Electrical Question - RV-Dreams Community Forum

2fortheroad · RV-Dreams Family Member

Electrical Question

53 Merc · RV-Dreams Family Member

My problem was a loose wire at the battery. Not really loose, but just some. Have heard others remark that the ground was not good. Might try both, good luck.

The Bear II · RV-Dreams Family Member

One of the motors on my landing gear will stop if I use it for a longer than normal time. For example the trailer is as low as possible and I raise it to as high as possible at some point near the top of the run the motor will quit. If I wait a few minutes it will work again.

I just thought the motors had some sort of internal breaker switch to prevent burn out due to overheating. One is more sensitive than the other. I have had both motors stop.

It usually occurs at this one camp site we go to often. The site is very unlevel front to back. So I have to start out with the landing gear nearly full extension to unhitch and then lower the trailer to almost the ground to get the 5th wheel level.

To hitch back up I have to run the landing gear back up to full extension and that's when I will have a motor or both motors (once) stop. They start working again after a few minutes.

-- Edited by The Bear II on Friday 18th of June 2010 08:57:56 AM

Luvglass · RV-Dreams Family Member

Some new motors hav internal resettable fuses that shut down if current or temperature are excessive, and they reset themselves when the situation is corrected. I just had a slide motor replaced and when the technician wen to use it we experienced this problem. We called the factory and they explained it. We lubricated the slide rubers and the problem went away. You might try calling the manufacturer and lubing the jack.

TxYellowRose · RV-Dreams Family Member

We kept blowing fuses on the landing gear when we first got our 5er. Come to find out it was due to pilot error...

We had the landing gear pegs in a hole that was too high; therefore, the landing gear could not be lowered any lower and the fuse kept blowing as a failsafe action.

Now we put the pegs in a lower hole and bingo! No problems.

Sorry if that is confusing...that's about as clear as I can make it after just coming in from the searing Texas heat and wilting humidity.

2fortheroad · RV-Dreams Family Member

So far haven't found the culprit, I made up a jumper hot wire and have been able to use the motor.

Dr Gonzo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Hey Ron!

There is a thread over at thr RV Net forum on Designer 35RLTS's and Jayco's in general. If the answer is not posted there already through previous posts one can be obtained there I am quite sure. It is a tremendous resource for Designer owners. They have "been there done that"

Good Luck,
Brian
2008 Designer 36RLTS
2004.5 Dodge Ram 3500 SRW, Pac brake

Phanntom · RV-Dreams Community Member

You've made tremendous progress now. There's nothing more difficult to locate than an intermittent electrical problem but by making the jumper you've pretty much isolated the problem, assuming of course if it works when the regular method doesn't.
It sounds to me like you've got either a broken wire (inside the insulation) probably from repeated flexing/vibration, or a lose connection meaning you're going to have to trace the wire back through the harness or loom and find it.

You can get a cheap test light and poke through the insulation when the wire "should" be energized starting at the motor and working in one foot lengths until you hit the harness. If you haven't found it by then, move in one foot increments up the harness and slit it enough to get to the wires and test there...keep doing this until you either find the break or the loose connection at the other end termination.

Wiring is subject to being chewed through by mice and other critters or sometimes mfg'rs skimp by not installing enough brackets to keep the wire from constantly flexing.
Good luck...
Denny

NorCal Dan · RV-Dreams Family Member

All good advice. Just thinking that I would check actual connections first (beginning and ending point)...the odds that a wire broke in an harness are slim unless you spot physical damage. I would expect that all electrical wires would be one piece, no splices, and if not should terminate in some kind of junction box.

Roz · RV-Dreams Family Member

One Warning!

To spike electrical wiring during testing ompromises the wire encapsulated in insulation and can expose it to moisture or road chemicals.

In R & D labs, and the real world, road salts and deicing chemicals have been proven to "wick" (travel) 15 feet or more from a spike hole ion insulation to an electrical connection or lamp fixture.

Spiking is simply a guaranteed way to cause future problems with sealed electrical wiring.

jagco · RV-Dreams Family Member

Okay, I may be way off base since I haven't dealt with this specific problem, but......

If the jumper works, why not just run a new wire and be done with it? Sounds like a lot of work, working your way up the wiring harness, and as Roz pointed out, spiking can lead to it's own set of problems. You could even disconnect the old wire, or keep that fuse out if it's only for that wire, so it does not remain "hot" and cause a fire. Then just fish a new wire through where you can, and be sure to fuse the new one. Sounds a heck of alot easier to me

2fortheroad · RV-Dreams Family Member

Dr Gonzo wrote:

Hey Ron!

There is a thread over at thr RV Net forum on Designer 35RLTS's and Jayco's in general. If the answer is not posted there already through previous posts one can be obtained there I am quite sure. It is a tremendous resource for Designer owners. They have "been there done that"

Good Luck,
Brian
2008 Designer 36RLTS
2004.5 Dodge Ram 3500 SRW, Pac brake

Hello Brian,

I have tried the RV NET forum, it was an unpleasant experience for me. The guy that is monitoring that site would delete my post if he thought the question did not pertain to the Jayco site. My question to him was "If I wasn't seeking answers from Jayco owners why would I post somewhere else"? Several non-Jayco owners came back in his defense, so I decided not to participate any more.

2fortheroad · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks to all for the input.

Jeff I have pretty much came to the same conclusion. When we get to our destination in Alaska, I am planning on just running a new wire, for now I am using a 12 GA. jump wire to the toggle switch.from a battery. It is protected with a 30 amp fuse. The original wire I capped off until I can trace it out.

jagco · RV-Dreams Family Member

I have been burned at rv.net forum as well, but there is a ton of information to be gained there. It's entirely up to you which forums you frequent, but there is so much info to be gained there.

I definitely like this one better, and everybody here is so friendly, so I come here first.

There's also the escapees forum that has knowledgeable people too, when you can't find out here. I don't have as much experience with that one, but have liked what I have seen so far.

Just for the record, I am not sending anyone away from this forum. I definitely enjoy this one better, but when you can't find it here, you gotta do what you gotta do :)

Did I say I like this one better??? :)

Dr Gonzo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Ron,

I am so sorry that you cannot get help on that forum. Frank can be "heavy handed" and intolerant - we all try to work around him.

Brian

sand38 · RV-Dreams Family Member

Some times there are breakers in the circuit for the motor to the jacks. They are self contained and do not have a handle like the breakers in your electrical panel. They are automatic reset after cool down, have you seen something li.ke that while tracing out the electrical ? On my unit the fuse was too small, installed a larger fuse after chacking the amp draw. Also installed a parallel breaker, still protected but resolved issue. Just a thought.