Dead Outlets

[TBotNik]

All,

I recently purchased own a 2000 Skyline Nomad 5th Wheel RV Trailer. There is no longer any support for this unit as Skyline sold their RV biz to Evergreen in 2014 and Evergreen went bust.

I have 2 dead outlet, 1 under the table on the right (door) inside, the other is the outside outlet on the same right side of the trailer. With no factory support i called the local RV sales & service center Pittsburg RV in Pittsburg TX and was told that these older RVs used only one GFI, which the outside outlet must be connected to since the outside outlt must be GFI protected by law.

So figuring, I have to start at the only GFI outlet in the kitchen, far bask left corner, to see if I can find a discounnect.

If anyone has better or more info on this, sure would appreciate anyy feedback you can add.

Gotta get the outside outlet working to hookup the water line heaters.

Again all help appreciated!

Cheers!

TBNK

 

[TBotNik]

Sorry: Spell checking sure didn't work here!

 

[boatbuilder]

You may also have a GFCI in the bathroom. My trailer had one tucked up under the counter in a little storage space.

 

[TBotNik]

You may also have a GFCI in the bathroom. My trailer had one tucked up under the counter in a little storage space.

I looked in all cabinets, no luck. Called the local RV sales and repair, they said the older RVs only have one GFI, so the one in the kitchen is the only one and so these 4 outlets should be chained together.

Being a 5th wheel unit the outlet at the lavratory is in the open under storage section of the RV, but see no wires connecting them. Thinking of running a new 12-2 ROMEX in that under storage, to connect the 2.

Going to drop the power at the kitchen GFI and see if the lavratory one goes out, or if it is tied to a seperate breaker. Once it is dead will find and pull back the lavratory wires to pull in the new ROMEX and then proceed from there.

Cheers!
TBNK

 

[Rene T]

Welcome to the forum
Is the one outside a GFCI?

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

Maybe before you go running new line, check all the existing outlets. Good bet they're daisy chained together for a given circuit and RV's use those stab-on connections that I wouldn't place a lot of faith in after 20+ years in a mobile environment. You might get lucky and all you need is a $5 outlet.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[HikerBob]

I had a whole line of outlets that didn't work. It happened to be the closest outlet to the power source.

 

[TBotNik]

Welcome to the forum
Is the one outside a GFCI?

No!

 

[TBotNik]

Maybe before you go running new line, check all the existing outlets. Good bet they're daisy chained together for a given circuit and RV's use those stab-on connections that I wouldn't place a lot of faith in after 20+ years in a mobile environment. You might get lucky and all you need is a $5 outlet.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

Mark,

When the lavatory outlet is dead, I'll pull the outside outlet, turn pwr on and see if the wire go hot. If so, being electrician, have plenty of outlet and they are only $0.98 ea.

Cheers!

 

[CharlesinGA]

Mark,

When the lavatory outlet is dead, I'll pull the outside outlet, turn pwr on and see if the wire go hot. If so, being electrician, have plenty of outlet and they are only $0.98 ea.

Cheers!

First off, 98 cent receptacles are junk, I would never suggest them to anyone. Second, RV receptacles are different, they are self contained, with no box, and you can expect to pay $10 to $15 each for them, or you can install a shallow box (as usually there is very little depth for the receptacle) and then install a regular receptacle.

Every RV is different in the location and number of GFCI receptacles, and just because a dealer says "old RVs only have one GFCI" does not mean that there are not two of them in there.

Charles

 

[Ray-IN]

Being you are an electrician, you have a NC AC voltage tester, use it to follow that circuit from the main breaker panel to the first receptacle in the circuit, if it is live, then trace to the next receptacle, and so on until you find the dead spot.
FWIW, my MH has 3 GFCI receptacles, the owners manual says it has two. One is hidden in a "garage door" cubby hole designed for a coffee maker. (that is 2 in the same branch circuit)

 

[John From Detroit]

The outside pocket is always GFCI protected.. Usually you have one actual GFCI (Some rigs have two) other outlets epically in areas subject to moisture (Kitchen/bathrooms) may also be chained off a GFCI outlet....
The outside outlet sometimes gets filled with water and trips the GFCI.

 

[TBotNik]

First off, 98 cent receptacles are junk, I would never suggest them to anyone. Second, RV receptacles are different, they are self contained, with no box, and you can expect to pay $10 to $15 each for them, or you can install a shallow box (as usually there is very little depth for the receptacle) and then install a regular receptacle.

Every RV is different in the location and number of GFCI receptacles, and just because a dealer says "old RVs only have one GFCI" does not mean that there are not two of them in there.

Charles

Charles,

No that is the best quality outlets, but when electricians buy them 100 or more, that is the going price, yes retail is $3.50-$6.50, but bulk wholesale price is much much lower as you buy straight from the manufacturer, not from the wholesalers. Your retail price is from passing the purchase through 3-6 wholesalers, each taking a profit.

I'm suspecting what Mark said about the Stab-ons is correct, because they finally had so many problems with them they the NEC outlawed their use, so now all wires must stripped and screwed down, but all outlet still have the stab-down holes, since they had already set up all tools to do that and will not change the tooling to avoid that extra expense.

Real cold this morning, so waiting till it warms some to tackle this.

Cheers,


TBNK

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

The self-contained outlets often used in RVs typically do not have stabs. Instead they lay the wires in press-in slots and clamp them in place with the rear casing. That style isn't gonna come loose, no matter how much the RV does shake, rattle & roll.

 

[TBotNik]

All,

Well went to set the GI into test, but does not snap into test so first having to replace this GFI outlet.

Cheers!

TBNK

 

[TBotNik]

SP: GFI

 

[CharlesinGA]

You can edit your existing posts for up to 24 hours after you make them, for example, my post #10 is still showing the edit button to me, even though its been about 22 hours since I made the post.

Not great receptacles but given the shallow locations where they are installed, its about all that will fit many times.

I installed a box and industrial grade receptacle in the base of my dinette to plug my space heater into. These RV specific receptacles are OK for a few amps but cannot handle long, heavy draws of current.

Charles

 

[Old_Crow]

All,

Well went to set the GI into test, but does not snap into test so first having to replace this GFI outlet.

Cheers!

TBNK

Does the outlet even have power to it? It won't trip the test button if there's no power to the outlet.

 

[Tulecreeper]

Being you are an electrician, you have a NC AC voltage tester, use it to follow that circuit from the main breaker panel to the first receptacle in the circuit, if it is live, then trace to the next receptacle, and so on until you find the dead spot.
FWIW, my MH has 3 GFCI receptacles, the owners manual says it has two. One is hidden in a "garage door" cubby hole designed for a coffee maker. (that is 2 in the same branch circuit)

And you've never had trouble with that circuit? Not always, but it's not rare for two GFI outlets on the same circuit to "fight" each other for some reason.

 

[TBotNik]

Having to replace the existing GFI outlet today and in tthe process of testing found the outlet just inside the door is in the GFI ckt, which is closest to the under the table outlet, so will look at that while the ckt is dead.

Cheers!

TBNK