I am new, please help

[tobytime]

Hi, I need some help please. I just purchased a 2007 Micro Lite by Flagstaff 18fd and I can not figure out why it doesn't have power. I have plugged it in, at my house on a nice hd extension cord, like the veteran campers have told me but nothing. I saw it hooked up and running when I bought it so I know it works. Of course the experienced campers I asked don't have the same camper as me so theirs is a similar but different set up. The 3 breakers I saw when I took the converter cover off, that is under the fridge, were in the ON position. What am I missing? When I plug the cord into the camper, do I turn the plug to the right? If so how far should it go? Please help.

 

[donn]

Are you plugged into a 20A GFCI?  You probably tripped the GFCI.  If you have power there then look at the breakers inside the trailer.  Their likely off or tripped.

 

[SeilerBird]

Get a volt meter (>$20 at Walmart) Start by testing the voltage at the outlet you are plugged into. If it does not have power then find the GFI in the house that has tripped and reset it. If you have power there then go to the other end of the cord and test it. Still have no power then check the electrical panel and see if it is dead.

 

[tobytime]

I know that I am getting power from the extension cord to at least the adapter, a red light comes on in the clear blue adapter.  What is a GFI?

 

[SeilerBird]

https://www.networx.com/article/gfi-outlets

 

[tobytime]

Thanks for the replies by the  way.  I am not sure I have seen that type of plug at my house.

 

[SeilerBird]

You are welcome. Sometimes you have search for them. If you house was built in the last 50 years then it should have one. Look in the bathrooms, the laundry, the kitchen, the garage and the outside outlets.

 

[lynnmor]

Breaker in the house panel might be GFCI, so look there too.

Cycle any breakers in question by turning them off then on to reset them.

You can get a volt meter for $0.00 sometimes at Harbor Freight with a coupon and any purchase.  There is also a cheap detector there as well.  https://www.harborfreight.com/Non-Contact-Voltage-Tester-63919.html

 

[tobytime]

Thanks. I'll check that out.

 

[Isaac-1]

I think the NEC requirement for GFCI outdoor outlets began in about 1988, though there is often a 3-5 year lag between the year that the NEC adopts a requirement and it becoming law in some places.  As a general rule houses built before about 1980 will not have any GFCI outlets, houses built in the mid 1980's will only have them in bathrooms near the sink, houses in the 1990's will have them at all outdoor outlets, kitchen outlets and bathroom outlets.  For the last decade or so almost all residential outlets will be of the GFCI type with very few exclusions (attics, perhaps), this may be either a GFCI outlet, or connected to a GFCI breaker in the breaker panel.

 

[Ccoe1]

Check the connection where the black cord comes into the camper.  I had this same problem, one of the connections corroded and eventually came apart.  I had to take an inspection panel off under the camper to see it.

 

[SeilerBird]

I was in California in the 70s when I started work as an electrician and we were installing GFIs in every house. Baths and kitchens and outside. Garage came in the 80s.

 

[Otisthecamper]

Maybe you blew a fuse.  Check your fuses in the camper.  The first time out I overextended my stabilizing jack and it blew a fuse.  No big deal, I used the manual crank.  What I didn't know until a couple hours later is that the refrigerator is on the same circuit.  Then it was a big deal.  I also blew the main 30amp fuse before.

 

[Rob&Deryl]

You ask if you have to turn the connector? Which connector?
Is there a cable on the trailer or just a male connector?
Is your camper a 30a 120v or a 50a 120/240v?

 

[glen54737]

I believe There is a twist lock connector on the trailer that the shore power cord connects to. Check that the pins are ok then insert the cord and twist about 1/8 turn to the right. Are you using a 30a to 20a adapter? check that it is good too. 

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

If the indicator light is on in the power cord outlet, then you can ignore the advice about checking the house for GFCI. You would not have power in the cord if the GFCI was tripped. Or the house breaker either.
If the camper has a receptacle on the side and a cord that is designed to fit into it, then yes, you need to twist it to the right after inserting. See glen54737 reply for more details.
If the camper doesn't even have interior lighting, something is wrong inside. The lights and such run on 12v (battery) power. Is there a battery installed?  Is it charged up? Lights  should work even without being plugged into shore power.

 

[grashley]

Campers have TWO basic electrical systems.  The battery - 12 VDC - runs the lights, furnace, any slide outs, power jacks, control circuit power for the fridge and water heater and A/C.  Shore power - 120 VAC - runs the converter to charge the battery and supply 12 VDC power.  It also supplies power to A/C and can power water heater and refrigerator in many campers.

If you have no lights, then the battery is dead AND no shore power to the converter or a bad converter.  Either one should run the lights.

Find the main electrical panel (under the fridge??)  It should have a main breaker and a few circuit breakers.  Remove the cover and see if there is power TO the main breaker.  As Gary said, you have power to the cord.  If there is no power to the main breaker, then the problem is between the power cord and breaker.  If there is power here, then check power to the converter and power out of the converter.  This will narrow the search.