Electical House Electical Not Functioning

[Troutbum1]

Hey, guys and gals, I'm new to the motorhome life and recently purchased a 2006 Holiday Rambler Vacationer. I took it on it's 1400 mile maiden voyage a couple of weeks ago. everything worked fine.

I  do not have any house battery function....and I think it's due to a recent power surge. I had my MH hooked up to a 30A circuit at my home w/o my surge protector hooked up. I was gone for a couple of days and during that time there were a number of electrical storms in the area. The 30 A circuit breaker at my box was tripped, and my MH microwave no longer works (fried?). There is a tripped GFCI switch in the Bathroom that has tripped and cannot be reset. There is no function of any house electrics. The house batteries a brand new, all switches are in their appropriate "ON" positions

I would imagine there is a major house circuit breaker that has tripped or failed...any suggestions before I take it to the shop? I've reset all the circuit breakers but can't seem to find the problem...

 What should be checked at this point or should I just ten it to Camping World or other mechanic to fix the problem?

Also, what is the general lifespan of Dometic Rooftop AC units? While on my road trip when both AC units were running it would trip the circuit breakers occasionally, both when running the generator or Hooked up to a 30A shore power box..

Any suggestions on these matters would help. I'm new to this RV life, so be gentle..

Thanks, 

Kevin

[wolfe10]

Kevin,

Welcome to the FMCA Forum.

I would start by fully charging the batteries-- if built in converter or inverter/charger is not functioning, use an separate charger.  Then load test them.

As far as the 120 VAC, I would start by verifying that you do have good power (ONE hot, neutral and ground) at your house outlet.

What works/doesn't work when on generator power? 

[RodgerS]

Unless it is something simple and obvious, like having left the cutoff switch in the off position or just replacing a fuse, 

I think you should have a service technician troubleshoot the problem(s) for you. If you are in Nor Cal, you can swing by my place for an assist. 

A locally owned shop or mobile technician would generally be a better choice than a name brand dealership unless you or another person would recommend a specific service technician at that dealership based on their "recent" experiences. 

As to lifespan, it is basically the life of your warranty, though I'm sure many would disagree with me. I define it that way because the mfg sets that time limit to minimize their loss exposures due to the potential for poor or no maintenance by owners, usage time, mileage exposure to vibrations assumptions, and quality.

I tend to think of this as an opportunity to take an electrical class and study RV electrical knowledge, but that does take time away from enjoying your RV as some would remind me. 

Rodger S. 

[manholt]

Kevin.  Welcome.

Start simple, do as Brett suggests first...you got to start somewhere!  Let us know how your doing and we will go from there, step by step until it's resolved.  Get a new GFCI at any hardware shop, Home Depot, Lowes, Wall Mart, Ace or TrueValue.  The one you had may have been bad to begin with.  What size Generator do you have?  Is the coach 50A or 30A?

Carl

[Lenp]

Not unusual to trip a 30 amp breaker if your running both air conditioners (and the frig, water heater, microwave, converter).   Most of us only run ONE major appliance when on 30 amp service.

Lenp

[tbutler]

I have to ask.  The 30A outlet at your home, is it specifically installed for the motor home?  Who installed it?  How certain are you that it is wired properly?  All 30A circuits are not the same.  If it is a standard appliance 30A circuit, like a clothes drier, it would damage the circuitry in the motor home.  If an electrician installed the circuit, even if they knew it was for an RV, they may not have installed a proper 30A circuit.  A good primer on electrical supply for RV's is RV Electric.  Take a look and ensure that you have a good 30A outlet.

The correct wiring should have one hot wire, one ground and one neutral.  It should be a 110V connection, not 220V.  If you are not familiar with electric, get a professional to check the outlet you plugged into.  At the same time, if you don't have one, purchase a test meter at a hardware store and have the electrician show you how to use it to check what you are plugging into.

[kaypsmith]

Yup. hope it is not a 220/240 amp circuit breaker at home, if it is, it was not the weather conditions.

[jleamont]

Any reason why the surge protector was not connected at the house? Mine trips at home from voltage spikes more often then I choose to acknowledge . Happened yesterday as a matter of fact while I was standing next to it...must be my electrifying personality .

[hermanmullins]

Joe, are you saying that you are too hot to handle?

herman