# Rapido 240V electrics



## 128336 (Sep 29, 2009)

Hi there; can anyone throw any light on a persistent problem when hooking up my 2008 Rapido A Class 9097df? I have tripped just about every site in Europe and up to the North of Scotalnd. Power varied from 4 amps on a good day in France, to 16 amps on a pristine Club site in the UK. Always trips seconds after hook up, and will often work in the same socket the next day. Trips the site supply not the van, and still trips if hooked up with the micro switches off, then switched on again. Never trips on domestic 13 amp supply, even with every possible device switched on, so I see little point in taking it to a dealer. Only the auto fridge is on when hooking up, could this trip it? Bought new lead last Winter. Old one works perfectly on my mates van though!. Trips roughly 50% of hook ups, and has managed 7 nights on five different sites without problem, then tripped the next two. Getting ready to set fire to it! Any suggestions? whippet


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## joedenise (Jul 20, 2007)

someone hasn't put a socket underneath the van, have they? We had the same problem in a C*****n, kept tripping out site electrics, finally traced all the wiring and found a domestic internal 3 pin socket had been installed just behind the wheel. 

Joe


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## CliveMott (Mar 10, 2008)

It sounds like an earth leakage problem. The site hookup RCD will open at anything above 30milliamperes which is "not a lot".

Can you isolate the individual circuits within the van?. 
The electric part of the water heater being a prime contender. 
Then there is the charger, modern ones of these can also become leaky.

Have you checked the van for water ingress?

Any extras been fitted by a previous owner?

Take care

C.


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## Jean-Luc (Jul 21, 2005)

whippet, is it the MCB (overload) or the ELCB ( something wrong in the wiring) trip which goes off.
If it's the MCB is there a heigh demand appliance turned on, for example the 1.8 kw Truma heater.
If its the ELCB have you checked the internals of the plug & socket on your EHU lead, perhaps there might be a loose connection allowing a wire to move around. Perhaps one of the connections within the MH is loose causing the same problem. this could account for the fault being intermittent.

For ELCB read RCD which is a more modern gadget but basically does a similar job of helping to protect idiots from self extinction.


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## ubuntu1 (Jan 14, 2008)

*Trips*

You need to check if anything is drawing a large current when you hook up. Secondly you need to crawl all over the electrics to see if anything is damp/wet, broken or poorly installed. Don't ignore this and if your not confident get an engineer to check it out.


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## 128336 (Sep 29, 2009)

thanks to all for the suggestions. To add a bit more information; I bought the van new myself. Towtal fitted the usual tow bar and electrics shortly after, and DD fitted my old reverse polarity box from new. He also fitted my 'old' 120 watt Solar panel, using the pre-plumbed Rapido wiring.I first tried replacing the 'old' polarity box, but have now removed it altogether 'in case!' The trips blow with the 12v electric switched off on the control panel. At that stage, as far as I am aware, there is just the Tracker, and the Auto fridge still on. Certainly no 240 volt equipment is on. I appreciate Clive's comments about earth leakage, but don't have the knowledge to check this myself. Brownhills recently carried out the first year habitation check, and signed the van off, so I doubt it is leaking. I am planning to try the next hook up with the charger switched off, but am clutching at straws. I know it would be expensive but anyone know of a good forensic auto electician within reasonable distance of the Midlands? Thanks again; whippet


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## Jean-Luc (Jul 21, 2005)

Hi whippet, if the problem is with the mains electrics then an auto sparks will not be qualified, I suggest a good house sparks. 
As your problem seems to be intermittent it may well be a poor connection or a loose wire at a plug or socket. 
If the MH trips is not tripping, just the site one (as you said in your OP) then it looks like its a problem between the MH trips and the site bollard, this should rule out the problem being in the MH. Have you checked both ends of your EHU lead?.
See my earlier post. If it's the RCD is tripping it's a wiring fault or dampness somewhere in the electrics, if it's the MCB is tripping then it's overload (something is using too much current)


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## 128336 (Sep 29, 2009)

*Rapido 240 volt Eletics*

Hi Jean-Luc
thanks for your suggestions. I agree that I need a 240 volt man, and have today made contact with an old friend in the trade. He reccomends isolating individual items one by one. The only problem is that this may take another year as I can only do it after tripping a site!!!! 
Your second suggestion concerning where the fault might lie, is incorrect. I have (though only once) knocked the MH trips off, and re hooked into the bollard. The bollard did not trip until I put the MH trips on.This means that the fault is on the MH side of my trips. This means the 2 sockets, the fridge, the heater, the wiring or the charger. The wires in the distibutor box are not labeled, so I will have to disconnect one by one whilst on my home supply, and make up a wiring diagram. I can then disconnect one by one the next time I am tripping a bollard. Trouble is, that's another year, and a few more angry camp site owners! Any ideas for quick fault finding? All the best; whippet


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## rayc (Jun 3, 2008)

*Re: Rapido 240 volt Eletics*



whippet said:


> This means that the fault is on the MH side of my trips. This means the 2 sockets, the fridge, the heater, the wiring or the charger. The wires in the distibutor box are not labeled, so I will have to disconnect one by one whilst on my home supply, and make up a wiring diagram. I can then disconnect one by one the next time I am tripping a bollard. Trouble is, that's another year, and a few more angry camp site owners! Any ideas for quick fault finding? All the best; whippet


This sounds very unscientific. A decent sparks should be able to find the problem with an insulation tester.

Just to refresh your posts can you confirm it the site RCD's that are tripping and not the MCB's. Perhaps the reason it does not trip your supply at home is because the socket is not RCD protected?


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## Tezmcd (Aug 3, 2009)

ELCB ! Wow not sen that phrase used in a long time 

Definately sounds like an earth leakage issue to be sure 

you just need try try and isolate the problem 

Try the lead on the site hook up first without it being plugged into the MH - does this trip it?

Then

With everything in the MH turned off including ALL appliances and every MCB & incoming RCD plug the lead into the MH - does it trip now?

Then turn on the main RCD only but nothing else - does it trip now?

keep going along those lines to see if you can isolate the problem - then if you can get a qualified electrician to take a look at what might be the cause (if its wiring based) or replace the appliance if thats the cause

(if you see what I mean)

EDIT - please bear in mind that you are mesing with 240 Volts here - and an amateur approach may just get you killed - when it comes to disconnecting wiring etc get someone who really knows what they are doing


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## emmbeedee (Oct 31, 2008)

You can get plug in RCD's for domestic use - they provide extra safety when using "outdoor" electrical appliances, mowers, strimmers & the like. If you connect your van through one of these it may well trip, given what you say happens on sites. You should then be able to isolate the problem in your van, by checking each circuit in turn.
This should enable you to solve the problem at home, rather than having to tour round different sites trying it out.


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## emmbeedee (Oct 31, 2008)

Deleted duplicate post.


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## steco1958 (Mar 5, 2009)

I am confused !!! why do you have to wait for a year to fix this issue, You say you have a home EHU !! is it tripping that ?

If you have a home EHU, why cant you do the checks on that?

Just make sure that you take every thing off the circuits that draws electricity, then one at a time, add each appliance, until the circuit trips.

You say you purchased the MH new, I note that it is a 2008, why not take the thing back to the dealer, you have had it serviced and stuff like that, so they will probably find and fix the problem a lot easier than you will.


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## emmbeedee (Oct 31, 2008)

Steco, if you read the OP, he says it never trips on domestic supply.  That is why I suggested running it at home through a plug in RCD.


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## 128336 (Sep 29, 2009)

*Rapido 240 volt electrics*

just wanted to say thankyou to all who tried to help with my problem. It seems I will have to keep tripping sites wherever I go.
Just to confirm, my home supply is fully RCD equipped, as are the two storage locations I have used. None have ever tripped! As to going back to the supplier, can you see the point, when it won't trip on his mains supply! 'Seems Ok to me guv!' It filled me with forboding when I entrusted Swindon with my first annual service and habitation check. I explained I had a knocking sound somewhere under the drivers seat, and could he check the suspension bolts during the service. The reply; 'we can't touch that, we don't touch warranty work, take it to Fiat. I had wrongly assumed that they were approved agents for Fiat! Whats the point of going back to idiots like that! They are probably not approved by Rapido if truth be known! Anyway thanks again. Whippet.


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

You can get a plugin in rcd from B&Q for under £8 which might allow you to replicate the situation that you encounter at sites.

http://tinyurl.com/yjrspr9

BUT the link does not show what value it trips at so you would need to wander in and read the package!

Your home rcd may not trip at 30 ma. so a plugin one may be easier to use so you can check the EHU wire - can you "borrow" the old one back from your friend? The whole process is a matter of eliminating things one at a time but as has been pointed out by others if you are not competent with 240v get a professional in. Your life is more valuable and shrouds do not have pockets!

You cannot afford to leave it and keep your fingers crossed - the rcd is showing that there has to be an electrical fault - that could potentially result in something being live if you are on a site with no rcd or one that does not rip. Has it not tripped because the fault has gone away or because the rcd is unreliable?

Good luck and do let us know what you eventually track it down to!

Dave


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