Blowing a fuse

[travlingman]

I keep having a 15 amp fuse that keeps blowing. The fuse controls the lights in the off door slide and bedroom slide, all LED's. Has done this our last 3 trips. Any ideas on possible causes? Could I replace with a 20 amp and see what happens?

 

[danemayer]

Look under the slides for wires going into the slide. There may be a break in the insulation where the wire enters the slide. If there is, when you open or close the slide, the wires flex and short, blowing the fuse. If that looks ok, check under the bed platform.

Never try to fix a short by going to a larger value fuse. That's unsafe and won't fix a short.

 

[carl.swoyer]

I keep having a 15 amp fuse that keeps blowing. The fuse controls the lights in the off door slide and bedroom slide, all LED's. Has done this our last 3 trips. Any ideas on possible causes? Could I replace with a 20 amp and see what happens?

I recently had a 15 amp blade fuse blowing. What I found was shorted wires under the bed. There were missing wire caps. The short was intermittent. The short affected my bed slide lights closet light and my basement lights. Lift up the bed remove the screws that hold the panels, remove the panel and you might find two wire splices. My wire caps appeared to have never been installed as they were sitting off to the side. Good luck.


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[wdk450]

I had a persistent intermittent short in my refrigerator slide DC wiring that I had a difficult time finding. What helped me was to wire in a 10 amp fuse (lower value than the main fuse) about halfway into the circuit at the point the wiring taps off of the refrigerator and goes to the stovetop lighting and fan. If the 2nd fuse blows and the 1st doesn't, then the short is beyond the 2nd fuse - if the main fuse blows and the 2nd doesn't then the short is before the added fuse. I eventually found a hot wire wrapped tightly around a metal base corner of the refrig which had rubbed a break in the wire insulation. Road vibrations would be enough to cause a quick short, blow the fuse, and cut off the refrig.

 

['Lil Guy']

I was having trouble with my closet lights in bedroom. Finally just quit. Problem was the fuse panel wires. If you remove the 12 V panel and pull it out of wall, you'll expose the wires that are clipped on the spades. One of mine had come loose and fell off. Crimped it a bit and put it back and have had no issues since.

 

[carl.swoyer]

I was having trouble with my closet lights in bedroom. Finally just quit. Problem was the fuse panel wires. If you remove the 12 V panel and pull it out of wall, you'll expose the wires that are clipped on the spades. One of mine had come loose and fell off. Crimped it a bit and put it back and have had no issues since.

I guess I'll have to pull the fuse panel and double check for any loose connections.

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[carl.swoyer]

I keep having a 15 amp fuse that keeps blowing. The fuse controls the lights in the off door slide and bedroom slide, all LED's. Has done this our last 3 trips. Any ideas on possible causes? Could I replace with a 20 amp and see what happens?

Finally found my picture.
This was under the bed.
They were bumping and that was in I think Nov 2017.
No problems since

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[travlingman]

Thanks for the ideas, will take a look when we get home next week. Fuse only blows after traveling.

 

[carl.swoyer]

Thanks for the ideas, will take a look when we get home next week. Fuse only blows after traveling.

Then you may have the same short as I had under the bed. My short affected my antenna booster as well. If I push the button on the booster my lights would dim.
In my photo I had already separated the Short. I installed the caps then electric tape and zip ties to secure them.

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[travlingman]

Well I finally got to take a look today. Checked under the bed platform and found the problem.

Can't believe it made it over 4 years like this.

 

[carl.swoyer]

Well I finally got to take a look today. Checked under the bed platform and found the problem.
View attachment 57555
Can't believe it made it over 4 years like this.

I made it 6 years before my short showed up. Apparently the wire nuts we're never installed..
Glad you were able to fix it

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[Razorbackfan]

I made it 6 years before my short showed up. Apparently the wire nuts we're never installed..
Glad you were able to fix it

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Mine just did the same thing. No bed slide, closet or basement lights. Going to check under my bed this weekend. Did you remove the mattress and then the plywood decking?

 

[rhodies1]

Seems like a reoccurring problem..just repaired mine under the bed.You do not need to remove mattress,just raise bed,remove items from storage and take the couple screws holding the thin sheet of wall board out of the bottom of the bed storage.you find the wiring located here,also.you will most likely have an electrical box laying lose here as well,it cannot be screwed down because of the bed sliding back and forth,leave it lose. Hopefully you find this is your issue.

 

[carl.swoyer]

Mine just did the same thing. No bed slide, closet or basement lights. Going to check under my bed this weekend. Did you remove the mattress and then the plywood decking?

I lifted the bed up emptied the items in storage. Then removed the plywood floor and wires were right in view.

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[dave10a]

Well I finally got to take a look today. Checked under the bed platform and found the problem.
View attachment 57555
Can't believe it made it over 4 years like this.

That is the problem with twist on connectors. If they are not properly installed they will heat up an cause problems. This is a cheap way out for manufacturers for doing electrical connections. Many trailer mfg's adopt this method to reduce production costs.

 

[danemayer]

That is the problem with twist on connectors. If they are not properly installed they will heat up an cause problems. This is a cheap way out for manufacturers for doing electrical connections. Many trailer mfg's adopt this method to reduce production costs.

Dave,

I see wire nuts like this in every hardware store, and in electrical supply stores. What's the non-cheap way of making electrical connections?

 

[carl.swoyer]

That is the problem with twist on connectors. If they are not properly installed they will heat up an cause problems. This is a cheap way out for manufacturers for doing electrical connections. Many trailer mfg's adopt this method to reduce production costs.

Looks like mine but my wirenuts we're off and to the side.Mine was a 2012 product, apparently it's a craftsmanship signature. I installed new wire nuts electric tape and the zip ties.

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[dave10a]

Dave,

I see wire nuts like this in every hardware store, and in electrical supply stores. What's the non-cheap way of making electrical connections?

Terminal strips with crimped lugs using proper crimping tools with junction box for mobile and marine applications. The stuff in hardware stores are intended for homes using wire intended for home not mobile installations--especially with stranded wire. Your truck does not use wire nuts for a very good reason..

 

[Razorbackfan]

Just took up the floor and everything looks good. Sucks I was hoping to get it fixed with this solution.