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Took the TT out last weekend to a local state park and hooked it up to a 30 amp outlet.  All went well the first 24 hours.  My friend plugged her Nook cord into the outlet and then started to plug the other end into her Nook.  The Nook end of the plug shocked her big time and there was something on the inside of the plug that was glowing.  Two of the fused blew.  We didn't see anything out of the ordinary.  There were alot more people than normal at the campground since they were managing a multi-sport race out of the next site over.  Not sure if there was a power surge...  We reset the fuses and went about our business.  Later in the evening the inverter fan started running.  We don't remember hearing it before; but, this is the first time we haven't had to use A/C.  Then we started hearing a buzzing and they lights were dimming. 

My knowledge of electrical stuff in next to zero.  Plug it in and it runs.  Any ideas for what this could have been?  Unstable electric supply?  Inverter issue?  Replace the fuses and see what happens?

Thanks in advance for you advice. 

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It's kind of hard to diagnose without actually being there, but it sounds like the park power has a problem. They could have lost a neutral, had a surge due to a piece of faulty equipment, the power company might have had an issue, traffic accident, etc.....  Just too many variables to say for sure.

My first thought is that the Nook power converter failed which resulted in full line voltage at the end of the plug causing it to glow, short, and blow the fuses. Has she used it since? If it works and all seems ok with it, then :::

My suggestion is to go through your rv with a VOM and check all outlets for proper voltage when running off your batteries, and again with the unit plugged in to a power source. If you have the proper voltage when using the house batteries, then the inverter is ok as long as it's not heating up. Also, if you have proper voltage when hooked up to power, then the converter is ok.  Hopefully nothing was damaged.  Incidentally, I never plug in without checking the power box for proper voltage and  ground with my meter.

Second, I suggest you purchase a Progressive Industries surge protector and use it when you plug up. It will protect your rv and its electrical system. I would do this in any case as it's cheap insurance based on some of the park power supplies I've seen.

Good luck. If I can help further please let me know.

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You can get either a portable unit or a built in unit. I prefer the portable. The portable plugs into the campsite box, and the rv into the surge protector. It comes with a hasp so you can lock it to the pedestal to discourage theft. They are weathertite so outdoor use isn't a problem. Glad to hear the Nook adapter is ok.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I second the use of a surge protector.  The initial outlay is a bit much, but it sure beats frying out your camper's electrical system.

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I plugged the TT into the house power and plugged the voltage meter into each outlet.  They are all green.  I hope that means the outlets are all OK.

PS:  It just dawned on me that I should have tried the microwave and air conditioner to see if they work...  I have another to do now.  :rofl2:

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Another "to do" is to check the outlets connected to your inverter. Unplug the RV and see if you are getting 120v from the house batteries through the inverter. If so, the inverter is ok.

Let us know how it all works out.

Also, what voltage meter did you get with lights on it? Normally a VOM has a dial or is LCD. Hope you aren't using a receptacle checker to check for proper voltage. All it will do is tell you if the recept. is wired properly. Give me a mfg. name and model number, please.

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I didn't mean a green light, I meant in the green area on the dial.  This is the voltage meter I bought at Camping World:

http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/ac-voltage-meter/29375

When I plugged it into the outlets, it registered about 124 volts each time.

I have to admit that I miss-spoke when I posted the original question.  :banana:  The camper does not have batteries so I should have said it is a Converter question.  Thanks to you I am learning so much.  If we are ever at FW at the same time, I'll buy you a drink.  :rofl2:

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  • 2 weeks later...

Judy in Texas,  Any follow up on your electrical problem?  Did the A/C and microwave work?  Are the lights still dimming, or was that a one time thhing?  It occurred to me your converter might be oging bad.  I don't know how old your TT is or what model of converter you might have, but if you started hearing the fan, it could be that the converter fan is binding, or has accumulated enough dust to throw it off balance a little causing more noise than usual.  Hope all is well.

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I didn't mean a green light, I meant in the green area on the dial.  This is the voltage meter I bought at Camping World:

http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/ac-voltage-meter/29375

When I plugged it into the outlets, it registered about 124 volts each time.

I keep 1 of those voltage meters plugged in all the time. It lets me know we have good voltage and if it gets to low i'll start cutting back on things like  microwave  and hair dryers. If your voltage drops below 110v and I have seen it in some camp grounds and even at the Fort it can harm your A/C and refridge

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Finally got my butt in gear today and plugged in the camper.  The first thing I did was plug in the voltage meter, then turned on the A/C,  then microwaved a cup of water while turning on all  the lights.  No funny noises, everything worked and the meter stayed within green the entire time.  The only time it was on the low side of green was when the air conditioner first turned on.  Thanks for everyone's input.  It's greatly appreciated. 

;)

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