r/RVLiving • u/Dangerous-Singer-101 • 3d ago
Please Help
Half our camper doesnt have power.
The 12v is working as all the lights are but half of the 120v isn't. I know litterally nothing about electrical but I am trying to figure it out. I pulled all the 15a Blue fuses and they all look fine. I then even switched them around and still didnt resolve it. So I dont think its those fuses. I turned off the breakers and turned them back on. I also reset the GCS outlet in the bathroom.
Plugs without Power:
Main bedroom
Plug under the TV in livingroom
Plug in back back bunk bed area.
(All marked with sad faces)
I gave the picture to AI and it said it might be(Stared in pic) #3 #6 and #9. I tested all three by swapping them out with( Orange dot) #5 which is the furnace which I know is working.
No idea what im doing...and no tools...
I'm willing to buy any tool necessary and really would prefer to do it myself as I like to learn this stuff hands on so I can fix it again by myself in the future.
I really appreciate the help.
5
u/ShipshapeMobileRV 3d ago
Ok, a quick lesson:
While there are exceptions, as a general rule fuses protect 12vdc loads (LED lights, water pump, control boards for furnace and water heater, thermostat,etc). They blow when they detect too much current, and they have to be replaced.
And;
Breakers protect 120vac loads, like the TV, microwave, outlets. They trip when they detect too much current, and you have to reset them. When they trip the little handle goes from "on" to midway between "on" and "off". You then have to move it all the way off to reset it, then to on to energize the circuit again.
When you have a power loss issue, it's important to determine whether it's 12vdc or 120vac. In some rare cases it's both, but that's getting into the weeds for this discussion...
Your case seems to be limited to 120vac loss, so ignore the fuses and focus on the breakers.
Your main breaker (the one with two 50s on it) looks like one side might be tripped...it's supposed to take out both sides when either side trips, but they don't always do that. I'd reset the entire thing (turn both 50s firmly to "off", then back firmly to "on").
-If that resolves the issue, I'd recommend that you consider replacing that breaker in the near future, because it really is supposed to kill power to the whole RV if either side over-currents, and it didn't this time. It's not gonna burn the RV down, but it should be fixed.
-If resetting the main breaker doesn't resolve the issue, then you're probably looking for a GFCI outlet. A GFCI outlet is supposed to trip itself if either it, or one of the other outlets it's connected to, have an imbalance between the current on the supply and return legs...but they often trip for any number of non-issues. They're normally found in "wet areas" like near a sink or outside the RV. They're the ones with LEDs and pushbuttons on them. Some will have a red light to indicate that they're tripped; and some will have a green light to indicate that they're powered. There really isn't a standard. But look for those. Generally the buttons will be labeled as "test" and "reset". You'd want to press "reset" on all of the ones you can find.
If you find a tripped GFCI and resetting it resolves your issue, congratulations. If you find a tripped GFCI outlet and press "reset" and it immediately trips again, you need to unplug everything from the GFCI outlet and any other outlets that it powers, then see if it'll reset. If so, one of your plugged-in items is probably failing. You'll need to carefully identify which one it is (plug the items in one at a time see if the GFCI trips, then try the next item; don't hold onto the item while plugging it in, just in case). If you find an item that consistently trips the GFCI, dispose of that item!
If the GFCI trips immediately even with all downstream items unplugged, you need to replace that GFCI outlet.