RV Doctor Column RV Doctor #306 Dear RV Doctor, we have a 1996 Gulf Stream 21-foot Stream Lite. The electrical outlet at the bathroom sink, corner bed, refrigerator outlet as well as the outside outlets, do not work. The only outlet working is the one above the kitchen sink. All appliances, lights and pumps work. Where do you reset the GFI protected outlets? Could the GFI breaker be bad? Or could the outlets themselves be bad? This is our first RV and we're not sure where to look or where to start. Tammie Arrasmith, (Washington CH, OH) Tammie, GFCI-protected outlets are typically on the same circuit. The required ground fault protection device can either be installed as a duplex outlet itself, usually in the lavatory, or as a GFCI breaker mounted in the distribution panelboard. The outlet type GFCI will have a test button and a reset button. Once the GFCI is tripped, the circuit must be re-energized by simply pushing in the "reset" button. If the ground fault is still detected it will immediately trip again. The breaker-type GFCI will trip much like a normal circuit breaker would and must be switched fully off before being switched to the up or "on" position. It too, will have a test button. Keep in mind, the coach must be plugged into shore power (or generator power) and the ground fault must not be present for either type to successfully reset. If the GFCI keeps tripping, it's time to have the complete system checked for ground faults. I would recommend a professional technician perform those tests. Dear Doc, we have a just purchased an older 24-foot motorhome with the fresh water holding tank under the couch area. We notice that besides the hose connection from the tank to the pump (at the end side of the tank), there is a small tap and a hole in the floor directly beneath it. The little tap sticks out about 1/4" to 1/2" inch for something that would screw onto it and perhaps lead through the hole to the underside of the unit. Could you please tell me what this is for and how I would do the proper connection? Sym Yee, (Vancouver, BC) Sym, what you are seeing could be a location for the tank drain. If you already have a tank drain located on the side of the motorhome, perhaps it was added and the one you see inside was the old location. I've also seen tanks with outlets that were tapped, but not drilled all the way through thereby providing an optional location for an outlet or drain for the coach manufacturer to utilize in the floor plan. It may not currently be in use at all. If the tank holds water, does not leak and is equipped with a drain somewhere else, I would guess this was an older drain location and a previous owner decided it was not convenient to go under the couch to drain the tank and simply installed another one outside, or it is an unused outlet provided by the tank maker for the coach maker. However, the presence of a hole through the floor leads me to believe the former. Dear RV Doctor, we would like to know how a motorhome door can rot on the inside of the door. Movin' on Mobility, (Ft. Myers, FL) Dear Movin', moisture that enters any cavity has the propensity to mildew and eventually rot support members if undetected and repaired. Some motorhome doors have wooden frames and other materials sandwiched between the inner and outer panels. If rain or condensation has permeated this area, it's quite likely water damage would result. If the door has a wooden panel on the inside and a metal outside, the interior panel will deteriorate at a faster rate. Many doors can be repaired however. Dear Gary, my husband recently had an electric outlet installed at our house for our 5th wheel so we could run the refrigerator and other items while at home. The electrician put in a 220-volt outlet and a 30-amp breaker on the box. When we plugged it in it blew the microwave and we are not sure about the refrigerator. We are also sure it blew the converter. A very hard lesson learned and I am sure an expensive one. We take it in soon to our dealer to assess the damage. My question is; what sort of an outlet should we have installed to run the air condition and appliances. We used to plug it into our regular house current and it would blow the breaker in the house. Can you help us; dumb, dumb and dumber! Colleen Salazar, (Grand Junction, CO) Colleen, I'm sure sorry to hear about your electrical problem. The receptacle should have been wired with a 30-amp configuration for 120-volts AC, not 220-volts. Indeed the microwave is probably toast as is the heating element in the refrigerator (if it was turned on) and most assuredly the converter. Doubling the voltage is extremely harmful. I am flabbergasted the electrician did not think to ask what was going to be plugged in to that receptacle. Insurance, (yours or the electricians) may cover such damage. There may be other avenues of recourse as well. Your "regular" house current was the correct voltage, but the circuit was evidently undersized for the demand placed on it by the RV. It was probably a 15 or 20-amp circuit while the RV is rated for and could draw up to 30 amps. The jump from a 15 to a 30-amp circuit includes the change of configuration to that of the shoreline cord....but still at 120-volts. Be sure the dealer checks all the wiring as well as every electrical component in the RV. This situation also calls for an insulation breakdown test to be sure the wiring itself was damaged.
[ Home ] [ Ask the RV Doctor ] [ RV Doctor Column ] [ Memorandums ] [ Interesting Articles ] [ Product Spotlight ] [RV Service Technician Training ] [ Seminars ] [ Links ] [ Gary's Bio ] Send your questions and comments to: gbunzer@cox.net Copyright©2002 Bunzer Consulting Website Design by Camping World, Inc.