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NH Camper Dude View Drop Down
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Joined: 24 Jun 2021
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Posts: 1 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Battery power is intermittent
    Posted: 24 Jun 2021 at 11:40am
I just purchased a 2010 rPod (RP174). I also just purchased a new battery. Sometimes I get no power at all when it is just hooked up to the battery then all of a sudden it is working. No power problems when hooked up to shore power or my truck. I checked the automatic bussman fuse under the camper and it checks for continuity. Can't figure this out. One other thing, if I plug in the camper to our outside outlet at home it trips the GFCI so I have to plug it into a regular outlet and it works fine. Not sure if it is related.
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Posts: 1407 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Jun 2021 at 11:50am
Did you check for loose/corroded clamps on the battery terminals?
Alan
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GlueGuy View Drop Down
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Posts: 2630 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Jun 2021 at 12:16pm
For the DC (battery), it sounds like there is a splice or junction that is intermittent. You will need two people; one with a DVM measuring the presence/absence of 12V, and another go around and tug on the wires.

The GFCI trip is a ground fault in the AC (120VAC) somewhere. One common point between the AC and DC is the converter. Maybe check the wire terminals connecting to the converter.
bp
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Posts: 260 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Jun 2021 at 12:48pm
Originally posted by GlueGuy

...The GFCI trip is a ground fault in the AC (120VAC) somewhere. One common point between the AC and DC is the converter. Maybe check the wire terminals connecting to the converter.

Many RVs trip home GFCIs without there being any problems with the RV or the home GFCI circuit.

A quick search will reveal many, many discussions on this subject in RV forums.  Here's a couple of examples of responses:

My first three RVs could plug into a GFCI without tripping it , my last two cannot .
After WEEKS working with the dealer and manufacturer of my new fiver and replacing numerous parts, including the converter/charger ( this was 14 years ago ) , came down to being normal .
My first three 5ers , were old enough not to have on-board GFCIs , RVs with on-board GFCIs will trip a GFCI protected power source, in almost every instance. .
Possible work around, is to re-set the house GFCI with the RV hooked up, or identify the circuits in the RV that have GFCIs and turn off the RV circuit breakers that feed those circuits .

Or , as stated plug the RV into a non GFCI protected circuit.

https://www.irv2.com/forums/f54/shore-power-tripping-gfci-in-house-453154.html

OK so what does all of this mumbo jumbo have to do with the problem you are experiencing with your RV? Because GFCI devices trigger at current leakages above 5 milliamps they can cause problem for RVers that have switching type Power Converters in their RV's. These switching type power converters usually have built in input RFI (Radio Frequency Interference) suppression filters to keep high frequency energy off of incoming wiring. During normal operation of the power converter these RFI filters will exceed 5 milliamps of current leakage causing GFCI Devices to trip.

Bottom Line: As long as you are positive that the Power Converter has been installed properly and it is the type I described above; you will always have to plug your RV into a non GFCI protected circuit.

https://www.everything-about-rving.com/when-my-rv-is-plugged-into-a-gfci-outlet-the-power-converter-is-tripping-the-gfci.html

Of course it's always possible that there is actually something else going on...
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Jun 2021 at 6:13pm
Check your chassis ground points, those are subject to corrosion and are a common source of intermittent open circuits in 12vdc systems.
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