GFI's

T

terry skinner

New member
Dec 30, 1998
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>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>.
Date: Fri, 2 Jul 1999 09:49:03 EDT
From: HLBF
Subject: Re: GMC: GFI's

In a message dated 7/2/99 7:32:46 AM Central Daylight Time, mgrady
writes:

 
Why do you say it won't do any good?

Travis

- -----Original Message-----
From: Terry & Diane Skinner
To: GMC Motorhome mailing list
Date: Saturday, July 03, 1999 2:09 PM
Subject: GMC: GFI's

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>
>>>.
>Date: Fri, 2 Jul 1999 09:49:03 EDT
>From: HLBF
>Subject: Re: GMC: GFI's
>
>In a message dated 7/2/99 7:32:46 AM Central Daylight Time, mgrady
>writes:
>
>One thing I know for sure, I'm going to get an in-line GFI like we use on
>job sites and make it a part of my power supply system. Today.
> >>
>
>Where would you put it??
>Lanier
>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>I don't want to discourage anyone but if the fault is in the ground at the
>trailer park/camp ground the GFI will not do any good. Best thing to have
is
>a tester that is used before you plug in shore power.
>
>Terry & Diane Skinner
>Webfooted in Washington
>'76 Glenbrook
>
 
But I will certainly agree that it is very much the best thing to check the
outlet before you hook up to it...

Travis

- -----Original Message-----
From: Terry & Diane Skinner
To: GMC Motorhome mailing list
Date: Saturday, July 03, 1999 2:09 PM
Subject: GMC: GFI's

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>
>>>.
>Date: Fri, 2 Jul 1999 09:49:03 EDT
>From: HLBF
>Subject: Re: GMC: GFI's
>
>In a message dated 7/2/99 7:32:46 AM Central Daylight Time, mgrady
>writes:
>
>One thing I know for sure, I'm going to get an in-line GFI like we use on
>job sites and make it a part of my power supply system. Today.
> >>
>
>Where would you put it??
>Lanier
>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>I don't want to discourage anyone but if the fault is in the ground at the
>trailer park/camp ground the GFI will not do any good. Best thing to have
is
>a tester that is used before you plug in shore power.
>
>Terry & Diane Skinner
>Webfooted in Washington
>'76 Glenbrook
>
 
Let me see if I really understand what I just learned on the GMC
Motorhome Net by disagreeing with your statement, Terry. Please
understand, "No smarter than thou attitude, since I just learned this"
. You said:

>I don't want to discourage anyone but if the fault is in the ground at
>the trailer park/camp ground the GFI will not do any good. Best thing to
>have is a tester that is used before you plug in shore power. Terry

If the ground is broken or even intermittent (which seems to be a likely
problem at a typical campground) the GFI would still work since it is
measuring very slight differences in the current flowing on the hot vs
the neutral. In another ground problem, the GFI would trip if there was
a very high resistance short (as in Edgar's situation with a 2000 ohm
short to ground). So far the GFI in each case could/would prevent the
girl from dying or force a move to a different campsite. With the wisdom
of one day, I say "Why do you say the GFI would not do any good if the
fault is in the ground?"

Regards,
John

- --
"I do whatever my Rice Krispies tell me to..."
John said, from inside a 1974 Glacier on the
Potomac, just north of the White House.
 
On another GFI topic... I think I gathered that the GMC motorhome in
later model years, had an inline GFI built into the GMC shore power input
point. My guess is these are not cheap and they vary upward with power
handling capacity . How much does a 4KW vs a 6KW unit cost.

Regards,
John

- --
"I do whatever my Rice Krispies tell me to..."
John said, from inside a 1974 Glacier on the
Potomac, just north of the White House.
 
I have a '77 Birchaven (Coachmen) and it just has a single GFI breaker
protecting the bath, galley and outside outlets. Nothing in the shore power
input.

Richard

> In a message dated 7/3/99 5:44:58 PM Eastern Daylight Time, jdolan

>
> later model years, had an inline GFI built into the GMC shore power input
> point. >>
> John -- my 77 doesn't have a GFI built in and I don't think any factory built
> model did. Perhaps one of the transmode convertors models such as the Royale
> had this?
>
> Emery Stora
> 77 Kingsley
> Santa Fe, NM
>
 
I think it is important to clearly state when an assumption, or piece of
misinformation is proven wrong... (in this case mine, because there are
people signing in to this net all the time, and they may only get or
remember or understand a small part of a conversation)

> On another GFI topic... I think I gathered that the GMC motorhome in
> later model years, had an inline GFI built into the GMC shore power
> input point.

>>I have a '77 Birchaven (Coachmen) and it just has a single GFI breaker
>>protecting the bath, galley and outside outlets. Nothing in the shore
>>power input. Richard

>>John -- my 77 doesn't have a GFI built in and I don't think any factory
>>built model did. Perhaps one of the transmode convertors models such
>>as the Royale had this? Emery Stora


Regards,
John

- --
"I do whatever my Rice Krispies tell me to..."
John said, from inside a 1974 Glacier on the
Potomac, just north of the White House.
 
I also have a 1978 Rayale. GFI has been replaced with a switch to
switch from generator to AC. It is located on the side of the rear twin
bed on the right side. Do you have any response to this?
Bill C.

> John, I have a 78 Royale (Coachman) with a built in
> GFI in the breaker box
> that you switch when going from shore power to gen
> set. A decal states that
> this is only good for "grounded power supplied
> circutis only" (?)
>
> Data point only.
>
> Based on the messages back and forth, will probably
> use an inline also.
>
> Chuck D
> 78 Royale
> 90 Degrees, no house air, and the front unit on the
> Royale went South. Thank
> goodness for redundant systems.
>
>
>

_________________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
 
Yes, is the answer. But the previous owner did not know why you had to
throw the switch from one source, generator, to 120 land line.

This is my first GMC and I thought everyone was like mine.

Bill

> >I also have a 1978 Rayale. GFI has been replaced
> with a switch to
> >switch from generator to AC. It is located on the
> side of the rear twin
> >bed on the right side. Do you have any response to
> this? Bill C.
>
> >>John, I have a 78 Royale (Coachman) with a built
> in GFI in the breaker
> >>box that you switch when going from shore power to
> gen set. A decal
> >>states that this is only good for "grounded power
> supplied
> >>circutis only" (?) Data point only. Chuck D
>
> I don't want to tell you guys any more than I know.
> Remember, I was
> the guy who asked for some help on understanding how
> these GFIs work.
>
> I could see these GFIs getting pretty annoying if
> they kept tripping
> with no apparent reason. As in Edgar's case he had
> to become a
> dectective and then divide and conquer. Bill, does
> yours look like they
> took the GFI out and put a switch in? Chuck,
> sometimes when people have
> to limit the number of words to fit on a decal or a
> label, the meaning
> gets lost. Could it imply that in the on position
> (the GFI 'in' the
> circuit position) that the AC supply circuit must be
> the type where the
> neutral is grounded at the entrance box (or main
> power circuit
> distribution box)? Can anyone interprete what this
> decal writer meant?
> My lawyer detector just went off.
>
> Chuck does the switch just bypass the GFI? In
> otherwords, plugged in at
> your home, does everything work in both positions of
> the switch? These
> GFIs might not work so reliably on a genset since
> the cycles per second
> is not held anywhere near as closely, as on utility
> lines.
>
>
> Regards,
> John
>
> --
> "I do whatever my Rice Krispies tell me to..."
> John said, from inside a 1974 Glacier on the
> Potomac, just north of the White House.
>
>

_________________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
 
>I also have a 1978 Rayale. GFI has been replaced with a switch to
>switch from generator to AC. It is located on the side of the rear twin
>bed on the right side. Do you have any response to this? Bill C.

>>John, I have a 78 Royale (Coachman) with a built in GFI in the breaker
>>box that you switch when going from shore power to gen set. A decal
>>states that this is only good for "grounded power supplied
>>circutis only" (?) Data point only. Chuck D

I don't want to tell you guys any more than I know. Remember, I was
the guy who asked for some help on understanding how these GFIs work.

I could see these GFIs getting pretty annoying if they kept tripping
with no apparent reason. As in Edgar's case he had to become a
dectective and then divide and conquer. Bill, does yours look like they
took the GFI out and put a switch in? Chuck, sometimes when people have
to limit the number of words to fit on a decal or a label, the meaning
gets lost. Could it imply that in the on position (the GFI 'in' the
circuit position) that the AC supply circuit must be the type where the
neutral is grounded at the entrance box (or main power circuit
distribution box)? Can anyone interprete what this decal writer meant?
My lawyer detector just went off.

Chuck does the switch just bypass the GFI? In otherwords, plugged in at
your home, does everything work in both positions of the switch? These
GFIs might not work so reliably on a genset since the cycles per second
is not held anywhere near as closely, as on utility lines.


Regards,
John

- --
"I do whatever my Rice Krispies tell me to..."
John said, from inside a 1974 Glacier on the
Potomac, just north of the White House.
 
Someone took Bill's GFI out and put in a switch.

>Yes, is the answer. But the previous owner did not know why you had to
>throw the switch from one source, generator, to 120 land line.
>This is my first GMC and I thought everyone was like mine. Bill

We'll get a proper answer for both you and Chuck, Bill. The net always
does. I want to know, as well.

I don't want to leave a mis-impression of my feeling about these GFIs. I
think we should all have them and a tester as well. And I know Edgar
said he was glad the GFI was there, insisting that something was wrong.
It was. The only thing I was referring to, when I mentioned annoying,
was true false alarms that cut your power off when there is nothing
wrong. Which might be the only good reason on a genset to bypass the
GFI.

Does anyone know why these switches were put in, both as mods and as
factory installed?

Regards,
John

- --
"I do whatever my Rice Krispies tell me to..."
John said, from inside a 1974 Glacier on the
Potomac, just north of the White House.
 
>We'll get a proper answer for both you and Chuck, Bill. The net always
>does. I want to know, as well.

see the thread Re: GMC: Don't get Electrocuted! for a continuing
answer...

Regards,
John

- --
"I do whatever my Rice Krispies tell me to..."
John said, from inside a 1974 Glacier on the
Potomac, just north of the White House.
 
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