Some 120v outlets work only with generator

[Racer_C]

Have a '98 Monaco Diplomat. Several 120v outlets work only when generator running/shore power (GFI outlet under dining table, and the two outlets on driver's side of bedroom). Is this normal? I would like to be able to use them with the inverter. Suggestions?

Also, does anyone know if there are supposed to be two GFI outlets, like one in the bathroom? The one in the bathroom may have been replaced with a regular one. Should I replace it with a GFI one?

Thank you!

Rich

[LJowdy]

GFI plugs are a good thing until they go soft. I always carry a spare. The plugs that only work with the generator are governed by the bus box where your fuses are located. Monaco as well as other manufacturers limit the number of plugs that will work off the inverter to prevent it from being overloaded. THere is a split bus bar that some outlets are wired to allow power from the inverter, the others are beyond the split bus bar. When you plug in to shore power a switch closes allowing shore power to both halves of the bus bar. When only on inverter power, the inverter side of the bus bar is energized and the other side is dead.

[JohnR1949]

What you have is normal. We have an '06 Diplomat and it is set up so that only a few of the 110 outlets run off the inverter. You are lucky....none of the outlets in the bedroom are wired thru the inverter. We dry camp a lot and with modern electronic devices it would be nice to be able to charge my phone beside the bed while I fall asleep to my audiobooks.

[RustyTools]

Some modern electronics are very finicky when it comes to clean power. Most mainstream inverters put out a Modified Sine Wave (MSW) that isn't as smooth as from the 'grid', and can cause the appliance to fail.

I've heard that Monaco didn't put inverter outlets in the bedroom intentionally because it might mess with some night-time breathing machines and other stuff.

For instance, our old electric blanket (the kind that goes 'click' when it turns on or off) worked fine in the coach, but I burned out new electronic ones twice before I figured it out. And this was after I'd rewired new outlets for the bedroom thinking there was a manufacturing error.

But if your cell phones can charge off other inverter outlets, maybe just run an extension cord from one of those outlets to the bedroom?

[LJowdy]

Rather than leave the inverter on all night, when I dry camp, I charge my cell phone from a 12 volt outlet I installed in the night stand next to my bed. Uses a lot less power to charge the phone from the outlet rather than from the inverter. Even when there is no drain on the inverter, it still uses a bunch of battery power.