Quote: Turns out it was a GFCI trip inside the trailer, on one of the wall outlets, that supplied power to ALL the other 120v outlets
That's stupidty, IMHO. This means you lose all 120V power in your RV until the tripped GFI gets solved.
It's especially stupid if the GFI is of the same design as the one that came in my Itasca. The one in my Itasca can be tripped only ONCE and not reset. You must replace it with a new one if it ever trips just once - which mine did.
I wonder what genious thought up this disposable GFI idea?
All the GFI's in our residence can be reset and that's the type that should be in RVs, too.
I've never seen a non-resettable GFI. They must have power to them to be able to reset them.
The contacts in them is rather light and don't last very long if re-set with a rather heavy load on them. It's a good practice to remove the load before resetting.
A GFCI isn't expensive but it does cost more than a standard receptacle. It is common to have one GFCI protect the entire circuit. I don't see any issue with doing it that way.
The fact that person assumes a device is defective without first verifying that it has power is the fault of the person, not the system.
Even if you are on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there.
- Will Rogers, American actor
I'm in agreement with the OP on this. Installing one GFCI for the whole coach is merely a cost saving method for the Mfg. and, although just as protective as multiple GFCI's, is not as efficient as installing multiple GFCI's on different branch circuits. If any device is plugged into any outlet in the OP's coach and has a problem, the single GFCI will trip. Thsi will put more wear on the single GFCI than if multiples were used. I know some lead a charmed life and may never experience a GFCI trip but for the fumbling rest of us, this will probably lead to replacement of the single GFCI down the road. Hopefully, it won't happen during one of those Golden moments of camping or when there is an immediate need for power in a touchy situation.
I've had two go bad in the TT. Fortunately, we remodeled the S&B kitchen last year, so I re-used the GFCIs from there (less than 10 years old).
I also have a bad microwave plug, but its up in a cabinet. Get to it sometime.
Can you say Pacer/Gremlin!
The RV industry is so caught up in penny pinching. They have no control over the junk their suppliers provide.
The GFCIs I replaced were JUNK. Don't defend the manufacturers that push this stuff out the door. A one-time GFCI? What's the difference in price, 50 cents when bought in bulk?
Chuck, Heidi, Jessica & Nicholas
2013 Tiffin Allegro 35QBA
I have worked in the trade since 1954 and while most of my work was in a field other than residential wiring we started including GFCI's in our field equipment as a safety feature. We started in the 80's with outlet types only on the field service outlet and then slowly went to GFCI's after the main fuse and surge protection to accomodate all the equipment in the cabinet AND the field service outlet. Which is to say in Los Angeles City when you see one of those boxes that controls the traffic lights, everything inside that box is GFCI protected including an outlet for AC powered equipment. It does not include the signal lights themselves, they are on a branch circuit and have their own protections.
In the twenty some years that we required the GFCI, I can say I never saw a failure, they don't happen that often with quality manufactured outlets. We used 25 amp rated GFCI outlets that are basically MilSpec. I have as required by code or convience, separate GFCI's for each bathroom, the kitchen, garage and each exterior outlet. They were not required when we had our home built and I forgot to include them as an extra but I did put them in later and have outlets spected at 25 amps in each location. Once again over 20 years and no failures. The GFCI that controls my garage and the one for the outlet at the front of the garage, are tripped often, no failures of the outlets. These outlets were not purchased at Home Depot or some simular HIS.
My point being that quality does count, my outlets were more than $25.00 each and are installed in more than one circuit as required by code. RV mfgs aren't going to spend that kind of money when they can get them for $2.50 each and there is no code that requires them. RVIA requires them but is not as restrictive as the NEC and therefore they can scrimp on circuits and outlets by running them together. Is it convient for some of us, NO, but it is COST EFFECTIVE for them.
I will say that my cheap, entry level California made MoHo only has four outlets on the GFCI that is in the bathroom, up under the oversink cabinet and very difficult to see or reach, best location, maybe not but safe.
There is a site that offers articles written is simple plain language explaining S&B/NEC wiring, the site is thecircuitdective.com. If I remember correctly almost all articles are available in a PDF form for download. I hope this is at least explanitory and gives what I think are the reasons why things are done the way they are.
* This post was
edited 08/07/12 08:54am by an administrator/moderator *
"I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to go". R. L. Stevenson
I think what the OP is getting at is that ALL of his receptacles are on the same circuit. Very stupid cost saving idea IMHO. My fiver has two circuits and even that is a PITA when you have a couple of high wattage things plugged in at the same time on the same circuit.
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renoman69 wrote: I think what the OP is getting at is that ALL of his receptacles are on the same circuit. Very stupid cost saving idea IMHO. My fiver has two circuits and even that is a PITA when you have a couple of high wattage things plugged in at the same time on the same circuit.
renoman69,
Not to be a smart aleck but I don't know why using high wattage appliances would have any effect on the operation of a GFCI. It might burn out the power circuit of the outlet or trip a breaker, but it shouldn't effect the safety circuit of the outlet.
Yep ... the one in our Itasca motorhome is. It said something like "one time use only" right on the box and in the paperwork that was in the box. And ... they aren't 2-3 bucks each, either. More like $15-$17 each.
Quote: I'm in agreement with the OP on this. Installing one GFCI for the whole coach is merely a cost saving method for the Mfg. and, although just as protective as multiple GFCI's, is not as efficient as installing multiple GFCI's on different branch circuits.
That's why manufacturers use only a single GFI to protect several circuts in an RV ... plain and simple.
Quote: In the twenty some years that we required the GFCI, I can say I never saw a failure, they don't happen that often with quality manufactured outlets.
How the (resettable) ones fail in my residence is they won't stay ON very well over the years after you've done a few resets on them. I had to replace one on my electric pressure washer because it wouldn't stay SET long after resetting. The one on my extension cord real won't stay on long now, either. The GFI's on our residence did cost $20-$25 years ago, too .... they're the individual ones in each outlet - not one per branch in the distribution panel.
Not a problem. Common design/engineering is to place up to 10 duplex recepticals on one circuit. Smaller tt may not have more than that in the whole tt. Of course there are always other design criteria to anything. JMHO
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