GFCI outlet to refrigerator. I can't find it!

arnrod172

Member
Howdy forum,

I purchased my first RV Aug. 2nd and been liking it so far! I was figuring out how some of the settings with the refrigerator when suddenly LP comes on, I tried hitting auto again, LP only came on, hit it once more and went back to auto with the LP light on still.

Did my research and learned about both systems, got my multimeter out and found it was the 120VAC outlet in the back not getting power.

My troubleshooting thus far:

Tripped all breakers and shore breakers, resetting them. Checked 5amp and 3 amp fuses in the back of refer unit, as well as main fuse in the fusebox all intact.

Reset GFCI outlet in bathroom. (Heartland live chat tells me there is also one in the kitchen, but the only 2 outlets I see in the kitchen is:
1: single plug outlet for the kitchen microwave, which works with no problem.
2: a non GFCI plug that also doesn't have any power running to it. I get max 7V that fluctuates when I put multimeter in(same for the refrigerator outlet out back).

My RV is a Big Horn 2011 3610re.

Any help is appreciated!
 

danemayer

Well-known member
Hi arnrod172,

If you have several outlets without power, in the kitchen slide, check under the slide for a junction box. Shut off power before opening the box and then check for loose/disconnected wires.

Also check the wires that go up into the slide to make sure nothing is damaged.
 

boatto5er

Founding VA Chap Ldr (Ret)
Check for outlets under the upper cabinets also. We have two of them that unless you bend over and look up under the cabinet you may have never seen.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

arnrod172

Member
Just opened up the junction box, I found two white terminals, two black terminals, and a green one, that was anchored to what looks like a copper ground bolted by a screw. Everything seems to be in order there. The exposed terminals all properly capped with protective plastics as to not make any contact with other wires, as well as the cords leading to and from the slide don't seem damaged and properly insulted.

Thank you for the input, I hadn't thought about the junction box, unfortunately wiggling stuff around to make sure nothing was loose didn't solve the problem. I just now found one more outlet in the slide where the recliners are that doesn't seem to have power either, next to it a phone port.
 

arnrod172

Member
Thanks for the reply,

I did find one under the lower part of the lower cabinet that doesn't have any power; mentioned as #2. and the one in the upper cabinet that powers the microwave that seems to work. None of which seem to have a GFCI Reset/Test button.

Yeah, easily missed especially since I'm 6'2" had to get on all fours for that one, hahah!
 

cookie

Administrator
Staff member
All receptacles that require GFI protection are protected by a single GFI interrupter in your bathroom.
Those would include basement, outside, kitchen and bath receptacles. The receptacle for the refrigerator is considered outside. Your microwave receptacle is not considered one that needs to be protected by anything other than a circuit breaker.
You will need to find out if you have 120 volts going to the bathroom receptacle. If you do you need to check if there is 120 going out.
If you find 120 going in but not going out replace the GFI. It is not unheard of for them to fail.
Did you test the breaker that protects that circuit?


Peace
Dave
 

Westwind

Well-known member
First I would check the circuit breakers, click the circuit - circuit breaker off and on to make sure it made a solid connection. Then the GFI outlet can be tricky, I replaced 2 in my previous trailer and one of the bad ones had me scratching my head until I replaced it on a maybe hunch. Used a household one from Lowes and that one lasted until we sold the trailer. Next Get a stepladder and remove the lower plastic refrigerator grill on the exterior of the refrigerator, you will find a outlet inside and a cord from the refrigerator plugged into it, I doubt if that is the problem but you might want to check it just in case. Good Luck
 

Roller4tan

Well-known member
12volt and microwave have separate wires going into the slide. The refer and other plugs have a separate incoming wire. What happened to me is exactly as you describe. The cables coming in under he slide toward the rear outside corner. I found the 120 v wire cut by a piece of metal backing for the weatherstrippng Something to look at, anyway.
 

mlpeloquin

Well-known member
I had a socket without power that was GFI protected. The problem was in the connection made in the sockets. They are insulation displacement connections. You will have to disconnect power and remove each socket to inspect the connections. This is what I found at the third socket I opened up.

Open Ground.jpg
 

ParkIt

Well-known member
Where did you find this gem? I've got other electrical work to do but didn't even think of the sockets, now they are on the list because that looks too scary for words.
I had a socket without power that was GFI protected. The problem was in the connection made in the sockets. They are insulation displacement connections. You will have to disconnect power and remove each socket to inspect the connections. This is what I found at the third socket I opened up.

View attachment 47224
 

mlpeloquin

Well-known member
Actually it was the external socket next to the storage bay. Lots of fun to find. I used a heavy duty pair of needle nose pliers to seat the first and second set. Then set the third one. It takes a fair amount of pressure to seat the wires all the way down. Bill Knight has replaced all of his sockets with shallow home remodeling boxes and home stile sockets.
 
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