Ford Mobile Power Cord tripping 50am breaker in cold weather

[Stalemate]

Lol at the "64 volts (amps)" guy, who should definitely NOT be licensed as that is not at all how it works. Residential 240v uses both legs of the same phase so measuring one is the same as measuring the other (assuming no 120v contribution). Have you considered switching it out for a non-GFCI breaker just to see how it behaves? That would rule out an overcurrent situation.

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[thequackenbush]

Yeah my mobile power cord outside in the cold with my truck keeps popping a gfci outlet.
Oddly enough though it works perfectly fine with my wife’s Honda prologue

 

[hturnerfamily]

Let's break down this 'issue', as described by the original post:

A) the Ford Mobile EVSE works perfectly fine in temperate/even warm/hot temps. It draws in the neighborhood of 29.5/30 amps, at 240v, maximum. It may say it is 'rated' at 32 amps, but that is a rating, only.

B) the owner is using a typical NEMA 14-50 240v 50amp-wired outlet, on a 50amp double-slot 240v breaker set, at least that's what we are assuming. That's 50amp PER SIDE, which is, as we all know, PLENTY of power and available overhead for such a 'typical' EVSE requirement.

C) the issue is a TRIPPING of the outlet's breaker. This happens, as the owner states, when the truck is parked outside and the temps are 30 degrees or LOWER. Trying another NEW Ford Mobile EVSE causes the same issue.

So, what can we take from this?

1) Temps that LOW should never come into play when it comes to 'overheating' issues with outlets and breakers, since they obviously have LESS temperature issues when temps are low. You would think this 'tripping' would be due to HIGHER temps, not lower ones.

2) The owner may can charge another vehicle with no issues.

3) it certainly 'feels' like this is something to do with the vehicle, itself, although the symptoms don't point to anything with 'charging' as the real issue. Maybe there is a GFCI or 'ground fault' or 'ground loss' that is somehow triggering the EVSE, or the outlet's breaker, to create this tripping issue.
It seems odd that anything GFCI or Ground-related would have much of anything to do with temperature, though.

These trucks are sensitive to ground faults, as with the ProPower output, but that has to do with the truck's INVERTER, for output, not the CONVERTER, for charging. Converters take 120v/240v power and convert it to a battery's DC power. When charging, from a 240v outlet, the Inverter does not come into play.
If a heat source, such as within the truck, for cabin temperature, or for battery temperature, I would imagine that this is being drawn from the 12v battery, while being charged by the HV battery, as needed.

From a 240v power standpoint, even if the truck employs it's heating for the battery pack while charging, there is still no more power being required than the maximum 30amps thru the EVSE, so tripping due to 'too much power' is simply not in play.

Another thought, though, is the wiring at both the OUTLET, and the BREAKERS. While low temps would not seem to matter, there could be a wire that, while warm temps allow it to be more flexible and stay in contact with the connectors, in colder temps, though, this wire may remain too 'stiff', and not be making correct contact, causing an initial 'arc', which can immediately trip the breaker, etc. Odd, but I suppose possible. At least, unless this Outlet/Breaker set is a GFCI type, although quite uncommon. If so, anything is possible, as GFCI outlets/breakers are sensitive and sometimes quite annoying in their 'nuisance' tripping patterns.

For instance, my camper can easily plug into a standard household outlet with no issues, using everything from the overhead air conditioner, to the microwave. The moment you plug it into a GFCI outlet, though, all bets are off. It 'might' work for a moment, or all day, or it 'might' trip immediately, or when you deploy one of the larger amperage power appliances, or maybe in the middle of the day, for no apparent reason. Crazy. I steer clear of GFCI outlets.

 

[TaxmanHog]

Nearly two year old discussion, quoting helps......

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