Electrical issue with GFCI outlet

No slide on the kitchen side Drew. The headboard further back but I can see that cable from under the bed. I'll try & dig in to it in the AM. Thanks for the reply

Is there a slide involved? If so, probably the black wire is for the flexible connection between the slide and the rest of the RV. Romex is definitely not suitable for an application that moves as a matter of general use.

My next step I'll have to somehow trace the yellow romex (output 1) to the GFIC outlet. I do know it is somewhere under the bottom drawer. This is what I found when I pulled the drawer. I pulled the cover to the metal Jbox to take a look at the connections.
What I can't figure out is why the transition from the yellow romex to the black round cable. I'll trace the yellow romex from the outlet down under the drawer tomorrow, getting late.

OK, I have dug deeper and posted more PICS on my site. Learning some interesting things with the 50 amp Intellitec Energy Management system.

I opened the panel and verified the Xantrex inverter is indeed connected to the panels ground. The orange romex comes into the panel from the bottom right.

Also, looking close you can see a choke around the common feed (white) just behind the black and red feeds. This senses the amp draw for the EMS.

To the extreme right you can see the Intellitec Energy management system.

The EMS has 4 relays on the 120 vac side to control up to 4 120 vac circuits. Whats interesting is that it appeares that at one time the Xantrex inverter was managed by the EMS.

I do know that when first started up that converter can put quite a draw on the AC side when it starts bulk charging. I have to remember to immediately choke it back on the front panel (bottom pic 20/30 amp select) when I plug into 20 amp. It defaults to 30 but will automatically select 50 when I plug into 50 amp.

Really not much to these Energy Management Systems
from top to bottom;
relay 4 to relay 1. Two connections/circuit. From the breaker to the EMS relay then from the relay to the circuit.



Note the last "slot" is not labeled. I believe the inverter was at one time was managed by the EMS.

Here's a shot of the schematic for the EMS for those who want to take a closer look

MrWizard wrote:
low voltage at idle is normal for many inverters

my 120vac dining lighting gets brighter when the fridge kicks on
or when i run the MW

Thanks Mr Wizzard! Always welcome your posts!

Was wondering about the low voltage. I could tell that inverter was fluctuating the AC voltage because I can hear Debs bedside AC fan ever so slightly change speeds when the coffee pot was cycling. I think this was actually the 1st time I put the Fluke to it.

low voltage at idle is normal for many inverters

my 120vac dining lighting gets brighter when the fridge kicks on
or when i run the MW

DrewE wrote:
It sure looks like the orange Romex on the left is connected to AC Input 1. Orange Romex typically is 10 gauge, so this may be a 30A circuit. (The color coding is not an NEC requirement, but is very much standardized among manufacturers.) The two yellow (12 gauge, typically) Romex cables on the right can't really be seen very well in the picture, but I assume they would be connected to outputs one and two respectively. The ground wires do look to agree with the standard color coding scheme.

Thanks for the reply Drew.

Your OH SO CORRECT!!!!! I mislabeled the outouts as inputs! Sorry for the confusion!

AC output 1, the 20 amp circuit kills the entertainment center and the GFCI circuit in question.
AC output 2, the 15 amp circuit kills the microwave circuit. I'll dig up the manual on the GE Profile Microwave convection.

I was thinking about swapping. I'll just have to determine the load on the entertainment circuit. I find it hard to believe it would draw more than 15 amps. But we are talking two circuits here.

States in the manual that the appliance should be connected to a 15 to 20 amp branch circuit. So I would assume the 15 amp is OK but I did have it trip the circuit twice in the last 2 years we owned the coach

Looking at the picture the orange romex is from the AC panel because it's wired to the AC input

one yellow romex on the right is wired to AC output1 and the other yellow romex is wired to AC output2 so it does look like the grounds are all connected together.

The circuit feeding the entertainment center and the CFCI outlet might 1st run up to the entertainment center then over to the GFCI outlet by the sink or perhaps it's splits in a J-box somewhere. VERY tight behind the entertainment center. I think I'll pull a couple drawers below the sink and look for a Jbox.

Stay tuned.


Thanks for the reply.

ktmrfs wrote:

theoldwizard1 wrote:
New GFCI must have power applied to be able to reset.

yes. In fact this summer a friend had a GFI go bad on his inverter side and replaced it with a brand new one, pushed the button, thought he had it reset, button in etc. I told him turn on the inverter, make sure there is power going to the GFI THEN hit the reset.

Eureka. Newer GFI's won't reset without power applied to them.

Also, they will trip with a ground neutral bond downstream from the GFI in addition to a ground fault.

Reading the paperwork in the box, the paperwork in the box that the GFCI came in states that "the GFCI is TRIPPED from the factory. Plug a lamp or radio into the GFCI (and leave it plugged in) when turning on the power." then reset.

It sure looks like the orange Romex on the left is connected to AC Input 1. Orange Romex typically is 10 gauge, so this may be a 30A circuit. (The color coding is not an NEC requirement, but is very much standardized among manufacturers.) The two yellow (12 gauge, typically) Romex cables on the right can't really be seen very well in the picture, but I assume they would be connected to outputs one and two respectively. The ground wires do look to agree with the standard color coding scheme.

theoldwizard1 wrote:
New GFCI must have power applied to be able to reset.

yes. In fact this summer a friend had a GFI go bad on his inverter side and replaced it with a brand new one, pushed the button, thought he had it reset, button in etc. I told him turn on the inverter, make sure there is power going to the GFI THEN hit the reset.

Eureka. Newer GFI's won't reset without power applied to them.

Also, they will trip with a ground neutral bond downstream from the GFI in addition to a ground fault.