GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter).

[Claud]

Hi,
Being completely new to the world of Motorhomes we went on a test run with our year 2000 Compass Drifter 410 which we just bought and went to a great campsite close to home.
We discovered one significant issue:
When the Motorhome was connected to the mains.....no power in the motorhome!! The power source and the cable were proved to be not the problem consequently we concluded there was an issue within the motorhome. Checked the fuse box and ensured the main switch was on.
Since returning home and having done some research online there is a possibility it seems that the problem could be with the GFCI.
Does anyone happen to know please where this might be located on the Compass Drifter 410?

 

[chaser]

Is there a switch somewhere around the door, used to be on a compass we had.

 

[meanders]

That is an American term for what we call a RCD here. That should be what you would normally think is the main switch in the fuse box as you call it. There is usually a test button that will cause the switch to drop. You do realise that Up is On, Down is Off unlike a normal light switch? With the power connected, press the test button (often but not exclusively a blue colour). The trip beside it should drop immediately. If that works, AND the trip stays up when pushed back, then it's unlikely to be the RCD. All the other trips should also be up.

If the trip does not drop, that indicates power is not getting that far meaning a problems, with the cable, the connector into the van, or the internal wiring.

When you say there is no power to the motorhome, did you test a 13A socket? A tester like https://www.screwfix.com/p/lap-16a-socket-tester-230v-ac/91596 is very useful and is small enough to keep in the van. (other brands and suppliers are available) You plug it into any 13A socket and it will tell you if there is power, and if it is correctly connected. If relying on the display in the control panel, that may itself be malfunctioning.

How did you exclude the problem being in the cable?

It's possible that one of the leads is loose on the back of the power input connector. With it disconnected from the incoming cable, you can unscrew with care, pull out and check that the connections are tight.

If you are not 100% confident in what you are doing and the simple tests don't solve your problem, you must get professional help. 230V at 16A will kill!

If you bought the van from a dealer. get them to sort it out. If bought privately, a chat to the seller may reap rewards.

 

[nicholsong]

I personally would not touch 240v electrics other than the simple tests recommended above.

Even when a professional electrician is doing something in the house I want to switch off the supply, but they say not necessary.
they only have to stumble on a ladder and suddenly a circuit is made through their body !

 

[Claud]

Is there a switch somewhere around the door, used to be on a compass we had.

Thank you Chaser, will certainly check that out

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[meanders]

I personally would not touch 240v electrics other than the simple tests recommended above.

Even when a professional electrician is doing something in the house I want to switch off the supply, but they say not necessary.
they only have to stumble on a ladder and suddenly a circuit is made through their body !

Not if they are using proper electricians steps. Working with live mains is sometimes essential. However, you would normally be using insulated probes and tools.

That in no way suggests that anyone not competent should do so.

 

[Claud]

That is an American term for what we call a RCD here. That should be what you would normally think is the main switch in the fuse box as you call it. There is usually a test button that will cause the switch to drop. You do realise that Up is On, Down is Off unlike a normal light switch? With the power connected, press the test button (often but not exclusively a blue colour). The trip beside it should drop immediately. If that works, AND the trip stays up when pushed back, then it's unlikely to be the RCD. All the other trips should also be up.

If the trip does not drop, that indicates power is not getting that far meaning a problems, with the cable, the connector into the van, or the internal wiring.

When you say there is no power to the motorhome, did you test a 13A socket? A tester like https://www.screwfix.com/p/lap-16a-socket-tester-230v-ac/91596 is very useful and is small enough to keep in the van. (other brands and suppliers are available) You plug it into any 13A socket and it will tell you if there is power, and if it is correctly connected. If relying on the display in the control panel, that may itself be malfunctioning.

How did you exclude the problem being in the cable?

It's possible that one of the leads is loose on the back of the power input connector. With it disconnected from the incoming cable, you can unscrew with care, pull out and check that the connections are tight.

If you are not 100% confident in what you are doing and the simple tests don't solve your problem, you must get professional help. 230V at 16A will kill!

If you bought the van from a dealer. get them to sort it out. If bought privately, a chat to the seller may reap rewards.

Thank you very much for the very detailed feedback, extremely useful. That really surprises me that the switches should be up for on, great advice, thank you. Will check this out as the switches were all set down.
To answer your questions:
1) Yes, tested a small fan heater in three different 13A sockets. Will certainly get a tester
2) I used a second cable that was proven to work
3) Checked the cable connection on the power connecter, all seemed to be OK
Again I thank you very much for your advice.

 

[Claud]

I personally would not touch 240v electrics other than the simple tests recommended above.

Even when a professional electrician is doing something in the house I want to switch off the supply, but they say not necessary.
they only have to stumble on a ladder and suddenly a circuit is made through their body !

Well said, great advice.

 

[meanders]

That really surprises me that the switches should be up for on,

Always has been even with the old style wooden handled breakers. It's a failsafe. The effect of gravity can never put the power on. Undue vibration etc, will drop it under gravity and take it the power out. Many countries wire their house room lights the same way. I don't know where the down for on came from. Our first house was 1914 build with the original wiring when we bought it. All those were up for on.

 

[Claud]

Always has been even with the old style wooden handled breakers. It's a failsafe. The effect of gravity can never put the power on. Undue vibration etc, will drop it under gravity and take it the power out. Many countries wire their house room lights the same way. I don't know where the down for on came from. Our first house was 1914 build with the original wiring when we bought it. All those were up for

Always has been even with the old style wooden handled breakers. It's a failsafe. The effect of gravity can never put the power on. Undue vibration etc, will drop it under gravity and take it the power out. Many countries wire their house room lights the same way. I don't know where the down for on came from. Our first house was 1914 build with the original wiring when we bought it. All those were up for on.

Very interesting, one lives and learns every day even in my old age

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[Slopey]

In the cupboard, you should find the distrbution unit - mine looks like this:

The red light is the hab battery charger indicator. If the light is on, there's power to the there at least (check the switch to see if it is on or not).

There isn't a switch by the door or any master cut off on the 410 - the mains plug is wired directly into the power centre. I swapped out the original breakers as one of them had developed a loud buzz when any load was going through it (hence the nice white one on the left).

 

[autorouter]

There isn't a switch by the door or any master cut off on the 410 - the mains plug is wired directly into the power centre.

The trip switch at the right-hand end of the box is the master cutoff switch. It is also an RCD, which will also protect against a small earth leakage current that occurs for example in an electric shock situation. The incoming mains cable is wired directly to this RCD switch. When it's off, nothing gets past it, so it acts as a mains cutoff isolator. You can tell an RCD because it has a 'Test' button - the other trip switches are MCBs, and don't have a test button.

 

[Slopey]

The trip switch at the right-hand end of the box is the master cutoff switch. It is also an RCD, which will also protect against a small earth leakage current that occurs for example in an electric shock situation. The incoming mains cable is wired directly to this RCD switch. When it's off, nothing gets past it, so it acts as a mains cutoff isolator. You can tell an RCD because it has a 'Test' button - the other trip switches are MCBs, and don't have a test button.

Yep - I meant there wasn't an external master cut off anywhere else in the van. The newer ones seem to have a master switch elsewhere.