I have a 2013 32 foot Prowler, 30 amp main breaker, 20 amp ac breaker. With our recent hot weather the ac has been running non stop. I have the thermostat set at 70 to 72 and nothing else in the trailer is running other than the fridge and a small fan. In the afternoon when the heat is strongest the ac breaker will pop and have to be reset. Yesterday it was so hot that the main breaker popped along with the ac breaker. Even when it hasn't been this hot the breaker will pop but not as often. I only turn on the water heater overnight when the ac is off. Yesterday I put a small fan on the floor to blow air on the breaker box to add some cooling which seemed to help. Last year we had the same problem and did a load test and amp draw on the ac unit and it was within spec. Not sure what else to look for. Anyone else having the same issue or any ideas as to what I should look for?
AC breaker pops after extended period
- Thread starter MikePro
- Start date
jerryjay11
Well-known member
You should be checking the running amperage of the AC unit to see if it is within normal operating perimeters. Using a fan to cool the circuit breaker is defeating the purpose of the breaker. If the AC is within normal operating amperage, then you can determine the breaker may be the problem. An AC unit running high on amperage could be something as simple as cleaning a dirty condenser coil. Even the AC fan motor could cause high amperage. Because your breaker is tripping as the heat of the day increases, I suspect it is more likely your AC unit is the cause, but without checking the amperage with an amp meter you are just guessing, and this could lead you to spend $$ on components unnecessarily.
wdk450
Well-known member
You need a clamp on AC ammeter that you snap AROUND a live conductor in a circuit with the load present.
Here is Harbor Freight Tools most inexpensive one: https://www.harborfreight.com/digital-clamp-meter-96308.html
I would go ahead and buy both the mains breaker and the AC branch breaker as they are probably worn from repeated trips (internal contacts arcs), and are good to have in your spare parts otherwise. Here is Home Depot's cheapest clamp on ammeter: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Southwi...ird-Hand-Test-Probe-Holder-65031640/325286139 and they should have the breakers, too.
Either take in the old breakers for samples, or take cellphone pictures of their markings.
On Edit: I had to replace the rooftop portion of my Dometic Penguin II a few years ago for pretty much the same things. Here is a link to and E-Bay search that is supposed to be organized by price low to high, but that seems messed up. Don't let the complete unit prices scare you too much until you find the listings for the rooftop (or top) units.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=dometic+penguin+ii&_sacat=0&_sop=15
Here is Harbor Freight Tools most inexpensive one: https://www.harborfreight.com/digital-clamp-meter-96308.html
I would go ahead and buy both the mains breaker and the AC branch breaker as they are probably worn from repeated trips (internal contacts arcs), and are good to have in your spare parts otherwise. Here is Home Depot's cheapest clamp on ammeter: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Southwi...ird-Hand-Test-Probe-Holder-65031640/325286139 and they should have the breakers, too.
Either take in the old breakers for samples, or take cellphone pictures of their markings.
On Edit: I had to replace the rooftop portion of my Dometic Penguin II a few years ago for pretty much the same things. Here is a link to and E-Bay search that is supposed to be organized by price low to high, but that seems messed up. Don't let the complete unit prices scare you too much until you find the listings for the rooftop (or top) units.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=dometic+penguin+ii&_sacat=0&_sop=15
Last edited:
thewanderingeight
Well-known member
I would agree with what others have said about the incoming voltage. I have a Hughes surge protector with Bluetooth that allows me to see the input voltage and amps being used. One campground in particular was terrible and would drop to a dangerous 90 volts. Once the voltage drops below 110, the a/c will draw more amps as the compressor struggles to get enough power to work properly. More amps will produce more heat and trip the breaker. This is the easiest place to start.
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Fought the same issue with a previous camper. Had it to the dealer dozens of times over the course of years, changing breakers, checking wiring, even replacing the unit. We did the same with running a fan, but we could never leave the camper as we had pets. I ended up finding the problem on my own. That camper had a dual shared breaker/single pole configuration. Factory had the a/c and main on the same pole (shared breaker). That's a lot of heat concentrated to one breaker. I moved the a/c to it's own unshared breaker in the box, left the main on it's own breaker, and used it for many more years without another incident. I feel your pain, it's frustrating. Hope this helps!
Thanks. I think mine is similar. My "main" and "a/c" are on a single breaker. I managed to get through the summer by replacing the breaker, installing a meter to monitor park voltage and show my amp draw. I also started running my hot water tank on the gas rather than electric. By doing this and keeping my amp draw below 30 amps I have not popped the breaker since. I am definitely going to have another look at my breakers and separate the "main" from the "a/c" for next summer.
