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Some Electrical Outlets Are Not Working In My Motorhome

by Dee
(Clarksville, IN)

GFCI Outlet

GFCI Outlet

1999 Four Winds Hurricane Class A. Drivers and Passenger Side electrical outlets stopped working. All lights are OK. Changed fuses in the bedside fuse box. Still nothing.

Bedroom outlets and lights work. TV, Microwave, etc. all working. Basically 4 outlets not working. I am a neophyte at RVing, so I'm not sure what is connected to what. Any insights?


ANSWER: Hi Dee thanks for submitting your question on our Ask An RV Question Page.

What you are experiencing will not normally be caused by a blown fuse as the fuses are for your RV's 12 volt DC Electrical System which powers your RV's interior lights, the furnace blower motor, fresh water pump, etc.

Here are a couple things to look at in your RV that might get your power back on.

Pictured at the top of this page is a GFCI Outlet (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter Outlet). This special protective Electric outlet looks a lot like a normal electrical outlet except it has two buttons on it and it acts like a circuit breaker when it detects a ground fault and shuts off the power.

GFCI outlets are more sensitive than a normal circuit breaker. Once the GFCI Outlet trips any other normal outlets connected to it will also lose power.

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Look at the outlets that are not working and see if any of them look similar to the one pictured above. If you find one press the reset button and check the outlets again.

If the GFCI trips again after
you reset it; it could mean that the GFCI is bad or that you have electrical issues in that electrical circuit and you need to have a Certified RV Technician diagnose and repair the problem.

If you do not have a GFCI outlet in your motorhome or if resetting it does not solve the problem then you need to see if there is a tripped circuit breaker in your RV's Electrical Compartment. I cannot tell you the exact location of your RV's electrical compartment. It could be in the interior of the RV in a cabinet or in a storage compartment on the outside of the RV.

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Once you find the electrical compartment check all the circuit breakers to see if one is tripped, if it is reset it and check the outlets again. If it trips immediately after you reset it then just like the GFCI outlet you need to have a Certified RV Technician diagnose and repair the problem.

One of the two steps I outlined above should get the power back on. If not you will have to have a professional step in and resolve it.

Hope this helps.

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RVing Al

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Comments for Some Electrical Outlets Are Not Working In My Motorhome

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Rating
starstarstarstar 		This page helped me solve my problem
by: JayCo248RBSW

My 2018 JayCo travel trailer experienced a partial outlet failure on its second trip out.

With help of this article, and others, I finally relaized that SOME of the AC outlets were daisy-chained to the single GFI outlet in the bathroom.

Reset GFI, and got my power back.

The "wet side" of the trailer were the only ones affected... kitchen sink, outside, and bathroom.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Electric problem
by: Robert

My electric plugs are not working in the bedroom but everything else works. Please help.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Thank You So Much!
by: Cheryl Patton

Sitting out here in the desert, and ZIP! It happened just as you stated above. Found the outlet as you outlined, popped it back on - I'm back in business. Thank you so much!
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Found problem 96 pace arrow motorhome
by: Anonymous

Very scary deal our plugs quit working on left side on the unit. Anyway found a junctionbox under bath room sink floor that was burned up and had been on fire at sometime note it was a hot line that feeds the main box so it was Not on a breaker
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		RV
by: Krystal

Only three Outlets are working in my RV the rest are not working and neither are the lights we have replace the GFI and checked Breakers and fuses and everything is good wondering what else it could be
Rating
starstarstarstar 		GFCI wet?
by: kite.grrl

Rain and a wet outdoor outlet were the culprits in my situation. My outlets on the exterior seemed protected, situated under am awning plus covered by the hinged outlet cover.

I had an extension cord which I left plugged in (coiled and suspended to avoid grounding to the wet pavement). I thought I would get by with that, but no. Two days of heavy rain ensued; mystery outages kept occurring on different sides of my 97 Catalina. I tried resetting both GFCI outlets, which sometimes worked--temporarily. Sometimes a within off the main worked, when resetting the outlet didn't. There was no reset on the outlet outdoors, and though I would expect that to be the GFCI type, it was unclear. Finally an examination of the exterior outlet prompted me to add fresh caulk around the outlet's housing.

It is raining again and I still have the cord plugged into the exterior with (fingers crossed) no apparent power outage. (I am powering a small lamp hanging high under the peak of the awning.) I hope to have fixed the problem, though I am aware that I really shouldn't use those exterior outlets at all in rainy weather.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		another possible solution
by: christabelle

I post this because I had the same issue after towing my 1988 34ft cosair travel trailer. And had the worst time getting a answer because of the age my trailer was only equipped with 1 gfi in the bathroom and it was fine all brakers and fuses were good .but the left side of my trailers outlets didn't work . So finally someone told me that usually in travel trailers especially older ones the wiring is done in series and in the back of the outlet they push the wires into little clamps rather than wrapping it around the screw like we would do so sometimes one of the wires will come loose and cause the outlet not to work but because they are wired in series every outlet after that one in the series won't work .so if you have tried everything else check the wires in the back of the outlet . It worked for me it was a outlet by my son's bed .i replaced that one outlet for 1.27 and everything worked again
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Thank you!
by: Dee

Awesome! Worked like a charm. The outlet in the bathroom has the GFCI outlet. I had reset it once, but nothing happened. So, I went back and reset it a couple of more times. Everything is working except for one post on one of the outlets over the dining table. I suppose at some point I'll need an electrical professional, but for now, I am happy. Thank you so much! Obviously, I am a complete neophyte, and I very much appreciate your responses.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		GF
by: Bill A

I would bet one of the GFBI breakers is bad as they are very senstive.

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