20 amp shore power GFI tripping

[lsbrodsky]

Arghh! Another example of AS quality?

Larry

[xrvr]

I doubt it was like that for 3 years. Someone has been in there??

[lsbrodsky]

That is a relief! I really hate to think they AS built a trailer with the ground and neutral connected.
Larry

[TheGreatleys]

Originally Posted by lsbrodsky

That is a relief! I really hate to think they AS built a trailer with the ground and neutral connected.
Larry

Yeah that's definitely not original. Doesn't match any if the other ground wires. My guess is someone installed something aftermarket that uses that white wire connected to the neutral bus just to the left of the ground jumper, and also added the jumper at the same time.

[lsbrodsky]

Originally Posted by TheGreatleys

Yeah that's definitely not original. Doesn't match any if the other ground wires. My guess is someone installed something aftermarket that uses that white wire connected to the neutral bus just to the left of the ground jumper, and also added the jumper at the same time.

I think you are right. AS uses bare for ground connections and probably would have installed a bare wire jumper if they did it. Good catch!
Larry

[rmkrum]

And double check to see that all white neutral wires are ONLY on the neutral buss bar. Fix if miswired by the clown that installed that green wire.

Also move all those bare wires well clear of the white ones. Potential issues there as well. No bare ground wires should be mixed into the white neutral ones, or even close to the neutral bar. Someone did a sloppy modification in there.

[Al and Missy]

Info: Currently by code the neutral to ground bond required in residences is supposed to occur as close to the power entry panel (and ground rod) as possible e.g. in the meter box, not in the breaker box.

Al

[TheGreatleys]

Originally Posted by Al and Missy

Info: Currently by code the neutral to ground bond required in residences is supposed to occur as close to the power entry panel (and ground rod) as possible e.g. in the meter box, not in the breaker box.

Al

Good info!

[rmkrum]

Many residential power distribution panels with a meter section, like most of the homes i have owned, have only have one ground/ neutral buss bar, but the ground wire to structure or ‘Ufer’ ground buried in the slab is right there below the box within three feet or less.

I did have distribution panels that had separate wires run for ground, neutral and both hot lines all the way to the entrance panel in homes in Alabama and California.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Since somebody has been messing with the box (who knows who and why), best to verify everything. They put that jumper there for some reason (who knows why). You need to make very sure that the neutrals (white wires) go to one bus and the bare copper (ground) goes to the other one. You then need to be sure each bus goes to the right place on the 30A plug. It's that last part that is a bit of a PIA.

Once all the wires appear to be in the right place, do a continuity check (trailer unplugged ...) between ground and neutral. If that's not the case, it might explain why the "unknown somebody" put the jumper in there. You would then need to track down the problem they didn't fix. Far more likely is somebody had ground issues running a generator and decided this was the fix. Indeed it is *NOT* the way to fix that issue.

Bob

[rmkrum]

A bit more detail in the interest of safety.

After pulling the green jumper wire, and while you are checking, be double darn sure the green ground lead in the shore power cable is firmly attached (0 ohms on the meter) to the trailer frame and body. Verify the neutral white wire is absolutely NOT tied to the trailer body (infinity on the meter)

Also verify no connection between ground or neutral on the shore power cable.

If it’s not that way, something is still wrong! If you can’t find the problem, get professional help from an RV-experienced electrician before you plug this Airstream into shore power.

[Aaron-Laura]

I’m guessing the guy who installed my inverter put this in. He is a great solar installer for homes but not an RV guy. Lessons learned.

[lsbrodsky]

Aha! Happens all of the time! Look for posts where "home" electricians have installed a 220VAC outlet for 120v RV. Could have been worse but glad you got help here
Larry

[ITSNO60]

Originally Posted by rmkrum

A bit more detail in the interest of safety.

After pulling the green jumper wire, and while you are checking, be double darn sure the green ground lead in the shore power cable is firmly attached (0 ohms on the meter) to the trailer frame and body. Verify the neutral white wire is absolutely NOT tied to the trailer body (infinity on the meter)

Also verify no connection between ground or neutral on the shore power cable.

If it’s not that way, something is still wrong! If you can’t find the problem, get professional help from an RV-experienced electrician before you plug this Airstream into shore power.

I second this, and also make sure the grounding and neutral buses are each testing grounded with the jumper removed. Sometimes jumpers are installed to solve a lost ground or a lost neutral by unqualified people and lazy electricians with no conscience.

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by Aaron-Laura

I’m guessing the guy who installed my inverter put this in. He is a great solar installer for homes but not an RV guy. Lessons learned.

Hi

Ok, if there *is* a candidate for "who did it", that makes this a lot easier to work out.

Inverter:

One of the basic "problems" with inverters is that they have a transfer switch associated with them. It moves the loads between the normal 120V feed and the inverter output. That way it can feed those loads without driving power to the entire trailer.

When it does that it's acting very much like a generator. The same "bonding" issue comes up. The loads you have switched over with the transfer switch need to have neutral hooked to ground. ( ... Like with a green wire ....). The green wire goes on the *output* side of the inverter, not the main feed.

Since he *did* put it on the main feed side, that raises a basic question:

Do you *have* a transfer switch or does the inverter drive the whole trailer? You do want to have a transfer switch. If you don't have one, that issue needs to be addressed. The "why" is very simple - if the inverter comes on driving a live line, you can have a fire. That is *not* anything you want to have in an RV.

Bob