GFI problem on 378

[Scooter Trash]

I have the weirdest problem with my GFI circuit. I have a 2007 378TSXL and the GFI circuit has four outlets on it plus the GFI itself. The GFI is in the bathroom, with one outlet in the outside bin with the tv hookup, one on the side of the sink, one on the front of the sink and one under the cabinet on the kitchen slide. My better half was making coffee last weekend and was plugged into the outlet under the cabinet in the slide out and it just quit working. It didn't trip the GFI and all of the other outlets continued to work. I checked the outlet itself and it's fine. I can swap it with any of the others and it works fine there but the one I swapped it with won't work in the undercabinet spot either. While I had the outlet out of the cabinet and disconnected I put a meter on the wires. It has to be an end run as there is only the one cable there. Black (hot wire), White (neutral) and Bare (ground). The meter reads an open between the hot wire and ground and the between the hot wire and neutral. That should read 120 volts, but I get nothing. However, when I put the meter on the neutral and ground wires I get 120 volts, and I should never have anything there. I don't understand how I can have 120 volts between neutral and ground but an open between hot and neutral and hot and ground, not trip the GFI and have all the other outlets on the GFI circuit working. The only thing I can think of is that the hot wire is loose somewhere but I have no idea where as I checked all the other GFI outlets and all the connections are fine and read as they should, and that still doens't explain how I have 120 volts between neutral and ground. Any electricians or wizards out there have any ideas?
Thanks
Dave

[Coops1]

Try testing your voltage at the GFI first disconnecting the load wires. The neutral hot to ground should trip the GFI I would think. You may want to pull all of the plugs out of the boxes and test them down the line. It's also possible there's a junction box somewhere with a bad splice.

Did they use the quick connects on the back of the receptacles or are the wires under the screws? They should be under the screws, this will more than likely fix the your issues.

[buckisland1950]

Somewhere your wires got crossed and you now have a "hot" white wire. I would check all the outlets on that circuit and be sure that they go to the appropriate lugs on your outlets. It would seem that the black wire that was acting as a ground or neutral has been disconnected or come loose somewhere. Be safe and turn off all power when checking the receptacle, ask me how I know.......

[Boyd]

Keep it simple....Pick up one of these and it'll save you a bunch of "screwing" around.

Buy a Sperry 3-Wire Circuit Analyzer Voltage Tester - HCA300 at The Home Depot

[Scooter Trash]

Boyd - thanks. I think I'll check one of those out. Looks like an interesting little tool that I should have.
Coop1 and buckisland - I think they must use a j-box for the slide out. I might e-mail Georgetown and see if I can find out if I can't one on my own. I pulled all the other outlets and checked them and all is well with those. I don't know what type of GFI's you have on your unit but the ones in the Georgetown are bizzare. I've wired GFI's before and they don't look like these. They don't have screws or anything, you just lay the wire along the whole length of the outlet and push it down between copper plates that pierce the shielding around the wire for contact. Don't know if that's some special design for MoHo's or RV's in general. Never seen them before, but they look like a wire could come off fairly easily, but the rest of the ones in my GFIC were fine. Thanks.

[MtnGuy]

Originally Posted by Boyd

Keep it simple....Pick up one of these and it'll save you a bunch of "screwing" around.

Buy a Sperry 3-Wire Circuit Analyzer Voltage Tester - HCA300 at The Home Depot

I have 1 of those that I check out the campground circuits before I plug in. Mine has a button to throw a GFI, also.

[cfsoistman]

Originally Posted by Scooter Trash

I don't know what type of GFI's you have on your unit but the ones in the Georgetown are bizzare. I've wired GFI's before and they don't look like these. They don't have screws or anything, you just lay the wire along the whole length of the outlet and push it down between copper plates that pierce the shielding around the wire for contact. Don't know if that's some special design for MoHo's or RV's in general. Never seen them before, but they look like a wire could come off fairly easily, but the rest of the ones in my GFIC were fine. Thanks.

Personally I'd replace them with a Normal GFIC Receptacle. The ones they use are for meeting a production schedule. There's nothing special about them other than the wires can loose contact from the vibrations of travel. Once that wire is screwed in place it will stay there.
I had one receptacle in the bedroom next to the bed that had no power. When I traced it out I found it was installed in a 1900 box with the other receptacle's wire but was never connected.

[buckisland1950]

It's a little pricey but definitely worth replacing the recepticles. I've had some problems with the cheap ones installed at the factory. Any luck with your problem, Inquiring minds want to know......