Shore cable melted to make plug at trailer....my fault or bad post at CG???

[Debnw]

All good information...as folks have stated... my lack of thought about overload as well as poor connections are the cause.
The fixes... for sure Smart Plug...possible upgrade to 50amp...to ensure supply better matches demand...and a surge protector, either portable or permanent...

[lsbrodsky]

Originally Posted by SeaLevel

Another vote for using a SmartPlug connector if you are going to replace something on the trailer. They work better, look better and are much safer. It's an investment to replace it all, but I would not want to go back to the OEM stuff after using the SmartPlug connectors. I replaced both on my trailer.

It is a cool design, but I have tabled the replacement for two reasons. First, as stated above, this does not solve the issue at the pedestal. Second, if I need a new cord in the middle of nowhere and go to Walmart, they are not going to have a Smartplug cord. I am sticking with the norm.
Larry

[OTRA15]

Good points. Does SmartPlug make any adaptors so you can go back to an "old school" cord in a pinch?

[ROBERT CROSS]

^
There was no offering for the 'built-in' cord on our '03.🤔

Bob
🇺🇸

[Al and Missy]

Only one contact failed at the trailer. If the current was too high, the breaker should have tripped and both the hot and neutral pins would have been damaged since they would have been carrying the same current. So there are two indications that the current was not excessive, at least not all the time.

Hypothesizing, the voltage dropped at the campground due to excessive total load. Current in motors like AC compressors went up. Current in resistive loads like the water heater went down, but the net result was that the campground breaker tripped. OP corrected his load and all was well, but the one pin in the connector was not making a good connection and was damaged.

I'd open it all up and check the wiring and both connectors at the trailer. My best guess (that's all it is) is that the wiring is fine.

Al

[uncle_bob]

Hi

An EMS *might* have tripped in a low voltage / high current situation. More likely, the voltage didn't get low enough for that to happen with an external EMS. Regardless, you *do* want one on your trailer.

If you take a look at the typical AS power panel, there is a "main breaker" on the panel. It is rated at the same 30A or 50A that the campground post (and the cable and the connector) is. In a gross over current situation, the AS breaker should trip.

Breakers (like everything else) have a tolerance on them. Counting on one to always trip at 10 or 20% over current is expecting more than they are rated to deliver. Twice the rated current *should* always trip one if it's on there for more than 10's of seconds.

Best guess - the contact in the socket gave up on the load that was being pulled. One *might* guess that this was not the first time more than 30A got used in the trailer. That's just a guess . Repeated over current is really tough on that type of connector.

Bob

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by lsbrodsky

It is a cool design, but I have tabled the replacement for two reasons. First, as stated above, this does not solve the issue at the pedestal. Second, if I need a new cord in the middle of nowhere and go to Walmart, they are not going to have a Smartplug cord. I am sticking with the norm.
Larry

Had the same problem at a campground . Installed the Smart Plug and am very happy . Had a attached cord previous . I bought just the smart plug end also ,and installed to my cut off cord . So I carry both cords . The one that comes with complete system and the original cord with smart plug end . Pat

[soling917]

There could be another reason for the burnt plug. Th wiring at the plug could be loose causing a lot of heat and damaging the cord. Airstream had a Recall to correct this condition on the 2015 Flying Cloud I had.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by Debnw

Was camping this weekend at a state park... the 30 amp breaker at the post tripped... as we had AC, WH, hair drier and electric skillet all in service... YEA... wasn’t thinking... reset the breaker and no issue the rest of the weekend.
When packing up to head home I could NOT get the plug to disengage from the trailer. After applying a bit more force that I wanted... it broke free... and this is what I discovered...Attachment 342449

So... was the overload the cause???
OR an issue with the electric post???

Thoughts...

Replacement is about 100 bucks...

The problem is that the connector on your cord was shot and should have been replaced before this happened. It should be able to withstand 30 amps, and it didn't.

Thoughts/reco on surge protector???

Don't bother, see my other posts. The more people understand about electricity, the less they want a "surge protector."


You have to be sensitive to warning signs and replace connectors before they get that bad. A plug or cable that is even slightly warm to the touch is indicative that trouble is brewing, as is a cable that connects too easily, or that has visible blue/green corrosion.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by rmkrum

If the voltage drop from the bad contact was enough, the EMS would have shut down for at least the delay time of a couple minutes or so. That looked toasted enough to drop the voltage a lot.

No, it would not have done so until it was too late because a voltage drop of 1-2 volts is enough to cause the kind of damage in the photo at 20-30 amps. An arc-fault interrupter might have tripped, but probably not.


You have to inspect this stuff and replace it when it's iffy, or at least clean up the contacts and grease them.


Problems at the pedestal are a real thing but have nothing to do with this particular event.

[rmkrum]

Jammer, you have some good points here, however...

An EMS, aka Energy Management System, as I am suggesting, is not a simple “surge protector” by any means.

I agree that watching the condition of connectors and cordage is an excellent idea. It’s a critical part of proper system maintenance.

However, simple inspection will not protect you from high voltage, brownouts, off frequency, or wiring issues. It takes proper intelligent hardware that is continuously monitoring and controlling the power input to do that.

I have over four decades of electrical and electronic engineering experience and flat out will not run a trailer, a test lab, a shipboard system, an aircraft, or any kind of mobile test hardware without a proper EMS, grounding, surge suppression, regulation, and proper power distribution systems. Been there, done that, and have not lost a system due to power faults yet.

Let us electrical engineering types talk from our expertise, please. We do this stuff for a living. Last system was worth over a billion with a “B” dollars, btw. Airstreams are relatively cheap in that context.

[jcanavera]

At one of my former employers our insurance company requested that we hire an electrical inspection bi-annually for every power box, transformer that was protected by fuses or circuit breakers and had a master shut off. Part of that inspection was an electrician using an infrared gun that detected heater hot spots.. It wasn't unusual to find at least one connection that was starting to generate excessive heat. Problem was always found to be a connection that either showed signs of corrosion or had evidence of being loose thus causing arcing. My gut is that your problem may not have been an failed breaker or overload, but a poor connection in the outlet or head of the plug which generated heat and/or arcing.

My most common situation in regards to tripping power pole breakers is using the air conditioner, water heater on electric, refrigerator and microwave/convention oven. Never have tripped the main 30 amp breaker inside the trailer. It's always been at the power pole. Typically its after we pull into a campground, set up and the air conditioner is running at max output cooling the trailer down. The water heater is running on electric trying to bring the water up to temperature, and we are warm something for dinner in the microwave. Typically when that pole breaker pops I realize that I should have placed the water heater in gas mode for that initial start up of these appliances. Once the water heater gets to temp, I go back to electric and have no further issue on the rest of my trip. It doesn't happen often and I've always attributed the problem to the power pole breaker probably being weak due to the fact that its in an outside environment and may deteriorate faster that a protected environment breaker.

Jack

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by rmkrum

Let us electrical engineering types talk from our expertise, please. We do this stuff for a living. Last system was worth over a billion with a “B” dollars, btw. Airstreams are relatively cheap in that context.

Be careful what assumptions you make about my background.

[Larry1492]

I’ve seen that many times, it has nothing to do with overload. That is a bad mechanical connection building heat. Think about it, the breaker in the trailer did not open or the one on the pole. The system was under heavy load but not over current. You had a bad connection on that cord that got hot and failed. I would recommend you replace the male connector on the AS along with the cord.

[KK4YZ]

Originally Posted by Larry1492

I’ve seen that many times, it has nothing to do with overload. That is a bad mechanical connection building heat. Think about it, the breaker in the trailer did not open or the one on the pole. The system was under heavy load but not over current. You had a bad connection on that cord that got hot and failed.

Yep. I think the “bad connection theory “ is it.

Remember when they for a time used aluminum wiring in houses and that led to fires? It wasn’t that aluminum wiring itself promoted fires, but over time with temperature cycling the connections at wall sockets and switches came loose, creating heat and causing fires. Apparently aluminum expands and contracts more with temperature than does copper and will more easily loosen at the connectors.

I think they since came up with adapters for the connections in such houses that fix this problem.

[Life is a Highway]

Originally Posted by rmkrum

Consider a SmartPlug instead. Has better contact design, fits tighter, and is totally waterproof when connected. Admittedly not cheap, but a lot more durable than the usual twist-lock connector. Fits in the exact same hole and locks on much better. Google it!

Besides the cover is shiny stainless steel. Bling!

I just upgraded to the Smart Plug I matched the gray
finish of the other caps. Easy to install and the 30 ft power
cord is so easily coiled up. Another plus it plugs into our Surge Guard 30 amp
as the Airsteam handle wound not without a adapter dogbone. Surge Guard is
Making a new flip door that will work.

I was impressed with the contacts and weather proof
Seal. My wife loves the easy hook and disconnect

[ITSNO60]

Originally Posted by Larry1492

I’ve seen that many times, it has nothing to do with overload. That is a bad mechanical connection building heat. Think about it, the breaker in the trailer did not open or the one on the pole. The system was under heavy load but not over current. You had a bad connection on that cord that got hot and failed. I would recommend you replace the male connector on the AS along with the cord.

This is it, and it has been mentioned in several earlier posts. Drawing 30 amps or close to it those connections need to be solid. Not an engineer here but a career electrician, seen it many times.

[waninae39]

upgrade to a Smart Plug
install in house surge suppressor
and put anti oxidation pasted on 7way and power plugs

[DaKarch]

I had this happen in a campground with known supply issues...bad grounds very common, wrong size supply gauge on wires also common. You only found out once you had a problem how common it was though....

I used a progressive industries EMS (I think EMS is top notch) and it still heated up the common on the plug and never tripped anything...when the supply is not designed right only thing that will protect your trailer is a buck booster..or not plugging it in...but that could cause problems for others too.

Another common problem is a loose connection at the terminal or plug contact...bad contact equals heat.

Personally I think TVs should have to use marine grade wiring for the contact and vibration issues.

In my case I had to cut the wire and drive down the road. New trailer side connection and cut about 8 inches of wire off that runs to trailer panel.

Buy the EMS from progressive its cheap insurance and peace of mind...but you will not be 100% protected.

Never trust a breaker either for this type of problem...

Good luck

[Life is a Highway]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

Good points. Does SmartPlug make any adaptors so you can go back to an "old school" cord in a pinch?

We left the front AS Connector to be used with the original cable
The Side Connector was replaced with the Smart Plug. So both can still be used