OK RV_Tech, put your electrical hat on...
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Logistics Pro
Joined: Jan 2007
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From: Martinsburg, WV
OK RV_Tech, put your electrical hat on...
My 96 Fleetwood TT, I went to start getting it ready for spring and the very vaguely described GP circuit breaker is tripping. I unplugged the converter and fridge and still no dice. I did find a couple outlets that looked suspect like they have had moisture in the past, so I pulled them out of the circuit. Still pops. You can hear it load pretty good before it pops. Any known trouble spots on these for chaffing or the like? I can't thing of anything else on that circuit other than outlets. Just looking for a heads up before I dig headlong and just pull everything out. The main doesn't pop, and the a/c circuit is fine, as well as the microwave circuit. just the general doesn't like me...
Thanks,
Thanks,
FTE Legend
Joined: Jul 2005
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From: Millersville, MD
You are going to have to unplug anything that is connected to an outlet then reset the breaker to see if it still pops. If it does, first thing I'd try is a new breaker of the SAME value. If THAT one still pops, one of the GP legs has a wire somewhere that has rubbed the insulation off and is shorting to ground. Now it gets difficult! Try the above first then get back to us.
Senior User
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 320
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From: Illinois
The GP circuit are you referring to the ground fault? If so Id start at the outside like sweet pea said then kitchen sink area then bathroom sink area. The Ground fault breakers and outlets tend to go bad over time we see it all the time in house wiring normally the outlets don't last as long as the breakers. Does the breaker have a push to test switch? If not and its tripping I would suspect a bad GFI outlet.
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Logistics Pro
Joined: Jan 2007
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From: Martinsburg, WV
There is no test on the breaker. There is one outlet in the head that is GFI, already pulled it out of the loop. I have not yet had a chance to pull the outdoor outlet, which is also GFI protected, or at least it says... Probably get back to it this weekend, DST does me no favors as far as day light in the evenings.
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Senior User
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 320
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From: Illinois
You pulled the GFI out of the loop and wired through it and the main breaker to that circuit still pops I would lean to the outside outlet must be a bad short there hopefully thats where you will find it.
Postmaster
Joined: Sep 2010
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From: Southern Cal
Just remember that gfi's can be hooked up in series, allowing outlets beyond the gfi to also be protected by the first one in line. I would test all gfi's in your rig, not knowing if any of your regular outlets are gfi protected.
Senior User
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 320
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From: Illinois
He pulled the GFI out let out of the circuit so the ones usually in that series are kitchen bathroom sink and outside outlets most common problem are the outsides getting rusty or lose connections but it has to be one of those outlets or MICE 
Postmaster
Joined: Sep 2010
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From: Southern Cal
Thinking out loud, not sure if he had more than 1 gfi in his rig. Many discount the outlet if not a gfi, overlooking other potential options.
Senior User
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 320
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From: Illinois
Yeah he said he had one push to test outlet in his head. So the others would be anything within hands reach of water or outside wet location outlets. If memory serves me I think a GFI outlet can carry 2-3 more.
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 17,988
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From: La La Land
There's no electrical reason for an almost unlimited number of outlets to be "pigtailed" off a single GFI, though there may be some Code restrictions.
I believe all the duplex plugs in my travel trailer are GFI-protected off of one, except for the microwave and TV outlets.
Pop
I believe all the duplex plugs in my travel trailer are GFI-protected off of one, except for the microwave and TV outlets.
Pop
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From: Martinsburg, WV
Just to update, I finally got this project finished. I ended up rewiring the entire street side of the trailer. This trailer was wrecked at some point in the past before I got it and was reskinned on the street side. The mouth breathing "techs" that did the repair screwed through the run in a few spots, and in a another spot is was left outside the framing and it finally chafed through to the skin at a rough edge. The breaker was fine, as was the GFI. The outside outlet was fine, but did not survive, it cracked while I was taking it apart. It's bypassed for now, I'll replace it in the future. I've only used it once in 5 years anyway. I'll be able to camp out at Carlisle again this year and now hopefully take it out more now that I have the Excursion. The GFI in the head takes care of the head, the outdoor and the sink outlets, and the one last one on curbside up by the table. Everything else in the circuit before it is breaker alone.