No power to panel?

[zroadhouse]

I finished wiring up a GCFI outlet to my trailer and went to test it - and nothing. I have a 30 amp panel installed by the factory and a shore cable plugged into a 15 amp adapter. The panel has three breakers (the main, one for the AC - not installed, and one for the outlet).

I went over the wiring with a tester and appear to have power up to the shore power connector - but none after that. Do I have a bad connector? Bad shore power cable? Suggestions for testing?

[pchast]

did you test by the button and reset the outlet?

[zroadhouse]

Yup. But there's no power at all inside the panel. I tested the cable and think it's okay. So I think perhaps I have a bad receptacle

[MtnDon]

Hard to recommend when we can't see just what you have. My suggestion is to start where the power enters the trailer and carefully test for voltage from there inwards every point one thing connects to another. A multimeter is good. There are little pointer devices that "find" power on the hot wires that are useful too..
http://www.lowes.com/pd_464286-295-4011 ... 29720&Ntt=

These can make testing for voltage presence easy and safe. It only senses on the hot wire and only AC.

[zroadhouse]

I used a voltage detector and got zero readings on the tailer side of the 30 amp inlet -- even after unscrewing it and testing the wire bundle exiting the inlet. Nothing at the power panel. I guess my next step will be to remove all the circuits from the distribution panel to try and isolate the problem.

I'd like to use a multi-meter, but I'd need a really big extension to stretch from the outside of the trailer at the inlet to the panel in the interior. Hmmm.

[Dale M.]

used a voltage detector and got zero readings on the tailer side of the 30 amp inlet -- even after unscrewing it and testing the wire bundle exiting the inlet. Nothing at the power panel. I guess my next step will be to remove all the circuits from the distribution panel to try and isolate the problem.

I'd like to use a multi-meter, but I'd need a really big extension to stretch from the outside of the trailer at the inlet to the panel in the interior. Hmmm.

Um this tells me the problem is at the inlet not the panel, why are contemplating going into panel.... Unless inlet (receptacle ) is part of panel.... OR do you really have it at inlet but not at distribution panel...

Dale

[H.A.]

I suspect its at the inlet also. But hard to say without better description.
But could be your extension cord. (Of course you verified your outlet live on the building you plugged into...)
Was your extensioncord a premade moulded plastic ends ?
I have seen those internally defective where thet wont make contact to pins on the plug (or inlet in your situation)
A non contact tester will 'see' it as live, but internally makse no connection to its mating connector.

[zroadhouse]

I will test the cable with a multimeter to look for connectivity. Then I can test the inlet with an long wire in a similar way. The inlet has a wire bundle coming off of it through the forward wall on the trailer to the panel.

[zroadhouse]

Inlet it was! One of the wires wasn't connected to the terminals.

[zroadhouse]

Turns out whoever assembled the inlet didn't hook the wire ends around the terminal screws. So it might have been ok at the factory but shook loose as I've used the trailer.

[zroadhouse]

That's not the end of the story though. I reassembled the inlet and plugged everything in to an exterior GFCI outlet on my house - and the outlet immediately resets. I disconnect everything from the panel. Still resets. So I have a short somewhere in between the inlet and the panel. Sigh. Time for a beer!

PS - the factory used 12 gauge solid wire to feed the 30amp breaker. I believe that should have been 10 gauge. So maybe I'll end up reinstalling the inlet again with thicker wire.

PPS. There appears to be a 10 gauge naked coper wire entering the panel. Did the factor choose to ground the panel to the frame??

[H.A.]

[zroadhouse]

So the white and green wires are touching - or black and white are reversed?

I'm going to pull it apart again and reinstall the inlet with fresh 10 gauge wiring to the panel. That would let me double check the wiring/operation after each change.

I've read the debates back and forth about whether or not to ground to the frame - my question there is - what kind of grounding is that really if there is a good insulator (tires) between the frame and the earth? Also, what if my DC power (the hitch wiring - which includes a battery) is also connected to the frame? I'm not super sure what will happen if the AC grounding path goes hot some how.

[zroadhouse]

HA - I'm reading your response on a separate thread. Very helpful.

[Dale M.]

Grounding power panel and power inlet "safety ground" to chassis & metal skin is common.... Some people fear it is a problem and argue against it but they are wrong.... As some people do not understand it is a safety issue for their protection... The reason for grounding frame/skin being if you are standing on wet earth and some fault in electrical system causes the skin to be HOT" (and thoroughly insulated from earth) it should protect you from getting shocked if GFCI fails to trip (wired incorrectly of defective) if GFCI works properly you may get a instantaneous bite but not lethal and if GFCI trips or is tripped it is a indicator you have electrical issues in trailer that needs your attention...

If GFCI pops when you plug into it it means you have a wiring fault some where in "device" (trailer) that you are plugging into protected receptacle... Do quick search on GFCI outlet/concept and you will begin to understand why it trips and where to search for problem.... Generally it will be a irregular path between AC hot wire and neutral... Grounding chassis and receptacle (power inlet) to extension cord safety ground should not be issue, but it may also be indicator there something else is at fault in (device) trailer...

Procedure may be to disconnect (open breaker) each one of the branch circuits in trailer (one at a time) till you can plug into GFCI receptacle and the GFCI unit does not trip then you can investigate the last branch circuit you disconnected (that tripped GFCI) to locate fault....

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hb ... c/gfi.html

Also a tool to learn to use and trust is a receptacle tester with GFCI test button, always test receptacle in camp ground before plugging in umbilical to trailer....

http://www.ttbservices.com/tools/gfci-c ... tester.jpg

Dale