, 01:31 PM

I'm not sure I agree with the above post.......

First, I have yet to see a campground 30A circuit with a GFCI but I have not been camping for 20 year so I will assume you might find one once in a blue moon.

But as a matter of fact, if you purchase an adapter like this one that is used to take a camp 30A receptacle and a 15/20A receptacle so you can have 45/50A for a coach with 50A service they explicitly tell you it will NOT work if plugged into a GFCI. Most camp service that does offer a 15A/20A receptacle on the panel it is a GFCI receptacle and it will trip it every time.

https://www.camperid.com/camco/power...oaAtj1EALw_wcB

TurnerFam · 06-15-2020, 02:10 PM

I think that a GFCI breaker, circuit, and an RV with it's own internal GFCI Outlet circuits may not be 'compatible', although it may 'work' sometimes, and not others - maybe due to moisture, maybe due to the plug having condensation, etc., etc.,...

is this the SAME motorhome you used to 'plug in' to this GFCI 30amp outlet?

FrankBarba · 06-17-2020, 04:01 PM

Yes same motor home using the 30amp service.
I have narrowed it down to the Heating Element. I'm sure that I friend the element since the servicing dealer did not do. I contacted the Tech at Thor he was very patient with me. I found the Hot Water Heater, looking for the element found out it is on the back side of the heater. I couldn't figure out how to remove the heater with out cutting water lines. I asked if I could get to from the outside of the Motor Home. They suggested against this.

I have been trying to get my MH into a service center. I'm hearing Late August early September. Being in PA the season is short already. I found a Mobile Tech to come out next week. I will be watching him like a Hawk Learning....Thanks to everyone for their help.

OldWEB · 06-17-2020, 06:46 PM

Here

is a video showing the heater and element on the backside.
If you still want to use the MH, turn off the breaker to the WH and just use LPG. The house GFI should not trip if this was the actual cause.

cavie · 06-17-2020, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrankBarba

Yes same motor home using the 30amp service.
I have narrowed it down to the Heating Element. I'm sure that I friend the element since the servicing dealer did not do. I contacted the Tech at Thor he was very patient with me. I found the Hot Water Heater, looking for the element found out it is on the back side of the heater. I couldn't figure out how to remove the heater with out cutting water lines. I asked if I could get to from the outside of the Motor Home. They suggested against this.

I have been trying to get my MH into a service center. I'm hearing Late August early September. Being in PA the season is short already. I found a Mobile Tech to come out next week. I will be watching him like a Hawk Learning....Thanks to everyone for their help.

turn off the breaker and run it on gas.

FrankBarba · 06-21-2020, 12:23 AM

Sounds like the Heating Element got fried. Now I can't seem to get my 12 Volt to work. I do have a bad GFI receptacle this might be the reason ?

**16ACE27** · 06-21-2020, 12:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrankBarba

Sounds like the Heating Element got fried. Now I can't seem to get my 12 Volt to work. I do have a bad GFI receptacle this might be the reason ?

Dare I ask: 12 volt what?

No, GFCI has nothing to do with the 12 VDC distribution.

House batteries charged?
Battery disconnect NOT disconnected (or USE/STORE switch in USE)?

FrankBarba · 06-21-2020, 12:42 AM

I am still tripping my 30amp Breaker. I filled the water tanks Switched main power to on, before plugging in to my power. Started the Motorhome, Tried to start my Generator nothing. Tried some of the 12Volt lights nothing. My Wall unit diagnostics center. Where do I go next ? I'm not qualified enough to remove my hot water tank to change the element.

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