I’m not sure if this is the right forum or not, to talk about an electrical issue, but here goes.Tuesday (3/18/14) my DW and I took our new (to us) 1995 Carriage Callista Cove, out for our first trip. We just planned a few days at Port-O Bodega RV camp ground, located in Bodega Bay CA, just 40 miles from home. The site had full hook ups, which was a must for our first outing. All went well, got everything hook up and everything was working with out a problem, until we plugged in a small space heater. The electric at the site was 30 AMP, I hooked up my 30 AMP cord which was not an issue. The heater ran for 4 to 5 hours no problem, then it just stopped. I plugged it into another outlet and the heater worked without a problem so I knew it wasn’t the heater. The outlet that it was plugged into along with one in the bathroom, has no power coming into it. I flipped the breaker a couple of times still nothing, so I shut off all the breakers for a couple of minutes, turned them all back on and still nothing to those two outlets. Am I missing something?:(

Look for an outlet like this somewhere in your rig (GFIC)..Try resetting it by pushing the button. It doesn't have to be the one you were plugged into.

check in bathroom,or other outlets that are out for a ground fault button,red in color and try to reset that.

Sounds like maybe the GFI outlet tripped.

I checked them no GFIC on any of the outlets.

I'll bet that somewhere there is a GFCI outlet. Even in '95 it was a RIVA requirement to have them for wet areas, that includes the exterior outlets. Look under the exterior outlet covers, in all the basement cabinets. They are insidious at the factories and like to hide things from the users, gives them a good laugh. "Hey Bubba, look I put the on/off switch for the basement lights behind the book shelf in the kitchen cabinet, they'll never find it there." Just kidding but it's there somewhere.

Electrical Issue | Good Sam Community

gotsmart
Explorer
Jun 25, 2014
niksagkram wrote:
Just had the same problem with my 2003 Kustom Koach. Didn't even consider it might be the GFI. Checked the GFI in the bathroom (we never use this plug-in) and... EUREKA!! It was tripped, so I re-set it and now the exterior plug-in works! Thanks for the info guys!!

See the outlet at the right-hand edge of the photo, at the side of the microwave cabinet? There's another outlet opposite of it, on the sink-side of the cabinet.
In my MH both are daisy-chained off of the bathroom's GFI outlet. FYI
Grandpa_Joe
Explorer
Jun 25, 2014
GFI Outlet may be on the outside of the unit?
wwest
Explorer
Jun 25, 2014
Why has no one asked the wattage of the heater?

Electric space heaters often, mostly, use nichrome wire for the heating element. Nichrome has a very HIGH positive temperature resistance co-efficient. Low resistance at room temperature that rises dramatically as the element heats.

A 1000 watt heater might draw 3000-5000 watts during the first few millisecond after the thermostat closes. Over time the heat from that effect will result in the loss of the receptacle contact gripping, springiness.

MH builders are cost-conscious in the EXTREME, CHEAPEST components that are in the market, generally.
pianotuna
Nomad III
Jun 25, 2014
Hi Mike,

My 2004 Kustom Koach has the same issue with the gfi in the bathroom. It is worst on generator use--but I do not understand why.

BTW I've replaced nearly all the electrical outlets on the RV with ones that are "real".
niksagkram
Explorer
Jun 25, 2014
Just had the same problem with my 2003 Kustom Koach. Didn't even consider it might be the GFI. Checked the GFI in the bathroom (we never use this plug-in) and... EUREKA!! It was tripped, so I re-set it and now the exterior plug-in works! Thanks for the info guys!!
cjalphonso
Explorer
Mar 25, 2014
There is a receptacle in the exterior refrig compartment people forget about, you could check there too.
Bordercollie
Explorer
Mar 22, 2014
I wonder if the heater itself has a safety cutoff switch device built-in since you say all outlets now have 110vac power. You should be able to contact the manufacturer of your rig if still in business and ask where the GFI outlet is (if any).
gwol
Explorer
Mar 22, 2014
Your Right "pianotuna" sometime next week I will upgrade the outlet, then try it again. Will let you know how I make out and thanks everyone for your help. Gus
OldRadios
Explorer
Mar 21, 2014
Cuffs054 wrote:
rvten,
not sure that's correct. If the first outlet in a daisy chain has disconnected wire won't that knock all in the chain off?

If the outlets are daisy chained and the cheap press in connector type outlets are used (the wire just passes through each outlet and presses down to make contact) then one of the wires can come loose and the wire still supplies the rest of the outlets down the chain.

Many RVs have these types of outlets.
pianotuna
Nomad III
Mar 21, 2014
Hi,

Why not upgrade the outlet you wish to plug the heater into first?

No, the lights in the compartments are almost always 12 volt DC, so they "have nothing to do with the case" to quote Gilbert and Sullivan.

gwol wrote:
Later today I’m going to plug the heater back in and see what happens.
Do you think the lights in the compartments could have something to do with it?

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