'06 Cavalier. 30 Amp service soon to be 50. Progressive Dynamics PD4560 dist. box.

Now for the weird and the question, Lol.
Everytime the converter is on my radios pickup tons of RFI and the television signal is lost(DTV). Pulled out the volt meter and did some reading: I have 34 VAC from chassis ground to 120 VAC ground. If I pull all DC grounds(Converter and chassis)and shut the converter down, I still have lights although very dim. Also, if the chassis ground rubs with the 120VAC ground wires on branch circuits, the converter sounds like it is arcing even though, the 120VAC ground is not connected. I did find one ground loop. Had a small gauge wire that was grounded somewhere but when disconnected, Has no effect on anything else. Tried to get a schematic from gulfstream and they're no help. If I probe the 120VAC neutral to ground with the ground pulled, I still have 34 VAC. Connected, 1.2VAC. If I kill every breaker there is no voltage. With every breaker I switch back on, The voltage goes up. I even have AC voltage at the converter output on or off. And by off, I shut the breaker off and checked with voltmeter. 0 Volts. Checked to see if any DC circuits were back feeding voltage, None are. What am I looking at here and what do I need to correct it? I'm fairly proficient with electricity. Thats also why I was "playing" in a live box. And even on my surge protectors that show if it is grounded, With the 120 VAC ground pulled, it still shows a weak ground. I did ground the aluminum body a while back and looks like I should have...
Looked all down the chassis and see nowhere 120VAC should come into contact with it.
Also found out 30 VAC doesn't even tingle. Or I'm that used to it. If something doesnt make sense, Please let me know. This is REALLY confusing.
Thanks in advance.
Update: Did a continuity check across neutral and ground, Shows dead short. This is going through just the wire coming into the box, Not connected to any circuits. Although, My plug tester shows everything is fine.

 

Bump. Someone here must know something about electrical systems.

 

Stand by there are a couple of experts in RV's.

I hate electrical myself. I read your posting. In the old days you could put something inline of a radio or tv to help with interferance. Don't know if that still applies to today.

 

Used to be yeah. I remember some of those devices and have a couple laying around for nostalgia. This is nuts what I've got though. I've been playing with electricity since I was a kid and tripping every breaker in the house and not killing myself doing it. I just rechecked everything and now I've got 12.7 from neutral to 120VAC/DC ground with 120VAC service ground pulled and 120VAC from mains hot to AC/Body ground also with service ground pulled. Also getting 12.7 from AC/DC ground buss to service ground wire when it is pulled. Evidently the voltage changes and whatever the 12.7VAC is is also getting into the DC system. At one time, I had 80VAC in the DC system. This has stumped 2 electricians I know. They're not sure how the 120VAC grounds are acting as a return for the DC voltage or how the body/chassis is conducting a full 120 volts with no other connection to ground except the service ground. And the strangest this is, There are no shorts anywhere in the system... Only thing that shows a short is the neutral and ground in the service receptical outside the unit. I thought maybe the neutral was open but all my test equipment shows the system is fine although my meter and experience say otherwise.

 

What I think you have is a leakage between the neutral and ground somewhere in the trailer, turning off the breakers will not affect it you have to remove the device from the circuit. I would start by unplugging the the 120 Volt cord from the back of the refrigerator, if it's not plugged in you will have to disconnect the wires to it. Next go to the water heater if you have a electric element then the converter. Be sure to completely remove each device completely including the ground. It sounds like it's a heating element so start there. I would also unplug everything in the trailer including the microwave.

Denny

 

There you go, unplug and see which one bothers. Then fix that device. makes sense to me.

 

Unplugged and pulled breakers and used an inverter to test. The different voltages are now the same. Still have AC in the DC system but no DC in the AC system. AC branch grounds still act like a return for DC and chassis still conducts AC.

 

Pulling the breaker will not work you have to completely remove the devices form the circuit even if that means removing the wires. The neutral and ground have to be disconnected.

I will try and explain this a little better, all your devices have the neutral and the ground connected all the time even when they are shut off so if one has a leakage to ground it can still do it even when it's off so they have to be removed form the circuit completely to find out what one is causing the problem, they can draw leakage current from another device in the circuit. It's a long drawn out process but it's the only way I know of doing it. It will always be the last one you disconnect.
Denny

 

Thats what I meant when I said I "unplugged" and pulled the breakers.

 

Did you also remove the 120 volt wires form the hot water heater? If that doesn't work then go into your panel and start removing hot, neutral and ground wires for each circuit until the stray voltage disappears. I had to find stray voltages in milking barns a few times and it was a pain in the you know what.

Denny

 

It has a LPG water heater with 12VDC ignition. I want to say I have around 40VAC stray thats being backfed from the main panel for the property. An electrician some time ago used the ground as a neutral because for some reason, The neutral wire was bad. I'm not sure. Once that "ground" is connected, Things change. I have litteraly pulled EVERY breaker and fuse out, unplugged this ENTIRE place, Checked and rechecked so many things to the point the strand wires are starting to come apart. I just dont get it.

 

Plug it in somewhere else and see if it goes away, the problem may not be the trailer but the power coming into it.

Denny

 

Tomorrow I'm going to try anouther inverter. Can't really change power sources at the time. All he did was bypass the neutral on a circuit to get 2 recepticals to work again. And those two are currently in use now. But what I don't get is how are the AC and DC systems connecting with each other when there are no shorts? The ground in branch circuits acts like return for DC and the DC returns are acting as a return for AC... Some strange bullsheeeee....... But before I pull out the other inverter, What else can I try?

 

I think your problem isn't in the trailer but in your service, you can't play with the neutral and ground or bypass either one. Get the service fixed before you worry about the trailer. Funny things happen without a solid neutral or using the ground as a neutral. Your little 3 light indicator is easy to fake out.

Denny

 

Lets say hypothetically I get a good service and no more stray voltage, What about the AC and DC systems flirting? BTW, I know those 3 light testers are VERY easily fooled. They're only used to give an idea and should not be taken literally. Trying to get this done as quickly as possible because I don't like electrical systems being dis-functional.