Big Time Wiring Problem..

Battery acid slashed across your zipper is "irritating". Mexicowanderer is exasperating - no baking soda remedy there...

Dagwood_55 wrote:
Thanks for all the good advise and responses.

One of my problems is time. I need to be back in the camper this weekend and for the next several weekends. And hopefully this is the last week that I will be needing the AC. And I will also have it set up boondocking style, so no shore power, just my Honda 2000.

My quick fixit plan is to buy another battery (in the wire burnout, the old battery top melted out) then wire the water pump directly to the battery. Charge the battery with my Honda 2000 and a small charger. Run the water heater from propane. That will get me water, toilet, and a hot shower. I have a Wave heater plumbed in, so I have propane heat. I'll buy some cheapie battery LED lights and stick them here and there. So I now will have lights. I will just use a Grizzly ice chest for my fridge and I'm all set.

I'll try to fix everything after bow season when I have more time... Sure would be nice if I could tie the battery straight in to the DC fuse box.....

Thanks again,

You need some education about DC power. Try here, at Battery University.
Since you didn't reply to a question about having circuit protection near the battery and the battery top melted, assumption is that you didn't have any. A $8 circuit breaker or $5 fuse assembly would have prevented your problems.
You probably won't have time before hunting to fix the issues. You need to assemble everything from the battery back to the fuse panel and converter and that may not cure all your ills. If your water heater is DSI and not standing pilot, it will need 12V also.

I'd strongly suggest you seek assistance with the new wiring. You are **** lucky the trailer isn't burnt to the frame.

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Time

Money

Quality

Pick any two

You have a rat's nest. Time for D-Con

Digital camera. Take lots of photos in bright light

Do not install new battery. Use it to check circuits BACKWARDS

Cut out damaged wires. If wires are obviously paired. Use tape and keep it that way. Get rid of bare copper and charred sections. Start with stubs. You will be grafting new wire to the studs.

Go to store and get a pair (2) of eight foot long wires with alligator clips.

Chop one wire and put a 15 amp breaker inline with that wire (got it?).

Get a multimeter and a friend. The friend will man the meter at the burned wire stubs.

Clip wires to battery posts

One at a time, connect test wires to lamp and accessory sockets.

Your friend will tell you when he finds a pair of wires that works. Mark them with masking tape and pen.

It's frustrating, time consuming, and tedious. It's worth $100 hour

Best Wishes. This is what I had to to for Good Sam and Cruise America.

Listen to MEXICOWANDERER.

He is ornery and irritating, but he is usually right.

Time

Money

Quality

Pick any two

You have a rat's nest. Time for D-Con

Digital camera. Take lots of photos in bright light

Do not install new battery. Use it to check circuits BACKWARDS

Cut out damaged wires. If wires are obviously paired. Use tape and keep it that way. Get rid of bare copper and charred sections. Start with stubs. You will be grafting new wire to the studs.

Go to store and get a pair (2) of eight foot long wires with alligator clips.

Chop one wire and put a 15 amp breaker inline with that wire (got it?).

Get a multimeter and a friend. The friend will man the meter at the burned wire stubs.

Clip wires to battery posts

One at a time, connect test wires to lamp and accessory sockets.

Your friend will tell you when he finds a pair of wires that works. Mark them with masking tape and pen.

It's frustrating, time consuming, and tedious. It's worth $100 hour

Best Wishes. This is what I had to to for Good Sam and Cruise America.

Thanks for all the good advise and responses.

One of my problems is time. I need to be back in the camper this weekend and for the next several weekends. And hopefully this is the last week that I will be needing the AC. And I will also have it set up boondocking style, so no shore power, just my Honda 2000.

My quick fixit plan is to buy another battery (in the wire burnout, the old battery top melted out) then wire the water pump directly to the battery. Charge the battery with my Honda 2000 and a small charger. Run the water heater from propane. That will get me water, toilet, and a hot shower. I have a Wave heater plumbed in, so I have propane heat. I'll buy some cheapie battery LED lights and stick them here and there. So I now will have lights. I will just use a Grizzly ice chest for my fridge and I'm all set.

I'll try to fix everything after bow season when I have more time... Sure would be nice if I could tie the battery straight in to the DC fuse box.....

Thanks again,

You burned wiring at the back of the converter
I assume 12 dc wiring
It's easy to tell the difference between 12dc wiring and 120vac Romex wiring

For dc every thing is either positive or negative
Typical RV tt wiring
Use black for the positive 12v hot side hot side and white for the negative ground side line side, replace one wire at a time , they are not colored coded except for black and white
There is no specific colour for water pump, lights etc..

For 120v each romex has three wires a white neutral, black hot, and a bare copper ground
Blacks go to circuit breakers, whites go to neutral bar.. All whites same bar
Bare grounds goto grounding bar

It's time consuming , not mentally difficult, once you get the idea how it's done
If you can't wrap your head around it after studying it
Get an electrician, or electrical friend

There is limited wiring information in this Owner's Manual Chapter 5. No color codes or the like...

Assumptions are dangerous.

pianotuna wrote:
Redoing the wiring without diagnosing the cause won't be much help.

I kind of figured that would either come out in the wash or be done away with after all new wiring. :W

Redoing the wiring without diagnosing the cause won't be much help.