# Blowing- Gfi Plug Outside Of House



## dirtnerd (Aug 26, 2011)

Hi, I have a 2010 21rs and all of a sudden after the last trip I went to plug my trailer into the normal plugin outside the house- the gfi plug would trip. There is nothing on inside the trailer on at all and it is the same plugin I had used last winter to keep the trailer plugged into in order to run a small heater. I went through trying to isolate the breakers and I found that when the converter breaker (guessing- because it is not labelled but i can see the wires going right below the panel) was on it would trip but when it is off the gfi plugin on the house was fine. But the batteries will not charge now. Wires are tight.
1)converter issue?
2)replace the plugin on the house?
3)something else that someone may have experienced???

Thanks in advance!!


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

Based on your checks it sounds like either your converter is bad or the batteries are so low the converter is drawing too many amps and this is part of why you are tripping the GFI.

Two things to try, disconnect the batteries to see if the converter is still drawing too many amps and/or connect to another outlet to see if you get the same fault.


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## GlenninTexas (Aug 11, 2004)

I agree with Andrew, disconnect the battery and try again. Also plug a circular saw or something that draws a few amps into the gfyi plug if you have an adapter to soee if the gfci trips. The gfci plugs do sometimes go bad.

Regards, Glenn


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## duggy (Mar 17, 2010)

I wouldn't be surprised if it is the GFI plug that is the problem. I used to have a similar problem when I plugged in my boat. GFI's do get weak over time. As far as the amperage loads are concerned, that is not what GFI's care about. Amperage is for the circuit breakers to worry about. GFI's look for problems with grounding, regardless of amperage. Even something as simple as inserting the plug at a slight angle so the wrong contacts meet first, can trip a GFI. I've installed brand new GFI's in bathrooms, that would trip when you turned on the ceiling fan. All the wiring was correct, switched to a different brand of GFI, and the problem went away. Hope this helps!


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## egregg57 (Feb 13, 2006)

duggy said:


> I wouldn't be surprised if it is the GFI plug that is the problem. I used to have a similar problem when I plugged in my boat. GFI's do get weak over time. As far as the amperage loads are concerned, that is not what GFI's care about. Amperage is for the circuit breakers to worry about. GFI's look for problems with grounding, regardless of amperage. Even something as simple as inserting the plug at a slight angle so the wrong contacts meet first, can trip a GFI. I've installed brand new GFI's in bathrooms, that would trip when you turned on the ceiling fan. All the wiring was correct, switched to a different brand of GFI, and the problem went away. Hope this helps!


 I agree with Duggy, GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interupter) are designed to detect ground faults and then trip the circuit. 
I would suggest.....

1. Inspect your extension cord, umbilical for knicks, kinks or signs of other possible damage. Pay close attention to the cord ends, look for damage or signs of overheating. Replace as necessary. 
2. Is the 12 volt circuit working? (Do you have battery power with a charged battery connected?)If yes, the 12V system is probably OK.
3. Ensure everything you can physically turn off in your trailer is off.
4. Open all of the breakers in your Outback.
5. Plug the camper in to the GFCI.
6. If the GFCI did not trip, then one at a time close a breaker in the camper and see when and if the GFCI trips. Open the breaker and continue on to the next.
7. If a specific circuit trips the GFCI investigate the circuit for faults. Open the breaker. Look for exposed wires, especially in areas where wires could rub and allow bare wire to contact the frame or other grounding point. Unplug any appliances that may be plugged into that circuit. For example, microwave, TV, DVD player, etc. Then retry the circuit 
8. If the GFCI did trip when connecting the extension cord, disconnect the extension cord, reset the tripped tab and plug a tool, vacuum or other item that has a 3 prong plug into the recepticle. If the GFCI trips with a normal load on it, replace the GFCI.

These are some pretty easy steps. If nothing else, you should be able to narrow the problem down to a circuit, Extension Cord, the GFCI, or an appliance.

Good luck!

Keep us posted!

I have my own issue to post!!


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