# I Keep Tripping Out



## grumpyman (Sep 24, 2006)

About 2 months ago we stayed at Southport CC. site. On getting up the next morning noted we had no electricity, site mains plug had tripped re set by Warden no problems.
This week we have been to London about 0430hrs awoke quite cold no electric. Checked my trip switch no problems. Checked site trip switch and it had tripped. This happened on the next night again.On returning home connected mains and put the 230 volt heating on worked ok but when I increased the temperature and the booster kicked in both the Van and the home tripped out. I would have expected whilst on site for the Van to trip first not the site. The only other thing we had on at night was the Fridge. It also does not trip immediately but after some hours. Any suggestions have thought it may have something to do with the thermostat.


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

Perhaps you would expand on your thermostat reasoning.

Sticking with the nice, controlled environment of your home hookup, what is its supply rating to the van, and what wattage demands were you placing on it (I have no idea to what "booster" refers).

Dave


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## JohnsCrossMotorHomes (Jul 21, 2007)

Hi,

All you are doing is overloading the trip switch supplying the hook up lead.

It could well be that the trip on site is only 15amp, same as the one at home.

The main *MH* trip could well be 25amp and the lowest amp one will trip first.

I have the same problem on my boat if I put too many appliances on at once. The shore supply will trip with it only being 15amp.

Regards


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

and is it the mcb or the rcd tripping one on over current the other earth leakage


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## maddie (Jan 4, 2006)

Hi could it be a faulty heater?We had one that worked fine on a low setting but tripped out on a higer setting after a bit say 1/2 to 1 hour?
terry


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## grumpyman (Sep 24, 2006)

First of all thanks for the replies and secondly me and Electric are like two negatives.
I will try to answer some of the suggestions 
On site neither the RCD or the MCB tripped only the site switch, at home the RCD tripped.
When there has been a trip the only appliances running were either the Fridge and the Erberspacher heating or on the occasion I tried it at home the heating only. Dave to explain better the Booster I meant the heating fan as it is blown air. The reason I suggest the Thermo stat is to get it to trip out today I had to increase the temperature to get the heating to kick in and thought this would need the thermo to operate. I could accept this happening if i was sat with the Tele, lights and Kettle going but this happens only with the heating.


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

If it were me and I was confident the site supply exceeded the van demand, then I'd probably:

1) Run a separate cable from the house to the van, and check the same tripping happened (ie, test cable by substitution). If it did:

2) Measure the resistance between the mains input terminals at the van with mains cable disconnected.

Dave


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## grumpyman (Sep 24, 2006)

DABurleigh said:


> If it were me and I was confident the site supply exceeded the van demand, then I'd probably:
> 
> 1) Run a separate cable from the house to the van, and check the same tripping happened (ie, test cable by substitution). If it did:
> 
> ...


Don't think there was any need to swear at me.  Now remember about my description of me and electricity. Have I not run a separate cable by connecting my cable to a point in the house already as for measuring the resistance now you have lost me. :wink:


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

So you know for definite you don't have a fault in the cable to the van? That was what I was establishing in 1).

Basically I am trying to establish :

a) do you have a fault? I can't be definite on this as you didn't answer my supply versus demand power question.

b) if you have a fault, where it might be. There the principle is to check the most likely or easiest to eliminate sources first.

Dave


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

grumpyman said:


> First of all thanks for the replies and secondly me and Electric are like two negatives.
> I will try to answer some of the suggestions
> On site neither the RCD or the MCB tripped only the site switch, at home the RCD tripped.
> When there has been a trip the only appliances running were either the Fridge and the Erberspacher heating or on the occasion I tried it at home the heating only. Dave to explain better the Booster I meant the heating fan as it is blown air. The reason I suggest the Thermo stat is to get it to trip out today I had to increase the temperature to get the heating to kick in and thought this would need the thermo to operate. I could accept this happening if i was sat with the Tele, lights and Kettle going but this happens only with the heating.


I would suggest that in both cases that it is an rcd tripping (site supply is likely to be rcd protected) and therefore we are looking at an earth leakage problem not overcurrent.


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## grumpyman (Sep 24, 2006)

Erberspacher is still under warranty until April have booked it in for a check as I have to take it that the only time I trip out is when the 230 heating is on would you agree.


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

Well an Airtronic D4 has 1.4kW mains heating, A2 1kw, so switch that off and plug in a portable 2kW heater in the van and see what happens.

Fixing things may require professionals, but anyone can do an awful lot of legwork to pin down the fault with confidence first. If things are solid with high wattage devices but consistently trip out with just the Eberspacher heater, then yes, either it or its connections to the van are suspect.

Dave


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## grumpyman (Sep 24, 2006)

Dave,
Thanks for that already do use a 2kw heater in the van when parked on the drive no problem so may be the van heater.


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## grumpyman (Sep 24, 2006)

Took Van to Erbaspacher dealer today. He rings me around lunchtime to report no tripping out. Asked him to plug my site cable in not his extension lead result tripped out after a few minutes.Problem with your cable mate. Asked him to run another orange extension cable tripped out.Two faulty cables I doubt it. He is contacting Erbaspacher tomorrow. I am sure I remember reading on here where somebody else had a electrical problem with one.


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## grumpyman (Sep 24, 2006)

Just reading through my old Posts and realised I did not finalise this which I know in some cases quite rightly annoys people who have attempted to help.
I went to the Repairers to collect the Van back, they informed me they had not found the fault but on using my other cable it had not tripped over a set period. They accepted though they could not say they had repaired it and so if the fault returned they would examine it again without the warranty.
Obviously this was spring time come October when I came to use the heating you've guessed it TRIP. Contacted them informed, Oh no we can't look at that under warranty it has been too long.


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