Aluminum Camper Forum

It's a re-wiring project for sure.

Forget about what routes they chose - they did that for speed of manufacture and ran wires where it is no longer convenient to access now that it is assembled.

Instead, cut and pull those wires, choose your own route from point A to B, and fish the wire through. This also allows you the opportunity to debur anything you can reach, and apply a little electrician's tape at holes where it will help. Pro tip: don't use the frame for ground. Run a separate ground wire to each light all the way back to a junction box. This will reduce future problems and also isolate them to a single light.
DAMHIK

Every place the wire goes through a hole drilled in the aluminum is a potential cut point for the insulation. Whether its the siding, the structure, the frame - it isn't like they put rubber grommets at every hole, or deburred them.

You don't have leveling jacks. Those jacks are stabilizer jacks.

You level the trailer by putting pads or blocks under the tires, not by using the jacks.

Just trying to help prevent your next big problem.

If you have any OR questions, etc. etc.

Honestly, 13 isn't bad, yeah.

Keep in mind that above about 40 mph, the biggest factor for fuel economy is wind resistance and speed.

Load rating has no bearing on size. Size is size (+/- within the bounds of good taste)

Quote from: Paul on June 09, 2021, 07:24:31 AM

Quote from: Pinstriper on June 09, 2021, 12:27:02 AM

Quote from: GrampaKilt on June 08, 2021, 11:12:09 PM
Hmmm, my converter protection fuses are 30A. I'm not sure if that's because shore power is 30A max or if that fuse rating is just a coincidence. BTW, check the radio's own fuse, 5A??; one has to remove the radio to get at it. Regards, GK

The fuse will be sized for the gauge of wire and the device it protects. It is possible Paul's fuse was replaced by someone who didn't want the 30 to blow (when in fact it was designed to).

I ordered the trailer brand new and took delivery of it the same day it arrived to the dealer so I think they were installed by livin lite but I guess the dealer could had the time to change them. The fuse that is closer to the battery is also 40a weird. Should I replace them with 30a?

You'd have to know whether it was intended to be 30 or 40. Wire gauge plays into it, also what is the rating of what else is connected.

I was just trying to explain why one might have a 40 in place if in fact it was supposed to be a 30 (which would need confirmation beyond GK's assertion)

Quote from: GrampaKilt on June 08, 2021, 11:12:09 PM
Hmmm, my converter protection fuses are 30A. I'm not sure if that's because shore power is 30A max or if that fuse rating is just a coincidence. BTW, check the radio's own fuse, 5A??; one has to remove the radio to get at it. Regards, GK

The fuse will be sized for the gauge of wire and the device it protects. It is possible Paul's fuse was replaced by someone who didn't want the 30 to blow (when in fact it was designed to).

If the battery were removed entirely, I would think you would have 12v while on shore power, so if you don't and the breakers and fuses are all straight, your converter is biffed. That would also result in the reading you are getting. There's just nothing left in the battery, and nothing coming from the converter.

If the converter were good, and the battery just bad, you should get charging voltage levels across the terminals (14v+) while connected to shore power.

Nanovault. When traveling through an area without reciprocity, pull the mag and put it in one nanovault, pistol in another. Cable looped around seat track hardware. Satisfies all the state requirements for transporting locked and unloaded.

For inside the trailer, you can drill a single hole through an aluminum frame member in whatever cabinet location you care to, and install an eye bolt to secure the cable.

I used a ratcheting "cuff" what I bought at Home Depot for each. One each will do the trick.

Quote from: DavidM on April 28, 2021, 07:17:13 PM
Just got back from a weeklong trip with my new motorhome and just saw this. I suggest you do keep your appointment with the mobile RV guy. It is very difficult to diagnose these electrical problems long distance with limited internet imput.

Have him figure out why a 30A circuit worked but a 15A circuit wouldn't. Have him show you how the solar is connected. Is it's wiring protected by a fuse near the batteries. Is the wire size big enough? Why didn't it keep up the charging?

Your batteries at best were damaged by this even, maybe ruined. Ask the tech guy what he thinks.

I have to disagree with Pinstriper. Multiple charging sources: converter, solar, 7 pin trailer connector do not have to be isolated. They all coexist just fine together all hooked up to the same battery bank.

The Camplites are very simple electrically. You should see the complexity of this motorhome I have with its POS electronic touchscreen display that turns on and off everything with a touch of the display including the slide, the water pump, ....

David

The charge controllers see charging voltage of 14+ and decide to stop putting out, so you don't get the additive effect from multiple sources. Depending on the circuit protection (or lack) in the controllers you could get damage.

Quote from: Merlin on April 28, 2021, 05:50:52 PM
Ahh, that helps a lot. I'm now with Pinstriper and suspect bad batteries or disconnected (bad connections) wiring to/from the batteries. Maybe just corroded terminals. If you left the engine running while using the bathroom on the road, the camper does get 12V power from the tow vehicle. I wonder if the batteries will charge and stay charge. I bet not?

Tow vehicle could be wired to always put out 12v even with the ignition off. Not a great idea, but could be the case (factory setup would never be this way but a DIY could well be).

The solar and the shore power converter should be isolated from each other - you charge from one or the other, to avoid potential damage to either.

On shore power, even with a dead/damaged battery, you should have 12v. That suggests the converter is bad, or isolated/disconnected as would be the case if it was switched to feed from solar.

But then your solar should be putting out 12v for that side to work, and it isn't.

That you don't have 12v from your batteries (ie. no solar, no 12v from the converter) suggests a dead or disconnected battery. Swing by to batteries plus to check its charge and its ability to take a charge.

When you got it home and did your testing, was it night time ? That would explain the fan running while it was being shown and you were traveling - it was pulling from the solar 12v. You got home in the dark, or parked it in the barn so no more solar.

I'm betting the solar is on, and the battery is either dead or disconnected.

If it wasn't dark, then you are back to looking at the converter, the circuit breaker (110v) it is on, the isolation switch between the converter and the solar charger, the cabling between the converter and the battery, and of course the battery itself. In that situation, your battery is connected and you just ran it dead, and the converter is not charging it.

Tow ratings generally (and especially with anything other than a full sized truck) assume a 150# driver and 35# of luggage. No other passengers or cargo, which if you add it, comes directly out of the cargo capacity with you will then blow by not having enough capacity for the tongue weight, even if the GCWR hasn't been blown yet (which is a big "if").

TANSTATMTV