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Wolfman_Jacques's avatar
Wolfman_Jacques
Explorer
Mar 26, 2014

Gremlin In My Wires - Help Needed!

I have a 2005 Crossroads Cruiser 27RL fifth wheel that I have had since new and it has performed impeccably up til now. Now I have a Gremlin that shuts off my 12 Volt system to both the slide and the water pump whenever I use either for a little time. It comes back on after about 2 minutes each time. Somehow it gets both systems but not the ceiling lights. When I run out or in the slide I get about 3/4th the way in or out and then it is dead for about 2 minutes. Samething happens in the middle of a shower with the pump. The little light on the pump switch is out when that happens. Both systems are affected no matter which one I am using. Is there a relay that is getting hot? If so where? The fuse looks good. All ideas welcome And if anyone has a wiring schematic please let me know.

8 Replies

  • wa8yxm's avatar
    wa8yxm
    Explorer III
    Mar 26, 2014
    I see someone said You can see these mounted directly to the battery terminals.

    Never seen one there.. Seen them in a whole bunch of other places though. including buried inside a wall.
  • Wolfman_Jacques's avatar
    Wolfman_Jacques
    Explorer
    Mar 26, 2014
    Yup! That's the plan for tomorrow. I tore apart the circuit breaker box and opened up all the wiring behind the switches today looking for the problem without success. I suspect that you guys are right and the problem is sitting in the battery compartment and related somehow to those resettable circuit breakers attached to that wall.
    Hope you enjoy the new profile picture of my wolf I just uploaded. That is an actual photo but taken with her upside-down which gives the absolutely ridiculous expression.
  • time2roll's avatar
    time2roll
    Nomad
    Mar 26, 2014
    +1 for an auto reset breaker. Probably not the battery main. You just need to start poking around with a meter or test light during those two minutes.
  • BFL13's avatar
    BFL13
    Explorer II
    Mar 26, 2014
    If it is just the slide and the pump but the lights are ok when those two things are dead, it is not your battery fuse/breaker.

    Both those have grounds to the frame in about the same place? Loose connection(s) get(s) hot? Older trailer you can lose a ground with corrosion.
  • Dr_Quick's avatar
    Dr_Quick
    Explorer II
    Mar 26, 2014
    Every time a circuit beaker in you house trips, I have been told that it gets a little weaker and will trip the next time sooner. I wonder it that could be your problem with the 12V breakers.
  • Wolfman_Jacques's avatar
    Wolfman_Jacques
    Explorer
    Mar 26, 2014
    Sounds good to me! Tomorrow I will go out there and find the circuit breakers. Thank you very much!!
  • RoyB's avatar
    RoyB
    Explorer II
    Mar 26, 2014
    The slides are usually powered directly off the battery terminals through a resettable 12VDC circuit breaker. When too much current is drawn then the circuit breaker gets warm and shuts OFF. Then after a couple of minutes it cools down and snaps back on...

    Usually what causes more current to be drawn is the battery is loosing its charge. Sometimes when we are caught off the power grid and this happens we can nose the truck up close to the battery and jumper the start battery to it. This could also be a resettable circuit breaker starting to fail as well. They don't last forever...

    You can see these circuit breakers mounted directly to your battery terminal.
    Some may look like this:


    Even sometimes when we are on SHORE POWER we may need a charged up battery to make the slide work better.

    Does any of this make any sense?...

    Roy Ken

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