2025 Winnebago Spirit - Electric / GFCI Question

[Jeff and Scott]

We have been experiencing something new with our 2025 Winnebago Spirit 31K. In the past, I'd unplug from shore power and once we were on the road, the house batteries kept all our electric outlets active. But the last two times I've unplugged, no outlets would work at all -- but the push-button lights did work. And, the GFCI near the door (kitchen counter) would not operate. That is, I couldn't get red or black to "click" like normal. But once back on shore power, I reset the GFCI with no problem and then all the outlets worked. We tried with inverter switched on and off; we tried with battery switch on and off. Neither helped. No power except when back on shore power and no operation of the GFCI buttons except when back on shore power. Why is this happening now after not being an issue before? Thanks for any solid guidance.

 

[creativepart]

I'd unplug from shore power and once we were on the road, the house batteries kept all our electric outlets active. But the last two times I've unplugged, no outlets would work at all -- but the push-button lights did work.

It’s hard to tell exactly what you are saying. Of course, without your inverter being on there will never be any power at your 110vac outlets “from the batteries” while driving or parked unless you are plugged into shore power or are running the generator. And, yes, of course, your 12v “push button lights” will always continue to work from your batteries because they are 12vdc.

So what are you saying is the problem. Perhaps I’m just not reading you right.

 

[Morich]

There are actually two different builds of that year/model so some fine details may be wrong on this info?
But I think this may get you going?
Theory and info from drawings of 110 AC here:

Wiring Diagrams

Locations of parts here:

Wiring Diagrams

On the electrical drawings, they do not show access doors, etc. so some feeling and guessing is needed. That may make more sense when hands on? Grey box above inverter shown in yellow is a switch which chooses whether to pass on shore plug power or the power "made" by the inverter. If power from inverter is cut off by GFCI on it or reset button tripped, there will be no output to pass on!

The idea is that there are a couple items which are hidden on the inverter itself! Big one to know on any GFCI is that it will not reset if it is not getting good AC power! That explains why those you have tried may not reset if power is cut off at this inverter!

I did not get the full drawings shown, but if several outlets are dead while a few not, this point is a good place to check! you may need to go direct to drawings to get the full picture? Kind of like a funky road map where the towns have weird names?

Devil's in the details!

On some you have to reach in blindly, feel the buttons and reset as needed. Some lucky folks may get to open an inside door to SEE these buttons?

Good luck on the trek!

 

[bigbAZ]

To answer your question about the GFCI, a GFCI will not test or reset if it has no power. So there is nothing wrong with the GFCI in your galley, it's just a symptom of the real problem that there is no power coming from your inverter.

 

[Morich]

Looking closder at the other build of the year and floorplan, we might find the alternator in this location?

Same idea but different place?

Same function, different location. Power from batteries goes to inverter and if all settings and switches are on, it makes AC power that goes to the small brown colored (in this drawing) box to left. That small switch chooses which to forward to RV. If normal AC is there it passes it on. If no shore power AC, it tries to pass it along. But if no shore power and something like the GFCI directly on the inverter is tripped, it has nothing to pass along and things go dead!
Like this?

No shore power and output of inverter is cut off by tripped "something", there is nothing for the inverter switch to pass on, so that group goes dead while other AC things still work!
On this, I drew shore power as blue line for normal operation when plugged in.
Green line if no shore power but inverter is good.
But if shore and inverter are gone at red lines, nothing to pass on!

This is based on the idea that there is battery power reaching the inverter to use to make AC! Maybe worth checking the fuses at the load center for one feeding inverter being blown?

 

[Jeff and Scott]

I just want to express my appreciation for the time you've taken to share ideas and diagrams on where to look for resolving my issue. Many thanks to you all.

 

[Battle Born Clan]

There are actually two different builds of that year/model so some fine details may be wrong on this info?
But I think this may get you going?
Theory and info from drawings of 110 AC here:

Wiring Diagrams

Locations of parts here:

Wiring Diagrams

View attachment 1504849
View attachment 1504850
On the electrical drawings, they do not show access doors, etc. so some feeling and guessing is needed. That may make more sense when hands on? Grey box above inverter shown in yellow is a switch which chooses whether to pass on shore plug power or the power "made" by the inverter. If power from inverter is cut off by GFCI on it or reset button tripped, there will be no output to pass on!

The idea is that there are a couple items which are hidden on the inverter itself! Big one to know on any GFCI is that it will not reset if it is not getting good AC power! That explains why those you have tried may not reset if power is cut off at this inverter!
View attachment 1504851
I did not get the full drawings shown, but if several outlets are dead while a few not, this point is a good place to check! you may need to go direct to drawings to get the full picture? Kind of like a funky road map where the towns have weird names?

Devil's in the details!
View attachment 1504854
On some you have to reach in blindly, feel the buttons and reset as needed. Some lucky folks may get to open an inside door to SEE these buttons?

Good luck on the trek!

I guess I didn't need to quote that entire thing for a simple question, but here we are. Morich, what are you using to generate these diagrams?

I ask, because with our Cherokee, that we had issues with some structure issues where walls would pop open. Specifically the one between the bathroom and the bunks. I stuck a bore camera in the wall and it turned out half the staples were just shot into open air never hitting the internal structure.

I asked the dealer if there was schematic for these trailers shing water flow, wiring, internal structure and the like so I could fix things. They just looked at me like a had a second nose sticking out of my forehead.
Before we bought the Spirit I went on the Winnebago page and was impressed at all the info they had for watch floor plan. When we bought the Spirt I down loaded it all to a thumb drive because we are often in placed without internet. But the 3D diagrams you posted are way better than a simple schematic.

I found out quite by accident where the inverter was in the Sprit, I took out the drawers to put shelf paper in and found it.

 

[Morich]

It's a combo of different things that shows different items in different ways. I also happened to get into a situation where I was kind of losing the amount of work I had to do in my main career but they still needed me , so I wound up being a fill in to train new people coming out of office jobs to tech jobs. Not official trainer but just having time to go along and point to things. We were in different towns but we had lots of binders full of plans/drawings, etc.. Reading the drawings could make you go blind as well as crazy, so we found it worthwhile to let them try to read the book but I could show up and make sure they did not stick their finger in the wrong hole!
So when I found how much info Winnebago posts online, it was a natural for me to begin to move into "consulting" if one calls it that on other electrical fields. With the current craziness of driving away the guys who do lots of the dirty work in oil, I am now going on about my third "retirement" !

So what you see here is just mostly cut and snip from the online Winnebago info. One of the big issues for most folks is just simply finding the info, then figuring what to do with that info is the second part!
Most of the drawings, etc. that I post come from snips of the online Winn info, cutting lots of clutter out for folks not used to reading in this way.
I think the interactive parts catalog may be what I like best but often combined with other drawing types!

Winnebago Cortona Portal

catalog.winnebagoind.com

Pick the correct RV, pick what system like various electrical, plumbing, etc. to get only those parts shown.
Then when the drawing pops up, you can spot the wanted part, either on the drawing if you know where and what it looks like, or on the list at right if you can guess the name but not where! Clicking the name on list makes the part repeatedly will make the part flash yellow to let you find it better, front, back or side?
Then you may want to keep that part centered on screen? Before zooming too far, find the large plus sign bottom left and click it, then click on the part to center.
At that point, you can use the scroll wheel to zoom in/out of click and drag to move the drawing while the part stays centered. Or just move around without keeping one centered?
I then often go into a "snipping tool" built into window 11 to snip out just part of things.
On my machine, I get there by hitting the Windows button, shift, and "S' at the same time to bring the tool onscreen!
I'm not a techie/computer guy ,so lots of "fun" finding what button does what I want! AARGH!

But there are times when old style drawings get a different look?
Plumbing:

Plumbing Diagrams

electrical:

Wiring Diagrams

Lots of good info on how Winn does their drawings under the links at lower left corner!
Point on figuring which drawing for electrical? They have the "installation drawing as a form of what we might see when looking at the RV. more a physical layout of where wires might run. Not always the most clear but better than crawling around trying to see things behind the walls!
Not always the best but lots better than when I called Thor to ask where the TV other end of a TV coax might be found!
He actually told me that most all RV are wired the same and they all follow the same general pattern!
A 15 foot van wired the same as a 35 foot diesel pusher? Right! I got the idea he did not want to help!
I have only bought Winnebago products since!

 

[Battle Born Clan]

I am sorry for the late reply. THANK YOU! I downloaded the Wiring and Plumbing/drainage diagrams. Some how I completely missed the Parts Catalog. I loved that about Winnebago.

Up to this point we have only had trailers, Forest River, and finding anything on them, through them was lacking. Even the dealer was like "We have to guess where things are because it's not always in the same place on the same model.

This is a big help because I keep all this stuff on a thumb drive like a Winnebago Chilton/Haynes Manual. LOL

Again

Thank you