Blowing Fuses

[Grey Ghost]

Just wondering if anyone has the same or similar problem with blowing fuses A LOT. I seem to blow lots of fuses using my front landing gear. It calls for a 30amp fuse but I continually blow them when raising my front up to level out my rig. If you have the same problem I would like to know how to take care of or repair this situation, tired of blowing fuses. This last trip even blow one lowering my landing gear, now that is strange, isn't it?

 

[Lynn1130]

I am sure some electrical help will be coming but my questions would be about the gear themselves. Is there any bind or lack of lube that might be causing this? Are they dragging some where along the route that might cause enough of a bind to blow a fuse?

 

[wdk450]

You might consider replacing the fuse with a self-resetting circuit breaker, maybe even going 10 amps higher. Although Lippert HAS recommended upping the fuse size, this is controversial because of wire heating due to excess current. Sometimes these amperages induced due to motor startups and the like are short-term transient which slow blow fuses or circuit breakers should be able to withstand.

Here is a link to a page from the O'Rielly Auto Parts website that has various styles of 12 volt circuit breakers, including many that can plug in in place of a fuse:
http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/search/Circuit+Breaker/N0227/C0335.oap

 

[GOTTOYS]

Your landing legs are probably getting worn and out of lube causing a hard pull for the motor. I'm having a similar problem. I've replaced the fuse with a circuit breaker. Had to cut a hole in the front of my propane compartment, as Heartland in their infinite wisdom never considered that we might like to lube these jacks once in awhile, and sealed the street side leg in and provided no access to it. I've pulled the caps off the legs and put grease in there. It's helped some but after 5 years I think the bearings in mine are shot. I purchased a new pair of legs but found I got a pair that were too short, not knowing there are 2 sizes. My next step will be to gut the old legs and put the new gears, bearings and shafts in them. The new legs have 2 zerk fittings each, old ones have nothing...I guess they were supposed to last forever. Forever came and went, now it's time to fix them...Don

 

[Grey Ghost]

Thanks Don, I will try to get some sort of grease in there to see if that helps, if not I see a weekend repair job in my future!

 

[wdk450]

Here is my thread from a while back on rebuilding the landing gear legs including the part number for the thrust bearing:
//heartlandowners.org/showthread.php/26966-Lessons-Learned-On-Venture-Landing-Gear?

 

[olcoon]

I was having an issue blowing fuses when raising the front jacks on our Elk Ridge (they are electric). Finally I realized that I was raising them too high, and when they hit the upper limit would blow a fuse. I painted a black mark on the jacks and didn't have any more problems...as long as no one came up & started talking while I was raising the jacks.

 

[happykraut]

The breaker constantly was tripping when I operated the front landing gear on my 2014 BH. I stopped at Lipperts and they recommended replacing the 50A with a 80A. Lippert also told me that the circuit draws 79A when retracting. I purchased two 80A breakers, but I'm just not comfortable with over fusing any circuit.

 

[123camper]

We just had this same problem then they stopped working all together. I took the switch apart and found internal connection melted. Replaced with a new 30 amp DC motor reversing switch from Amazon for about $12 and all is working fine. Just in case I had some dry gears I pumped some grease inside the gears


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[TedS]

happykraut, rest easy. What you do with the 80-amp breaker in place of the 50-amp is properly 'fuse' the circuit. The hydraulic pump motor draws a lot of current, the wire length and size will handle the current, the aggravation factor is eliminated.

 

[Bob&Patty]

Replace the fuse with at least a 50 amp circuit breaker and be done with it. Take the old fuse with you and get a circuit breaker to match. Any auto parts store will have them.

 

[Grey Ghost]

Well, I had to replace the motor it was drawing way to many amps and while at it I put in a circuit breaker and took the fuse out. It seems to have solved the problem. Thanks to all for all your advise, it helped!

 

[happykraut]

happykraut, rest easy. What you do with the 80-amp breaker in place of the 50-amp is properly 'fuse' the circuit. The hydraulic pump motor draws a lot of current, the wire length and size will handle the current, the aggravation factor is eliminated.

Ted I replaced the breaker with a 80A today.

 

[donr827]

I was having an issue blowing fuses when raising the front jacks on our Elk Ridge (they are electric). Finally I realized that I was raising them too high, and when they hit the upper limit would blow a fuse. I painted a black mark on the jacks and didn't have any more problems...as long as no one came up & started talking while I was raising the jacks.

X2
Don

 

[JohnD]

I was having an issue blowing fuses when raising the front jacks on our Elk Ridge (they are electric). Finally I realized that I was raising them too high, and when they hit the upper limit would blow a fuse. I painted a black mark on the jacks and didn't have any more problems...as long as no one came up & started talking while I was raising the jacks.

X3

Although I just used a Sharpie to make the mark.

I still keep a bunch of those fuses on hand just in case.