Level Up System Blowing Fuses..

[The Lieutenant]

2017 Sandpiper FLOK having an issue with the Lippert Level Up Jack system. I believe I have narrowed this down to the inline fuse blowing every time the camper is plugged into shore power. Once you are all ready to go and need to put the Jack's up the control head will be dead and the inline fuse that's by the hydrolic tank will be blown.

In addition, when raising the Jack's, one jack will go up or half way up and then the control head will go blank and reset. You will need to power it up again and repeat the process sometimes three times to get all 6 Jack's up.

Opinions?

[OldCoot]

Maybe try a higher amperage fuse?

[A32Deuce]

They also have circuit breakers you could use rather then a fuse.

[Duckogram]

Level-Up for towables is 12V and requires the batteries to be at or near full capacity. My 1st suggestion is to unplug the control module and wait a few minutes. Then plug it back in. While you are waiting would be a good time to check ground points, connections to the solenoid on the pump motor and your batteries.

[The Lieutenant]

Originally Posted by Duckogram

Level-Up for towables is 12V and requires the batteries to be at or near full capacity. My 1st suggestion is to unplug the control module and wait a few minutes. Then plug it back in. While you are waiting would be a good time to check ground points, connections to the solenoid on the pump motor and your batteries.

I will give the disconnect a try. The batteries have always been at capacity when the event has happened as this only happens after the camper has been connected to shore power for a period of time. Plug into the tow vehicle.. no problem. Let it sit for a few days on 12v power... no issue. Plug into shore power for a few days...fried fuse.

[Duckogram]

Originally Posted by The Lieutenant

I will give the disconnect a try. The batteries have always been at capacity when the event has happened as this only happens after the camper has been connected to shore power for a period of time. Plug into the tow vehicle.. no problem. Let it sit for a few days on 12v power... no issue. Plug into shore power for a few days...fried fuse.

Hmmm, I’m wondering if a surge from your converter/charger can do that??? (thinking out loud)

[The Lieutenant]

Originally Posted by Duckogram

Hmmm, I’m wondering if a surge from your converter/charger can do that??? (thinking out loud)

I've been hooked up to my EMS system so it's not a surge from my house or from any of the campsites. It could be the converter perhaps. This past week while on a trip we lost all AC inside the camper yet had it at the pedestal. None of the breakers were tripped by sight. I flipped them all however and everything came back to life when I was done.

So the question would be is the converter pumping too much DC at the level up as its drawing to operate?

[Duckogram]

The level-up does not draw power from the convertor. It draws from the battery(s). My thought is that when the pump is activated while you are connected to shore power, you might be getting a surge from the charger that is causing the failure. It’s just a theory and I have no idea how to test it. Your EMS will protect only the 120v side from spikes.

[The Lieutenant]

Originally Posted by Duckogram

The level-up does not draw power from the convertor. It draws from the battery(s). My thought is that when the pump is activated while you are connected to shore power, you might be getting a surge from the charger that is causing the failure. It’s just a theory and I have no idea how to test it. Your EMS will protect only the 120v side from spikes.

No...I'm not activating the level up while connected to anything. It's running strictly off coach battery.

So here is the way this goes... plugged into shore power get ready to leave, unplug everything and the rig is sitting there and I want to raise my front end to hitch up and the panel is dead and the fuse is blown. Replace fuse... the screen dies and resets over and over as each jack raises.

We drive wherever and I unhook from the TV and go to put the levels down, no problem everything works fine during the auto level process.

Plug into shore power at the new location and it all starts again with blown fuse.

[Duckogram]

I’m asking myself “How does plugging into shore power blow the 12V level-up fuse?”
I ran that question over and over. The only link between the 120v system and the level-up that I can think of is the converter/charger. Since it is amperage that blows the fuse (not voltage) the question now becomes; “How does over amperage get to the level up and blow the fuse?” I cannot answer that without testing circuits. However, you threw in a variable. The LCD panel blanking out as each jack operates. So you replace the fuse and the system works but not correctly and as you stated, you are not plugged in to anything. So how can you draw a line between all these events? The only common point between all these things that I can think of is the ground. Then I consider the other things you mentioned like temporary loss of AC power and everything works normally after bouncing down the road for awhile. I put all this info in my spin cycle and it comes out with: Loose ground connection. Thats my best guess.
What kind of fuse is the one that keep blowing? (type, amp rating & voltage)
Hope this helps you track down the malfunction.

[The Lieutenant]

Originally Posted by Duckogram

I’m asking myself “How does plugging into shore power blow the 12V level-up fuse?”
I ran that question over and over. The only link between the 120v system and the level-up that I can think of is the converter/charger. Since it is amperage that blows the fuse (not voltage) the question now becomes; “How does over amperage get to the level up and blow the fuse?” I cannot answer that without testing circuits. However, you threw in a variable. The LCD panel blanking out as each jack operates. So you replace the fuse and the system works but not correctly and as you stated, you are not plugged in to anything. So how can you draw a line between all these events? The only common point between all these things that I can think of is the ground. Then I consider the other things you mentioned like temporary loss of AC power and everything works normally after bouncing down the road for awhile. I put all this info in my spin cycle and it comes out with: Loose ground connection. Thats my best guess.
What kind of fuse is the one that keep blowing? (type, amp rating & voltage)
Hope this helps you track down the malfunction.

It's a standard 15 amp automotive fuse that keeps blowing. The blue one with the two prongs. It is the one that sits hardwired in an inline fuse holder by the hydrolic tank. Will have to figure out which of the 8million grounds that one would be lol

[Duckogram]

You’re spot on with your assessment. I found this one in my power center box. The insulation had not been cut back far enough to allow the wire to go under the set screw. I don’t think the power center would be a bad place to start.

[sailtrkr]

Been having that problem since our first trip in our 2015 35RPM. Carry a pack of 100 10 amp fuses now. Our slides keep tripping the auto reset breaker. So yesterday I finally tore into it and replaced the auto reset breaker and moved the level up wire with the 10 amp fuse to the battery side of bus bar rather than aux side as factory had it on that circuit. My thinking is that the surge from the 50 amp auto reset is blowing the 10 amp. Slides worked fine when I tried it. Haven't done leveled yet but do have power

[Duckogram]

Chasing electrical gremlins without a wiring diagram is a Hurculean task.

[changing it up a bit]

my thought is that the jacks are hydraulic with electrical control so when the valve moves for down position it either shorting or has loose electrical input creating additional amperage.

[Jdb95661]

I had the same issue last year. On my cedar creek there was a fuse that could not handle the voltage. I just added another fuse and doubled the capacity. No problems since.

[rk06382]

Originally Posted by Jdb95661

I had the same issue last year. On my cedar creek there was a fuse that could not handle the voltage. I just added another fuse and doubled the capacity. No problems since.

Be careful that method is called 'Smoke Test.'

Replace with a larger fuse only if you know the load is rated for more amperage. You may only need a slow-blow fuse.

[Duckogram]

Originally Posted by rk06382

Be careful that method is called 'Smoke Test.'

Replace with a larger fuse only if you know the load is rated for more amperage. You may only need a slow-blow fuse.

He said “Voltage” not “Amperage”.

[rk06382]

Originally Posted by Duckogram

He said “Voltage” not “Amperage”.

Fuses are rated in Amperage. The maximum voltage is also marked on a fuse. A 10 AMP fuse will blow when current is over 10 AMPs 12v DC or 120v AC.

[Duckogram]

Originally Posted by rk06382

Fuses are rated in Amperage. The maximum voltage is also marked on a fuse. A 10 AMP fuse will blow when current is over 10 AMPs 12v DC or 120v AC.

or when the current is over 10A 250v as well. However, post #16 reads voltage, not amperage.