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weberrv's avatar
weberrv
Explorer
Aug 04, 2017

ShortStop Circut Breaker Issues

I recently picked up a 89 Kit Companion (from my father) who said it was working fine. I haven't touched in in a couple of years. I recently replaced the batteries in preparation to go camping. As soon as I wired them the 40 amp shortstop circuit breaker keeps tripping, resetting, and then tripping again.

In looking at the shortstop. I see both hot wires on one side and the ground on the other. This seems wrong to me (based on some other posts I've read here). So I disconnect the ground and move power to both sides (see photo). Power now comes from the batter (on the right) and flows out the left. I've tested power is coming out using my testing light.

However, while the clicking stopped I still have no 12v power inside the trailer. Where should I be testing for it anyhow? The breaker looks like it's all 110.

Questions:
  • That ground wire looks like it was cut to length and intentionally goes to the ShortStop. Did I do this right?
  • Where in my trailer should I test for 12v power. Ideally it would go straight to the breaker box right after the short stop right?


  • Ok with that working this is a good time to remove the junk short stop and replace with a real breaker such as Bussmann Hi-Amp with same rating.
  • Okay, well... I feel a bit dumb. Battery was backwards. I put everything back the way it was and it seems to be working okay.

    Thanks!!!
  • Get out your meter. No way to mix ground and hot on a fuse. It just creates a dead short.
    I see the ground connected to the frame. If the other two are hot then you have no use for the ground.
    Very odd for same color to be both.
  • time2roll wrote:
    White is usually ground. You need to trace out the wires and discover why you have a dead short. Did you cut that wire or did you just replace the breaker? If the white wire goes to the battery positive... is there any chance you just serviced the battery and connected it backward.


    The ShortStop had all three of those wires connected to it. The two I labeled hot were on the right side and the one I labeled ground was on the left. The "ground" wire goes directly to the frame. One of the "hot" wires runs to the battery. Is there any reason that would be connected to the negative terminal rather than the positive?
  • beemerphile1 wrote:
    The picture isn't clear but I am guessing it is mounted on non-conductive material. The ground wire was probably attached to a mounting screw but not to a terminal.



    The ground wire (as I called it) is attached to the frame, which you can see at the bottom of the picture. Is that not ground?
  • White is usually ground. You need to trace out the wires and discover why you have a dead short. Did you cut that wire or did you just replace the breaker? If the white wire goes to the battery positive... is there any chance you just serviced the battery and connected it backward.
  • The picture isn't clear but I am guessing it is mounted on non-conductive material. The ground wire was probably attached to a mounting screw but not to a terminal.
  • Is that the ground wire from frame to battery? As stated above-power in/power out.
  • Should NOT have a ground wire.
    Shortstop is a DC circuit breaker
    Power in.....Power out

    Out goes to CONVERTER (DC Dist Panel) and would supply DC to the fused DC circuits and/or get recharged by converter when hooked up to AC power

    BUT...converter should have 'Reverse Polarity' fuse(s)......either on face panel where all of the individual circuit fuses are OR on back/side of converter
    They will be large fuses...30A/40A

    Probably blown due to that ground wire being connected.

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