Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 01-13-2022, 04:04 PM   #1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: North of Seattle, WA
Posts: 17,288
It pays to check even if all seems OK

Sitting in the desert enjoying 70 degree, clear sky, days and decided to do a "once over" in my electrical compartment. Batteries were charging at max from converter as I was usingvthe microwave to heat lunch using generator.

As has been my habit for decades I touched each of the connections that were carrying high current (~60amps) and one burned my finger some.

Shut everything down and that wire had a bad crimp on it.

Luckily I had some spare heavy gauge wire from an inverter i bought last year and the 2x#6 wire with factory crimped lugs was perfect. My converter has double lugs for + and - connections so it was simple to connect, lug to bus bar and stripped wire ends to double lugs.

Luckily I caught this before connection got hot enough to oxidize metal and get even hotter.

As I said, pays to check.
__________________
"A wise man can change his mind. A fool never will." (Japanese Proverb)

"You only grow old when you run out of new things to do"

2018 Flagstaff Micro Lite 25BDS
2023 f-150 SCREW XLT 3.5 Ecoboost (The result of a $68,000 oil change)
TitanMike is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-13-2022, 05:49 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
SeaDog's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: x
Posts: 12,423
Good catch its surprising what you can find when you are not really looking for it.
__________________
Retired Navy
Jake my sidekick (yellow Lab) 10/04 - 05/20
2017 RAM 2500 CC 4X4 Cummins Diesel
2016 Flagstaff 26 FKWS
AF&AM & El Korah Shrine of Idaho
SeaDog is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-13-2022, 06:23 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: North of Seattle, WA
Posts: 17,288
Quote:
Originally Posted by SeaDog View Post
Good catch its surprising what you can find when you are not really looking for it.
Actually that's how I found my late wife. Wasn't looking for a new one and there she was. Married 31 years before she passed.

But I digress.
__________________
"A wise man can change his mind. A fool never will." (Japanese Proverb)

"You only grow old when you run out of new things to do"

2018 Flagstaff Micro Lite 25BDS
2023 f-150 SCREW XLT 3.5 Ecoboost (The result of a $68,000 oil change)
TitanMike is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-16-2022, 12:12 AM   #4
Senior Member
 
JimM2109S's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2021
Location: SE Florida
Posts: 440
I have a 17' CC for inshore/backcountry fishing. The trolling motor (TM) pulls a max of 42a per the manufacturer and I had installed a left over 60a CB from the previous TM on the wiring. Lately the TM began kicking the breaker after a short run on full power. Trust me that its no fun fishing the edge of a flat in Florida Bay and to have the TM suddenly stop and you start drifting into too skinny waters for the boat. The fourth or fifth or sixth time, I finally decided to replace the breaker, thinking it was worn out. They do fail, you know.

When the new breaker arrived, it only took 10 minutes or so to remove the old and install the new. What I found as I began to remove the old was that a nut holding one of the ring terminals wasn't even finger tight! Vibration had loosened it over time. This caused excessive heat from a loose fit which caused the breaker (thermal) to trip. Needless to say, it won't happen again (and the new breaker can be manually tripped if needed).
__________________
2022 MiniLite 2109s
2018 F-150 XLT 4x4, 3.5L, Max tow pkg
2019 Ranger Lariat 4x4 (in reserve)
(We're just getting started!)
JimM2109S is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-17-2022, 11:54 AM   #5
TGR
Senior Member
 
TGR's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Twin Cities, Minnesota
Posts: 320
Checking connections to see if any are getting too warm is a great idea. It makes good sense to be proactive.

I check my running gear (tire tread and wheel bearings) with a temperature gun almost every time I stop. I’ll bet using a temperature gun to check the various electrical connection points would be another good routine to establish.
__________________
2015 Wildcat 282 RKX
2011 F350 Lariat, 6.7 L. Diesel, 8 ft., SRW, Reese R20
TGR is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-17-2022, 12:06 PM   #6
RV There Yet?
 
IsleDog's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Winona, MN
Posts: 1,139
Quote:
Originally Posted by TGR View Post
Checking connections to see if any are getting too warm is a great idea. It makes good sense to be proactive.

I check my running gear (tire tread and wheel bearings) with a temperature gun almost every time I stop. I’ll bet using a temperature gun to check the various electrical connection points would be another good routine to establish.
at my work we check every single electrical panel and connection with a FLIR camera once a year and keep the thermal images for several years. we have found and corrected lots of issues this way.

get yourself a temp gun and check things with that. we have all burned hands and fingers touching things we know we shouldnt!
__________________
2018 17RP
2009 Crew Cab King Ranch F150 "Goose"
IsleDog is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-17-2022, 12:55 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
paverdave's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Northern Nevada
Posts: 252
[QUOTE=TitanMike;2682397]Sitting in the desert enjoying 70 degree, clear sky

Hey...sounds like you made it to Quartzside? Will be heading your way in 2 wks for yuma and some dental work...Enjoy the nice weather and have fun...cya
__________________
Dave...Northern Nevada
2018 Rockwood 8299bs
2007 GMC 2500HD Diesel SLT short bed w/gravity flow75 gallon Fuel Tank.. Cat delete
Firestone Airbag Ride Rite system
paverdave is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-17-2022, 01:07 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2021
Posts: 387
Quote:
Originally Posted by IsleDog View Post
at my work we check every single electrical panel and connection with a FLIR camera once a year and keep the thermal images for several years. we have found and corrected lots of issues this way.

get yourself a temp gun and check things with that. we have all burned hands and fingers touching things we know we shouldnt!
Having had a career as a vibration analyst, tribologist, and infrared analyst I totally agree with your assessment. However, all users of the new temp guns must remember a basic rule. Your gun will see a ratio of the distance from the target to the area of the target. A decent home use gun has a 16:1 ratio. Meaning at a distance of 16 inches your target area is 1 inch in diameter so your gun will read an average temperature of this area. You can't stand 8 feet from the target and expect to get any accuracy of temperature.

The biggest use I see for camper enthusiasts is periodically checking the temperature of the wheel bearings. All the bearing temperatures should be comparable. A hot bearing will stand out as will hot brakes.
__________________
Rockwood Geo-Pro 15TB on order
2019 Ford Ranger
W5CRE is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-17-2022, 03:58 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: North of Seattle, WA
Posts: 17,288
Quote:
Originally Posted by TGR View Post
Checking connections to see if any are getting too warm is a great idea. It makes good sense to be proactive.

I check my running gear (tire tread and wheel bearings) with a temperature gun almost every time I stop. I’ll bet using a temperature gun to check the various electrical connection points would be another good routine to establish.
Another tried and true method of checking electrical connections is to use a multimeter.

Place one lead terminal wire connector and other on stud it's fastened to while under load. Ideally it will read zero volts or just a few millivolts if load is large.

If checking crimps check from wire conductor where it enters crimp connector to body of connector. Again, ideal reading is zero.

Temp guns require some time for connection to heat. Measuring voltage drop is NOW.
__________________
"A wise man can change his mind. A fool never will." (Japanese Proverb)

"You only grow old when you run out of new things to do"

2018 Flagstaff Micro Lite 25BDS
2023 f-150 SCREW XLT 3.5 Ecoboost (The result of a $68,000 oil change)
TitanMike is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-17-2022, 04:55 PM   #10
Paul & Dianne
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: NH
Posts: 198
Quote:
Originally Posted by W5CRE View Post
Having had a career as a vibration analyst, tribologist, and infrared analyst I totally agree with your assessment. However, all users of the new temp guns must remember a basic rule. Your gun will see a ratio of the distance from the target to the area of the target. A decent home use gun has a 16:1 ratio. Meaning at a distance of 16 inches your target area is 1 inch in diameter so your gun will read an average temperature of this area. You can't stand 8 feet from the target and expect to get any accuracy of temperature.

The biggest use I see for camper enthusiasts is periodically checking the temperature of the wheel bearings. All the bearing temperatures should be comparable. A hot bearing will stand out as will hot brakes.
I have an IR gun and use it frequently when we're traveling. I have wondered, though, how or if it would detect a hot bearing. The bearings are in the center of the hub and are covered by the metal "dome" that goes through the hole in the center of the wheel. I shoot the hubs, just looking for temp difference around the trailer. I found one once, but assumed that it was a dragging brake shoe. Can you actually tell if a bearing is running hot from the outside?
__________________
2019 Rockwood 8299BS
2019 F350 Lariat 6.7 CC SRW
ThruHiker is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
check

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Forest River, Inc. or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:24 AM.