GFCI Keeps Tripping

[jgschmieg3]

On our last trip, the GFCI outlet inthe bathroom tripped on our 2014 Keystone. After a rest all seemed well. Later in the day it tripped again. It has stayed tripped ever since. From what I can tell there are at least 5 outlets daisy chained on this one outlet, so none of them work.

I have:

Replaced the GFCI outlet with a new one. Still trips.

Looked inside every outlet and insured no lose wires. Still trips.

I should also add that I got the GFCI not to trip by removing all the outlets from the GFCI box, but once I put the second white wire back in it trips.

What am I missing here?

[Huntindog]

budwich wrote:
OK... let's start this again....

"I should also add that I got the GFCI not to trip by removing all the outlets from the GFCI box, but once I put the second white wire back in it trips."

What's on / associated with that wire???? where is it actually attached?

I am pretty sure the OP doesn't have much of an understanding of how this works. I am also pretty sure that the above statement means that the INCOMING power to the GFI doesn't cause it to trip (perfectly fine) but when he hooks up the other white wire (the one going to the protected outlets down the line) it trips.

That would almost always mean one of those outlets is bad. He needs to disconnect them all, check for tripping, if not tripping reconnect the closest outlet ONLY. If no trip, then reconnect the next closest one, etc, until the one that is causing the trip is found... Mine was an outside outlet that was daisy chained with a bunch of inside outlets. That took me awhile to figure out, as I "assumed" it was on a different circuit. What was interesting, was the bad outlet looked perfectly fine, even when I took it apart. But there was something about it that just wasn't right.

After all of my time and trouble, when I identified the bad outlet, I remembered using a dremel tool on that outlet and stalling it. I am sure that somehow caused the problem.

[budwich]

OK... let's start this again....

"I should also add that I got the GFCI not to trip by removing all the outlets from the GFCI box, but once I put the second white wire back in it trips."

What's on / associated with that wire???? where is it actually attached?

[hohenwald48]

hohenwald48 wrote:

budwich wrote:

hohenwald48 wrote:
huntindog and budwich,

OP claims to have already done all that (4 posts up from here) with no luck. I guess I'm at a loss. Most problems can be tracked down using methodical and logical troubleshooting methods.

I don't agree with your "take". He said he "checked" the outlets. the form of the "check" was never identified. IF those were done correctly, then there are significant "gremlins" in the system.

Here's what the OP said "Thanks for your comments. Did all that - all accept removing the micro to check its connection." I took that to mean he "did all that".

:h

[hohenwald48]

budwich wrote:

hohenwald48 wrote:
huntindog and budwich,

OP claims to have already done all that (4 posts up from here) with no luck. I guess I'm at a loss. Most problems can be tracked down using methodical and logical troubleshooting methods.

I don't agree with your "take". He said he "checked" the outlets. the form of the "check" was never identified. IF those were done correctly, then there are significant "gremlins" in the system.

Here's what the OP said "Thanks for your comments. Did all that - all accept removing the micro to check its connection." I took that to mean he "did all that".

[budwich]

hohenwald48 wrote:
huntindog and budwich,

OP claims to have already done all that (4 posts up from here) with no luck. I guess I'm at a loss. Most problems can be tracked down using methodical and logical troubleshooting methods.

I don't agree with your "take". He said he "checked" the outlets. the form of the "check" was never identified. IF those were done correctly, then there are significant "gremlins" in the system.

[hohenwald48]

huntindog and budwich,

OP claims to have already done all that (4 posts up from here) with no luck. I guess I'm at a loss. Most problems can be tracked down using methodical and logical troubleshooting methods.

[budwich]

X2

[Huntindog]

I had this problem once. It took awhile, but I tracked it down by disconnecting the wiring from all of the outlets. Then I added them back to the circuit one by one. When it tripped, I replaced that outlet.

It is just a matter of eliminating everything that is not a problem, which narrows down the problem until you find it.

Do it in an organized way, rather than hopping around on hunches.

[jgschmieg3]

Would not having a battery hooked up be effecting this? I only ever use shore power.

[jgschmieg3]

hohenwald48 wrote:
You have to disconnect what you need to disconnect to stop the tripping. Then reconnect each outlet one at a time until it trips. Involves going into each outlet box to disconnect the outlets down the line. The most difficult problem is figuring where each outlet is in the chain. It's all tedious but necessary. You could have bad wire, bad outlet, bad connection or any one of a dozen other things. You just have to keep digging. These kinds of problems are usually expensive to have fixed by a paid tech due to the amount of time involved. Good luck.

Since you've change the GFCI outlet itself it is likely a true ground fault and can be hazardous.

Thanks for your comments. Did all that - all accept removing the micro to check its connection.

[hohenwald48]

You have to disconnect what you need to disconnect to stop the tripping. Then reconnect each outlet one at a time until it trips. Involves going into each outlet box to disconnect the outlets down the line. The most difficult problem is figuring where each outlet is in the chain. It's all tedious but necessary. You could have bad wire, bad outlet, bad connection or any one of a dozen other things. You just have to keep digging. These kinds of problems are usually expensive to have fixed by a paid tech due to the amount of time involved. Good luck.

Since you've change the GFCI outlet itself it is likely a true ground fault and can be hazardous.

[Bucky_Badger]

Possibly a mouse or critter chewed on a wire down stream

[myredracer]

Assuming you have ruled out the converter, fridge and outside recept., pull every receptacle out of the wall that is dead after the GFCI, pull the rear cover off and ensure the hot, neutral and ground wires are properly "punched down" into the slots. Sometimes the factory workers do a really poor job of properly connecting the wires. I once found a wire barely hanging on. While doing this, also check to make sure the polarity is correct. I recently found one in our TT where the factory had the polarity reversed.

If you have replaced the GFCI and it's still tripping, you must have a ground fault somewhere. Are you positive you haven't missed a receptacle somewhere like say the microwave? It's not impossible for a romex cable to be damaged somewhere but that would be the last suspect on my list.

It's not for everyone, but you could take the disconnected hot, neutral & ground wires and wire them to an extension cord (by cutting the connector end off and using wire nuts) and plugging into a known functioning GFCI in your house or elsewhere and see if it trips. You could also pull a hot wire off the back of the dead receptacles one by one and reconnect the load wires at the GFCI and see if it still trips and also see which recepts. lose power and determine where each recept. is on that circuit. Pushing the wires back onto the slots in a "self-contained" RV recept. can be done with a flat blade screwdriver and/or needle nose pliers. Make sure to temporarily put a wire nut onto wires that would be live.

[jgschmieg3]

This is simply maddening. I tried everything. Replaced GFCI outlet. Checked every outlet (Seems to be 6 chained together in all). Checked fridge outlet. Nothing.

I cant fathom what has changed in the 1 year that I have owned the camper.

I can only assume it is behind the walls.

I am no electrician. I have the GFCI outlet live now because i took out one of the white wires and that prevents it from tripping. But the other 5 outlets trip as soon as I plug something in.

Maddening I tell ya!