GFI problems

[Espresso]

Every time I plug my Grandby into a GFI protected circuit, the breaker on the GFI outlet pops. Anyone else have this problem? Any idea how to resolve it?

Thanks.

 

[pods8]

You neutral and grounds in you AC box might be combined, that would trip a gfi outlet.

 

[Dern]

Every time I plug my Grandby into a GFI protected circuit, the breaker on the GFI outlet pops. Anyone else have this problem? Any idea how to resolve it?

Thanks.



Ours does the same thing with a GFI. Seems to work fine when plugged into a regular outlet.

Darren

 

[billharr]

My 2002 Hawk is just fine plugged into a GFI.

 

[Espresso]

I haven't yet opened the fuse box to check out the wiring, but I find it interesting a 2002 Hawk would work and my 2002 Grandby wouldn't.

Mine also works fine when plugged into a regular outlet.

Darren - What year is your camper?

 

[pods8]

Not interesting if someone changed the wiring. Lots of home boxes (before a gfi outlet) share a nuetral/ground bar. If someone thought the camper wiring could do the same that would trip a gfi outlet you plugged into, and would still function on a non-gfi outlet that the main box shared bus bars.

 

[Dern]

I haven't yet opened the fuse box to check out the wiring, but I find it interesting a 2002 Hawk would work and my 2002 Grandby wouldn't.

Mine also works fine when plugged into a regular outlet.

Darren - What year is your camper?


I know very little about electric except that you can get shocked. I have a 2005 Grandby.

Darren

 

[Stan@FourWheel]

Have you tried something like this ?

You can get one at most any hardware store.

It won't tell you everything, but it might get you a little closer to seeing what might be wrong.



.

 

[pods8]

Stan that would tell you if the GFI was wired right, I presume other things aren't tripping so I'm looking more towards the camper. But it definitely doesn't hurt.

A 10yr old camper could have had someone alter some wiring and IF they combined the neutral and ground somewhere in it the GFI would trip but a non-GFI would still work fine.

 

[pods8]

Just a quick summary if folks are confused.

GFI compares the current between the positive and negative wires if there is a mismatch it trips, this prevents current from flowing out of the circuit presumably (ie appliance falls in water).

On a non-gfi protected outlet power will flow through the nuetral wire and/or the ground wire if the opportunity is presented (ie a flow path to the ground is provided) because back in the home's breaker box the ground and neutrals are combined up to the same feed off the main power wire coming into your house. A GFI outlet would trip in this case. So if in the camper box (or elsewhere in the camper) someone incorrectly combined up the ground and neutrals (such as in the camper 110V bus bar) it will trip a GFI.

Pop the cover off your AC box in the camper and take a picture.

 

[Espresso]

See the picture. It looks like it is correctly wired. Notice the breaker is in the off position. Could this pop the GFI breaker?

 

[pods8]

Shouldn't. Just to confirm this outlet otherwise works?

 

[Espresso]

The outlet works and has never tripped other than when I plug in the camper. It trips every GFI every time.

I thought other's may have experienced this and discovered a cause. I'll dig in deeper and post the resolution if I discover one.

 

[pods8]

Well gfi's trip when the current going out the black is different than what the white is returning. Since it is otherwise working you have current leaking somewhere in you extension cord/ camper. Could be in a fixture, screw through a wire, etc. I was hoping it was just a breaker box mixup which would have been a quick fix.


Did you use a test light like Stan mentioned on your outlet just to double check?