can anyone explain this?

[rtcassel]

I have never had an electrical problem in my TM. I have successfully tested the GFI breaker often. Today I plugged in the TM at home using a 15-amp to 30-amp adapter I have used before. The TM's receptacles did not work, and the GFI breaker had kicked off. I reset the breaker and the receptacles worked, but my wiring tester indicated that hot and neutral were reversed. I changed the 15/30 apapter and the wiring tester indicated all was OK (2 green lights). I then tried the original adapter, and got two green lights again. Is it likely that the original adapter has a problem? Thanks.

[Bill]

Hi, Tim -

First, if the GFI kicked out, but held when you reset it, then I don't think there is a problem with the GFI. A lot of little things will kick off the GFIs in my house, and I imagine that the one in the TM is no different.

FWIW, I don't think a reversed hot/neutral would kick off a GFI.

Now, if I understand the sequence after you reset the GFI. With the original 15/30 adapter, the test light (plugged in where?) indicated a hot/neutral reverse. You repeated the test with a different 15/30 adapter, and the test light (plugged in to the same place?) indicated NO FAULT. You then went back to the original 15/30 adapter, and the test light (still plugged into the original place?) now indicated NO FAULT. Is this correct?

If I have the sequence correct, and the test light was plugged into the same outlet in all three cases, then I can't imagine what would cause the FAULT/NO FAULT/NO FAULT sequence of indications. Certainly nothing in the adapter could cause it.

By the way, I am assuming you are using a three prong 30/15 adapter and a properly-wired three prong socket on the wall of your garage (or wherever). Did you try the test light in the garage outlet? If the garage outlet is a two-prong outlet, or is a three-prong outlet wired with only two wires (no ground), or if you used a 3-to-2 adapter without the ground - well, all bets are off. You could get most any indication - but the problem would not be with the TM

Bill

I'm not sure exactly how an outlet tester is designed, but I think the only way it could tell the difference between hot and neutral is by detecting which is closest to ground (in a normal circuit, neutral is tied to ground at the breaker panel). So if there is no ground to the tester it would have a "floating" reference and so might read hot/neutral either way. So I would suspect a ground problem.
As Bill says, this could be because only two wires instead of three are brought to the TM for some reason (garage outlet, extension cord, etc.,) but I would also look at the TM 30amp connector and maybe the first 30/15 adapter. These are the items you handled between tests and if the ground in one of those is intermittent, it might explain the problem.

Paul

We had a problem in our former tent camper in that on AC the refrigerator would work some times and other times it wouldn't. Took it to the dealer and they checked it all out. Ended up being the adapter. With a new adapter we never had the problem again. Maybe your adapter is like our old one. I didn't believe the dealer when he said it was the adapter, but since we never had another problem he must have been right!

[rtcassel]

Originally Posted by Bill

Now, if I understand the sequence after you reset the GFI. With the original 15/30 adapter, the test light (plugged in where?) indicated a hot/neutral reverse. You repeated the test with a different 15/30 adapter, and the test light (plugged in to the same place?) indicated NO FAULT. You then went back to the original 15/30 adapter, and the test light (still plugged into the original place?) now indicated NO FAULT. Is this correct?

By the way, I am assuming you are using a three prong 30/15 adapter and a properly-wired three prong socket on the wall of your garage (or wherever). Did you try the test light in the garage outlet? If the garage outlet is a two-prong outlet, or is a three-prong outlet wired with only two wires (no ground), or if you used a 3-to-2 adapter without the ground - well, all bets are off. You could get most any indication - but the problem would not be with the TM

Bill - Your understanding of the sequence is correct. I have a 3-prong socket in my garage which is correctly wired. I tested every outlet I could find in the trailer, and they all had the hot/neutral reversal until I tried the second adapter.

We left the next day on a trip, and I am not able to check the TMO board everyday, hence the delay in responding. The electrics in the TM are working fine. I believe I will chalk this up to a possibly dodgy adapter.