110 volt electrical problem

[Bruchex]

I have a Heritage Glen 312 QBUD travel trailer. I was at a camp ground. Woke up the next day to find that nothing worked in camper other than battery power.Checked GFI but was not tripped.I then tested outlets, which showed they were hot but they were not working. A tech told me campgrounds suffer from low voltage and that this will glaze the breakers over.A tester will show 110 volt but will show low amp which he said is not useful current.I replaced all the breakers but still have same problem.Outlets show hot but nothing works in them.What are the chances that a new breaker is bad.

 

[donn]

Never hear of that. I have heard of contacts burnt. Personally I would start at your plug checking continuity.

 

[Bruchex]

Thanks.I thought new breakers would take care of it.I've never had this happen before.An outlet won't power a small light but it shows as hot.

 

[1dino17]

I have a Heritage Glen 312 QBUD travel trailer. I was at a camp ground. Woke up the next day to find that nothing worked in camper other than battery power.Checked GFI but was not tripped.I then tested outlets, which showed they were hot but they were not working. A tech told me campgrounds suffer from low voltage and that this will glaze the breakers over.A tester will show 110 volt but will show low amp which he said is not useful current.I replaced all the breakers but still have same problem.Outlets show hot but nothing works in them.What are the chances that a new breaker is bad.

Check campground polarity

 

[JayArr]

What are you using as a "tester", can you tell us the make/model and/or post a picture of it?

 

[John From Detroit]

I have had that happen on the 12 volt side of life and understand how it can happen on the 120 volt side.

The 12 volt was a bad wire believe it or not. Mid run the wire was bad, cut, spliced and it lasted "Forever" (Marine grade splice)

First thing I'd check is a screw loose.... Many RVers have a few loose screws. The ones in the electrical distribution panel (Breaker box) chief among them. UNPLUG before using a flashlight to tighten all screws..
Other candidatrs
Plug (if not welded) Outlet/inlet (if detachable power cord) ATS if so equipped and in fact any screw that holds a wire

On the park side.. Breakers outlets and distribution panels all suspect.

 

[donn]

Also start pulling the outlets and check wiring. The cheezy outlets RV builders use a push on wiring connection. Thise things have a tendency to loosten up after a while. I cant count how many I have replaced over the years with real screw connectors.

 

[Henry J Fate]

Could be a bad or open neutral. When a neutral main becomes non-functional, you could still see good voltage with a meter but not have functional electricity.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Please explain what "shows as hot" means, i.e. how you determined that. It's possible the voltage is too low to be functional for some sorts of devices, but it's more likely a neutral wire is disconnected or something like that. You really need to go back nearer the source and start checking along the path to see where power is no longer active.

And don't get any more electrical advice from that tech - he knows just enough to be dangerous.

 

[Bruchex]

Could be a bad or open neutral. When a neutral main becomes non-functional, you could still see good voltage with a meter but not have functional electricity.

Thanks,that was it. I pulled the 30 amp plug out and the neutral slipped right out without loosening the set screw.The neutral prong had slightly melted the plastic around it. Put a new plug in and everything works fine.Well ,at least till I got to the campground and put water in the holding tank.The tank support brackets broke,tank dropped about 6 inches.I was worried I wouldn't have anything to fix this week.I was wrong.

 

[John From Detroit]

I still remember one day at Twin Lakes COE park in SC.
Brand new (Sticke in the window) 50 amp 5-er in the site in front of me
Wife goes to vacuum "No Power"
Well we started working our way back (He is an electrical engineer, I'm an electronics technician with tools) and when we disconnected the shore cord outlet from the RV's inlet the cable fell out of the hosuing.. Of the six screws inside the housing (4 wire clamps and a pair for the cable clamp) not one had been tightened.

As I said the sticker was STILL in the window new.. First time out.

Somehow I'm torn between wanting to be a fly on the wall when the owner returned to the dealer and glad I was not there