Electrical short after washing TM? Need advice!

rjackson · 07-27-2018, 11:06 AM

Hi Everyone,

I have an 2007 2720-SL that has not been experiencing any electrical issues - until I washed its exterior the other day! Getting the TM ready for a camping trip in about 2 weeks.

When I connect the TM to the electrical power source at my home, the home GFCI breaker immediately trips. (I "assume" that this circuit is on a 30-amp breaker, as I have used it dozens of time with no problems including with the air conditioner on.)

I figured some water had gotten someplace where it was causing a short and that it would dry out in a day or so and resolve itself. Two days of very hot weather, and no signs of water pooled up anywhere, and the problem remains.

To try to narrow the problem down, I have determined that it involves the circuit with the 30-amp breaker in the TM. When I turn off that breaker, it does not cause the home AC GFCI to blow. There are two other breakers, a 20-amp and a double breaker with 2 individual 20-amp breakers, which I can leave on with no problems.

UPDATE: I found a diagram for the TM's converter / breaker box. Looks like the 30-amp breaker is the main breaker in front of the other breakers. There are 3 other breakers; 20-amp for the air conditioner, 20-amp for the refrigerator and water heater, and 20-amp for the GFI outlets. The problem circuit is actually the upper 20-amp circuit, which I believe is the air conditioner. I had already been up on top and removed its shroud and gained access to the side where (I think) the power comes in. I removed the red and white wires, but this had no effect on the problem. If in fact it is the air conditioning circuit, the problem seems to be between the unit itself and where the power comes in. Not sure where to go from here...

UPDATE 7/28: The problem is fixed! See Post #8 below.

I was just about to climb up onto the roof to remove the air conditioner's shroud to see if I could spot anything, but I thought I'd ask for some advice on how I can begin to troubleshoot this problem.

Any advice much appreciated!

Thanks in advance,
Rick

**Larryjb** · 07-27-2018, 01:18 PM

Perhaps it is my inexperience, but I found that caulking can look good but still leak. If you pull the vent trim from the inside and water your TM, you have a better chance of finding your leak.

I removed my vents to reseal. Worked much better that way.

rjackson · 07-27-2018, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larryjb

Perhaps it is my inexperience, but I found that caulking can look good but still leak. If you pull the vent trim from the inside and water your TM, you have a better chance of finding your leak.

I removed my vents to reseal. Worked much better that way.

Thanks, Larry. Great advice.

**Bill** · 07-27-2018, 03:31 PM

Let me be sure I understand. If you leave all of the TM's breakers on, you have the problem. If you turn the main 30-amp breaker OFF, but leave the three 20-amp breakers ON, the problem goes away. If you turn the main breaker ON, and turn the upper 20-amp breaker OFF, the problem goes away regardless of the position of the other two 20-amp breakers. Esto es correcto? Hmmm.

If Larry's advice does not work ...

Look on the outside street side of the TM, about midway along its length, and just underneath the edge of the lower box near the lift arms. You will find a gray electrical box with a black cord coming out of it. The cord becomes part of the group of wires that go up the lift arm.

This electrical box contains the junction that brings power from the TM body behind the refrig, and up the lift arm to the air conditioner. If water gets into this box, it can cause problems. I suggest you unplug the TM from shore power, then open this box and see if there is any water in it. You might pull out the wires, and leave the box open for a couple days just to be sure.

Bill

rjackson · 07-27-2018, 08:53 PM

Thanks so much, Bill! I will check this out tomorrow, and it sounds promising. I hope I find some water in this box you've let me know about, and life will be good. I'll be able to continue with some of the minor issues I wanted to work on before taking it out next month.

On the circuit breaker issue, the bottom line is that it doesn't trip the shore power until I turn on the upper 20-amp breaker in the TM. (Of course, the 30-amp breaker has to be on.) That just tells me that it's the air conditioning circuit.

Thanks again and I'll keep you posted.

Rick

BrucePerens · 07-27-2018, 09:36 PM

I'll give you a second guess, which is that you've got the wrong breaker, and you've burned out the electric water heater element by having it on with no water. It has then shorted to ground, and that's what's causing your GFI to go off. This is the most common cause of hot skin, and hot skin is what triggers GFIs. Watch out, this is a safety issue.

**ShrimpBurrito** · 07-28-2018, 12:23 PM

Rick,

Take a look at this thread, which describes my troubleshooting process after the same exact thing happened to me after I washed my TM. My problem was with the AC, but my AC is a side unit (not on the roof), and further, it turns out the washing and electrical issue were merely coincidental. But I think you'll still find reading through the process helpful. I would read through the whole thread, but be sure to read post #29, which describes the troubleshooting in more detail. It was a neutral to ground short.

http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ead.php?t=8067

Dave

rjackson · 07-28-2018, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill

Look on the outside street side of the TM, about midway along its length, and just underneath the edge of the lower box near the lift arms. You will find a gray electrical box with a black cord coming out of it. The cord becomes part of the group of wires that go up the lift arm.

This electrical box contains the junction that brings power from the TM body behind the refrig, and up the lift arm to the air conditioner. If water gets into this box, it can cause problems. I suggest you unplug the TM from shore power, then open this box and see if there is any water in it. You might pull out the wires, and leave the box open for a couple days just to be sure.

Bill

Bill, thanks again for your recommendation.

I accessed the electrical box earlier this morning and there WAS considerable moisture in it. I used compressed air to get out most of the water and then let it dry out for a few hours. I just tried it out and it's not tripping the shore power, and the air conditioning is working fine.

Apparently, spraying the two access panels doors that are behind the refrigerator let the water in, as they're vented. The water then settled to the floor area and worked its way into the electrical junction box. Makes sense now.

Thanks to all who contributed ideas (and the reference thread). Lesson learned for me, and hopefully this thread will help someone in the future.

This forum rocks!

Rick

BrucePerens · 07-28-2018, 02:28 PM

Besides sealing it really well, you can buy some dielectric grease and fill it.