2011 305RW shore power issue.

[Jjanes64]

We recently purchased a 2011 305RW and have used it several times on a 30 amp shore power plug at our property. Last week we took a trip from Michigan to Texas, and then over to Arizona to see friends and family. When we arrived in Texas, we plugged into a 50 amp service at my cousins house. I did what I normally do and shut off the main breakers and shut the generator down, before flipping the mains back on and starting the A/C and other appliances. Almost immediately, the generator (on the onan) breakers tripped and we had no 110 in the trailer at all. After resetting both of the breakers, all was well and all systems worked fine. When we got to Arizona, we plugged into a 30 amp service (from a house panel) with our brand new 50-30 adapter and I proceeded to switch over from the generator to shore power procedures as I normally do. This is where things got a bit weird.

everything came on and ran just fine but it was about 115 F out so we went in the house to cool down. About 20 minutes later we went outside to get some stuff out of the fridge and noticed the A/C wasn’t running. A quick check of the breakers showed that nothing was tripped to include the 30 amp service breaker on the house panel. I pulled the shore power plug and started the generator. The A/C and fans we had plugged into various outlets came on, but I didn’t notice the microwave giving its signature power up beep. Looked over and it was off.
Grabbing the trusty multimeter I checked for voltage from the box, all the way to the transfer switch which seemto be fried. The generator side clicks over after some time and the green led lights up. However the shore power side contacts will not push down at all.
it is a Pd52 switch which I have read is a fairly common issue and that I should upgrade which I will be doing. However I am a bit stumped in the realm of the fact that while the A/C and GFCI outlets are working just fine, both the microwave, (later we found out when it was time to go) central vac system are inoperative as well as it seems that the converter has stopped charging the battery.
Anyone have any advice on other breakers or fusible links that are hidden behind some panels that I can’t seem to find the location to on the internet? I will be pulling the microwave this afternoon and checking for power at the outlet to see if maybe it is fried along with the central vac system.

I also checked for the small grey manual reset breakers in the battery compartment to see if those were popped but noticed that although there is a bank of small grey terminals on the wall behind the battery, I can’t seem to find the small black push outs on them to push back in like there is in the pictures I’ve found.
Any help would be appreciated, as my wife (who took some talking to get her ok with the purchase) is getting ready to take pictures for a for sale ad haha)

 

[danemayer]

There are 2 hot wires coming out of the transfer switch and going to the main circuit breaker panel. Half the breakers are powered by one and the other half by the second hot wire. Sounds like the transfer switch is passing power to only one leg. If this isn't clear, you can get a better understanding from our owner-written Electrical User Guide in this folder.

 

[Jjanes64]

There are 2 hot wires coming out of the transfer switch and going to the main circuit breaker panel. Half the breakers are powered by one and the other half by the second hot wire. Sounds like the transfer switch is passing power to only one leg. If this isn't clear, you can get a better understanding from our owner-written Electrical User Guide in this folder.

I will get the multimeter out and double check the in and out with the generator going tonight. I am fairly certain that both leads exiting the box (after the switch) had 120 volts however like I said, it was 115 out so I may be recalling wrong hah

thanks for the reply!

 

[danemayer]

Something else to check - it's unfortunately pretty common for electricians to wire an RV TT-30R receptacle as if you were going to plug in a dryer. That is, 240V rather than 120V. That could fry your power converter, microwave, and more.

 

[Jjanes64]

Something else to check - it's unfortunately pretty common for electricians to wire an RV TT-30R receptacle as if you were going to plug in a dryer. That is, 240V rather than 120V. That could fry your power converter, microwave, and more.

When I checked the shore power coming in from the plug we were using, it was wired with 120v to each pin at the transfer switch just like I read it was supposed to be somewhere else on this forum. I am no electrician by any stretch of the imagination, but I’ll have some time tonight to dig a little deeper now that we are home and I’m able to work outside when its a little more comfortable. I appreciate the ideas!

 

[hoefler]

The 50 Amp plug you used in Texas, did you use an adapter to plug into it? I would suspect that is where it all started

 

[Jjanes64]

The 50 Amp plug you used in Texas, did you use an adapter to plug into it? I would suspect that is where it all started

I did not

A little update,

I am a little sad to report that after a couple of hours with a screw gun and a multimeter, it would seem as if we have fried a bunch of things and that is the reason they are not working. The transfer switch on generator is showing 120 on each leg. So I ran around checking things and pulling panels for most of the night yesterday and can confirm both the microwave, and central vacuum are toast. I haven’t gotten a chance to pull the power center to access the converter, but I am assuming it is fried as well as we are not getting anything kicked over to the battery. Yet there is power coming off of the breaker at the power center (which still seems to be alright). So it looks like we are gonna be in for a microwave, eureka central vac, converter, and transfer switch. Any recommendations on where to get these things or to order replacement low voltage brains for them?
Thanks

 

[danemayer]

Frying those devices is probably a consequence of either plugging into a mis-wired outlet, a lightning strike to the power lines, or a partial/complete loss of neutral. When a 50 amp system is plugged into a 50 amp outlet, if the neutral connection is compromised, voltage on one power leg can increase from 120V to 180V or even higher depending on how your loads are arranged. Problems with the neutral wire connection can be anywhere from the campground pedestal, to your main breaker panel, and everywhere in between. The pedestal and your transfer switch are the more likely candidates.

SO, before replacing damaged appliances, make sure you don't still have a problem.

If you can't repair/find someone to repair the microwave, measure it to ensure it's a standard size. Standard sized replacements are easy to find. Be aware that the exhaust location on the back is not standard and you may have to make accommodations so the new unit's exhaust goes outside. The Power Converter, if a separate unit, is probably a Progressive Dynamics 9200 series. You'll have to look at yours to find which size (i.e. 9260, 9280...). Progressive may offer a discounted repair. You can buy a replacement on Amazon, or probably any RV parts seller or dealer. Replacing or repairing the Eureka central vac may prove more difficult.

You might check with your insurer to see if lightning damage is covered. Also, if you don't have a full function Electrical Management System, you should get one to protect you in the future. Many of us have EMS units from Progressive Industries. They protect against power surges, lightning, high voltage, low voltage, open neutral (pedestal) and more.