Receptacle doesn't work

[harry_and_thea]

I have one receptacle that stopped working. It is the last of five receptacles in a GFI circuit. This receptacle shows 104 volts when testing with a voltmeter and appliances won't work when plugged into this recept. The other receptacles, including tne GFI show 121 volts and work fine. I tried replacing the receptacle and got the same results. Can anyone help me as to what the problem is? Thanks

[DrewE]

The fridge is on the GFCI circuit because the fridge outlet is in a damp location (per the NEC) as it's somewhat exposed to the outdoors in the space behind the fridge with the upper and lower vents. It's also not a bad idea to have it on a GFCI for safety in any case as RV fridge elements have a relatively high propensity for developing shorts or leaks to ground.

(Aren't most RV fridges these days only settable to auto or forced gas operation, but not AC only? I know mine at least operates that way.)

[harry_and_thea]

Thanks for input. Have checked all other outlets inside trailer on this GFI circuit and all connections seem good. Have determined that outside receptacle and refrig receptacle are also on this circuit. Raining today so will check when weather is good. Surprised to see frig recept on same GFI circuit as ext recept. You could have stuff plugged into ext recept, then get rain, GFI trips and food spoils. Maybe a good idea to have frig on auto and propane tanks turned on at all times when camping.

[wa8yxm]

I agree. either one of the connections on THAT reciptical is bad, or the one before it.. You may need to replace both.

I favor traditional house type devices where you bend wire around a screw NOT the "Quick Box" trash that RV makers use.

The alternative issues are: The outlet itself is bad (Medium probability) Or the wire connecting it to the last up-line outlet is bad( Probability approaches zero, That is, not at all likely)

O ne final possibility, this ranks high.. IF either of the last two outlets in that chain are in a slide. There may be one or two junction boxes..

[Johno02]

Most of the plugs in RVs have cheap connections, usually with just push in wiring. Very likely you just have a loose wire. Be sure and check, as they may look prefectly good, but still have bad connections.

[DrewE]

If it's not the connection at the next receptacle as enblethen suggests (which I agree is the most likely culprit), then there's a bad connection in between the two receptacles somewhere.

You should be able to tell if the trouble is in the hot wire or the neutral wire by comparing the voltages to the ground terminal. If the hot to ground voltage is 121V and the hot to neutral voltage is 104V, the neutral is the problem wire. If the hot to neutral and hot to ground voltages are both 104V, then the hot wire is the culprit. If something else is observed, you may also have a bad connection in the ground somewhere or some other problem.

[enblethen]

It is the next receptacle back toward the GFCI. Odds are good it has a loose connection.