Island Outlets/GD Solitude 384GK

[Jeep]

I have a 2017 GD Solitude 384GK. The electrical outlets on the Kitchen Island are not working and the power line coming up through the floor to them has no power. The bathroom GFCI is working and all other outlets on the protected circuit are working. I can't find a dead line coming from the Island under the front storage area and I have pulled and checked all outlets on the only GFCI I can find on the trailer. Their all working and all lines going into each outlet are hot. Are the outlets on the Island on another circuit I'm not able to find?

Jeep

[ncitro]

I have a 2017 GD Solitude 384GK. The electrical outlets on the Kitchen Island are not working and the power line coming up through the floor to them has no power. The bathroom GFCI is working and all other outlets on the protected circuit are working. I can't find a dead line coming from the Island under the front storage area and I have pulled and checked all outlets on the only GFCI I can find on the trailer. Their all working and all lines going into each outlet are hot. Are the outlets on the Island on another circuit I'm not able to find?

Jeep

The wiring into the slide out has a "molex" plug under the coroplast that transitions from solid romex wire under the rig to flexible cord under the slide. There is actually a recall on the plugs for not being placed correctly during assembly, they sit on the coroplast and can get water in them causing problems. My guess would be your issue is in there.

Something similar to this:

[Jeep]

Thank You, my guess is your absolutely right. It makes sense, and we had a leak from the sink drain about the same time.

[howson]

Thank You, my guess is your absolutely right. It makes sense, and we had a leak from the sink drain about the same time.

Edit: Per TucsonJim 's later post...the information below may not be applicable to your coach. I apologize if I caused undo concern.

There is a recall (see https://gdrvowners.com/forum/operati...number-20v-362) due to a fire hazard because of water getting into these Molex connectors. Sorry if I alarm you, but I'd get this fixed ASAP. In the interim, out of an abundance of caution, turn off the circuit breaker that feeds this circuit. I understand this will be a huge inconvenience.

If you search this site using the word "Molex" you'll find a lot of reading. There's one particular thread that I think will reinforce why I writing this: https://gdrvowners.com/forum/operati...placement-part

Howard

[TucsonJim]

There is a recall (see https://gdrvowners.com/forum/operati...number-20v-362) due to a fire hazard because of water getting into these Molex connectors. Sorry if I alarm you, but I'd get this fixed ASAP. In the interim, out of an abundance of caution, turn off the circuit breaker that feeds this circuit. I understand this will be a huge inconvenience.

If you search this site using the word "Molex" you'll find a lot of reading. There's one particular thread that I think will reinforce why I writing this: https://gdrvowners.com/forum/operati...placement-part

Howard

The power outage is to the island which is NOT in a slide out. Molex connectors are typically used to make the connection from flat wire to round for the slide outs. I don't believe there is a Molex connector for this connection. In addition, the recall is only for the Reflection product line, not the Solitude.

This is not to say there isn't a Molex style connector that could be the culprit. But I'd examine other possible scenario's which may be causing the issue.

Jim

[ncitro]

The power outage is to the island which is NOT in a slide out. Molex connectors are typically used to make the connection from flat wire to round for the slide outs. I don't believe there is a Molex connector for this connection. In addition, the recall is only for the Reflection product line, not the Solitude.

This is not to say there isn't a Molex style connector that could be the culprit. But I'd examine other possible scenario's which may be causing the issue.

Jim

Good catch Jim, not sure what I was thinking there, I totally had it in my head his outage was in the slide out.

Jeep Assuming you are comfortable working with electricity the next thing I would do is pull apart the outlet in the island. The factory used press together outlets and it is possible the problem is there. I would want to know if there is power on the feed coming in even though the outlet has no power.

[Jeep]

Jim,

There is no power on the romex coming up thru the floor going to the outlets on the Island, if there is no power where could the bad connection be. All romex going from the storage area thru to the Island area is hot. The rest of the outlets on the Bathroom GFI both inside and outside the rv are working. I've opened all GFI outlets on the Island as well as the rest of the rv and all connections are good. If I have to cut the coroplast where should it be cut as it was installed as one piece. I have no problem repairing a electrical problem if I could find it.

Jeep

[ncitro]

Jim,

There is no power on the romex coming up thru the floor going to the outlets on the Island, if there is no power where could the bad connection be. All romex going from the storage area thru to the Island area is hot. The rest of the outlets on the Bathroom GFI both inside and outside the rv are working. I've opened all GFI outlets on the Island as well as the rest of the rv and all connections are good. If I have to cut the coroplast where should it be cut as it was installed as one piece. I have no problem repairing a electrical problem if I could find it.

Jeep

I think you’re going to need to drop the coroplast to trace the romex back. Most of us drop it at one end or the other and roll it back, but given you’re in the middle of the rig you could make a cut and seam it back together. There’s a special tape on Amazon I’ve used called RV underbelly tape I believe. howson has a write up on seaming his back together with rigid plastic pieces.

I’d think what you’re looking for is the next “good” outlet upstream. The feed going into your outlet will be tied together with that inside the outlet and maybe it’s a bad connection. Otherwise you’re looking for the romex to be broken under the coroplast but I’d think that’s unlikely.

[TucsonJim]

I think you’re going to need to drop the coroplast to trace the romex back. Most of us drop it at one end or the other and roll it back, but given you’re in the middle of the rig you could make a cut and seam it back together. There’s a special tape on Amazon I’ve used called RV underbelly tape I believe. howson has a write up on seaming his back together with rigid plastic pieces.

I’d think what you’re looking for is the next “good” outlet upstream. The feed going into your outlet will be tied together with that inside the outlet and maybe it’s a bad connection. Otherwise you’re looking for the romex to be broken under the coroplast but I’d think that’s unlikely.

Other than the last outlet on a circuit, all of the outlets are daisy chained together. I'd open up every outlet and use an ohm meter to verify continuity on each and every connection before dropping the underbelly. Make sure you disconnect from shore power before performing this inspection.

Also, do a thorough search for hidden GFI outlets. My travel trailer had one hidden behind an outside TV and it killed several circuits when it tripped.

If you do need to get into the underbelly, I'd drop it from either the front or the back instead of cutting it. You might wind up cutting lots of holes before you found the problem.

[Jeep]

Found the problem, the romex cable going to the island was pinched between the floor and the cross beam. Probably done when the cable was put in with a big loop in the run, and then the floor was installed and the cable loop was pinched. Over time with travel movement the line finally rubbed thru shorting it out. Since these two outlets were at the end of the GFCI chain, the GFCI breaker and the rest of the outlets were not affected. See attached photo's. A Grand Design construction error. I ended up calling a Mobil RV repair service to remove the coroplast to find it.

Jeep

[howson]

Found the problem, the romex cable going to the island was pinched between the floor and the cross beam. Probably done when the cable was put in with a big loop in the run, and then the floor was installed and the cable loop was pinched. Over time with travel movement the line finally rubbed thru shorting it out. Since these two outlets were at the end of the GFCI chain, the GFCI breaker and the rest of the outlets were not affected. See attached photo's. A Grand Design construction error. I ended up calling a Mobil RV repair service to remove the coroplast to find it.

Jeep

Wow--good find. Amazing it took 4 years of chaffing for the problem to (finally) reveal itself.

I bet if we fed an RV Tech a few brews around the campfire we'd get some awesome "you'd never believe this..." stories from them!

Thanks for the follow-up. I hope you'll continue to contribute.

Howard