# tripping electrics



## 99573 (Jun 7, 2006)

we went away today for new year we plugged into hook up first turning off thrcd the hook up blew we tried several times and on diffrent pitches the hookup blew each time even before the  rcd was switched on we ended going home we plugged into house supply no problem so we were luck to get onto a caravan club site the same thing happened the warden put a tester on the van believes there could be an earthing problem so sadly we had to come home we have a holiday rambler vacationer any body got any suggestions as we have never had this problem before


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## shortcircuit (Mar 19, 2006)

Do you have an RCD at home?

Have you checked your hook-up cable for any damage?


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## Superk (Aug 22, 2005)

We have a Vacationer and often experience the same problem - we stay at around 20 campsites per year thoughout France and Spain. We were also told by a CC site warden it was our cable but we have 3 and it can happen with any. In Europe the supply may only be 3-6 amps. The only advice I can offer and I know it's not a complete solution is that before you connect make sure everything electrical is off in the van, particularly the fridge - don't leave it on auto because it will take power straight away. In addition I always earth the cable from the van before plugging it into the electrical supply - put a screwdriver across the pins and onto something that will earth it. I always test the supply to make sure there is an earth and its not reversed polarity.


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## Steptoe (Nov 8, 2005)

I seem to remember a thread either on here or elsewhere on this very subject; I believe the consensus of opinion was that the large transformer/inverters used in Rv's to adapt the 240v mains supply to the internal 110v electrics required a surge of current to initialise them sufficent to trip the site electrics; (the overload protection of course, not the RCD).

As there is no fault as such (apart from it being American :roll there is no cure for the problem; one of the suggestions was to fit a smaller transformer/inverter to reduce the intitial current surge to a level which most site electrics could cope with.

I have just realised that I have been no help at all, but at least you will understand why this is happening


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## 99573 (Jun 7, 2006)

the problems not down to the transformer as we always turn off the rcd before plugging in and never had a problem even on low ampage in europe. we have been trying to find the reset buttons the hand book says they are the bathroom but we have looked everywhere can the gentleman who has a vacationer throw any light on this. the electrics on site are blowing as soon as connected to the van with all breakers and everything turned off.


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## 101600 (Oct 30, 2006)

Make sure that nothing is tracking back to earth at the point of entry i.e. the socket on the van and the cable make sure no water has got in the socket

Do you have a amp meter? can you put it over the live wire somwhere to test ampage on pluging in to the mains. if its not a excesive ampage then it must be going to earth somwhere. 

Try to find a amp meter where you can lock the highest reading usualy its called a hold button as if it spikes and blows some times it is very fast and you can miss it.

Also lay your cable out do not conect it to anything, plug one end to the supply. does anything happen (on site that is)?

if not then you know it is not the end that plugs to the hookup supply. i would then disconect it from mains, take the end that conects to the van apart and check all wires. (you may have done this already). If you cannot see anything then its got to be van related. it could even be damaged cable running from van socket to main braker. Also i have seen the odd caravan that bypasses the breaker and goes to the battery charger so that could also be a port of call. ( i am not saying all but i have seen some they may have been DIY jobs) 

I hope this all makes sense. feel free to PM me if you dont understand any of it.

Rob


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## damondunc (Feb 14, 2006)

*Tripping electrics*

Hi,
something on your RV is leaking electricity to earth could be a wiring fault or could be an appliance fault. What you need to do is unplug every appliance that you can, microwave,fridge(plug for that is outside the RV inside the lower fridge vent) ,tv, dvd,etc.
The classic item for creating this fault is a mains water heater element this needs disconnecting as well,or the mains element in the fridge is also a classic offender, then reconnect your RV to the supply if it no longer trips out one of the appliances is at fault, plug each appliance back in and if it trips out as soon as you plug a particular appliance back in that appliance is your fault.
The reason for it still tripping out even though you have the rcd and trip in the rv turned off is that the neutral wire may still be connected to the rv. The site supply will trip when you have an earth leakage fault to live or neutral.
If the above doesn't help you you may have a wiring fault which needs diagnosing.
hope this helps Duncan.


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## 102172 (Dec 22, 2006)

I've had a neutral fault on a vehicle before. Despite being an electrical engineer it took me ages to twig that the RCD would sense a neutral fault as well as a live fault (obviously - a real "doh!" moment). Worth checking.


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## Superk (Aug 22, 2005)

Hi again Redwell - all our house electrical controls - 110v high and low are in consumer boxes in the passenger-side cupboard above the bed, our UK consumer unit has been fitted in the cupboard on the other side.


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## des (Aug 13, 2005)

We occasionally have this problem, but normally connect ok on a second attempt. EXCEPT at Newton Mill Caravan Site, nr Bath park & ride. blew several trips, and burned one out (according to the owner). He said we must have damp in our cable somewhere. Have been on several sites since, and never had another problem. Had electrical test done, and confirmed AOK. Remains a mystery - but won't be going back to Newton Mill, which apparently frequently has this problem, which is always the fault of the user, not the site.

des


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## 98452 (Apr 2, 2006)

I switch everything off to start with and start with just the essentials and build up (from my caravaning days) if you arrive with everything cold all the heating devices will come on fully plus theres fridge, charges and things.

Fell out big time with CC warden as I was leaving told him my leccy was tripped and of course on returning tripped again as misses turned it all back on again for our return


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## 88927 (May 10, 2005)

Hi
What sort of transformer do you have fitted? Is it hard wired or one of those site transformers? Is the transformer not connected before the RCD's etc? I think ours is.... We get the site tripping problem about 15% of the time when I connect up to the post, tried all sorts but nothing seems to cure it. I believe that the "fault" is caused by the transformer inrush (which can be many times the running current of the transformer for a few milliseconds, but the trip picks it up) and depending upon the particular part of the phase that you catch when you connect, depends upon the actual current flow at that particular point in time, which explains why it does not do it every time but is a random occurence.
Does your genny run and power up properly? I would think that if you had an earth leakage then the trip would also pull down same as the site power.
Let us know the outcome of some of the tests that have been advised, especially about the tests on the cable and good luck

Keith


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## Steptoe (Nov 8, 2005)

It is interesting to note that the contributors to this thread who have had the tripping problem all have RV's as opposed to European built vans; various chassis and bodies but all will have a transformer fitted to convert 240v mains to the 110v required for the habitation side.

I presume that this transformer is fitted as part of the UK conversion process, therefore for convenience it is likely to be fitted together with the ISO three pin socket in the supply line before any RCD's and consumer units so if there is indeed an initial surge current, as Kands and I have suggested, this will not trip the internal circuit breakers. 

Redwell mentioned he did not get the problem at home, the standard household electrical installation will cope with at least 80amps, five times the highest rated site installation.


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## annetony (May 1, 2005)

We had a problem today with our Talbot Harmony tripping out, decided to give it a clean so after washing the outside we connected up to the electric in the garage, (done before) and I got my hoover out, as soon as I switched it on it tripped out,tried several times and still the same. Tony tried to plug the electric planer in and that worked ok just cant figure it out, probably have to wait till the weather is better and try again, Anne & Tony


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

Anne & Tony,

In your case a possibility is water getting into and behind the mains inlet socket.

Dave


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## annetony (May 1, 2005)

thanks,Dave, you could be right there as we had just washed the van, I will try it again at weekend when its dried out, Anne & Tony


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## 98064 (Mar 10, 2006)

Don't know if my inputs any use but, our RV often trips the mains at home. We have worked out that part of the problem is the trip, bit sensitive, but various making sure things are switched off still causes a trip occationally and my deduction is, it usually trips if the leasure battery is a bit low, ie my guess being that apart from the initial transformer surge the system applying charge to the battery as part of the energising process is to much. Couple of goes usally gets it on OK. Grasping hold of this piece of wood here we haven't triped any site's yet, though we haven't stayed on many yet, year and a bit in the RVing and mostly 'wild' at car shows.

Si


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## 88927 (May 10, 2005)

You are right Ernie, I think this problem is confined mostly to ARV's due to the fitting of a transformer. The USA works on 110 Volts AC and as you know we in the UK use 220 Volts AC, so a transformer is required to handle the inlet supply of 220 Volts and drop it to 110 Volts to feed the onboard appliances such as fridge, air con etc.
From memory, and I haven't had a good check around because I have had no need to do so, I seem to remember that the incoming supply is terminated at a junction box which in turn supplies the transformer and then returns to the breakers for distribution to the various 110 Volt appliances. The 220 Volts also goes directly to another RCD to protect the rewired 220 Volt sockets etc. The genny is also fed into the junction box so that it will automatically take the load for both the 220 Volts for sockets etc, via the reverse feed to the transformer and feed the 110 Volt appliances directly. Therefore it is my understanding that the transformer is supplied directly from the incoming power cord and it is the inrush that causes the site trips to lift.
We never get this problem when plugging in at home, due I suspect, to the higher rated domestic installation.
I hope this helps

Keith


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## eddievanbitz (May 1, 2005)

*Probably get hung for this!*

:lol: Hi

I have just counted up and have owned eight RV's since 1990, all of them have been new and to my knowledge have had no electrical problems at all.

With each of them, I have had occasional, RCD tripping problems, in different countries and campsites.

The first RV I got very excited about and tested everything that moved, couldn't find a thing wrong, next van a bit more philosophical and so on.

Now? I have acquired just about every conceivable key and device for opening locked electrical supplies so I can re-set the thing for my self without walking miles and bothering wardens.

Why does it do it? I just put it down to numerous factors: 50 and 60 Hz coursing around, 220 - 110 volt transformers centre tapped to allowing for conversion 110 - 220 volts, 110 volt inverters and 220 volt inverters sharing the same DC source, automatic transfer switches, switching between generator (110 VAC) and shore power (220 VAC) and inverters.....In short a bit of a nightmare, however, for most of the time it all works remarkably well. I have had to change electrical installations on three of the vans because the UK importing dealer had been a bit basic in the conversions, but I have never found a specific fault that I could pinpoint.

Steptoe is right and wrong in his statement, there is really no cure for it, some vans suffer a lot and some very little it depends sometimes on the quality of the installation and the parts used, (yes I have seen site transformers used as part of the conversion, still full of sand!) And he is wrong in his very amusing point about it being American! :lol:

Just so no one thinks that I am being racist I have had major faults with motorhomes built in England, France, Germany and Italy! Spanish? I gave up a dealership because I got so fed up selling Spanish motorhomes that would take a week! Yes a week to PDI because they should never of have left the factory!


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## 100675 (Aug 23, 2006)

Here is a link that might be able to solve your problem.

http://www.griffin-american-motorhomes.co.uk/tripping.html

Hope this helps.


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