Questions about power

[aboatguy]

Some strange things are happening with the electrical system on my 2013 airstream trailer.

We've been plugged into shore power for about 3 months, and all the power has been working fine.

Lately we've been experiencing this: everything shuts down, and only the 12-volt system works. Nothing works that runs at 110 volts: the microwave doesn't work, the refrigerator switches to LP gas, and all the outlets are dead. I have 110 volts at the shore power cord (checked with my multimeter). So I've found that I can unplug the shore power cord from one of the two connections at the AS, and plug it into the other one, and the power comes back on. Then the power goes out again, I unplug the cord from one of those connections and switch it, power comes back on.

Here's something noteworthy: we also have a brand new radiator-heater plugged into an outlet. This has been running for the past 2 months without problems. But now we're having these power shutdowns that I can solve by doing this weird unplug-plug-into-a-different-plug routine.

Here's something else that's weird: when I check the power outside at the connection, I get 110 volts, but inside the outlets only have about 103-105 volts. Is that normal for AS?

Right now everything seems to work, but it would be nice to know what—exactly—is happening.

Instagram @sallyjeantheairstream

Thanks!

[sgschwend]

Try measuring the skin voltage to earth ground by putting some sort of rod in the ground as a reference.

It sounds like you have return current on the trailer skin and not everything is returning on the neutral as it should.

[Al and Missy]

Sounds like a transfer switch problem to me.

Al