Shore power ground???

[MJRW]

For the last 2 years whenever I plug into a campground 15 amp GFI the breaker would trip, so I always used a 30/15 adapter which worked fine for me. Using one of those 3-light circuit tester it read all good. At home I tried it by plugging into a NON-GFI outlet and used the circuit tester -- which read all good. Plugged into a GFI at home and it again tripped. Trips accrued even when no load was present (and breakers off). I couldn't figure what was up.

For my 120 electrical system I have a 60amp breaker box (4 15amp breakers). The box is grounded to the chassis. The wiring inside the van was give a thumbs up by a licensed electrician. Then there is a 15amp shore power inlet (also ground to chassis). Trying to figure this out I removed the inlet ground and now everything works fine. No GFIs tripping and circuit tester says good.
Was having both the breaker box and the inlet grounded the problem? Shouldn't the inlet be grounded? It trips the GFIs when I do it.

 

[abnorm]

Is there a GROUND Wire from the Inlet to the Breaker box ?..........or just the Chassis connection(s) ?

 

[tx2sturgis]

Nuisance GFCI trips are very common with RVs when hooked up to 15 amp service (with GFCI outlets) and that's why I always recommend using the 30 to 15 amp adapter, especially with DIY conversions.

The 'phantom' ground is most likely occurring either:

Because of an unbalance between your ground and neutral lines,

or

Thru your steel belted radial tires to the soil or pavement you are parked on,

or,

as a result of you holding on to the metal of your van or RV door frame as you step out and onto the earth, grass, or pavement, especially if you are barefoot.

To the GFCI, any of those are just enough to trip the unit.

I suspect you may have the neutral and ground bonded together in the service panel and this might be causing it, especially if it trips at the exact instant that you plug into the 15 amp receptacle.

 

[MJRW]

Is there a GROUND Wire from the Inlet to the Breaker box ?..........or just the Chassis connection(s) ?

Just the chassis.

 

[MJRW]

Nuisance GFCI trips are very common with RVs when hooked up to 15 amp service (with GFCI outlets) and that's why I always recommend using the 30 to 15 amp adapter, especially with DIY conversions.

The 'phantom' ground is most likely occurring either:

Because of an unbalance between your ground and neutral lines,

or

Thru your steel belted radial tires to the soil or pavement you are parked on,

or,

as a result of you holding on to the metal of your van or RV door frame as you step out and onto the earth, grass, or pavement, especially if you are barefoot.

To the GFCI, any of those are just enough to trip the unit.

I suspect you may have the neutral and ground bonded together in the service panel and this might be causing it, especially if it trips at the exact instant that you plug into the 15 amp receptacle.

I've been using the 30/15 adapter, but sometimes a 30 amp outlet is not an option (such as at a friend's place).
I'll have to check on the neutral and ground bonding.

 

[abnorm]

So the rig is no longer grounded............you have no connection from the Breaker box to the ground on the GFCI

Of course it's not going to trip now

There's a screw that bonds the neutral and ground in a breaker box that needs removing on any sub-panel

Also any subtle contact between a white wire and ground will result in tripping

 

[MJRW]

So the rig is no longer grounded............you have no connection from the Breaker box to the ground on the GFCI

Of course it's not going to trip now

There's a screw that bonds the neutral and ground in a breaker box that needs removing on any sub-panel

Also any subtle contact between a white wire and ground will result in tripping

Let me clarify: Both the breaker box and the inlet were grounded to the chassis (not at the same spot). GFIs tripped. I removed the ground just from the inlet. No tripping (breaker box still grounded).
I will check on the neutral-ground bonding.

 

[abnorm]

No tripping (breaker box still grounded)


It's only attached to the chassis.....the A/C needs to be grounded back to the source

 

[MJRW]

No tripping (breaker box still grounded)


It's only attached to the chassis.....the A/C needs to be grounded back to the source

Are you saying I need a wire from the breaker box to the inlet?
Photo of box (breakers removed for view)

 

[abnorm]

Let me try to explain...........you need a continuous Black........White and Green feed from the GFCI to the Breaker box

The GFCI checks between the White and Green for any contact........a ground fault

IF the Inlet has no connection to the Breaker box ground the GFCI is happy............But there is still a fault !

IF the GFCI trips as soon as you "plug-in"........(with the inlet wire re-connected)..........someplace there is a connection between White and Green..............Even tho they are both "Negatives"

EDIT: Are you saying I need a wire from the breaker box to the inlet?........YES !

AND.....Picture says it all.......The Greens and the Whites are sharing the same bus bar......You need to purchase a separate ground buss bar attached to the Breaker box.......this is a SUB-Panel

And I don't KNOW what those Blacks are ?

 

[MJRW]

So I need a larger breaker box that has separate bus bars for white & green. Then would I still need to run a wire from box to inlet (and reconnect the inlet ground)?

 

[abnorm]

So I need a larger breaker box that has separate bus bars for white & green.

NO.....not a bigger box.....just a small "swiss-cheese" buss bar.....screwed to the case with a machine screw............ (every panel has tapped holes waiting )............Green Wire and setscrew..........these are used on every sub-panel so there are located right in the store with the panels.....pick a small one

EDIT TO ADD.....................(and you had a pro look at this ????????)

Then would I still need to run a wire from box to inlet (and reconnect the inlet ground)?

YES.......you need a continuous wire between the inlet ground and the panel ground.............

Your inlet "bond" is unnecessary.......the panel ONE is enough..........

Your method of attaching both to/using the chassis is unconventional for Alternating Current

 

[tx2sturgis]

Yep...the picture says it all, I suspected (in my post #3 above) that the greens and whites (grounds and neutrals) were bonded together.

As abnorm explains, you need to separate these in your panel, since it is a 'sub-panel' when it is hooked to a shore power connection. The shore power receptacle box will be grounded back thru the service panel that it is connected to. This is how your rig will obtain it's ground, thru those connections.

 

[MJRW]

Thanks all. I'll get started later this week. I'd would have given it to an electrician, but none around here return your calls. None interested in working on a van.
One last thing. Does the main breaker box stay grounded to the chassis?

 

[abnorm]

Yes ..................

 

[tx2sturgis]

Yes.

(I hear an echo!)

 

[Tony's Dream]

I don't have a complicated electrical system in my van. I install an RV plug, wire it to only one outlet, so I don't have any breaker box in my van. I have only had one issue plugging into shore power at a campground with it constantly tripping. I since the campground was only about 10% occupied in March, I simply ran my power cord to the next spot and it ran great.

 

[MJRW]

AND.....Picture says it all.......The Greens and the Whites are sharing the same bus bar......You need to purchase a separate ground buss bar attached to the Breaker box.......this is a SUB-Panel

Does the bus bar have to be from the same maker as the panel? My box is Siemens and I got a 7 slot Square D. All the Siemens bus bars I found were 12+ slots (too big for my small box). Claims on YouTube said they should be from the same manufacturer but don't say why.

 

[wayne49]

All USA made AC electrical boxes and parts, etc. are manufactured to NEMA standards.

It's not like trying to mount a Chevy carburetor on a Ford engine.

Hint: you tubers are not always the brightest bulbs.

 

[MJRW]

All USA made AC electrical boxes and parts, etc. are manufactured to NEMA standards.

It's not like trying to mount a Chevy carburetor on a Ford engine.

Hint: you tubers are not always the brightest bulbs.

Thanks. That's what I thought. Maybe they are referring to the pre-drilled holes lining up. I'll have to drill my own, as this box has no pre-drilled ones.
I know it would be best to hire an electrician, but around here, even IF one returns my call, they want nothing to do with DIY van conversion. I'll post a photo of the new wired box when done.