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Good Sam Roadside Assistance

RV Keeps Tripping Circuit Breakers in My House

by Kevin Acton
(Kitchener Ontario)

I have a 2010 Rockwood Roo. Last night I picked up the trailer and brought it home. I plugged the trailer into my house, and it tripped my house fuse. Now nothing that I know was on. No light, fridge, fans.

The thing I was a green light from the fuse box. Now with the lines, I had two lines out. A 50 foot and a 25. All 30A wire line, and Made for Rv's. Now the only thing I can think was wrong was the lines are too long. What do you think?

ANSWER: Greetings Kevin thanks for submitting your question on our Ask An RV Question Page.

The problem sure could be the 75 feet of extension cords you are using. The problem may also be a bad extension cord. Listed below are a couple of things you can try before giving up on plugging your trailer into your house.

Before you plug the extension cord into your home; turn off the circuit breaker in your house. Then plug the extension cord connected to your trailer into your house outlet. Now go back and turn on the circuit breaker in your house and see if it stays on.

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When you plug any RV into shore power you should always make sure that the shore power circuit breaker is in the off position and only turn it back on once the RV is plugged into it.

If the circuit breaker trips again then we know that either we have a bad extension cord, too long of a run of wiring or there is still a high demand 120 volt appliance such as an Air Conditioner, portable Space heater, etc. still on in the RV.

Personally I am not real comfortable with the length of the electric cords you are running. The cord that comes with your trailer could be anywhere from 15 to 25 feet in length and now add in your 75 feet of extension cords and that is pretty close to 100 feet of wiring you are running.

You might end up having to get an electrician in and see if they can run some wiring closer to your trailer and set it up properly for 30 amp service (proper receptacle, breakers, etc.). This may end up being the only viable solution to the problem you have.

I hope this helps.

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RVing Al

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Comments for RV Keeps Tripping Circuit Breakers in My House

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Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Deadly RV electrical malfunction
by: Anonymous

"Zapped touching the trailer"
A three-year-old Illinois boy was fatally electrocuted in a freak accident by touching his parent's trailer door handle while standing on wet ground.

Landyn Gerald Keener's feet were on wet ground when he put his hand on the door handle of the camper and inadvertently earthed the current.

Known in the RV community as 'hot skin', the electric shock was enough to kill the little boy.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		GFI trippin
by: Anonymous

I have a new Vilano. Works just fine when plugged into a 50amp at an RV park. When I take it home it pops any GFI I plug it into at my house. Only thing that is running is the fridge. The only thing that is different from old trailer is that the new one has a residential fridge.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Proper earth connection
by: Anonymous

Never ever use a chord with no earth connection. Your life is in danger.!!!!!
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		You were right.
by: Anonymous

I had the same problem. It turns out I had WAY too much extension cord and much of it it was coiled up in a Cordpro keeper. It heated up until the keeper melted a bit. Then the circuit breaker tripped. Of course, I figured out all of this after the fact, and reading this page. Thanks.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		similar issue
by: Anonymous

My jayco trips my house breaker when I use a properly wired extension cord, but when I use one with no ground the breaker does not trip but I get zapped touching the trailer

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