Just as I'm about to sell

[gordo]

Just as I'm getting ready to sell, I managed to pull the cord from the back of trailer.
It did not come completely out, but it did break the plastic housing at the back of trailer.
I have replaced the housing, and all looks good. The problem now, I have power to the theater chairs and ceiling fan, but not to the microwave, 110 outlets or TV.

Any ideas? jeez, buyer on the way ....

[Foldbak]

Can you be more specific? "pulled cord"? are you referring to the shore power cable? If so did you pull the female receptacle from the trailer and replace it? It sounds like you only have 1 leg of the 50 amp working. If so you most likely didn't get a good connection when replacing the receptacle or you popped a circuit breaker. Check your breakers.

[mlh]

Do the easiest thing first. Check your 120 breaker box to see if you have power to both sides of it. If not go back and check to see if you have power to both sides of the power cord. I suspect one side isn’t hooked up. Like above.
Lynwood

[gordo]

Originally Posted by mlh

Do the easiest thing first. Check your 120 breaker box to see if you have power to both sides of it. If not go back and check to see if you have power to both sides of the power cord. I suspect one side isn’t hooked up. Like above.
Lynwood

Thank You for the good advise.
Yes I pulled about 3 feet on the cord from the trailer. Broke the plastic cover in the process.
Sooo, I replaced the plastic cover. The cord and the female side looked good. there still "felt like there was slack" in the remaining cord in the trailer.

FUBARED the cord coming from the house.

So, I know it is official, I'm a dipsquirt. I'll try your suggestions in the morning when it is good and cold. My penance..
I'll let you know
GT

[Daryles]

Are they all on the same side in your circuit breaker panel?
Maybe you are missing a 120vac 50A leg?

[gordo]

Originally Posted by Daryles

Are they all on the same side in your circuit breaker panel?
Maybe you are missing a 120vac 50A leg?

Not sure what that is, but going to reset all breakers tomorrow,,,,,THANKS

[Lee-CI]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Daryles
Are they all on the same side in your circuit breaker panel?
Maybe you are missing a 120vac 50A leg?

"Not sure what that is, but going to reset all breakers tomorrow,,,,,THANKS"


50 Amp service has two hot legs of 120 vac each. One leg from your power cord will feed one side of your service breaker box, the other leg from your power cord will feed the other side of your breaker box. If there isn't continuity from both hot legs of your power cord to your breaker box, you will only have AC power to half of you 120v outlets.

[DutchmenSport]

I'm not understanding how you did this. Were you hitched up and moved the trailer while it was still attached to shore power? And when you moved forward it pulled the cord, causing the plastic ring and such on the trailer to break? So you replaced the male connection at the tailer. Is this right? And in so doing, did any of the wire from inside the camper pull out too? Or did just the connection (male) plug on the camper get broken?

Reason I'm asking is because, if the inside wire got pulled, it's possible it came disconnected or even broken inside the trailer floor or walls? I'm not sure what you meant by pulling 3 feet. If 3 feet pulled from inside the wall, then you have a broken wire somewhere in either the walls or the floor of your camper, or at the first junction.

So, I'm just trying to understand what you are describing here.

[Daryles]

Originally Posted by gordo

Not sure what that is, but going to reset all breakers tomorrow,,,,,THANKS

Maybe this will help.

[BB_TX]

Originally Posted by gordo

Not sure what that is, but going to reset all breakers tomorrow,,,,,THANKS

This is where you need to do troubleshooting with a voltmeter. If you are comfortable troubleshooting live 120/240 vac power, then use a voltmeter to measure across the two load side terminals of the main 50 amp circuit breaker. It should show 240 vac. If it shows 240 vac, then your hots are good. If it doesn't show 240 vac then you are missing at least one hot.

If it doesn't show 240 vac, then put one meter lead on one of the 50 amp breaker load side terminals and the other meter lead on the neutral buss bar. It should read 120 vac. If it doesn't show 120 vac, then that side is missing its hot connection.

If it does show 120 vac, then move the meter lead to the other terminal on that breaker. If it doesn't show 120 vac, then that side is missing its hot connection.

This will show for sure that you are, or are not, missing one hot leg to your main breaker.

I don't know the routing of the wiring from the rear connector to the circuit breaker panel, but pulling 3 feet of wire out the back, it is possible you pulled one of the wires out of the main breaker panel.

If you are not comfortable troubleshooting live ac voltage, then by all means call a mobile RV repairman. Be safe!

[gordo]

Originally Posted by DutchmenSport

I'm not understanding how you did this. Were you hitched up and moved the trailer while it was still attached to shore power? And when you moved forward it pulled the cord, causing the plastic ring and such on the trailer to break? So you replaced the male connection at the tailer. Is this right? And in so doing, did any of the wire from inside the camper pull out too? Or did just the connection (male) plug on the camper get broken?

Reason I'm asking is because, if the inside wire got pulled, it's possible it came disconnected or even broken inside the trailer floor or walls? I'm not sure what you meant by pulling 3 feet. If 3 feet pulled from inside the wall, then you have a broken wire somewhere in either the walls or the floor of your camper, or at the first junction.

So, I'm just trying to understand what you are describing here.

I'm sorry, my descriptions are kind of vague. Don't mean to be. I had the coach connected to a 30 amp extension cord to the house.

I pulled out, while still connected to the shore power. When the extension cord popped off, it pulled on the coach plug, breaking the plastic cover at the rear of the trailer where the shore power plugs into.
There was no damage to the coach plug, other than the plastic cover piece.

It did however pull some of the internal 50 amp cable out the back.
I replaced the plastic cover piece, and plugged into the shore power. I have power to half the trailer, chairs, ceiling fan, but not to the TVs, vac, plugs.

I hope this better explains things. The buyer knows about this, and I did discount the price a tic, provided I can't figure it out. I just don't like selling things that are not right.

[gordo]

Originally Posted by BB_TX

This is where you need to do troubleshooting with a voltmeter. If you are comfortable troubleshooting live 120/240 vac power, then use a voltmeter to measure across the two load side terminals of the main 50 amp circuit breaker. It should show 240 vac. If it shows 240 vac, then your hots are good. If it doesn't show 240 vac then you are missing at least one hot.

If it doesn't show 240 vac, then put one meter lead on one of the 50 amp breaker load side terminals and the other meter lead on the neutral buss bar. It should read 120 vac. If it doesn't show 120 vac, then that side is missing its hot connection.

If it does show 120 vac, then move the meter lead to the other terminal on that breaker. If it doesn't show 120 vac, then that side is missing its hot connection.

This will show for sure that you are, or are not, missing one hot leg to your main breaker.

I don't know the routing of the wiring from the rear connector to the circuit breaker panel, but pulling 3 feet of wire out the back, it is possible you pulled one of the wires out of the main breaker panel.

If you are not comfortable troubleshooting live ac voltage, then by all means call a mobile RV repairman. Be safe!

YYEEEAAAHH, not shore I'm comfortable with that. Hell, I'm not smart enough to remember to unplug the trailer when pulling out.
I figured I may have pulled a wire loose.
New buyer knows of the issue, and was willing to take if I knock a tic off the price. I may just go that route.

[DutchmenSport]

Thanks for further explaining. If the wire actually pulled out, it's possible then it is broken inside the wall or under the floor, however it runs. When it pulled out, one wire (one leg) stayed connected, the other wire (leg) came apart. Either the second one broke or where it connects it could have pulled apart.

The only way to know where it is, is to track the wire down to the first place it's connected and see if it broke or came apart at that junction. It's quite obvious, half of your electricity is dead. It was working perfectly fine before the accident happened. Nothing has changed with the converter/ breaker panel, Everything changed with the pulled wire. It's broken somewhere inside the wall.

[BB_TX]

Curious about 30 amp extension cord.
Were you using a 50 to 30 adapter to a 30 amp cord to your shore power? It’s possible the damage is in the adapter. A 50 to 30 adapter jumpers the two hot pins internally to get the one 30 amp hot pin to both of the two 50 amp hot pins. Possible it damaged the jumper in the adapter. That would be the easiest fix. Just repair the adapter or get a new one.

[gordo]

Originally Posted by DutchmenSport

Thanks for further explaining. If the wire actually pulled out, it's possible then it is broken inside the wall or under the floor, however it runs. When it pulled out, one wire (one leg) stayed connected, the other wire (leg) came apart. Either the second one broke or where it connects it could have pulled apart.

The only way to know where it is, is to track the wire down to the first place it's connected and see if it broke or came apart at that junction. It's quite obvious, half of your electricity is dead. It was working perfectly fine before the accident happened. Nothing has changed with the converter/ breaker panel, Everything changed with the pulled wire. It's broken somewhere inside the wall.

Ok, do I pull the breaker box to see if it is disconnected there? Venturing into the scary stuff.

[gordo]

Originally Posted by BB_TX

Curious about 30 amp extension cord.
Were you using a 50 to 30 adapter to a 30 amp cord to your shore power? It’s possible the damage is in the adapter. A 50 to 30 adapter jumpers the two hot pins internally to get the one 30 amp hot pin to both of the two 50 amp hot pins. Possible it damaged the jumper in the adapter. That would be the easiest fix. Just repair the adapter or get a new one.

I'll look now. Not sure how I could tell, but I'll look...

THANKS

[DutchmenSport]

No idea where the wire runs that's connected to the plug on the end. It could run directly to the breaker box, or it might hit a junction box first.

BB_TX has a good idea too and truly the most logical probable cause! It's possible the adapter or the actual plug itself used for the connection between your shore power source and the plug-in at the trailer could be damaged.

That is definitely the first place to start! I missed it that you were using 30-50 amp adapters. Yes, they could be damaged. That actually makes the most sense.

[BB_TX]

Originally Posted by gordo

I'll look now. Not sure how I could tell, but I'll look...

THANKS

Again, you would need a meter. With the adapter completely unplugged, set the meter to read resistance. Then check for continuity between the two hot pins on the 50 amp side of the adapter. It should read zero ohms between the two pins. If not zero ohms, then there is your problem.

[gordo]

Y'all have been great.

Talked to the buyer, he said, "send it"

So the Monty is gone, waiting for a couple details to finish new rig before I get it.

Leaving the MONTANA world, but I may just stick around this site, as I have learned a ton. Only got in trouble once!

Thanks again to all..Stay safe,
Gordo

[bigred715]

I had a similar problem when I pulled forward with the cord still hooked up. Broke the female connection. Replace that part and didn't get the wire connections tight. Melted the 30 amp connection twice. Took it apart and found one leg was loose and retightened the set screw and have not had that connection get hot and melt the 30 amp lead to the pig tail to the trailer. Seems to be the problem.