Storage RV lot with GFIC breakers

[mikestock]

I have had my rv's stored in this lot for 17 years with an electrical hookup. The last 10 have been a 40ft. Tiffin Pheaton. Ever since the Phaeton has been here we have had problems keeping the 120 volt 15 watt GFCI breaker from opening. I am not the only one in the lot that has the same issue. Usually, the only thing operating is my charger to maintain the battery banks although all my ac receptacles are available. I have a household fridge which I like to keep plugged in if we're planning a short time between trips but I am concerned it will be shut down. I have checked the power draw which is under 120 watts even with the fridge on. I keep the ice maker turned off to keep the ice heater from overdrawing power.

If I don't keep a regular check I will find the breaker out. One of my neighbors has the same problem so he keeps a check for me also. We're not the only two on the lot with the problem. The owner is aware of the issue and also has problems with other units.

I am looking for any idea as to what/if anything I can do.

Yes, I meant "amp" not volt-amp.

[mikestock]

10 years ago is about when he replaced all the boxes and the trouble began.
I'll check. If it's an Eaton I'll go buy one myself and replace it.

[wnjj]

What brand of breakers are they? Eaton had a run of them about 10 years ago I think that were prone to false tripping from radio interference.

A couple of years ago my elderly aunt kept having the breaker trip for her living room. It would happen anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks. I first tried reseating the breaker and tightening the screw connection. I then tried swapping breakers with one from another position in the panel. After the swap BOTH started false tripping!

So after reading about this issue with this age of Eaton breakers I ordered two new ones, installed them and no more issue since.

Even if they’re not Eaton, it’s possible they are susceptible anyway. I would ask the owner to try a new breaker (not a spare from any inventory).

[Harvard]

Another thing not mentioned thus far is the stray capacitance (C) between H/G and N/G. For each RV on the circuit the stray C is cumulative. The common misconception is that the H/G leakage is approximately equal to the N/G leakage so there is no difference in leakage current. This is not the case because the H/G VAC is 120 where as the N/G VAC is close to ZERO.

[mikestock]

Actually, jumping across the GFCI, if I can do this and hide my activity, is not removing all protection. There is a 30 amp main breaker that serves 3 boxes. That is all we used to have. If I forgot to turn off my electric water heater I would kick this breaker and have to go reset it.

[bucky]

Retired JSO wrote:
I have an additional refrigerator in our stick and brick garage. All outlets in the garage have a GFCI duplex plug. I had to change out that outlet to a standard dedicated outlet to keep it from tripping.

Agreed, when we first moved to a "modern" house from a 40 year old house we had the same issue with the auxiliary fridge in the garage. Changed out the outlet to non GFCI, no further issues.
It was the first thing that popped up on the web for trouble shooting this issue. It seems that something in frig circuitry is the culprit. This has happened on 3 reefers but no other appliances or outlets.
I also noticed a year later when we replaced the kitchen fridge that that GFCI outlet had also been swapped out.
The outlet in this instance does not belong to the storage customers and is likely code if the facility is fairly new. Don't mess with it.

[ScottG]

Cummins12V98 wrote:
Does the 50A or 30A have gfci??? Heck no!

Actually the latest NEC update does require GFCI on those. So you will start seeing it in new campgrounds.
Think of the fun CG owners are going to have with customers on that one!

[mikestock]

ScottG wrote:
Inconvenient truth, you have a ground fault.
Start unplugging things until it goes away (fridge, water heater, converter, etc.) and then FIX that item.
Do not circumvent safety or violate codes.

I know you probably haven't been following this. My neighbors are dealing with the same issues when I'm not even hooked up. I have done as you suggested several times over the years and find nothing. I hook everything up and walk away, actually not drawing anything except the inverter/charger. I may be ok for a day or a week but it would eventually trip out. My next-door neighbor in the lot and I watch out for each other. We both have the same problem on the same breaker or on different breakers.

[LittleBill]

gfci issues, seem to be constrained to the heating element in the refrig for me. I went out and move the element around and it seemed to make the gfci happy.

[mikestock]

Gtetrailer wrote:
OP should be looking in to finding the problem with their rig, the GFCI is there to prevent deaths from accidental electrocution..

False trips can and do happen, but it is worth while to investigate and if an issue is found, correct it.

Blindly removing the GFCI is not correcting the issue, just covering up a potential issue

As much as I would like to find the problem I have looked for years as have several other people with the same problem. Now, I use a portable charger to maintain batteries and disconnect the battery switch.

The one thing I would do is jump out the GFCI if I could do it without being detected. I have become that frustrated. When I really need the refrigerator to stay on I plug it into the GFCI and disconnect the battery switch.

[Cummins12V98]

Does the 50A or 30A have gfci??? Heck no!

[Cummins12V98]

Gdetrailer wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:

mikestock wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:
Turn off breaker and replace GFCI with standard outlet, problem solved.

I would like to but this is not my property. I even thought about doing this and disguising that it had been tampered with but thought better of it.

You are renting the space right?

Your RV is a pc of equipment and does NOT need a gfci.

Your telling someone to tamper with someone else's property and electrical system that the OP doesn't own into non compliance?

Surely ye jest?


What you are suggesting is the same as telling someone to open up the shore power box in a campground and remove the GFCI from the campground box which is wrong to do and if caught will most likely result in you getting kicked out permanently.

OP should be looking in to finding the problem with their rig, the GFCI is there to prevent deaths from accidental electrocution..

False trips can and do happen, but it is worth while to investigate and if an issue is found, correct it.

Blindly removing the GFCI is not correcting the issue, just covering up a potential issue.

Give me a break! Place a single 110V receptacle in the place of the gfci. Plug in 5th RV and if anyone needs to use power outside the RV the RV's GFCI will do the job!

[Gdetrailer]

Cummins12V98 wrote:

mikestock wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:
Turn off breaker and replace GFCI with standard outlet, problem solved.

I would like to but this is not my property. I even thought about doing this and disguising that it had been tampered with but thought better of it.

You are renting the space right?

Your RV is a pc of equipment and does NOT need a gfci.

Your telling someone to tamper with someone else's property and electrical system that the OP doesn't own into non compliance?

Surely ye jest?

What you are suggesting is the same as telling someone to open up the shore power box in a campground and remove the GFCI from the campground box which is wrong to do and if caught will most likely result in you getting kicked out permanently.

OP should be looking in to finding the problem with their rig, the GFCI is there to prevent deaths from accidental electrocution..

False trips can and do happen, but it is worth while to investigate and if an issue is found, correct it.

Blindly removing the GFCI is not correcting the issue, just covering up a potential issue.

[ScottG]

Inconvenient truth, you have a ground fault.
Start unplugging things until it goes away (fridge, water heater, converter, etc.) and then FIX that item.
Do not circumvent safety or violate codes.

[Cummins12V98]

mikestock wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:
Turn off breaker and replace GFCI with standard outlet, problem solved.

I would like to but this is not my property. I even thought about doing this and disguising that it had been tampered with but thought better of it.

You are renting the space right?

Your RV is a pc of equipment and does NOT need a gfci.

[mikestock]

Cummins12V98 wrote:
Turn off breaker and replace GFCI with standard outlet, problem solved.

I would like to but this is not my property. I even thought about doing this and disguising that it had been tampered with but thought better of it.