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Trailer Trash Main Power Problems

8K views 84 replies 17 participants last post by  rrolleston 
#1 ·
I consider myself a professional. I do not have the plaque on the wall, so I figured I should join this site instead of the other one for "professionals". Sorry for the sarcasm.

Ok, here's the deal. I have this trailer that has totally lost power. I pulled the plug on it, 30 amp main at the plug with a 20 amp normal recepticle next to it. So the plug is reading that it's getting 110. What it's suppose to get. So that is fine. This is where it gets weird. Now there is a main breaker box inside the trailer with the main wire going to it's own separate 30 amp breaker. So like I said, I pulled the plug, pulled it though the house, got it up to the box to make sure that each wire was fine. No breaks. Hooked up an Ohm meter to each wire fine. All wires are good. Plug it back in with only the main power breaker. The wire has juice, the bar for the other breakers has juice. As soon as I put in another breaker and turn it on... no juice on the bar, and no juice in the breaker.

Here is my question. The owner of so called park says he tested the line (like I did) and is getting 110. In my head, I'm like, I can get 110 off of 2amps. So what. Is it possible with no fuses tripping, that the thing outside is pushing a few amps to the trailer and then as soon as I hook up another breaker it's too much for it so nothing runs, yet no fuses are tripping? Just a totally worn out breaker that's been outside for like the last 15 years. Still clicks fine on and off, yet is just gone?

Thanks for any help on this in advance.

M
 
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#40 ·
You aren't understanding...the problem wasn't the panel. It was the way in which it was wired and its intended use. I will spare any more technical questions because it seems (by your answers) that you know just enough to be dangerous.
 
#68 · (Edited)
Chick... feel sorry for her. Cuz her friend came out, figured out the problem, got it done, without any of your help but talking ****, for freaking the ten bucks I spent. Done is freezing, she's freezing, I fixed, and now I'm a troll]
Nope .. not what I meant ... maybe I should have said I feel sorry for her because she was freezing .. not because you were her friend trying to help.
And I'm not faulting you for that ... happens all the time friends helping friends. It's unfortunate that the owner didn't address this with some degree of priority. What confuses me and causes me to question .. is what was there to prove to the owner ? The 'chick' obviously had no means to heat due to power loss .. :whistling2: Since he replaced everything seems he was being responsible .. had he known in the first place maybe you wouldn't have had to spend your money.
I'm done here .. moving on ....:)
 
#2 ·
Is this a camping trailer? A mobil home would have 220 volt coming to the panel, not 110.
And would be a min. of 60 amps. not 30.
Got some pictures of these panels?
 
#31 ·
Nope. Amps are pushed. By voltage.
Don't believe me? Take a "load" that "pulls" 10 amps (Say a 1200 watt hair dryer) Plug it into a outlet with no voltage. How many apmp will that "load" "pull" out of a dead outlet? If you guessed zero you'd be right. Amps don't go anywhere without voltage to push them along.
 
#6 ·
A... or 1 who are into numbers. Yes it is a mobile. I know that most are 220. This is not. 110 out the door. And it is truly 110 at 30amps. Am going out there to today to test my theory. Will also try to post some pics.

B or 2. Usually the professional jerk to most, until you get to know me.

C to a danpik. I understand all of that. What I am asking, is if it is possible for a breaker to be so bad, that it will only allow a few amps to go through it and still not trip. You have to see this thing. Been out in this nasty Humboldt weather for 15 years.

K buz..... Hmmm, if this test doesn't go right, you might have a good point there. BUT THEN, the ground is going to the outlet,, argh still might be right at the plug in box. The ground at the box that it plugs into... gotta check that.
 
#7 ·
Thing is, once it's at the box outside... it's out of our jurisdiction and I have to rely on the idiots around there that do not know what the heck they are doing to fix it. Hundreds of dollars to get a guy out there to check it, then he doesn't have the part, a couple more hundred to get him to come back with the right part, and this chick is freezing in the mean time. Can't wait for that uh bullpoop.

Comes down to it. I'm just going to bypass them, do it, and they will never know the wiser that I did them a favor for 50 bucks.

Just too scary of that main power coming in. Can't get the power company to shut it off. So if I don't reply after this one... you know what happened lol.
 
#12 ·
jbfan What? I'm talking I'm out 50 bucks for the parts. The chick is freezing and she is my friend. No, not in that way. Get your mind out of the fuze box.

Well, if my test goes wrong on the so called "50 bucks I'm spending to make money thing". I'll have to. Let me get out there, do my test, BUY the parts jbfan, take some photos, and I'll keep you guys up to date.
 
#15 ·
K buz..... Hmmm, if this test doesn't go right, you might have a good point there. BUT THEN, the ground is going to the outlet,, argh still might be right at the plug in box. The ground at the box that it plugs into... gotta check that.
..:eek:..
 
#16 ·
Humboldt weather ? As in Humboldt, CA ?
That would mean a corrosion problem is the most likely culprit. My guess it is on the park side. Could be in the trailer, but based on what you have said so far, the park side is more likely.

Make a deal with the owner/mgr of the park. If the problem is on your side, you pay. On his side he pays. But you call the electrician. Otherwise you might end up with a handyman.
 
#21 ·
If you plugged the trailer's power cord (or jumpered it) to a different receptacle (in the house or wherever) powered through a circuit different from the receptacle it was plugged into originally, does the power inside the trailer work okay?

If you connected the trailer up the way it was originally with only a few amperes of usage okay and more amperes causing problems, can you observe problems occurring gradually if you get a number of floor standing or table light fixtures and plug them in and turn them on one at a time? It is not unheard of for an underground cable perhaps from a meter to a house or from a centrally located panel in a trailer park to an individual trailer hookup to rust out in a manner that you can draw only a few amperes before something goes wrong.
 
#22 ·
Here is my question. Is it possible with no fuses tripping, that the thing outside is pushing a few amps to the trailer and then as soon as I hook up another breaker it's too much for it so nothing runs

Thanks for any help on this in advance.

M
YES !
A bad/loose joint somewhere will intruduce resistance
which will limit current.
low load = little loss
big load = big loss

It also means there is the very real potential for a fire !
get it fixed asap !
 
#24 · (Edited)
Why

is everyone being a jerk around here trying to take my crown.

Said I'd post pics, so here you go. Doesn't matter though. My theory was right. Till Pg&e cuts main power... pull that breaker and check the main plug. These photos are obviously so you guys can make fun of me in the future.

Thanks allanJ
 

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#26 ·
Just proves you should not be doing this. And electrician could have turned the breaker off and checked out those receptacles.

Sent from my iPhone using DIY Forum
 
#27 · (Edited)
Did you try testing the receptacle with that breaker to the right on? That receptacle to the left is a 240v receptacle. And I am betting one side of that receptacle is on that breaker that is off.

The receptacle on the right won't work till you turn that GFCI breaker on.

Sent from my iPhone using DIY Forum
 
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