GFCI wiring

**imrvman** · 05-05-2021, 03:54 PM

GFI outlets are all tied together on a trailer. Sometimes you need to poke the reset button quite hard to get it to reset. It helps to use a pen or pencil to push it in with enough force.

**Rabidd** · 05-05-2021, 05:24 PM

Nothing plugged into any outlet no power on the trailer at this time. Yes all GFI same circuit oh I poked it lots of times lol with the end of a common screwdriver.

**Malco1** · 05-05-2021, 05:30 PM

Originally Posted by Rabidd

Nothing plugged into any outlet no power on the trailer at this time. Yes all GFI same circuit oh I poked it lots of times lol with the end of a common screwdriver.

Are you shure you have power coming in to the RV. Maybe a circuit breaker tripped at the power source.

**IBEW Sparky** · 05-05-2021, 06:55 PM

Originally Posted by Rabidd

I have had a popup, and this is my third 5th wheel and have never had this type of issue. Cant get it in anywhere for repairs before I am heading to Texas in 2 weeks so I guess I will take it as is and use extension cords. I sincerely appreciate all the help maybe someone with a 320G will pipe in with some info. But keep the suggestion coming I am learning a lot.

Send me a private message if you would like me to walk you through step by step of troubleshooting over the phone. I'm 100% confident we can figure this out for you. I'm a recently retired electrician with over 37 years in the trade.... and I won't let you do ANYTHING to let you get hurt. Well electrically hurt anyway, lol.

**EDIT** I sent you a Private Message with my number.

**Rabidd** · 05-05-2021, 08:15 PM

Oh yeah plenty of power on the regular 120 side of things.

**traveldawg** · 05-05-2021, 08:52 PM

I think I recall that somewhere or sometime that someone had a circuit breaker or GFIC tripping because of a short on one of the wires in the camper. It might have been a screw that was installed in the wrong place or something like that.

If there is 120v on the input to the GFIC that is tripping then one suggestion is to start disconnecting each receptacle one-by-one starting at the end of the branch circuit working toward the GFIc receptacle. Maybe you find the source of what is causing the GFIC to trip that way.

**gbkims** · 05-06-2021, 06:14 AM

There was another post, it wasn't a GFCI tripping, but hot skin shock, with 2 wiring problems being the cause.

RV is shocking me!!
https://www.mygrandrv.com/forum/show...l=1#post200266
Hey guys, here is what the problem was .....
At the Texas rally on 10/27 I had a bedroom outlet replaced by one of the GD techs ...... problem is the ground wire was not properly trimmed and was wrapped around and touching the hot conductor/terminal. I had an electrician repair this outlet and the problem was resolved.
It took us a few hours to find the problem because I never imagined it to be the replaced outlet.

https://www.mygrandrv.com/forum/show...l=1#post203214
Hey guys, here is an update to this ….. this past Sunday we disconnected the exterior Furrion power inlet plug-in outlet (where I connect my 50amp power cord to my RV) and found the ground wire on the outside of the ground connection point. The set screw was completely seated and not making any connection to the ground wire.
We backed off the set screw and inserted the ground wire and re-set the set screw.

**BobLandry** · 05-06-2021, 06:38 AM

Originally Posted by imrvman

GFI outlets are all tied together on a trailer. Sometimes you need to poke the reset button quite hard to get it to reset. It helps to use a pen or pencil to push it in with enough force.

Outlets as in several? Nope. There is seldom more than one GFI and if there is a second one, it would be dedicated to a separate circuit. There is no need to daisy chain GFIs as one will protect all of the downstream standard outlets tied to it given they are wired correctly.
There is a ton of information on the Internet on GFIs and how they work.

**IBEW Sparky** · 05-06-2021, 07:39 AM

Originally Posted by traveldawg

I think I recall that somewhere or sometime that someone had a circuit breaker or GFIC tripping because of a short on one of the wires in the camper. It might have been a screw that was installed in the wrong place or something like that.

If there is 120v on the input to the GFIC that is tripping then one suggestion is to start disconnecting each receptacle one-by-one starting at the end of the branch circuit working toward the GFIc receptacle. Maybe you find the source of what is causing the GFIC to trip that way.

There really is no way of knowing where the "end of the branch circuit" is or how everything is wired without a schematic diagram. But if by chance you do have drawings and you've eliminated the source as being the problem the easiest way to troubleshoot any circuit with multiple devices is to start in the middle of the circuit and open it and check it both upstream and downstream... that way you automatically eliminate 1/2 of the devices. Next check is to break the half still showing a problem in the middle again eliminating 1/2 of those devices.... continuing this method until you find the problem.

**Rabidd** · 05-06-2021, 08:18 AM

Sparky I took a GFI tester and checked each outlet labeled GFI when I first had the problem and no power to any that is why I figured it had to be a circuit breaker but with no breaker labeled GFI hard to figure out.