A/C Wiring Problems

[jim.smithjr]

We took our 08 Cayman out for a couple of days and got her all cleaned up and everything fixed that needed fixing. Then we added a new VuCube TV antennae and a Bell HD receiver. That was yesterday...life was good.

I got up today and tried turning on the tv; no power. In looking around I found several other outlets are now dead. They all worked fine yesterday.

I found a suspect GFI outlet in the toilet room and replaced it with a new one. The TV started working again and some, but not all, of the outlets. Then it all shut down again. We think we smelled some "magic smoke" at one point.

So we're back in the city and tomorrow I'm taking it to a very well respected electrical contractor to see if they will check it our for me.

Any ideas?

[Bobs911]

Some info here http://www.irv2.com/forums/f115/gfi-...ing-54342.html

Might search "monaco gfi" on this forum. Lot's of discussion on this subject.

[jim.smithjr]

I took this Cayman to a well respected local electrical firm and had some real electricians work on it. And they couldn't fix it.

It seems there is a broken wire inside a junction box somewhere inside the LF slide. The slide contains a four door fridge and a "hutch unit" with free standing chairs.

Monaco Tech were called several times but the lack of a booth dinette seemed to confuse them and they were unable to tell us where this junction box actually is.

We have all major functions, there are just three plug outlets on that slide. One of the dead plugs is the single receptacle behind the fridge that runs the ice maker. I jury rigged that by combining it with the fridge plug beside it, which is OK.

So we're off with our Good Sam chapter shortly and we'll deal with this dilemma later. I hate unsolved electrical problems, but we did actually smell some "Magic Smoke" so the fire hazard shoulds be eliminated?

What the heck do you expect for $200,000.00?

[jim.smithjr]

The short story is that the electricians couldn't find the broken wire inside the junction box because they couldn't find the junction box. Apparently it takes an RV shop to know where to look for this stuff?

One of my Good Sam buds suggested it's probably inside the tube that carries the wires for this slide. Sounds reasonable to me, but I didn't look as yet.

We also found two more dead outlets on the opposite slide, above the galley?

Any suggestions?

[RustyTools]

I hear your pain, Jim. Keep looking and you'll eventually find it!

I was doing the vacuuming the other day and lost several outlets too (tried to tell wife that's why I shouldn't be doing that chore, but she didn't buy it). After much searching and checking, I found my culprit j-box in the kitchen slide and it was up and behind all of the plumbing/wires/hoses under the sink. Only way I ever found it was tracing and shaking wires and one seemed to go behind the others as a black cord and came out as a piece of white romex-cable. Never did see the j-box until then, and getting to it was another story in itself. Mine burned thru the little wire nut too, so you probably did smell smoke. Which means you may now have an intermittent connection which could continue to make-and-break and heat up again (under load).

Not saying yours is where mine was, but more that they're there and you just gotta find 'em. Good luck!

[Barlow46]

Jim, what power source are you running off of? shore power, inverter or generator? As you probably know, some outlets in your coach run are "inverter" outlets. I'm not real good with explaining how this system works regarding 120v direct or 120v coming from the inverter. For instance, the air conditioners will not operate off of the inverter but the refrigerator ice maker will. You may have plugged in some of you new stuff into a inverter outlet and caused a shutdown somehow. Check your inverter and see what is lit up if on shore power. You may have to shut down all power including house battery switch and reset the inverter. Others will chime in an give you a better explanation than I can but take a look at this possibility of the inverter interruption.

[ArmyEOD]

Jim, not sure this will help, but I have the 06 Dip PDQ and on my rig I found my juction box in the bottom of the codenza under my subwofer. I had to remove the subwofer and the bottom of the cabinet and it was right their. I notice on your rig that you have the dinette, I am thinking your box may be under a false panel under your seats. Anyway, hope this helps.

George

[jim.smithjr]

Thanks everyone, for these suggestions.

George, I have a sub woofer as you have and I suspect that my junction box is just where yours was on that LF slide-out. I have free standing chairs, not a dinette.

I also suspect the RF slide-out junction box is also behind the sink as was suggested. There are probably all in the same place, and not likely very convenient?

I've already called the service fellow with your suggestions, and he was pleased to hear them.

Thanks again.

We smelled a little "magic smoke" when the LF plugs went out so I'm pretty certain it's a junction box problem. There was no load of any kind on any of these outlets at the time.

We don't even know when the RF outlets died; my wife just discovered they were gone the day after the RF ones went out? She hardly ever uses these overhead outlets.

[jim.smithjr]

I've just returned from the RV service garage where my Monaco is awaiting service. I went aboard and opened up the LF slide hutch cabinet, removed the sub woofer and the floor of the cabinet. There are two junction boxes below. I opened them as well and found no burned wires; everything looks OK. I didn't have a tester, however.

I also removed a large grate from the galley cupboard on the RF slide and found two more junction boxes.I opened them as well and they were looking good inside.

I expect there is no power to one junction box on each slide, and the other is fine.

This will save the technicians from having to hunt for these boxes, and it will save me some labour charges as well.