First Trip! Need advice

[Tartimisi]

Originally Posted by maccamper

What route were you planning to take to get from Benton to 36/72 ? There's lots of road construction on 55 between St. Louis and Springfield. We came through there just last week.

Well gang. We didn't do so good our first night. We paid the host at the campground. They wished us well. We found an isolated little spot not to embarrass ourselves He backed it in like a pro. We chocked the wheels and removed the hitch in record time. NASCAR would have been proud. Then we plugged in and like magic. We tripped the breaker and. No power. It was a GFI circuit. We tried it 54 times. Cussed. Now it is pitch black. We talked to the host. Who had already put up the closed sign. Got a refund. We went and rehitched up. Not in record time. And went to the VFW in waltonville and drank beer with some friends. Parked the "LOVE SHACK" our 1985 Excella on the street in front of their house and slept like a baby. This morning we are going back with a friend and he has a shop they are going to find what was causing it to ground out. So all in all we didn't do so good. We are definitely making memories!! I'll keep y'all posted on what happens next. E

[maccamper]

Sounds like you have a great attitude and approach. Hopefully the fix will be quick, inexpensive, and painless. VFW, beer and friends -- great coping mechanisms in this instance. Hope all goes well today!

Nancy mac

[Max Well]

Tartimisi,
All that goes in the "memories" file....stuff you will look back on fondly over the years. It's all good as long as no one gets hurt! You have a great attitude, and seem very resourceful. You'll do fine.
P.S. If you want great ribs while you're in KC, take a run down I-35 to exit 170, Williamsburg to Guy and May's Tavern. They are closed Sundays, but they have the best ribs ever!
Enjoy your trip,
Ken

[Tartimisi]

Originally Posted by maccamper

We saw on the radar that areas of Kentucky were getting some weather. Glad you made it through. It is clear down here now and chilly.

Remember you have friends within an hour of you if you need help.

If you see lots of motorcycles heading south, could be for Sunday's Annual Blessing of the Bikes on Bald Knob Cross in Alto Pass. Blessing Of The Bikes - Bald Knob Cross of Peace

Nope, that's not why we're down here this weekend.

Enjoy your evening and drive through Illinois.

Nancy

Just an update. We met a nice guy at the VFW that helped us out today. He thought the problem was in the cord that we hook up with. He changed that out and we came back to the campground. We did not unhook the hitch this time. We hooked up and like magic again. Boom we blew the breaker. It is a lot easier to do this in the daylight. So our first thought was get scold beer. Then we opened windows turned on fans. We are staying here at our first campground tonight. We are on extension cords and battery. Our new gas/electric hot water works like a charm. So its sorta okay. We are learning as we go!!

[maccamper]

congratulations! you are going to be just fine. this will be the benchmark you compare your other adventures and mis adventures against.

happy travels!
nancy mac

[overlander64]

Greetings Tartimisi!

Originally Posted by Tartimisi

Just an update. We met a nice guy at the VFW that helped us out today. He thought the problem was in the cord that we hook up with. He changed that out and we came back to the campground. We did not unhook the hitch this time. We hooked up and like magic again. Boom we blew the breaker. It is a lot easier to do this in the daylight. So our first thought was get scold beer. Then we opened windows turned on fans. We are staying here at our first campground tonight. We are on extension cords and battery. Our new gas/electric hot water works like a charm. So its sorta okay. We are learning as we go!!

I am curious, where is the GFCI cuircuit breaker that you are blowing? Is it the main 30-AMP breaker, or is it one of the two or three cuircuit breakers below the 30-AMP Main Breaker? From everything that I have read on the Forums, if your Main Breaker is a GFCI, that may be your problem. My understanding is that it is acceptable to have GFCI breakers in the other two or three positions, but not in the main breaker position. There have been a number of GFCI Breaker problem discussions on the Forums so it is a problem that has been addressed. This link will take you to a listing of some the discussions of GFCI breaker problems.

Good luck with the resolution of your GFCI problem!

Kevin

[Tartimisi]

Originally Posted by overlander64

Greetings Tartimisi!

I am curious, where is the GFCI cuircuit breaker that you are blowing? Is it the main 30-AMP breaker, or is it one of the two or three cuircuit breakers below the 30-AMP Main Breaker? From everything that I have read on the Forums, if your Main Breaker is a GFCI, that may be your problem. My understanding is that it is acceptable to have GFCI breakers in the other two or three positions, but not in the main breaker position. There have been a number of GFCI Breaker problem discussions on the Forums so it is a problem that has been addressed. This link will take you to a listing of some the discussions of GFCI breaker problems.

Good luck with the resolution of your GFCI problem!

Kevin

Hey Kevin. I probably didn't explain myself good. It is the post that we are plugging into that is tripping The campground post as soon as we plug in. It trips. Thanks for patience with us. The bad storms in St Louis were headed this way earlier. I think we lucked out.

[overlander64]

Greetings Tartimisi!

Originally Posted by Tartimisi

Hey Kevin. I probably didn't explain myself good. It is the post that we are plugging into that is tripping The campground post as soon as we plug in. It trips. Thanks for patience with us. The bad storms in St Louis were headed this way earlier. I think we lucked out.

Yes, it looks like the storms followed a path between I-64 and I-70. Our local weather forecaster is still telling us that we might have some heavy downpours tonight, but not likely to have hail or high winds.

I see your electrical issue more clearly, and just wish that i had a good suggestion on what else might be suspect. The one thought that I did have, is that you might try turning off all of the circuit breakers in the coach except the main breaker . . . then plug the coach into the 30-Amp service . . . unless I am missing something, this would isolate the problem to the coach's power cable or its main breaker . . . if the breaker on the campground pole doesn't trip . . . then activating the coach's circuits one at a time to see which trips the cuircuit . . . that might focus the search for your problem. Electric isn't my forte, but I have learned to do some troubleshooting when I am distant from repair techs and I am anxious to get my coach working.

Good luck in locating your electrical problem.

Kevin

[Tartimisi]

Originally Posted by overlander64

Greetings Tartimisi!

Yes, it looks like the storms followed a path between I-64 and I-70. Our local weather forecaster is still telling us that we might have some heavy downpours tonight, but not likely to have hail or high winds.

I see your electrical issue more clearly, and just wish that i had a good suggestion on what else might be suspect. The one thought that I did have, is that you might try turning off all of the circuit breakers in the coach except the main breaker . . . then plug the coach into the 30-Amp service . . . unless I am missing something, this would isolate the problem to the coach's power cable or its main breaker . . . if the breaker on the campground pole doesn't trip . . . then activating the coach's circuits one at a time to see which trips the cuircuit . . . that might focus the search for your problem. Electric isn't my forte, but I have learned to do some troubleshooting when I am distant from repair techs and I am anxious to get my coach working.

Good luck in locating your electrical problem.

Kevin

Good morning Kevin
We tried turning off I'll beakers except the main one. I plugged in and it tripped the breaker. Do you think that meant the problem had to be in the cord?

[Tartimisi]

Originally Posted by Tartimisi

Good morning Kevin
We tried turning off I'll beakers except the main one. I plugged in and it tripped the breaker. Do you think that meant the problem had to be in the cord?

One more thing we tried we turned off even the main breaker and it still tripped the breaker on the pole with all breaker off. Will ALL breakers off

[overlander64]

Greetings Tartimisi!

Originally Posted by Tartimisi

One more thing we tried we turned off even the main breaker and it still tripped the breaker on the pole with all breaker off. Will ALL breakers off

This makes me suspect that the problem lies with the power cord or in how the power cord is attached within the coach's breaker panel. Electricity is not my forte, and this is the point at which I would contact an RV Electrical Technician for assistance.

Good luck in identifying your electrical gremlin(s).

Kevin

P.S.: If you are still in the Rend Lake area and would like to try to have the problem checked by a Technician tomorrow (Monday), you might try Kampers Supply on Illinois 13 in Carterville, Illinois. They have done quite a bit of work on both of my coaches and the do good work and have always been honest with me regarding the best solution to a problem.

[phbarnhart]

Originally Posted by wxbuoy

Next exit is a phone directory type book with interstate highways. Just look up you highway and find the exit and it tells you what services are there and if they are RV accessible.

I use the all stays Camp and RV APP. It does basically the same thing. You can search a destination of your current position. It has filters that let you delineate what you are looking for. Has everything from walmarts to national parks. Just touch the icon and the phone number and website come up. There is nothing better than to see your curent location with what's around you. A must have for smart phone users!

The book is a better look ahead for planning stops for the day, the app is a better tool for finding things and researching them.

Also take a look at iExit. It's an app that runs on iPhone and iPad and is pretty much the best of the bunch as far as ratings and reviews goes.

Incidentally it was started by a guy I played ultimate frisbee with at Vanderbilt. That said, I still think that it's a great app and, at $1.99 for a version that runs on iPhone and iPad, it's a bargain.

[SeeMore]

I would check out the backside of the trailer's exterior coupler (in my case its accessed under the bed on the streetside). You may see "melted insulation" at the housing from excess heat. If the pins don't make good contact with your power cord, the connections can overheat and damage the contacts or even cause an arc inside the box. You can also quickly inspect the exterior portion by looking for discolored plastic where the plugs enter. Way too many people overlook this portion of the circuitry when diagnosing the fault.

[Tartimisi]

Originally Posted by dpe01

I would check out the backside of the trailer's exterior coupler (in my case its accessed under the bed on the streetside). You may see "melted insulation" at the housing from excess heat. If the pins don't make good contact with your power cord, the connections can overheat and damage the contacts or even cause an arc inside the box. You can also quickly inspect the exterior portion by looking for discolored plastic where the plugs enter. Way too many people overlook this portion of the circuitry when diagnosing the fault.

That sounds great. We are on the road again and we will take a look when we get to the next campground

[Tartimisi]

Originally Posted by overlander64

Greetings Tartimisl!

There are several nice campgrounds along the route:
[*]There are several in the Springfield, Illinois area
[*]Riverside Park Campground is one of my favorites, but it can be a bit noisy on the weekends when it is very popular with families.
[*]Quincy, Illinois has a campground that I have enjoyed on two different trips.
[*]Driftwood Campground . . . it is located along the Great River Road and there are a number of historical points of interest nearby.
[*]At least two that I know of in the Hannibal, Missouri area
[*]Mark Twain Cave and Campground is my favorite, and I have always enjoyed my stays there . . . you should be OK at this time of year but once school is out it is hard to get a spot without a reservation.[*]Injun Joe Campground is a second campground that I have used when the one above is full. The front part of this campground is pleasant, but the rear of the campground is not pleasant and I would ask to see the assigned spot before agreeing to stay.
[*]Macon, Missouri has one campground that I have considered utilzing, but have never stopped there.
[*]Long Branch Campground . . . it is on Long Branch Lake, and I hear that it is a beautiful setting.

Good luck and enjoy your adventure!

Kevin

Hey gang. Things are looking up. We came hwy 36. We made it to Quincy and pulled into the Driftwood recommended by Kevin. The lady was adorable and you won't believe it. We plugged in an like magic. EVERYTHING CAME ON. WE DID NOT TRIP THE BREAKERS. WE HAVE WATER. LIFE IS GREAT!!! Now tomorrow we will attempt our first dump I will review my new book " Newbes guide to Airstreaming". I am not looking forward to that. I think of an emergency and will find something to do in the trailer while he handles that little flexible tube. Thank all of you for the help and support.

[SeeMore]

So glad you are operational. Whenever you plug in be sure to 1) cut the pole breaker off, 2) seat, then screw your power cord into the trailer first before 3) inserting it into the camp ground power. Only then 4) switch the breaker to ON at the power pole.

Oh, by the way, enjoy your treasure and welcome to the forum.

[Lucy98]

A really good app for your phone is allstays camp and rv. It gives plenty of information on campgrounds, directions and will call for you too. Gas Buddy is another must have app.
I also agree with the choices of wine. Stop early and sit out and enjoy the trip with one or two of those glasses.

[Tartimisi]

Originally Posted by Lucy98

A really good app for your phone is allstays camp and rv. It gives plenty of information on campgrounds, directions and will call for you too. Gas Buddy is another must have app.
I also agree with the choices of wine. Stop early and sit out and enjoy the trip with one or two of those glasses.

Thanks We've discovered gas buddy and I will be sure to download all stays one. We need to try harder to get off of the road earlier. We fiddle around so much that we don't get started until late and the next thing u know. It's 4:00 and we've not covered much road !! Lol.

[xrvr]

Sounds like the campground power pole was at fault, did you try more than one? Glad all is well now. jim

[Tartimisi]

Originally Posted by zigzagguzzi

Sounds like the campground power pole was at fault, did you try more than one? Glad all is well now. jim

We did try two different sites at the park. It worked like a charm last night though.