ATF: Cyclone - Repeated Blown Appliances

[dave10a]

As well as a good surge suppressor there are various testers available and one can even built their own which I have done. But there is one problem with these testers. If neutral bonding is slightly loose inside or outside to where only a high load current will cause a high unbalance voltage those testers will test OK when there is no or little load. To minimize that problem I also installed a volt meter inside the trailer next to my stove to monitor the voltage under various power loads. Also I have an auto-former for RV parks that have low voltage which is usually the case for 30 amp hook ups.
I have found too many loose connections for both the ac and dc circuits in my trailer-- So be ware. One can use a portable infrared heat detector to find heated joints and connections if they want to find the loose connections. That is the best way.

 

[olcoon]

On our 2011 Elk Ridge I was having problems with the power going on & off. The microwave will ding when the power comes on & there were times when it almost sounded like a telephone ringing. The first time, I took it to the dealer (still under warranty) & they said the connection where the power cord hooks into the coach was loose. They took it apart & tightened all the wires. Did it again on our first long trip to FL. Called Heartland to find a dealer near us, & again they tightened the fittings. In the process it fried the TV, which was replaced under warranty. Haven't had the issue since.

 

[wiredawgchief]

Fellow Heartland RVers, I'm happy to report Heartland responded to my claim and they will send me a check for my wiring issue. I'm a happy camper. Tammy, get the tester I mentioned and order/purchase a plug in voltmeter. Camping World has them http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/ac-voltage-meter/29375. Between my 50amp surge suppressor/power mgr and plug in volt meter, I've not lost a single appliance or electronic equipment. I full timed for over 7 years. I also install protected power strips for my TVs and cable TV. PM me or feel free to ask questions here...there are a lot of folks who understand electricity, electrical protection and RVs. Good luck, Ron

 

[tammyinwv]

I dont know if this is normal or not, as our holiday rambler, you had to plug in the power cord to the camper and then TURN it. This 2013 Cyclone 3110 does not turn, just plugs straight in. Could that be the problem? we purchased and tested with a volt meter, a plug in check thing that says it tests for open neutral, and so far everything checks OK. I wonder if this is something coming and going, so if you arent testing at the right time you wont find it.

By the way, Congrats Ron, glad you got the to take care of things.
Tammy

 

[JohnDar]

I dont know if this is normal or not, as our holiday rambler, you had to plug in the power cord to the camper and then TURN it. This 2013 Cyclone 3110 does not turn, just plugs straight in. Could that be the problem? we purchased and tested with a volt meter, a plug in check thing that says it tests for open neutral, and so far everything checks OK. I wonder if this is something coming and going, so if you arent testing at the right time you wont find it.

By the way, Congrats Ron, glad you got the to take care of things.
Tammy

Unless they've come up with something new, the Marinco 50A male plugs (even 20A and 30A ones) require that you twist the plug slightly to lock it after pushing it in. Otherwise, it may not stay in position properly and you could lose contact.

 

[wdk450]

I dont know if this is normal or not, as our holiday rambler, you had to plug in the power cord to the camper and then TURN it. This 2013 Cyclone 3110 does not turn, just plugs straight in. Could that be the problem? we purchased and tested with a volt meter, a plug in check thing that says it tests for open neutral, and so far everything checks OK. I wonder if this is something coming and going, so if you arent testing at the right time you wont find it.

By the way, Congrats Ron, glad you got the to take care of things.


Tammy

THIS could be the source of the suspected open neutral. The way the Marinco (and most all twist lock connectors ) are constructed, the male terminals barely touch the female prongs when just straight plugged in, but burnish and mate with a much larger contact area of the female prongs when the twisting action is completed. This plug/socket needs to be inspected.

 

[tammyinwv]

Well I misunderstood what he was saying, again. He said it didnt work like the holiday rambler, and i assumed he meant it didnt lock, but when I was telling him about the responses here, he quickly corrected me. He said it DOES lock, but extremely HARD. He said he had to shove it in really hard and twist the cord and the big thing to get it to lock in. It worked much harder than the other trailer. Thats why I hate relaying messages from him.
tammy

 

[tammyinwv]

The tech from a local RV repair came to the campground to check our camper. The only thing he found was loose wiring in a junction box under the slide. A ground wire, and another wire was completely loose. he fixed this, but said he didnt think this was the problem. He said it could have, but he didnt think so. So since everything checked out where its plugged in, the power cord checks out, and nothing showed up anywhere else. he also said he was certain in had to be something inside the unit. Which should be a warranty issue.which also seems may have caused the same blown appliances as the beach. So now we wait to hear back from heartland.

 

[tammyinwv]

I just heard from Anthony at heartland. He said since the tech did not find anything, also did not find anything wrong on our part, nor a power surge from the pedestal, that Heartland is NOT going to cover the loss of my appliances the SECOND time. And even tho the service center said they could not find the problem in the short time we were in the campground, but that they knew there was a problem somewhere INSIDE the unit, since it was the same appliances, even after a surge protector and an energy management system were installed before the last one. The owner of the repair center that checked it out, said it was too coincidental the same appliances were effected, and that it occured the first time the unit is plugged up since leaving the previous repair center, that he said he "knew it would happen again", because he found nothing other than the loose wires under the slide out that he repaired. he felt it needed to be taken into his or another center for further investigation.

So even tho we are not at fault, there was no power surge at pedestal, we would NOT get reimbursed for lost appliances, and they would not cover any further work to investigate what is shorting things out, EVEN tho, we smelled something burning inside the camper when we plugged in, and EVEN tho we have children that sleep in this camper.
Tammy

PS, just spoke with Ricky of Rickys RV (tech) again, he said he had gotten a return call from Anthony (Heartland) and said he tried to explain that to find the issue, he or someone else would need to take the unit in and possibly open up some walls. But he still feels there is an issue INSIDE the camper and he told Anthony the same. So I am off to make a few calls.
So much for Heartland standing behind their product. I soooo wish i still had my Holiday Rambler Presidential !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[TravelTiger]

Tammy, I understand your concern and frustration. But until the exact problem is located, it is hard for the manufacturer to take responsibility. To me, if the tech could not find a problem and "knew it would happen again", that is an even bigger injustice. He should not have given the unit back to you and let you use it, letting you assume it was "fixed".

We have had some (non-electrical) issues with our coach, but until we had proof there was in fact a defect, we could not expect a commitment from HL to repair it.

I hope you are able to find the exact problem soon.

Erika

 

[kowAlski631]

Please forgive me if you've answered this question, but in scrolling through the postings I didn't see the answer. Did you ever have the new appliances working after their replacement? It just seems odd to me that the exact same ones went south.

Martha

 

[tammyinwv]

Tammy, I understand your concern and frustration. But until the exact problem is located, it is hard for the manufacturer to take responsibility. To me, if the tech could not find a problem and "knew it would happen again", that is an even bigger injustice. He should not have given the unit back to you and let you use it, letting you assume it was "fixed".

We have had some (non-electrical) issues with our coach, but until we had proof there was in fact a defect, we could not expect a commitment from HL to repair it.

I hope you are able to find the exact problem soon.

Erika

we were at a campground and he came to our site.he said it should be taken into a shop for adequate investigation, and we were leaving in a couple of days to go home. he told Heartland this, hoping they would authorize further investigation Which they refused

 

[tammyinwv]

Please forgive me if you've answered this question, but in scrolling through the postings I didn't see the answer. Did you ever have the new appliances working after their replacement? It just seems odd to me that the exact same ones went south.

Martha

We never checked the appliances. we didnt have time since Holman rv had it a month and we were leaving a day later. But we checked serial numbers and the items had been replaced.and holman swears they were and were working. I dont think they were lying.

 

[kowAlski631]

Ok. Not saying they'd lie, just closing that circle. A really weird problem for sure.

Martha

 

[danemayer]

Tammy, I saw your answer that your husband checked the circuit breakers. But did anyone ever look at the BACK side of the circuit breaker panel for loose or burned wires?

 

[tammyinwv]

The tech was there for about 3 hrs. he opened the back of the breaker box and checked the wires there. He jerked around on the wires some. He crawled inside the compartment to check wiring near the central vac. He also plugged in a meter into the microwave outlet (one appliance that was blown) and checked things from there. flipping breakers while watching his meter. He correctly re-wire in the loose wires under the kitchen slide-out. The ground wire just fell out when he opened the junction box. I am afraid to buy new appliances, because the way Anthony at Heartland is acting, when they blow again, they are still going to say it's not their fault. and what happens when that burning smell I noticed the last time continues to a flame and its at night with children and other family members asleep? Its turning into a $53,000 DEATH TRAP. I have an appointment to ask questions next week.

 

[danemayer]

Tammy,

I'ver re-read all your posts in both threads. If I'm following correctly, something failed in Myrtle Beach and you lost power. Switched to the generator but several 110V appliances would not operate. Those appliances were replaced along with the transfer switch and for a different problem the generator. You've since added an Electrical Management System inline after the transfer switch, and a surge protector at the pedestal. A technician found a disconnected ground wire in a junction box (btw, one might wonder if it was actually a ground wire or perhaps the neutral wire). The circuit breakers have been checked, front and back. The voltage at the outlets has been measured.

The 3 replaced appliances were never tested by you for correct operation, and do not operate at this time.

You hear a crackling noise near the bedroom A/C. You smell something that might be from malfunctioning electrical components.

I would suggest you divide the problem into several parts. Ignore for the moment the question of who's going to pay to correct the problem. You can come back to that after finding out what's wrong. Don't replace appliances for the moment, until you find out what's wrong.

Find the cause of the smell and of the crackling noise. These symptoms sound like they could be caused by damaged or intermittently shorted wiring in a junction box or outlet. Wire routing into slideouts needs to be examined to make sure nothing's getting pinched with slides open and with slides closed. If you have an electric bedroom slide, the connections under the bed need to be checked. Outlets used by each of the failed appliances need to be removed from the wall and inspected for damage or wiring problems. The wiring coming into and out of the transfer switch and the relays need to be re-inspected along with the wiring in and out of the EMS to the circuit breaker box. The wiring where the power cord plugs into the trailer also needs to be inspected.

You might consider hiring a certified electrician rather than an RV tech.

Once you find the cause(s) of the problem, you'll be in a much better position to discuss with the Dealer and with Heartland who should pay for what.

 

[tammyinwv]

Tammy,

I'ver re-read all your posts in both threads. If I'm following correctly, something failed in Myrtle Beach and you lost power. Switched to the generator but several 110V appliances would not operate.

We did not switch to generator. campground will not allow.

Those appliances were replaced along with the transfer switch and for a different problem the generator. You've since added an Electrical Management System inline after the transfer switch, and a surge protector at the pedestal. A technician found a disconnected ground wire in a junction box (btw, one might wonder if it was actually a ground wire or perhaps the neutral wire).

You could be right, I am not an electrician.

The circuit breakers have been checked, front and back. The voltage at the outlets has been measured.

The 3 replaced appliances were never tested by you for correct operation, and do not operate at this time.

You hear a crackling noise near the bedroom A/C. You smell something that might be from malfunctioning electrical components.

The smell was only at the time the appliances burnt up.

I would suggest you divide the problem into several parts. Ignore for the moment the question of who's going to pay to correct the problem. You can come back to that after finding out what's wrong. Don't replace appliances for the moment, until you find out what's wrong.

Find the cause of the smell and of the crackling noise. These symptoms sound like they could be caused by damaged or intermittently shorted wiring in a junction box or outlet. Wire routing into slideouts needs to be examined to make sure nothing's getting pinched with slides open and with slides closed. If you have an electric bedroom slide, the connections under the bed need to be checked. Outlets used by each of the failed appliances need to be removed from the wall and inspected for damage or wiring problems. The wiring coming into and out of the transfer switch and the relays need to be re-inspected along with the wiring in and out of the EMS to the circuit breaker box. The wiring where the power cord plugs into the trailer also needs to be inspected.

You might consider hiring a certified electrician rather than an RV tech.

Once you find the cause(s) of the problem, you'll be in a much better position to discuss with the Dealer and with Heartland who should pay for what.

The tech is the owner of the rv repair. He did not remove affected outlets, but he and my husband both plugged a meter into each to check and found nothing at the time. The tech also went into the compartment and checked the wiring at the EMS etc. and everything he could get to from that end. We closed the slides, and re-opened them with a clock plugged into the microwave outlet and nothing happened. The tech took the plug end off the cord that plugs into the camper and found nothing. The bedroom slideout is actually a vanity. I dont see why after paying $53,000 plus for the camper, paying for the service call, ruining a second vacation, that we should have to go to the expense of an electrician to diagnose a problem that is proven to be INSIDE the camper and therefore a manufactures defect. It was only a few months old when problems began.

By the way, no slight meant to any posters, but I thought this was "ask the factory"? So where are their responses too?

 

[kowAlski631]

Hi, Tammy. What we'd do is get an electrician in so that we could present conclusive information to HeartLand. What you do is up to you, though.

Hope all works out for you.

Martha

 

[danemayer]

Tammy, I suggested you get a certified electrician so you can have confidence in the qualifications of the person investigating the problem. RV techs undoubtedly have some electrical training, but don't have the same level of experience with electrical issues as would a certified electrician.