Newbie electrical question: repair of Conntek inlet?

[Pauly D]

Our Escape 19 is less than a month old. Shore power worked fine on the way home from Chilliwack where we recently picked up the trailer. Back home, the shore power will not work (30 amp detachable cord with the twist lock). Troubleshooting with ETI over the phone, it seems the power isn't getting past the Conntek inlet. Escape's best guess is that there's a loose wire in the inlet.

My question: ETI (they've been great so far) is perfectly willing to pay to have a local RV repair shop do the repair, but they say the repair should be pretty straightforward as follows: 2 people are required - one person to hold the 3 nuts inside while the other removes the 3 screws on the outside; remove the inlet, fix the loose wire which should be apparent, re-attach the inlet. Some minor recaulking required outside. Rather than waiting for probably a long turnaround for repair at the local RV shop, I'm wondering if this repair should be as easy as it sounds? (I'm no electrician or very handy person.) I crawled under the bed with flashlight and can see the 3 nuts bedded in the styrofoam insulation (not sure what this insulation is called). On the outside of the TT, once the 3 screws are removed, will the inlet separate easily from the trailer for repair of the loose wire? Since the trailer is less than a month old, I would really hate to risk damaging the finish, weatherproofing, or anything else in any way. If we (spouse and I) attempt the repair ourselves, is there anything else we should know? Are we better off just taking the trailer in for expert repair even if we might not have our Escape back for a while?

I've read in the Escape Forum about others who've replaced the stock inlet with the SmartPlug, or who've had other electrical issues, but haven't seen anything about the actual repair to this inlet (maybe because it is pretty basic?). Sorry if this is already discussed elsewhere.

We'd be grateful for any thoughts and advice.

[Rockhead]

Look under the bench and with the trailer unhooked from power, check the connections inside n see if they are loose. Could be all you need to do is take a screwdriver and tighten them up. Then plug in the trailer n with a voltmeter see if you have power. If still no power Ck your EMS if you have the installed one. That could be bad. If it’s bad call progressive and they will walk you thru a few steps. If it is bad they will send you a new one free of charge. Hope this helps. Note if the power plug hook up is bad,it is very easy to change out. You can get a new one on Amazon or camping world.

[Ron in BC]

Removing the plug is an easy job and there's very little chance of damaging anything.

Sometimes the caulking acts like glue and even though the bolts are undone the part is still firmly attached. I use a thin old butter knife in this situation and slice sideways to get the caulking undone. With a little bit of care there's no chance of hurting anything.

I'm presuming that your previous troubleshooting included checking for power at the main circuit breaker.

Ron

[occer]

I just googled YouTube Videos of ( Conntek RV inlet videos replacements ) , there are some really good ones with step by step instructions. It does look pretty easy.

[Pauly D]

Thanks for your good advice everyone, much appreciated! It sounds and looks by the videos like an easy enough job. Yes, the multimeter shows no power to the EMS or coming in to the trailer passed the inlet.

Maybe I should order the inlet just in case the problem's not a loose wire but a bad plug, or in case I need to replace the gasket (I'm assuming there's one behind the inlet, as in some of the videos I watched. I can always return it if I don't need it, but it might be good to have on hand down the road just in case.

I think the PN is Conntek 80425-A-CP. Can anyone confirm? My inlet cover is the stainless/chrome inset the white plastic. The cover isn't available to see at amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Conntek-80425-.../dp/B00BHGXO7C, but I'm pretty sure this is it.

Thanks again for your help!

[John in Santa Cruz]

this is what mine looks like, on a 2014 E21 classic.
https://www.amazon.com/Conntek-80425.../dp/B07FWFWWR1

note that has the cover built on.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by Pauly D

Maybe I should order the inlet just in case the problem's not a loose wire but a bad plug, or in case I need to replace the gasket (I'm assuming there's one behind the inlet, as in some of the videos I watched. I can always return it if I don't need it, but it might be good to have on hand down the road just in case.

Spare parts are nice to have but this isn't a part that routinely fails. I'd just go out and pull off your existing plug and determine if it is a loose wire, which is quite possible. If the gasket is slightly damaged just put some caulking on it.

Ron

[John in Santa Cruz]

btw, mine is a Marinco, not a Conntek.

[Pauly D]

Many thanks again for the good advice! I'll try to repair the plug next weekend when D and I are at the lake (where we park our trailer). Cheers

[Pauly D]

Hi there, so, a quick follow up and a further question:

Ok, so we removed the 3 screws/nuts holding the inlet in place. The plug is pretty glued tight to the trailer. Before trying to gently pry off, I thought it might be a good idea to flip the battery disconnect switch to off just in case there could be any power through the wires. (I don't know if this is possible but think I've read it's good to disconnect the battery when working with power.)

For some reason, I switched the battery disconnect switch off and then back to the on position. I'd never used this switch before, so I think I was just trying to see how it toggles between on and off (having read some posts by folks who are a bit perplexed by it, as I have been.) You'll remember I'm a newbie, but feel free to laugh at me and I'm laughing at myself too!

Now, after I switch the BDS to on, I get the big idea to plug into our 30 amp outlet, just to see what happens, just in the off chance power comes back on, before I try to gently pry the inlet off. (I really don't want to because the plug is really stuck on (- beyond 3 screws and the thin bead of caulk stuck on. It seems glued on and water tight).

After plugging into shore power, I peak inside the trailer and guess what? The EMS display is lit and after the 2 minutes something the power comes on!

I've unplugged and plugged in a few times and my power is now working.

Did switching the BDS to off and on somehow reset things? When we were last camping and couldn't get shore power to work, the one thing D and I didn't try was switching the BDS to off and on. This was never suggested in any of the troubleshooting tips we read and it didn't occur to us. Checking all the fuses, breaker switches, determining where power stops with the multimeter yes, but not the BDS.

Or do you think juggling with the inlet while removing the screws/nuts managed to "fix" our loose wire situation? I'm hesitant to pry this plug off because it is super stuck and I think I will risk damaging something (again, our E19 is a month old)

I'll keep unplugging and plugging shore power in and out over the next few days to test it, but I'd be grateful again for any expert thoughts.

I really appreciate this forum by the way. I'm learning so much about our new trailer and am struck by the knowledge and generosity of folks here. Thank you. Paul

[Centex]

The 'BDS' has nothing to do with the 120volt shore power system.

Originally Posted by Pauly D

...
Or do you think juggling with the inlet while removing the screws/nuts managed to "fix" our loose wire situation?

This would be my guess, though I would not consider it a true "fix" by any means.

IF there's a loose wire or connection in the shore power socket that could be a point of electrical resistance, arcing, and damaging heat over time. I'd proceed to do what is needed to access those connections in the socket and verify that all is tight with no wire strands amiss.

Look closely for a wayward thin wire strand which may be making a contact it should not be making, thereby causing the EMS to sense a fault and not allow power to pass to the trailer.

A properly installed and functioning shore power socket should not change its behavior just by 'juggling while removing the mounting screws'.

Just for your consideration, Have Fun!

[oldwave]

Is it possible you didn’t have the twist lock plug seated correctly ?
I replaced mine on a new trailer mainly because I had a previously purchased smart plug. My twist lock connector never inspired my confidence. Especially because the threads on the collar lock wouldn’t thread right.

[John in Santa Cruz]

yeah, the BDS is strictly on the 12VDC side of things. ....

battery -----(BDS)----[ power converter ]----120VAC inlet

the power converter has an AC and a DC side. the AC side is much like a small version of a home breaker box, plus its the input to the actual power converter. the DC side is the fuses to all the 12V appliances, and the battery connections that go through the BDS. the actual converter is like a battery charger, so if the BSD is closed/active/enabled, then the battery will get charged by the converter if its plugged into power, and the DC appliances will get powered by the battery if there is no AC power.

[occer]

You do not need to remove the outside housing to check the wires.

Looking inside the trailer where the electricity enters the trailer. Use a pair of channel lock players and remove the small wire retainer (it looks like a plastic nut). There is also a rubber seal and plastic piece inside behind the plastic nut they also needs to be removed to allow the plug to be pulled out. Then if you remove the three screws inside the housing the white insides should pull out.

You may have to push the wire from inside the trailer, it is 10 guage and rather stiff.

[Bill and Earline]

Pauly,

One observation I have made on my trailer which is now 9 years old has to do with the twist-lock at the outside connection between my detachable power cord and the trailer.

If I actually try to twist and lock the cord, sometimes I get no power.

If I just plug the cord straight in and don't twist or lock it, it always works.

So guess which one I do now.

[JohnK]

Originally Posted by Pauly D

Our Escape 19 is less than a month old. Shore power worked fine on the way home from Chilliwack where we recently picked up the trailer. Back home, the shore power will not work (30 amp detachable cord with the twist lock). Troubleshooting with ETI over the phone, it seems the power isn't getting past the Conntek inlet. Escape's best guess is that there's a loose wire in the inlet.

My question: ETI (they've been great so far) is perfectly willing to pay to have a local RV repair shop do the repair, but they say the repair should be pretty straightforward as follows: 2 people are required - one person to hold the 3 nuts inside while the other removes the 3 screws on the outside; remove the inlet, fix the loose wire which should be apparent, re-attach the inlet. Some minor recaulking required outside. Rather than waiting for probably a long turnaround for repair at the local RV shop, I'm wondering if this repair should be as easy as it sounds? (I'm no electrician or very handy person.) I crawled under the bed with flashlight and can see the 3 nuts bedded in the styrofoam insulation (not sure what this insulation is called). On the outside of the TT, once the 3 screws are removed, will the inlet separate easily from the trailer for repair of the loose wire? Since the trailer is less than a month old, I would really hate to risk damaging the finish, weatherproofing, or anything else in any way. If we (spouse and I) attempt the repair ourselves, is there anything else we should know? Are we better off just taking the trailer in for expert repair even if we might not have our Escape back for a while?

I've read in the Escape Forum about others who've replaced the stock inlet with the SmartPlug, or who've had other electrical issues, but haven't seen anything about the actual repair to this inlet (maybe because it is pretty basic?). Sorry if this is already discussed elsewhere.

We'd be grateful for any thoughts and advice.

Pauly D, thinking a bit wildly out of the box here, I'm wondering if you have eliminated the possibility of a GFI problem. GFI's have a knack for tricking people into taking things apart and replacing them when the real problem might be a ground fault somewhere such as a burned out water heater electric element. It's happened to me.
John

[Pauly D]

Thanks, everyone. Success with my shore power! I'm drinking a rum and coke to celebrate!

ETI had advised me that I needed to remove the 3 screws/nuts and remove the inlet to check for a loose wire. They said it was a 2-person job, one to secure the nuts inside the trailer while the other undid the screws outside. Not knowing any better, I thought this is what was required.

Until tonight. I followed occer's advice step-by-step, and removed the inner plug only, not the outer housing. Once the plug was outside the trailer, I confirmed that the negative wire was loose and barely making contact and the ground was also loose. The screws securing these 2 wires were quite loose. The positive was secure and screwed tight.

Anyway, this was a very easy fix after all. I'm still baffled by ETI's instructions, but very grateful for all the experience and knowledge shared here. (I'm baffled too, of course, that these wires were so loose.)

I've gotten to know our new trailer fairly up close and personal, having been under the bed and back to the plug several times now. I think I've almost spent as much time under the bed as I have on it! Before this experience, I wouldn't have imagined a large ish adult could fit under there!

Thank you all again. Very much appreciated. Cheers, Paul

[oldwave]

Originally Posted by Pauly D

Thanks, everyone. Success with my shore power! I'm drinking a rum and coke to celebrate!

ETI had advised me that I needed to remove the 3 screws/nuts and remove the inlet to check for a loose wire. They said it was a 2-person job, one to secure the nuts inside the trailer while the other undid the screws outside. Not knowing any better, I thought this is what was required.

Until tonight. I followed occer's advice step-by-step, and removed the inner plug only, not the outer housing. Once the plug was outside the trailer, I confirmed that the negative wire was loose and barely making contact and the ground was also loose. The screws securing these 2 wires were quite loose. The positive was secure and screwed tight.

Anyway, this was a very easy fix after all. I'm still baffled by ETI's instructions, but very grateful for all the experience and knowledge shared here. (I'm baffled too, of course, that these wires were so loose.)

I've gotten to know our new trailer fairly up close and personal, having been under the bed and back to the plug several times now. I think I've almost spent as much time under the bed as I have on it! Before this experience, I wouldn't have imagined a large ish adult could fit under there!

Thank you all again. Very much appreciated. Cheers, Paul

I guess ETI assembly line has never heard of a torque screw driver. These things are rolling earthquakes. I’m always checking screws for vibration looseness. But that’s one that should be torqued.

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by Pauly D

Thanks, everyone. Success with my shore power! I'm drinking a rum and coke to celebrate!

ETI had advised me that I needed to remove the 3 screws/nuts and remove the inlet to check for a loose wire. They said it was a 2-person job, one to secure the nuts inside the trailer while the other undid the screws outside. Not knowing any better, I thought this is what was required.

Until tonight. I followed occer's advice step-by-step, and removed the inner plug only, not the outer housing. Once the plug was outside the trailer, I confirmed that the negative wire was loose and barely making contact and the ground was also loose. The screws securing these 2 wires were quite loose. The positive was secure and screwed tight.

Anyway, this was a very easy fix after all. I'm still baffled by ETI's instructions, but very grateful for all the experience and knowledge shared here. (I'm baffled too, of course, that these wires were so loose.)

I've gotten to know our new trailer fairly up close and personal, having been under the bed and back to the plug several times now. I think I've almost spent as much time under the bed as I have on it! Before this experience, I wouldn't have imagined a large ish adult could fit under there!

Thank you all again. Very much appreciated. Cheers, Paul

Nice work getting this solved! The reality is that help from the forum can sometimes be better than ETI. Many times someone has dealt with the same or related issue before.