Help with camper electric jacks!

I didn't read that the batteries have been charged or not. Verify they are charged and at least 12V.

What brand of Truck Camper? The closeup video of the jack bracket was useless to me ... at least. Assuming this was a manufacturer install, the truck camper manufacturer might be able to give you more details.

jmckelvy wrote:
As an EE I am always interested in electrical problems. From looking at the Atwood links posted earlier it does not appear these jacks are the typical Atwood Truck Camper jacks most of us are familiar with which work as Bigfootford described.

Truck camper jacks do not and should not connect in any way to the "frame" of the camper. How could that work as many truck campers have wooden frames. These appear to be jacks designed for attachment to a trailer and therefore a metal frame is available.

A good wiring diagram would really help solve the problem. It's hard to tell but from one of the posted links it appears that a ground wire connects to the jack and two other wires attach to the motor. This will work with a motor with a fixed ground as long as the two wires attached to the motor go to different windings in the motor...power to one turns one way... power to the other turns the other way.

Good luck troubleshooting the problem. Be sure to post when you find the solution.

Right about the OP's Atwood jack install being different....

He clarified the wiring... 4 wires on the drivers side... and 2 on the passenger side. Switches are on the drivers side. Without a wiring diagram we can only surmise that:

2 wires on the drivers side are + and - from the battery
2 wires go over to the passenger side jack.

Switches probably provide the reversing of polarity to the motor (s) simple as that. No relays needed.
Double pole/double throw...
Although using just switches the current handling of the switches need to be in the 20 amp region for each motor.
I have designed a remote control for Stablelift systems for a friend... I used switches that controlled relays... Much better current handling..

The body of the jack while metal should be impervious to the - /ground of anything if in fact the 2 wires from the battery have one that is - (negative). The motor body should not enter into the operation. Atwood/Happijac etc use simple dc motors with 2 isolated leads for power.

I believe this diagram from atwood is not how the OP's jack switches are implemented. I have not got an answer as of yet.

Look at #11.
http://www.askforatwood.com/manuals/chassis/66199.pdf

All said, if the - wire from the battery has no connection then the jacks should not work and there should be no arching... The path back to the battery should be through the - wire not the Jack bracket... So at this point I/we are all guessing.

Time to get the DVM out and go to work!

Jim

In the next couple days, I will take some pictures and post them. I really appreciate all the help! I've grown to have low expectations of many forums. This is an exception!

As an EE I am always interested in electrical problems. From looking at the Atwood links posted earlier it does not appear these jacks are the typical Atwood Truck Camper jacks most of us are familiar with which work as Bigfootford described.

Truck camper jacks do not and should not connect in any way to the "frame" of the camper. How could that work as many truck campers have wooden frames. These appear to be jacks designed for attachment to a trailer and therefore a metal frame is available.

A good wiring diagram would really help solve the problem. It's hard to tell but from one of the posted links it appears that a ground wire connects to the jack and two other wires attach to the motor. This will work with a motor with a fixed ground as long as the two wires attached to the motor go to different windings in the motor...power to one turns one way... power to the other turns the other way.

Good luck troubleshooting the problem. Be sure to post when you find the solution.

I think you have a chafing wire somewhere in your camper that's putting 12v on the aluminum skin. The clearance lights are a likely place for this to happen.

:):)

Kawasakiklx wrote:
All the connections I've found look fine. Not really sure how they run through the body. Where should I start looking?

If there was a short + to - going from the battery to the jack switch assembly there would be no sparking.... It would blow the breaker/fuse..

If anyone has any input feel free to jump in...

I am going Pm mode with OP... Will post progress from my part... Or if OP has other input he wants to post.

Jim

All the connections I've found look fine. Not really sure how they run through the body. Where should I start looking?

Kawasakiklx wrote:
Interesting. Moving wires around didn't change the short. I smacked the base of the motor, metal where it mounts, and it worked, but was moody. Short in the motor that somehow affects both switches?

When the jack motor is not told to do anything it has no connection to the battery + and - what so ever...

When you tell one motor to do something the other motor has no connections unless you depress both the drivers and passenger side buttons telling both jacks to do something.

Picture yourself standing there with 2 wires... A + and a -.... You are the switch...

You put the + on one connection of the motor and it turns CCW....

You remove the wires, still holding on to them and put the leads on the motor on the opposite motor connections, the motor turns CW.

So if both motors are creating this "sparking" they are not the issue. Would seem that the switch assembly has an issue.


The sparking that is going on is another issue... It says that you have a very poor/loose/corroded mating surface of the jack to the camper jack mounting bracket!
It the mating surface was good it would pop the resettable breaker or blow a fuse...no indication that there would be a problem.

Jim

Kawasakiklx wrote:
Jack is in a bad mood. Not working at all, so no sparks. Test light shows the short happening on both switches, in both directions.

So the test light is not lighting? I need clarity... And where are you placing the leads... Thanks.



If in fact the test light is not lighting then the Breaker or fuse has finally given up the ghost which I am surprised that it has held up this long...

Dinner time.

Check your PM's

Jim

Interesting. Moving wires around didn't change the short. I smacked the base of the motor, metal where it mounts, and it worked, but was moody. Short in the motor that somehow affects both switches?