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Old 10-23-2020, 03:50 PM   #1
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tulsa , Oklahoma
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Electrical Problem

I have a 2017 AS International Series 27. Lately when I disconnect The land line the main breaker kicks off. I have been turning the AC off before disconnecting as a safety measure. The breaker will not reset for some time, say 20 to 30 minutes. Does the breaker have some type of safety delay? And, why might it be kicking the breaker in the first place?

Thanks for any input!
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Old 10-23-2020, 04:14 PM   #2
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Very odd. Based on the way breakers work, I'd suggest the breaker trip latch is damaged and does not properly hold on the thermo-magnetic tripping mechanism. You may want to turn off the breakers at the campsite pedestal first and see if that makes a difference but even if it does, I can't come up with an explanation why it would. I will continue to think about how an issue with the connection to the trailer or some other issue in the trailer could cause the breakers magnet trip (it is the rapid trip for short circuits) to initiate.

Edit: Thinking about it more, the fact you can't reset it right away tells me it is a bad latch.
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Old 10-24-2020, 06:03 AM   #3
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Could be a bad connection in the inlet for the shore power or the cord itself. Use a meter to check these or if you are not comfortable working with AC voltage have a tech check it for you.
I installed the “Smart plug” system on my 2009 27 FC and have found it superior to the normal outdated systems.
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Old 10-24-2020, 06:33 AM   #4
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to answer your questions more directly, the breakers have a combination bimetallic thermistor and electromagnetic strip attached to a strip of ferric metal with a catch notch. A lever with a latch is held by the catch when the breaker is reset. Then when flipped on the contractor pulls in. If the bimetallic strip heats up due to excessive current it bends and forces the catch out of place. If the current suddenly goes way high, the electromagnet pulls the strip with the catch out of place instantly.

Ok so the breaker does not have a safety mechanism preventing it from immediately reseting. The metal initially cools very quickly and should allow a reset in the matter of seconds.

If the notch or latch or the metal strips are messed up a bit it won't reset correctly until it is dead cold or if it gets worse, not at all. It can also trip if the magnet gets a surge in either direction, that it will vibrate just a bit when the magnet looses electrical continuity and cause the latch to trip.

It is possible it is something else including an issue with the cord or connector, but I think the breaker is the more likely issue.
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Old 10-24-2020, 05:08 PM   #5
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Thanks for the responses. Let me try and explain a little more. The only time the main GFI breaker will hold or stay on is when it is connected to the shore line. When I disconnect the shore line it kicks the breaker and it will not trip back on until I reconnect to the shoreline.
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Old 10-24-2020, 05:14 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by Beavers View Post
Thanks for the responses. Let me try and explain a little more. The only time the main GFI breaker will hold or stay on is when it is connected to the shore line. When I disconnect the shore line it kicks the breaker and it will not trip back on until I reconnect to the shoreline.
A GFCI breaker or GFCI device will not reset if it doesn't have power, so that explains that part of the mystery. As to why it trips when you remove the plug, I've seen this on rare occasions and can only surmise that the blades are not all breaking contact at the same time causing the GFCI to see an imbalance for a moment, possibly the GFCI is overly sensitive. Sometimes a load on a different circuit starting or stopping will also cause a GFCI to trip but it is usually a motor load that does that. Can you try turning off all loads in the trailer and see if it still trips?
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Old 10-24-2020, 06:22 PM   #7
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Ohhh, it's not the main, it is the branch GFCI circuit. Yeah so what Brian said. disregard my explanation.
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Old 10-25-2020, 11:48 AM   #8
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So, with the shoreline connected all of the electrical works fine. When the shoreline is disconnected the GFCI breaker will not reset. Which according to your analysis there is no electrical supply or power to the GFCI breaker. When I turn on the 12 V supply it still will not reset. In addition, I have no 12 V power for anything. I checked all the fuses on the converter and inverter and they are fine. The battery display shows 13.6 volts.

Do you think I may have a bad inverter or bad batteries?
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Old 10-25-2020, 01:37 PM   #9
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Originally Posted by Beavers View Post
So, with the shoreline connected all of the electrical works fine. When the shoreline is disconnected the GFCI breaker will not reset. Which according to your analysis there is no electrical supply or power to the GFCI breaker. When I turn on the 12 V supply it still will not reset. In addition, I have no 12 V power for anything. I checked all the fuses on the converter and inverter and they are fine. The battery display shows 13.6 volts.

Do you think I may have a bad inverter or bad batteries?
The 12v system isn’t connected to the GFCI breaker. The GFCI needs to be connected to shore power in order to be reset.

The inverter isn’t a part of all this I don’t think.

When you say you don’t have 12v anywhere, does the battery voltage on the display drop significantly when you turn on something needing significant 12v, like the range hood? If so, your batteries likely need to be replaced unless there is significant corrosion on the terminals.

If the voltage the doesn’t drop but the 12v devices don’t operate check the bank of 12v fuses by the circuit breakers. If those are okay you’re likely looking at a loose connection somewhere in the 12 v system near the rats nest or behind the 12v electrical panel.
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Old 10-25-2020, 01:46 PM   #10
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Sounds consistent so far. The GFCI is a dedicated 120V AC circuit and is separate from the combined inverter and shore power circuit so it will not reset until shore power is restored. However the branch cannot be used without shore power as well, so no loss.

Can you confirm the display shows voltage only when shore power is connected and the converter is on? Do the overhead lights work with shore power disconnected? They use the battery/low voltage DC system.

Can you confirm the Inverter will not activate from the remote push button and the Television will not come on with no shore power?.
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Old 10-25-2020, 02:45 PM   #11
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A GFCI measures the difference between the current on the hot line and the current on the neutral line. Depending on design and application, a difference of more than 0.005 amps can trip a GFCI. The act of plugging and unplugging a connector can introduce transients into the lines that could easily trip a GFCI. Best practices are to turn off the power pedestal breaker before disconnecting the trailer and turn the breaker on after connecting the trailer.
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