Electrical Issue On Travel Trailer?

[ElkNut1]

We have a Travel Trailer that came down with an electrical problem in Oct. Everything was just fine with it & had used it that weekend. We towed it home & it rained hard for several hours all the way back from the hunting trip. When putting it in the shop & disconnecting everything we went to push the button on the electrical jack to lift off vehicle & nothing happened? The jack is fairly new so no issues there. We then checked all lights in unit & nothing works, everything was fine just hours prior towing in the rain storm. As we tried to trouble shoot it we could hear a click under chassis a couple feet behind the jack but under trailer just behind the tongue, it was coming from a black box mounted to underside of floor. We opened up the box & saw several breakers there with wires going to individual breakers, one was making the clicking noise when we tried using electric jack, we replaced it & it didn't help matters at all. Any ideas how to find source of problem here? Thanks!

ElkNut1

[idahoghost]

Could you please send me a photo of the breaker. Is the entire trailer not working after the breaker replacement or just the jack?

[ElkNut1]

Nothing has worked since the return during the rain storm. I believe that torrential rain must have been the cause????? It's like something shorted out?

We replaced the small breaker & it clicked like the old one. The breaker is a small black rectangle unit with a threaded post on each side, there are a couple wires that attach to each post then secured with a nut. Is it possible the rain created a short somewhere, if so what likely area? All fuses look good at this point too.

ElkNut1

[>>>---WW---->]

I'm no electriction but it sounds like you have a dead short somewhere. I've had those types of problems on my farm trailers in the past. So I usually get my tester out and start tracing each wire back until I find the spot where the power stops. Before you even start, be sure to clean your recepticals on both the truck and the camper really good and spray them with WD-40. It could also be that you have just lost your ground.

[idahoghost]

You may want to check and make sure you have power coming into the panel where the breakers are located. If you have power there, than check the screws leading from the breaker. This will tell you if the power is leaving the breaker. If not the breaker may be malfunctioning. In other words is there power coming in and not going out.

[ElkNut1]

OK, just so we are clear here I am using the word "breaker" but maybe it is the wrong name? It's a small black box aprox 8"X8", inside it has very small "breakers" not the kind you can flip like inside the trailer in the hall closet but a small black 1"X 1-1/2" rectangle in size enclosed plastic unit, on each end it has a short threaded post. One of those "breakers" is clicking or flipping off everytime we put current to it by hooking up battery, it only started after the heavy rain we drove in. Larry, from your last post I'll be there is no current running out of that black box, hence no inside power at all. But there is no power to the electric jack either which is up front on the tongue? With this in mind what should we test next to be heading in the right direction?

ElkNut1

[easeup]

wished I were there to shoot this one for you.
Look for NO ground. nothing works means either there is no voltage supply or no ground. Most of the time the common ground for the trailer is rusted up, corroded, or lust not good and tight. the clicking sound comes from a relay with insufficuent voltage drop to hold a relay coil in position.
that is another clue of a poor ground. good luck.

[cnelk]

Yep.
I would confirm the grounding very first.

[ElkNut1]

Thanks a ton guys!!!! I think it is called "relay switches" not breakers. As you can see I'm no electrician. (grin) So look for the ground you say? Do you mean the ground from where the battery post is connected to the negative side to the frame or such? Or is their a different ground that the relay box may be grounded too? Thanks!

ElkNut1

[Ridgernr]

Paul, I would first check source voltage with a test meter, a test light may light but that wont show true voltage only that there is some power there. 12v or higher,probably 12.7 volts or so, right at the battery.It could be just a weak or dead battery
Then check and tighten the terminal clamps or nuts at the battery.
Then follow the ground wire from the battery to the frame and make sure it is clean and tight,
next follow the positive wire to the junction block or fuse block also check , clean and tight.
next check for power at the junction block or fuse block also should be 12 volts acor higher , more like 12.7 or so.
Thsi is hard to do over the net but hope this helps.
Most problems can be traced down to poor or loose or dirty connections. If nothing is working at all I would suspect source voltage or a loose connection somewhere. I do this for a living, automotive anyway , to bad it wasnt memorial day we may be coming down for the shoot at the resevoir this year may see you then.

Randy

[cnelk]

Paul
Not knowing how your trailer and truck is wired, but here is what I would do after reading your predicament.

Hook the trailer up to the truck again. Hitch and electrical plug (be sure the prongs on truck outlet are clean)
Check stuff out. If it works, you are getting grounding and current from the truck's battery.

If you find that nothing still works, start at 'ground zero'

Unhook

Be sure the battery in camper is charged.
Remove and clean the + and - terminals
Reconnect
With a test light work your way 'downstream' from the battery, testing by clamping on a good place to ground and carefully poking the tester into a 'hot' wire.
Look for any connections that could be loose. Unwrap any tape covering hidden connections.

It's a frustrating issue - I know!

Good luck - let us know

[Ridgernr]

Paul please do not pierce wires with a test probe ie. test light , the problem with doing this is the mag c=hloride used on these roads of ours along with rain water will wick in thru the insulation up the wire and cause more problems do the road.
If you most do this, buy a can of liquid tape and paint it over the puncture hole, it will seal the wire insulation. but you need to let it dry and then also tape it relly well.
cnelk and easeup also good advice we may just be able to get you going


Randy

[idahoghost]

Good morning Paul,

Unless your in a hurry to use it, I may be able to come and check it out within the next few weeks. I am in CA right now, but should be returning next week sometime. I can run up and look into it if you want. Just let me know. It would be a good excuse to see the Vortex optics and check out some new mouth calls....

[ElkNut1]

Thanks a ton guys, this really helps a lot, we will go back to the beginning & re-check it all, I believe it is something simple because it was all perfect hours before, thank you, I'll let you know what we find out!

Larry, very nice of you bud, we will be messing with it this week, I'll post how it goes, thanks a ton for the offer!

ElKNut1

[JohnFitzgerald]

Without seeing your trailer or box this is my guess.

The little black box sounds like your power inverter. The clicking noise is the auto reset breaker inside the inverter. Easeup is right on the money with insufficent voltage. Clean battery terminals with light grit sand paper and check water level in batteries. Other than that, I again agree with Easeup on the poor ground theory.

Have you tested your batteries?

[JohnFitzgerald]

O

[ElkNut1]

Well, we went back to check things out on the ground for the trailer & everything was working????? There was a loose ground wire, 1 out of 2 of them. We cleaned them both & tightened up, maybe water from the rain had gotten between the ground & the frame???? Not sure but everything works, any thoughts?

ElkNut1

[>>>---WW---->]

Told ya so!