GeoPro 19FD, Outlets not working, breaker and GFCI OK

[jdlogicman]

I was on shore power and tried to plug a compressor into the outside outlet. It made a sound like it was not happy with the voltage and then shut off.

I reset all the breakers but no joy. I measured the voltage coming out of the breaker for the outlets and it was ~112v. I took out the GFCI and measured 0v on the LINE wires. The AC fan works, so there is SOME power.

If I turn on the inverter, I get no power to any of the outlets.

It's almost like there is a "hidden" breaker somewhere in the TT.

Any clues? My next step is to pull the oven & the inverter and look for fried wires.

[Bama Rambler]

Those receptacles in our RV's are notorious for having bad connections within the receptacles themselves.

I'm not sure how the receptacle circuit is wired in your unit. but in ours it goes to a few standard receptacles before it gets to the gfci, so one of those could have a burned connection inside and that would stop power getting to the gfci.

I'd start by testing all the receptacles to see where the power stops. Starting at the ones nearest the power panel. It could be the first one or it could be farther along the circuit.

[NJKris]

Power cycle the inverter using the remote switch. Then double check the outlets, testing and resetting the GFCI. Check in the power center and cycle all the breakers. If still no power, check inverter itself in the front left outer bay behind the trim panel, I'm told there is a breaker or reset button on it.

I took out the GFCI

Not sure what you meant by this. If GFCI AND breaker popped, power would have to be restored before you could reset GFCI.

[Flybob]

Most RVs have one or more GFCI master outlets that then protect several down stream outlets. Some of the down stream outlets may say GFCI protected but will not have a reset button. If there is only one master, it is usually in the bathroom. The breaker for that circuit must be on for the GFCI to reset.

[jdlogicman]

Originally Posted by Bama Rambler

I'd start by testing all the receptacles to see where the power stops. Starting at the ones nearest the power panel. It could be the first one or it could be farther along the circuit.

Thanks, I'll give it a try!

[jdlogicman]

Originally Posted by NJKris

Not sure what you meant by this. If GFCI AND breaker popped, power would have to be restored before you could reset GFCI.

I meant I removed the GFCI and checked the power on the LINE wires directly. I wanted to see if the GFCI had fried. I was able to determine that power was leaving the circuit breaker but not making it to the GFCI near the sink.

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by Bama Rambler

Those receptacles in our RV's are notorious for having bad connections within the receptacles themselves.

I'm not sure how the receptacle circuit is wired in your unit. but in ours it goes to a few standard receptacles before it gets to the gfci, so one of those could have a burned connection inside and that would stop power getting to the gfci.

I'd start by testing all the receptacles to see where the power stops. Starting at the ones nearest the power panel. It could be the first one or it could be farther along the circuit.

Bama, I don't quite understand your answer. The standard insulation-piercing receptacles never cut the copper wires. They simply cut the insulation and contact the wires, essentially by shoving each wire between two sharp tines of a fork.

While that may lead to an outlet that has a high-resistance contact, it should never affect downstream outlets because the wire itself remains continuous.

[CGK]

NJKris is right - most, if not all, inverters have a reset button. I'd try that next, since you've done the due diligence on some of the other possibilities. Depending upon the compressor and its condition, the start-up draw may have been too much for the circuit, so it shut down. It's unlikely it fried anything, unless there was a major short in the compressor; so with any luck the solution will be fairly simple. If all the power for your outlets runs through the inverter, resetting it could solve your problem. Since you have power from the breaker that controls the outlets, however, that seems unlikely. Where does that hot wire go after the breaker and before the GFCI? Let us know, and we'll throw some more possibilities your way.....and good luck!

[catfish1953]

Locate your power inverter. Not you normal power panel.
depending on how it is mounted. There will be a reset on one end of the device kinda looks like the reset on a power strip. reset it and it should bring power back on to these outlets. The plugs in these trailers run thru the inverter first even on shore power it still passes thru the inverter. After you reset you may have to check the GFI's to make sure they are set. The inverters take 1000watts in most of these trailers and if you exceed this amount it will trip there vs blowing a fuse. Turning power on and off for inverter will not reset it.

[jdlogicman]

Originally Posted by Larry-NC

Bama, I don't quite understand your answer. The standard insulation-piercing receptacles never cut the copper wires. They simply cut the insulation and contact the wires, essentially by shoving each wire between two sharp tines of a fork.

While that may lead to an outlet that has a high-resistance contact, it should never affect downstream outlets because the wire itself remains continuous.

Not true on this unit. The LINE (power) pole had 2 wires, incoming and outgoing. Both were connected to the GFCI, which essentially used the GFCI as a power junction for the non-GCFI section of the electrical system.

[Scottnweeze]

Originally Posted by NJKris

Power cycle the inverter using the remote switch. Then double check the outlets, testing and resetting the GFCI. Check in the power center and cycle all the breakers. If still no power, check inverter itself in the front left outer bay behind the trim panel, I'm told there is a breaker or reset button on it.

Not sure what you meant by this. If GFCI AND breaker popped, power would have to be restored before you could reset GFCI.

NJ is correct: the inverter on the FD is in the front of the left (drivers side) front compartment behind the panel. Th reset is hard to see, but dollars to donuts thats the issue. The only GFCI reset on an outlet is on the side of the sink...

S

[melmax]

It is your breaker switch on your invertor.
The invertor will probably behind an access panel.
Find it and reset the breaker button on the invertor. Then reset your gfi and you will be good.
This same problem is happening a lot with the geo pros and epro models.
Good luck

[cavie]

You were pluging into the GFI circuit if you were outside. You have triped a GFI outlet or the breaker feeding it. I have never heard of an inverter being involved with an outside circuit unless the inverter was controlling ALL 120 volt circuits..

I don't stay at Holiday Inns but I do not believe you have an inverter. I think you are talking about a converter.

Inverter changes 12 volt dc to 120 volts ac.
converter changes 120 volts ac to 12 volts dc and charges the battery.

[Mr. Dan]

Originally Posted by cavie

You were pluging into the GFI circuit if you were outside. You have trip a GFI outlet or the breaker feeding it. I have never heard of an inverter being involved with an outside circuit.

X2

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by cavie

I don't stay at Holiday Inns but I do not believe you have an inverter. I think you are talking about a converter.

Cavie, the Geo Pros come with an 1000w Inverter and 100w solar panels.

"The Geo Pro series is ready for wherever your adventure takes you. Standard 100W roof solar panels and 1000W inverters will let you use your Geo Pro almost anywhere!"

[5picker]

Originally Posted by Larry-NC

Bama, I don't quite understand your answer. The standard insulation-piercing receptacles never cut the copper wires. They simply cut the insulation and contact the wires, essentially by shoving each wire between two sharp tines of a fork.

While that may lead to an outlet that has a high-resistance contact, it should never affect downstream outlets because the wire itself remains continuous.

While your assessment is correct of how the wires are pierced by the receptacle, I have never seen a straight through run of romex wire in the back of a R/V receptacle. It has always been one piece in, another separate piece out to the next with enough length on the leads to be able to remove the outlet.

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by 5picker

While your assessment is correct of how the wires are pierced by the receptacle, I have never seen a straight through run of romex wire in the back of a R/V receptacle. It has always been one piece in, another separate piece out to the next with enough length on the leads to be able to remove the outlet.

Thanks for the correction. I'm sure I've seen the straight-through image someplace, but everything I found thus far supports your statement.

Larry

[jdlogicman]

Originally Posted by NJKris

... If still no power, check inverter itself in the front left outer bay behind the trim panel, I'm told there is a breaker or reset button on it.

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!

All AC outlets seem to run through the 1000W inverter in the front left compartment behind some panels. The breaker on the lower left was indeed tripped. I reset it and all was well.

[cavie]

Originally Posted by bikendan

Cavie, the Geo Pros come with an 1000w Inverter and 100w solar panels.

"The Geo Pro series is ready for wherever your adventure takes you. Standard 100W roof solar panels and 1000W inverters will let you use your Geo Pro almost anywhere!"

As I have stated before. Learn something new every day. 1st I have heard of an inverter in such a small trailer. No way of knowing how every brand of RV operates.

[NJKris]

good deal logicman! Always feels good to get 'er going again without having to take it to someone. And Cavie, that's why I like this trailer. You get all the goodies that normally only much larger and higher priced units have packed into a small package.