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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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#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
 
#28 · (Edited)
When a receptacle delivers full voltage for a small number of amperes and low voltage when you try to draw more amperes, it is not due to the amperes rating of a fuse or circuit breaker. Rather there is a bad connection somewhere, anywhere from inside the breaker to the inside the receptacle inclusive. The bad connection will get hotter the more amperes you try to draw. If it is indoors, it can start a fire. You can turn off the power and open up the outlet box and check for loose screw connections notably if that felt hot to the touch.

Sometimes woodchucks or other animals chew an underground cable, or the plastic insulation biodegrades by itself. Aluminum wire left exposed to moisture can corrode surprisingly fast, and underground it can turn into a whitish paste that may conduct a few amperes with little ill effect. Shortly thereafter (faster under use and load and heating) the paste commingles with the earth and the connection breaks altogether. (The earth above the break will probably not erupt as if a land mine was buried there.)

The most likely place for a breaker loose connection is underneath where it clips onto the fin (stab) that is live. Should that fin or nearby fins get deformed from prolonged overheating, the affected breaker slot(s) as well as the breaker(s) will become unusable.

Power plugs might also have loose connections, usually caused by tugging on the cord. This will also cause overheating, and can damage the receptacle it is plugged into.
 
#30 ·
Is the power plug for the trailer cord the original plug, or did you or someone substitute a different plug to fit the receptacle?

A 120 volt only appliance or device or light or trailer may not be plugged into a 240 volt only receptacle. The ground wire (equipment grounding conductor) or ground pin of a plug or ground slot on a receptacle may not be used as a neutral to obtain 120 volts with.

You will be confused if you tried to use ground of the large receptacle as a neutral and there was a defect in the grounding (EGC, etc.) and the 120 volt receptacle next to it was working correctly with proper hot and neutral.

You need to have a voltmeter (or multimeter) to be sure that voltages are correct. Just a neon test light is not good enough.
 
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