GFCI refuses to reset - RP-190C

[OhMyRedbeard]

I posted this on an R-Pod specific forum but haven’t gotten a reply with so I am casting a net here as well, and crossing my fingers so hard that I feel my fingers may break.

I will preface this post by saying that I believe something related to the GFCI to be the issue as anything plugged into a GFCI protected outlet (all of them) on my camper isn’t working. To clarify my statement of “GFCI refuses to reset”, the plate-mounted TEST/RESET buttons have no feedback. No click, nothing on either

I’m currently at a campground, only for my wife to discover thst the outlets aren’t working. This would be our 3rd trip since purchasing our 2024 RP-190C. The first two trips went fine (will detail those trips below and things we are doing differently this trip)

Trip 1:
Friends yard.
Systems Used: City water connection, power from a heavy-duty extension cord/30A puck. No hot water heater use. Dometic RM-2551 refrigerator on electric. No issues.

Trip 2:
Friends yard
Systems Used: City water connection, power from a heavy-duty extension cord/puck. Hot water using gas element. Dometic RM-2551 refrigerator on electric. No issues.

Now for the thing that will likely keep me from sleeping tonight.
Trip 3:
Cheboygan State Campground, Cheboygan, Michigan.
Systems Used:[/B] Water from fresh water holding tank. Power from 30A mast (breaker turned on at mast). Hot water using electric element. Dometic RM-2551 refrigerator on electric. Air conditioner on electric (really humid in northern MI at the moment). One small 5 cup-coffee maker.

Everything was working this trip (all day yesterday and as best I could tell, until about 3 hours ago) including our outside outlet as we had a Bluetooth speaker hooked up to it), and when my wife and I got into bed and attempted to charge her phone (the woman loves her pre-bed TikTok), we discovered the outlet wasn’t working and I began my chaotic, anxiety fueled search for answers.

Currently hooked up to shore power. Here’s what is working:
Air Conditioner (fully functional)
Microwave/Convection Oven (fully functional)
Water pump (fully functional)
All lights (including exterior and interior, fully functional)
Bathroom exhaust fan (fully functional)
The two USB ports immediately to the right of the entrance door, below the TV backer and next to the outlet

Here’s what isn’t working and what’s going on:
None of the outlets work other than the two aforementioned USB ports.
Refrigerator is behaving strangely. It does power on, but the “CHECK” light is rhythmically flashing twice, accompanied by what sounds like a spark igniter attempting to run the fridge off of gas, which makes me think it may not realize that it’s hooked up to shore power.

Now on to what I have tried
1. Flipping all circuit breakers in the panel from “On” to “Off” before back to “On”
2. Removing access panel from road-side of the trailer, unplugging fridge, flipping breakers, attempting to reset the CFI from the plate mounted buttons on the outlet under the bed (facing out from the compartment containing Hot Water Heater and water pump), replugginng fridge.
3. Attempted to reset breaker on power mast (On-Off-On).
4. Attempted to plug into 20A outlet on mast (flipped 30A off first). Flipped 20A breaker on, attached shore power cable with puck, attempted to reset GFCI, no luck.

Even though there are things working that to my knowledge shouldn’t be working if only on battery, it’s as if something in the upstream of the power isn’t recognizing the 120V from the mast to allow me to reset the GFCI.

Anyone have *any* idea what’s going on?

Additional Tidbit: When connecting to *both* the 30A and 20A outlets at the mast, I can hear the distinctive “Beep” from the microwave/convection oven when flipping the breaker, so I am assuming that the trailer itself and whatever circuit the microwave/convection oven is powered by is recognizing the incoming power.

[MGD1961]

Is the power present light on the GFCI lit? If it is the GFCI has tripped for a reason down stream of the outlet

If not there is no power to the outlet from the distribution panel

Start there

[Flygrimm]

Do you have a multi meter. I would check the output of the 30 amp plug at the pedestal, then plug in your 30 amp extension and check the output at the other end of your extension. Your last paragraph makes me think there’s something wrong at the pedestal.

Stuart

[OhMyRedbeard]

Thanks for your reply, Stuart! The green light next to the reset button appears to be blinking green (not red, which as I understand implies that the GFCI needs replacing). The blinking is very faint, however.

Clarification: It’s less a flash and more a flicker

-Cass

[Flygrimm]

You can also pull the GGCI out and check for power on the LINE side. If there’s power there then you just need to replace the outlet. GFCI outlets can go bad for a variety of reasons, even if they are new.

Also check the wiring for security. I’ve heard around the forums of loose connections on new campers as well. Don’t forget to unplug everything downstream of the GFCI. If there’s something plugged in that is causing the problem it won’t reset.

Stuart

[OhMyRedbeard]

Stuart, thanks again for your reply. I’m unable to check the GFCI outlet itself as I remembered to bring the socket for my hot water heater anode rod but not a daggone screwdriver. I did some additional testing (off at the mast, on at the mast, off at the breaker, on at the breaker) and it behaved as expected.

Off Mast, Off Breaker: No Light
On Mast, Off Breaker: No Light
On Mast, On Breaker: Light

An 100% thinking it was just something that slipped through QC in Elkhart or whatever. We only purchased this beautiful rig about a month ago so I highly doubt that our RV dealer (which thankfully is very local) is gonna give us too much guff about a GFCI. I will be sure to remain active and report back with what happens

[jjscsix]

Originally Posted by Flygrimm

You can also pull the GGCI out and check for power on the LINE side. If there’s power there then you just need to replace the outlet. GFCI outlets can go bad for a variety of reasons, even if they are new.

Also check the wiring for security. I’ve heard around the forums of loose connections on new campers as well. Don’t forget to unplug everything downstream of the GFCI. If there’s something plugged in that is causing the problem it won’t reset.

Stuart

I completely agree with this. I spent my career in the Electrical Supply business. New GFCIs being bad or going bad is common. Having said that, my first guess would be that if there is nothing plugged into any of the outlets i think there is a good chance that one of the outlets, either the GFCI itself or an outlet downstream of it has a lose wire connection into the back of the outlet.

Good luck.

[OhMyRedbeard]

Thank you. Given the results of my rudimentary testing, I feel much better about life than previous. I was worried that I was going to have to deal with a much larger issue. But discovering through your and Stuart’s expertise, I’m feeling more and more like it’s just a faulty GFCI from the factory, in which case it should be what I consider to be a “nothing”-tier fix

[jlankford]

A digital multimeter is one of the tools you need to keep in your RV toolkit.

From your description, there's nothing wrong at the mast. Some of your 120VAC circuits are working (A/C, microwave), so your power distribution panel is getting shore power. Your problem is with the GFCI circuit breaker, the GFCI itself, or something downstream of the GFCI causing it to trip. If your 2024 r-pod came with an inverter, then the inverter pass-through function might also be the problem. The inverter would be installed on the GFCI branch circuit between the panel circuit breaker and the GFCI outlet.

Many of the things you've listed operate on 12VDC (lights, water pump, USB outlets). You should study the labeling inside your power distribution panel to learn which things are powered from the 120VAC circuit breakers and which ones are powered from the 12VDC blade fuses. All of the 12VDC items will operate without shore power present. Depending on what your problem is, your converter may not be charging your battery if the converter circuit breaker also has no power (unlikely - it sounds like your problem is restricted to the GFCI branch circuit). So be aware that the the 12VDC items which are working may stop working when the battery dies, if the converter isn't providing 12VDC power.

[MGD1961]

Just thought about this. Someone can correct me if I’m wrong but a GFCI wouldn’t reset if you had an open ground “no ground “ at the pedestal but the non GFCI appliances would still work. ie: microwave and air conditioning because in the appliances the ground and neutral would be bonded.

Make sure you have a ground at the pedestal

[TacomaJoe]

Originally Posted by MGD1961

Just thought about this. Someone can correct me if I’m wrong but a GFCI wouldn’t reset if you had an open ground “no ground “ at the pedestal but the non GFCI appliances would still work. ie: microwave and air conditioning because in the appliances the ground and neutral would be bonded.

Make sure you have a ground at the pedestal

GFCI will work without a ground wire. Makes them ideal for the old two wire knob and tube houses.

And, on the load side, if you connect the neutral and ground together the GFCI will trip.

[OhMyRedbeard]

Originally Posted by MGD1961

Just thought about this. Someone can correct me if I’m wrong but a GFCI wouldn’t reset if you had an open ground “no ground “ at the pedestal but the non GFCI appliances would still work. ie: microwave and air conditioning because in the appliances the ground and neutral would be bonded.

Make sure you have a ground at the pedestal

See and that’s the weird thing. We set up on Friday, and everything worked. Went out for an adventure to Cheboygan Brewing and then came back and everything again seemed to be working and it was only at bedtime that we noticed the problem. I did switch from our pedestal to a neighbors and same issue. Because of the sudden onset and the mix of working/non-working, I’m leaning more toward thinking that it is indeed an issue with the singular GFCI outlet with the reset button

[Bob K4TAX]

Originally Posted by OhMyRedbeard

See and that’s the weird thing. We set up on Friday, and everything worked. Went out for an adventure to Cheboygan Brewing and then came back and everything again seemed to be working and it was only at bedtime that we noticed the problem. I did switch from our pedestal to a neighbors and same issue. Because of the sudden onset and the mix of working/non-working, I’m leaning more toward thinking that it is indeed an issue with the singular GFCI outlet with the reset button

Every camper, RV, motorhome, 5th wheel, etc. should have available a volt meter or DVM. AND KNOW HOW TO PROPERLY USE IT.

There are 2 kinds of folks: (A) those that think they know what they are doing, and (B) those that know what they are doing.

As to GFCIs, as written earlier, even new ones, out of the box, can be defective. And there seems to be a high failure rate in many of these devices. Replacement is the only option. Again, a DVM is your friend. (I'm not speaking of a veterinarian.)

Bob

[OhMyRedbeard]

Yeah, unfortunately my multimeter is back at home in Grayling with everything I likely need to fix the issue. Funny how it always works that way, eh?

[Bob K4TAX]

Originally Posted by OhMyRedbeard

Yeah, unfortunately my multimeter is back at home in Grayling with everything I likely need to fix the issue. Funny how it always works that way, eh?

Yep, and that is why I always say one should have a fire extinguisher and DVM on board at all times.

Buy a DVM at Harbor Freight for $20 - $30 and KEEP it on the trailer.

Bob

[Flybob]

There are three reasons why GFCIs will not reset.



1. GFCI is an electronic circuit must have power to reset. (Eliminated)

2. The fault that caused the GFCI to trip is still there.
3. The GFCI is dead.


Turn off the appropriate breaker and check the outlet that had the bluetooth speaker plugged into it. It could have moisture in it or a loose connection.

[OhMyRedbeard]

Flybob, thanks for the troubleshooting ideas. I did test that specific outlet (did a quick and dirty test and plugged my phone in, no dice). Seeming more and more like #3 is the culprit

[Rhumblefish]

Originally Posted by OhMyRedbeard

See and that’s the weird thing. We set up on Friday, and everything worked. Went out for an adventure to Cheboygan Brewing and then came back and everything again seemed to working…

Unrelated to your GCFI issue, Good Times at Cheboygan brewing (and all the popcorn you can eat)! we are big fans of the blood orange honey (as well as any specialty beers that they’ve got on tap). Chocolate Cherry is a favorite, too.

Had a house in Cheboygan, out on Blair right on the lake- the spur up past the nature preserve. Lovely place!

How’s the campground?

[CedarCreekWoody]

Regarding the light it works differently on various brands. Some illuminate when tripped, some when it I dictates not tripped. Colors vary too.

[Bob K4TAX]

Originally Posted by CedarCreekWoody

Regarding the light it works differently on various brands. Some illuminate when tripped, some when it I dictates not tripped. Colors vary too.

There is nothing like a good voltmeter or DVM and knowing how to use it. Makes trouble shooting and repairs sooooo easy.

Bob