Short circuit help

The exterior lights are really suspect units. The light socket sometimes do a direct short to ground. I would remove the light fixture lens and inspect the bulb and socket. Sometimes the bulb itself is the culprit. Just remove the bulb and see if the short goes away.

My popup circuit 12VDC used to feed my front porch light, my AM/FM radio circuit, propane detector on the floor, and battery monitor meter all on the same fuse in the 12VDC distribution panel.

My 2008 POPUP originally had the ELIXIR Converter/charger unit which only has four fuse circuit and one 120VAC circuit breaker circuit.


All of the 12VDC circuits coming from this units was on three fused circuits. These circuits were divided up by grouping many 12VDC lines together with those large yellow twist type wire nuts behind the ELIXIR unit. If yours is like this it should be rather easy to isolate the culprit.

I replaced my old ELIXIR unit with a WFCO WF8900 series 120VAC and 12VDC Power distribution unit. On the DC side this allowed me to have eleven separate 12vDC fused circuits and up to nine 120VAC circuit breaker positions.


This is a simplified block drawing showing how my WFCO WF8900 Distribution unit is being used.


Certainty makes it easy to identify shorted circuits having each line individually fused.

Hope you find you shorted line soon...
Roy Ken

Yes your replies are showing. I have no idea why you can't see them though. I went through all the settings I could find and saw nothing about this.

You might try posting in the forum technical support section to see if they can figure out what's up.

Since I am new to this I am assuming that my replays are being posted to the topic but I can't see my own replays. I would hate to think all you nice people are trying to help me and think I have fallen in a hole somewhere and just totally ignoring your help. What am I missing?

Today I cut the shorted wire from the heater and replaced it with the new 12 volt feeder.

The only thing left is the propane detector and I know how to get to that part of the circuit.

Lanky Dude

As far as cutting paneling, I would first look to maybe removing some exterior panels. I know my popup is quite a bit older, but the exterior panels are just pop riveted on. I can remove a front or rear panel in about 30 minutes and reinstall it even faster. Or look carefully around the edges and see it there are any panels that you can unscrew and investigate further.

My first thought was along the new wire route also. But in retrospect it could also be something as simple as another fixture that is shorted and still connected.

If the short can't be found or is inside a wall or something, there is always the option to disconnect the wire at both ends and run a new wire.

The trick is to isolate exactly where the short is.You said you removed pump motor lites and lp detector and the short remained.To me that would indicate the short is probably between fuse and first powered item. This can be proven out by moving your ohmmeter leads from one part of circuit to another part of circuit.Once you have determined this , The shorted wire can be replacef or repaired, yes some tearing apart may be required.

Have you recently worked on any items, installed anything that a screw may have hit. I recently re caulked around a tail light. Put the same screws back in the same holes but one of them cut the wires. When I pulled the wires out I could see where one wire was skinned originally. When I put the screw back in it cut both wires. RV's are not like cars and trucks. Rv's are very cheesy.