No power to 120V outlets nor AC?

[XYZdayz]

There is only one 120 V outlet working in the van, but no power to the others and no power to the AC. Help?! The one 120V outlet that works will power the microwave fine. The rig is a 2005 MB cruiser converted by Forest river, that I have been rebuilding it. The lights and fans on the 12V system work. A shop pulled the broken cummins propane generator, not sure if that has anything to do with the issue. There is one GFCI near the kitchen sink that has the little green led lit, but no 120V power to it. I replaced the GFCI and the green LED is still lit, but no 120V power so it can't be set. Any ideas? Thanks! Photo of the panel is attached with the breakers off, but have had all the breakers on during troubleshooting.

 

[LowBudgetT1N]

This really depends on how the RV was wired. Try pulling a wire diagram from forest river website. How was the generator wired? Mine (Winnebago) just powers an outlet that the shore power plugs into, if yours was the same removing the generator and wiring outlet shouldn't change shore power. Confirm you are connected to 120V/30amp shore power. If you are just using an inverter/battery then you likely don't have the ability to power all outlets, check your controller. Check for tripped round aircraft fuses, mine are between the front seats, when these fuses pop I have no inverter nor do my house batteries charge when plugged into shore power.

Additionally, check all the outlets, there are several GFCI outlets that need reset before all outlets will work on my rig.

 

[hertfordnc]

>>Additionally, check all the outlets, there are several GFCI outlets that need reset before all outlets will work on my rig.

Also, GFCI outlets wear out and RV makers don't use the best ones to begin with.

 

[autostaretx]

I'm puzzled by this:

There is one GFCI near the kitchen sink that has the little green led lit, but no 120V power to it. I replaced the GFCI and the green LED is still lit, but no 120V power so it can't be set.

What do you mean by "it can't be set"?
That when you push the RESET button it doesn't stay latched in?
That speaks of a ground fault in the "slaved" wiring or outlets (as @LowBudgetT1N wrote: they usually wire additional outlets to one "controlling" outlet).
I would guess that the green light means power is getting to that GFCI outlet, but it's tripping out so nothing appears in the socket. (or beyond).

You don't need power to have the RESET button latch in. Try pushing one on a GFCI outlet that's just "in your hand" and not connecting to any wiring.
The TEST button won't do anything in your hand, since it works by feeding a tiny bit of current into the game.

--dick

 

[XYZdayz]

Thanks again. Someone wired the GFCI backwards?! Both the hot and the load sides. Completely upside down. Don't know who or how that happened. Also found a wire wasn't connected in the AC. Good news! Now it is all working. So thankful... Appreciate the help.

 

[hertfordnc]

I'm puzzled by this:

What do you mean by "it can't be set"?
That when you push the RESET button it doesn't stay latched in?

I meant, that's one of the ways the fail- refusing to reset, or appearing to reset and not.

I am not an expert but i've found crappy GFCI's to be the culprit on a few of these AC mysteries in campers.

 

[autostaretx]

Thanks again. Someone wired the GFCI backwards?! Both the hot and the load sides. Completely upside down. Don't know who or how that happened. Also found a wire wasn't connected in the AC. Good news! Now it is all working. So thankful... Appreciate the help.

That hints that it might be worthwhile to open up the OTHER outlets in the vehicle to verify that THEY haven't had "creative" wiring performed, too.

--dick

 

[Larry M]

I carry one of these in my tool bag. It can test your GFI plus all outlets in the circuit for power and also look for open hot, neutral, or grounds and reverse polarities. $5-10 at any box store. Pretty old school but still pretty handy before you have to get DVM out.

 

[autostaretx]

I wonder how/what they mean by "do not use on isolated systems"?
In many inverter-driven systems, the "ground" can be 60 volts away from either/both "hot" and "neutral".

--dick
p.s. there is also the concept of "isolated ground" in industrial/lab/data-center systems ... that's a "private earth wire" to the 3rd pin instead of sharing the "ground" with the general wiring of the building (and usually involves a 4-wire plug, with the building ground on the 4th)