Auto Reset Circuit Breakers
Have been told that the electrical motors on Lippert Stab jacks should stop when the motor current rises causing the 12VDC auto resetting circuit breaker to pop (or you take your finger off the button). The breaker *should* protect the arms from kinking under heavy load. Unfortunately mine weren't working that way. The motors would stop when fully retracted up against the frame, but when extending the arms, it was possible to kink the arms first.
Think these circuit breakers are the lozenge shaped items I once saw deep under the trailer floor near the battery. etrailer sells them: http://www.etrailer.com/dept-pg-Accessories_and_Parts-pc-Circuit_Breaker.aspx
My trailer has about 4 or 5 of them down there IIRC.
Is this a general approach to motor control in RV's?
Just looked at my trailer's slide mechanism and can find no limit switches, so perhaps it works the same way? Unlike the stab jacks, the motor does stop at full extension and retraction. But I'm having problems with shear pin popping when retracting against the shell (and now a mangled drive shaft). The motor doesn't seem to stop soon enough.
What about the electric awning?
But I've also read on this board: "It is a thermal auto reset breaker. Keystone customer service told me that if it has tripped and reset 5 or 6 times it is time to replace it." Which doesn't fit with these circuit breakers being used as a routine motor switch. We've probably used our slide and electric stab jacks close to a hundred times so far. But maybe there are different types of circuit breaker. Is it a difference between "thermal" and "auto resetting" circuit breakers?
If these are being used to cut the juice to a motor, their current limit needs to be better matched to the mechanical system. The auto-recyling ones on the etrailer site range from 20A to 50A in 10A increments. Would it be reasonable to buy a few and try reducing the current cut-out value to my slide? (the stab jacks have already been fixed by strengthening the arms)
Has anybody done anything like this?
I would appreciate an education on these devices and their usage as they are totally new to me.
Think these circuit breakers are the lozenge shaped items I once saw deep under the trailer floor near the battery. etrailer sells them: http://www.etrailer.com/dept-pg-Accessories_and_Parts-pc-Circuit_Breaker.aspx
My trailer has about 4 or 5 of them down there IIRC.
Is this a general approach to motor control in RV's?
Just looked at my trailer's slide mechanism and can find no limit switches, so perhaps it works the same way? Unlike the stab jacks, the motor does stop at full extension and retraction. But I'm having problems with shear pin popping when retracting against the shell (and now a mangled drive shaft). The motor doesn't seem to stop soon enough.
What about the electric awning?
But I've also read on this board: "It is a thermal auto reset breaker. Keystone customer service told me that if it has tripped and reset 5 or 6 times it is time to replace it." Which doesn't fit with these circuit breakers being used as a routine motor switch. We've probably used our slide and electric stab jacks close to a hundred times so far. But maybe there are different types of circuit breaker. Is it a difference between "thermal" and "auto resetting" circuit breakers?
If these are being used to cut the juice to a motor, their current limit needs to be better matched to the mechanical system. The auto-recyling ones on the etrailer site range from 20A to 50A in 10A increments. Would it be reasonable to buy a few and try reducing the current cut-out value to my slide? (the stab jacks have already been fixed by strengthening the arms)
Has anybody done anything like this?
I would appreciate an education on these devices and their usage as they are totally new to me.
