Electrical problems

[HAPPY.CAMPER.SHOPES]

Hello,
we have a big country 3500rl. We have a surge guard surge protector and a voltage regulator. So far we have lost a microwave, a tv, and now our frig. A fan over the bed. Voltage regulator is saying proper power is going to the unit. We love our unit. But we are getting frustrated. Is anybody else having problems? Can anybody give me suggestions. Do electrical problems like these usually continue or can they be resolved? With the protection we have running i now know the problems are inside the rv. Would it be wise to trade or can problems like this be found affordably?

Thanks
matt

 

[dave10a]

what is the mfg and model of the surge protector and regulator?

 

[hoefler]

Do you have 30 amp or 50 amp service??? If 30 amp, is your outlet wired 220 instead of 110??

 

[evolvingpowercat]

The problems you are having are not defects in your trailer it is a problem with the combination of shore power source and adapters you are using to get power to your 50 Amp Plug on the trailer shore cable. It sounds like you are getting L1 and or L2 to Neutral voltages of 240 instead of 120 AC.

STOP PLUGGING IN UNTIL YOU GET IT RESOLVED OR YOU MAY ALSO BE BUYING NEW AC AND OR NEW INVERTER !

Sounds like your protection may be surge only and not have over-voltage protection. The surge protection you had may have gone open it is not designed to protect against mis-wires just against transient spikes.

The kinds of failures you are having would seem to indicate much more than 120 volts is present on the service. . As other posters note it may be wired incorrectly and be delivering more than 120 volts perhaps as much as 240 volts.


Good luck.

 

[wdk450]

The best protection you can get is an Electrical Management System (EMS) like the Progressive Industries HW-50C. It has electrical surge transient protectors PLUS a microcomputer monitoring the power, controlling a big electrical relay that the incoming power goes through. When you first plug shore power in it analyzes the quality of the incoming power and will not energize the power relay if the incoming power is unsafe. It continually monitors the power ready to "pull the plug" in milliseconds. It displays error codes if there is a power problem, records these error codes if it is a transient problem, and will continually give you readouts of the present voltage and amperage usage. This is really helpful when you only have 30 amp RV park power.

Unfortunately, it is also the most expensive at about $310 on E-Bay. But compare that to the cost of new electronics equipment.

Read about it here: http://www.progressiveindustries.net/ems_hw50c.htm

 

[cookie]

In September of 2012 you posted that you had lost a bunch of electrical items because of a lack of electrical protection.
Are the ones you speak of today the same?
It's important to protect yourself before problems arise.

Peace
Dave

 

[porthole]

Along with Cookie's question, did you follow any of the suggestions from that thread?

You mention your "voltage regulator" displayed you have proper voltage. What is the brands and models of your protection system? If it is the Progressive Industries unit that was recommended in your previous thread, there is a memory feature which should display codes for any type of abnormality.

If one of the failures you listed above are new and not from 2012, and you have the Progressive unit either hardwired or the portable connected EVERY time you hook up, get the codes and give Progressive a call. They have excellent technical help.

Even with all the various issues in all the RV's built, Heartland or otherwise, I would bet a case of beer that your issue is a campground's power pedestal you have visited - or a storm that overwhelmed whatever the protection you have is.

 

[danemayer]

If the refrigerator failure is the new news, do you have a reason to believe it's failed due to an electrical problem?

 

[dave10a]

Again what is the model of the surge protection device and the make and model of the regulator. One needs to know that before we go any farther with this. Knowing that information makes it a lot easier to help you. Otherwise it is a lot of guessing......

 

[bdb2047]

You say you know the problems are on the load side of your surge protection and regulator (inside trailer). I am assuming you have a 50a service. I would look for a open neutral on load side of protection. This could cause high or low voltage and not show on regulator or surge protector.

 

[BigJim45]

Would be nice if this person would answer some of the questions that have been asked of him.

 

[mslater]

read your voltage at each of the outlets….you might just be having bad luck with some junk appliances