Keeps blowing fuses...

[IonicBrick]

Brought our camper home and now I can't keep fuses in it on one circuit. The camper is a 2014 HW31SCTH. The fuse is a 15 amp that runs the two outside lights, the radio, the water heater, furnace and gas detector. I can replace the fuse and run everything on that circuit just fine for a couple hours...Then all of the sudden it pops. Any idea where I look first?


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[bleurt]

First you need to know if that is the proper size fuse for the circuit You also need to see the voltage output of your battery if your battery is low it will take much more current to run your furnace. then you need to see that all items are off, then operate only one item at a time to see if it is a specifique item that is causing the problem or when you use multiple items at a time. I Would suspect the furnance is the problem do to the fact it has an electric motor for the blower which usualy draws a lot of current on start-up.

[IonicBrick]

The fuse is (was) the original one from the factory, and is labeled 15 amp on the panel. The fuse blows whether on battery power or the converter, and both have been checked for proper voltage. The furnace has a separate fusable link that is a 7.5amp fuse. That fuse has not blown. The only things on when it blows are the detector and the radio. I'm going to disconnect everything, make sure the fuse doesn't blow with nothing on it (if it does I have a converter problem right?) then add things one by one and give it a few days in between to make sure each item doesn't blow it.


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[TURBS]

Have you checked amp draw on that circuit?
I would check that first.
You can always turn one item on at a time to find the highest draw.

If you don't have a multi meter that you leave in the camper then now is the time to get one........

[IonicBrick]

I'm in construction and have several meters (one I keep in my TV), but I'm not that familiar with DC...How do I check the draw on just that fuse?


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[TURBS]

Originally Posted by IonicBrick

I'm in construction and have several meters (one I keep in my TV), but I'm not that familiar with DC...How do I check the draw on just that fuse?


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Dc amp clamp on the hot wire on either side of fuse

[IonicBrick]

That's kinda what I figured. None of my meters are clamps. I'll have to get one. Thanks.


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[IonicBrick]

Well, I got an automotive circuit tester today. You plug a fuse into it and plug it into the circuit and it tells you the amperage draw on that particular circuit.
Long story short, I had everything turned off or disconnected on that circuit and the tester said it was still drawing between 18 and 22 amps! That was battery connected, disconnected, whatever. Same readings every time. I tried the tester in another circuit to be sure it worked, and it does. Put a 15 amp fuse back in that first circuit and it still popped em.

When I had the tester up and it was at 22 amps, I had to have a 30 amp fuse in it to keep it from blowing right away. I only 'tested' for a few seconds so as not to heat up wiring or connections. However, when that circuit was on the converter was making a strange groaning noise. And this time I was never able to get it to run at all, it just popped fuses as soon as I turned it on.

So do I have a bad converter? Do you think I should take things a step further and disconnect the wire to that circuit behind the converter? That would mean taking the box apart, but if that's the only way to get warranty replacement I can certainly do that...remember that this is a 2014 so it is indeed under warranty...


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[bleurt]

Some multimeter have 20amp meter you just need to place the meter in the write setting and use the probes in the place of the fuse the red lead on power side and the black on the load side veyfie first that the meter is fused an your lead are in the write position.

[IonicBrick]

Yeah, 2 of my meters are 10 amp DC and my work one is 20...but it just read "----" when I hooked it up. It was probably seeing 22 amps as well.


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[bleurt]

A multimeter like this is worth maybe 20 $. clamp ampmeter will be 100$

[IonicBrick]

The clamp amp meter that the electrical supply had only went to 20 amp DC and was $150. Still, my little $20 tester and $5 of fuses verified that I have a more serious issue. Just can't believe its on such a new camper.


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[Radio]

Sounds to me like you do NOT have an appliance or device issue. If you turn everything off on that circuit then current draw should be zero amps.

Sounds like a wiring issue, like a fastener of some kind has skinned the insulation off the wire somewhere. Maybe a staple or a pinched point someplace.

Or perhaps a wiring error, there's devices/appliances on the circuit that should not, according to design, be there.

[IonicBrick]

So I should do as I mentioned and remove the wire right at the converter...then the draw should be zero of there is a compromised wire...

We did go over some very bumpy roads on I-70 on the way home, so I was wondering about this possibility. This will be the next thing I check, I'll just have to remove the converter or open it's box to do so. I don't have an issue with that though. It won't void my warranty will it?


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[Radio]

Don't know about warranty.

Disconnect the wire and measure current, should be zero and that proves the converter is OK. Then measure resistance to ground from the disconnected wire. If everything is off should be rather high. If only a few Ohms then you have a wiring issue someplace. You'll have to visually trace all (or most) of the wire to find it.

Ugg. Sorry about that. And if you understand AC house circuits this should be a snap for you.

[VinceU]

Originally Posted by IonicBrick

The clamp amp meter that the electrical supply had only went to 20 amp DC and was $150. Still, my little $20 tester and $5 of fuses verified that I have a more serious issue. Just can't believe its on such a new camper.


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The tester is showing leaking currents only on that fuse circuit. The converter is not involved except as a 2nd power supply. You need to disconnect each device one at a time and see which one blows the circuit. Make sure if the loads are daisy chained, reconnect the lead to the next circuit so it stays in the line during testing, ie: if furnace receives the red wires and is parallel to CO detector, remove from furnace lug but be sure the supply continues down stream.
Easier way, take back to dealer and explain whats happening.

[IonicBrick]

That's kind of what I'm thinking at this point. I'll take everything apart and hope that's the case. Luckily I can see most of the wiring in my camper. I was curious since when I first tested it it would run for a while before blowing the fuse, but things must have gotten worse from me putting the trailer on the side of the house, as it blows instantly now.

I'll remove everything including the wire on the circuit and check that it functions properly, and then find the culprit...unless of course I can see it right off when I remove the converter...



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[IonicBrick]

So I took the back cover off of the power center...I looked at all the connections, and traced as many wires as I could all around the trailer. I didn't see anything, so I decided to put a meter on it and check. This time zero amp draw. I swamped the meter for a 15 amp fuse and left it be. We'll see if it lasts a few days before I hook up the CO detector and radio again.

When I first brought it home I got the circuit to work for a few hours before blowing, so I'm going to make sure things are good with everything disconnected.


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[VinceU]

Sounds like good plan.


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