Shore power ground???

[MJRW]

Made the suggested changes [added ground bus bar and separated grounds & neutrals. Ground wire from shore inlet to new panel ground bar. Panel ground bar grounded to chassi.] No longer tripping GFIs. Does this look correct??

 

[abnorm]

You did it !

 

[MJRW]

Thanks everyone. Could not have done it without this forum's help.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Thanks for the report and we love it when a problem is worked thru and the member lets us know that all is well.

 

[ccbreder]

Thank you, it is good when OP returns to outline the fix.

 

[Kent_the_Nomad]

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?

Yes, you must ground the metal of your vehicle to your ground in your distribution box. I am an electrician with over 45 years in the trade.

Code was changed in the 70s that all circuits must be grounded. You will find that earlier practice did not have grounds in the cables. I have rewired houses to meet present code requirements, replacing old wiring to meet insurance requirements.

One reason that grounding code changed was large appliance shorting to ground and not tripping the breaker. A small ground may not be enough to cause the breaker to trip. Water heaters, washers, dryers, ranges all were previously a three wire ungrounded circuit. In a mobile home with a metal exterior you could get a serious shock from a faulty appliance when touching the ground and the trailer. A grounded circuit for appliances with the trailer metal also grounded prevents the danger of electrical shock.
So yes, ground all electric in you 120v system to your vehicle, or the shock you get might be fatal.

 

[Kent_the_Nomad]

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.

NO, do not try to use different power buses from different brand panels. There are size and dimension differences.

 

[Kent_the_Nomad]

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)?

You can add a ground bar in any panel, and should. As said your ground and neutral must be separate. The neutral carries power, the ground is a safety in case of a short in any circuit wiring. Ground fault breakers, CFCI will trip when there is a connection, short, from ground to either neutral or hot wires in the circuit.

 

[Kent_the_Nomad]

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)?

Could you post a picture of your electric box? There may be room to add a ground bar. Also all 120v outlets or appliance need to have a ground in your cable. I use three wire marine cables, which have great flexibility. I also use extension cords, removing the ends and wiring it directly to the outlets or appliances, such as an A/C unit. Again grounds are for safety, neutrals are part of your power and should be separated in all wiring devices.

 

[abnorm]

It's all been repaired Correctly since August.....