What is the GFI amperage in Beaver Coaches?

[Bruce Sieloff]

I had a power outage to the bedroom of the coach, everything downstream of the GFI was out and the GFI refused to reset. As I removed the GFI to replace it I noticed a white ground wire pop free with little effort. I replaced the GFI with a new improved 15A version but found it would not reset either. I reinstalled the old one and tightened the white wires down tight and VOILA! I had power. Apparently the screw holding the wire tight had rattled out to the extent that I had an intermittent ground so the GFI functioned as designed. The breaker that controls that circuit is 30 amp. The failure of the new one to reset puzzles me, AFAIK it was wired correctly, identical to the old one, and it was 15Amp. Are the installed outlets designed to be greater than 15 amps?

[Edward Buker]

Bruce,

Hopefully your GFI issue was just the loose wire but just in case the problem returns...Although GFI outlets are built to a meet a spec (5 ma max trip) they can still vary greatly by design as to how sensitive they are trip timing wise and therefor how tolerant they are of stray current. I have had the one in the bay trip repeatedly for no apparent reason. Bought a new one, installed it and had the same issue.

I found that Leviton makes a wet environment version so I tried that type in a 20 amp version. Since installing that unit, it has never tripped. There are contactors within the outlet that break when stray current is sensed, which can be caused by poor contactors within the GFI itself. The wet environment GFI must have alloys in the contacts that do not oxidize as readily and therefor are more tolerant to tripping in our bay environment. It would make sense that the 20 amp version would have larger contactors which would be a good thing.

One thing to note is that if you can get any new GFI outlet to work, it also must meet the same spec, so in many cases you do not have a real ground fault issue you have an overly sensitive or deteriorated GFI unit.

Later Ed

[Bruce Sieloff]

Thanks Ed, good to know they come in a 20 AMP weatherproof version. Still not sure what the correct amperage is, but based on the results I would guess that 15 amp is too light. We run the TV on that circuit, often plug in a resistance heater and of course this is the hair dryer circuit; a good draw to be sure although not at the same time. A 20 amp weather proof GFI is destined for the "just in case" box.

[Edward Buker]

The minimum correct amperage is whatever the breaker feeding the circuit is. You can use a 20 amp version in a 15 amp circuit which I would recommend, at least for the one in the bay if you have that configuration. That circuit feeds a lot of outlets in the living area at least in our coach.

Later Ed

[Larry Dedrick]

Bruce and All Others
             We were at the Goshen maintenance rally late April. What information I would like to pass along is, not all GFI outlets are compatible with our coach systems. There were three manufactures that are, unfortunately, I don't remember who they are. Mike Rump had this issue and through his research learned of this. I will see if he can contribute to who the Manufactures are.

                       Larry D

[Michael Rump]

As Larry indicated, I had this issue (GFI tripping for no apparent reason), and changing to another GFI did not correct the problem.  During an electrical presentation at the Holiday Ramblers Maintenance Rally, the presenter recommended the following GFI replacements base on inverter type:

Magnum inverters;
Shock Sentry TM #XGF15V-SP
Leviton Smart Lock #8899-A
Hubbel #GF520EMBKA

Xantrex/Trace;
Leviton 6559
Pass & Seymour 1591R1 4A957
Ace Hardware Ace 33238

Since I have a Trace Inverter, I selected the Leviton 6559 but discovered it was discontinued.  Replaced by GFNT1.
I have this in hand, but the coach is in storage, so I will update the forum when the new GFI is installed.

Please note that the suggested part numbers may be some what out of date.

Best regards,

[Joel Ashley]

Seems like Bruce, since he had it apart to replace the GFCI and had wires in hand, could simply measure the size of the wires with a common wire-crimping plier tool, and conclude what amp circuit is involved.  The 15 amp rating of the outlet could come from it being a previous owner's handy but not exact replacement.  If anyone has a diagram book for an '03 Marquis, that may indicate his appropriate amp rating for that and downstream outlets as well.

The thing is though, he indicated his breaker was 30 amp.  That seems more like the Inverter Main incoming line than the individual circuits out of that box, and he's not looking at the right breaker.  I'd expect the circuit in question (at least one bedroom outlet plus others downstream) to be 20 amp.  The only 15 out of our 30 amp Main, for example, is the one for the two bath areas;  the rest are 20's.  20 amp implies size 12 wire, whereas 15 amp is the smaller 14.

If Bruce's actual breaker is a 30, or even the 20 I suspect the correct one really is, that 15 amp-rated GFCI could be deemed a hazard;  it could conceivably heat up under heavy load before its upstream breaker flipped off.

Forgive my assumptiveness, as a Marquis may be different in some wiring configurations than our Monty.

-Joel