No AC at Dinette outlet

[KF5UMC]

Hi Folks
I have no AC voltage from Dinette receptacle. Another AC receptacle (was added? Not on the Fleetwood diagram (but I added it in the drawing) flush mounted behind bench seat with external Romex wire and metal conduit channel along the dinette wall. AC voltage is found on this receptacle. The wires go to a Junction box below bench seat behind drivers seat. Also I found a Romex cable pair cut flush just inside the junction box not connected, BUT ohm'ed these wires between the dinette AC receptacle and find open/no connection. Not sure WHERE the dinette gets it power from or what the "unused" Romex wire pair cut near the Junction box comes from.

Any ideas?

[BFlinn181]

Often outlets are daisy chained through a GFCI outlet to provide protection to the second outlet. Check that all GGCI outlets are live and not tripped. The other possiblity is that hte dead outlet could be powered through an inverter to provide 120 v AC when not connected to shore power or generator. Check that any inverter is working and doesn't have a tripped CB on the case.

I'd also spend some time with your tester and turn off each breaker and see what circuits they control so you can solve these type of issues faster in the future.

[navigator336]

I'm guessing the mystery cut flush romex is the original wiring to the original dinette outlet as shown on the schematic. When you ohmed out the cut romex to the original wall outlet did you check continuity on all three wires (hot, neutral and ground)? It may be that the original romex failed so a new complete circuit was run using the EMT conduit. If in fact the original romex failed, it would be unlikely that all three wires would fail unless it was completely cut from the factory.

[KF5UMC]

Just to update the group...

All three wires were open on the original Romex. In the manufacturing process they use staples to hold the Romex in place and probably cut the wires in half.

No the GFI's were ok. On this coach, All AC receptacles should work regardless if the generator, inverter or shore power is connected. I confirmed this with the electrical schematics provided by Fleetwood and running said items. As for the O/H junction box. We looked literally high and low, behind cabinets but never did find the overhead junction box. If I could have found that box I'm sure the problem would have been revealed!

I ran new Romex to the original over head living room receptacle using the cable conduit along the wall and connected the wall receptacle under the dinette via Romex/conduit to the junction box under the dinette.

Using more Romex and cable conduit, right angle and coupler parts was easy and came out very clean looking...(most is hidden behind chairs and table). I was able to pull the new Romex through the existing cable run (false bottom) inside and under the cabinet bottom shelves to the living room over head receptacle. All said, I learned a lot and save myself $$$ as I hate to take the coach into "service centers". Total cost 40 bucks.

Now I have the 2 original AC receptacles and the 1 behind the dinette bench seat all working.

[Crossingover]

We plugged in a 1500 watt space heater into the AC outlet above our dinette and the receptacle (both plugs) lost power shortly thereafter. No tripped breakers and all the other AC outlets in the coach work. Are the Fleetwod AC outlets non-residential and have a non-reset protective feature of some sort? We do use the AC outlet near the floor below the TV with the heater no problem.

[BFlinn181]

Originally Posted by Crossingover

We plugged in a 1500 watt space heater into the AC outlet above our dinette and the receptacle (both plugs) lost power shortly thereafter. No tripped breakers and all the other AC outlets in the coach work. Are the Fleetwod AC outlets non-residential and have a non-reset protective feature of some sort? We do use the AC outlet near the floor below the TV with the heater no problem.

Check all the GCFI outlets in the RV and reset them. Often outlets are 'daisy-chained' through a GCFI outlet to give them protection. A 1500 w heater could over-tax a circuit, I'd be cautious where you plug it in.

[KF5UMC]

See typical RV wall AC receptacles note no reset buttons. This and all other receptacles are protected by a circuit breaker:


Typical AC receptacle daisy chain- right hand side of block diagram


On the Discovery coach there are 2 resettable GIF receptacles. 1 in the bathroom and 1 in near the entertainment center and plumbing behind the entertainment center. These receptacles will open the AC circuit to down stream non GFI receptacles if one of these two GFI's trip due to a ground fault.

If you do not have power to the receptacle and the GFIs are reset, check the AC voltage at the circuit breaker box if you are trained to do so...if you do have AC there but not on the receptacle the most likely problem is a open between the JUNCTION box that feeds the AC to the receptacle in question. In my case, I was unable to locate the junction box. Read my last message as to what I did to resolved my problem.

Regarding electrical heaters: I prefer to use a 50 foot outdoor extension cord, rated at a minimum of 20 amps and plugged the extension directly into the 20-30 amp service at the shore pedestal. Use common sense to feed the extension into the coach so it doesn't get cut!