# Strange Electrical Problems



## skenney (May 1, 2012)

Hi All,
Just picked up my '11 Outback 28RS and I am having a strange electrical issue right at the jump. This issue was discovered on our first camping adventure. When connected to either the battery power or shore power, the three lights in the main passage way cycle on and off. It sounds like the fan below the refrigerator comes on and shortly after, the three lights shut off. None of the breakers trip. After about 5 minutes, the lights mysteriously come back on.

I can take it back to the dealer and have them fix it but I would really like to know what this could possibly be. Any input would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Steve


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

The issue will be the auto reset thermal breaker located on the tongue of the trailer next to the battery. Most likely a loose connection but could have also been over tightened and damaged the breaker internally. These will be a 50 amp breaker and you should be able to get them at any auto parts store for half the price of the local RV dealer.


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## Chuggs (Jun 8, 2010)

deleted...Camper Andy's recommendation makes total sense.


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

Chuggs said:


> deleted...Camper Andy's recommendation makes total sense.


Sorry,

I typed a quick response while you were working on your original response. Its all good.


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## skenney (May 1, 2012)

CamperAndy said:


> The issue will be the auto reset thermal breaker located on the tongue of the trailer next to the battery. Most likely a loose connection but could have also been over tightened and damaged the breaker internally. These will be a 50 amp breaker and you should be able to get them at any auto parts store for half the price of the local RV dealer.


Thank you very much for the advice. I will take a look at that. Saved me a ton of hunting around for the problem.


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## Bob Landry (Apr 18, 2011)

CamperAndy said:


> The issue will be the auto reset thermal breaker located on the tongue of the trailer next to the battery. Most likely a loose connection but could have also been over tightened and damaged the breaker internally. These will be a 50 amp breaker and you should be able to get them at any auto parts store for half the price of the local RV dealer.


I have to respectfully disagree. When the trailer is plugged into shore power the battery is only being charged by the converter. The converter supplies all of the 12V needed so it wouldn't matter if there was no battery. When on battery power only, the 12VDC from the battery stills goes through the converter to the circuit distribution. The only thing common to both conditions is the converter.


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## johnp (Mar 15, 2004)

If it is only those three lights but all the other 12v things work I would be looking at the switch or the connections on that circuit. A loose connection on the ground bar or fuse panel for that circuit would do that.


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## skenney (May 1, 2012)

johnp said:


> If it is only those three lights but all the other 12v things work I would be looking at the switch or the connections on that circuit. A loose connection on the ground bar or fuse panel for that circuit would do that.


Thanks everyone for all the input. I am going to go down to the camper today and take a look under the trailer for loose connections or something obvious. We have an appt this weekend to get the thing looked at by the Service Department if I can't seem to make ends of it. Kinda of a drag that I work 14 hours a day - up until our next camping adventure. I will report back with something conclusive as soon as I know something.


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## jozway (Jan 28, 2008)

skenney said:


> If it is only those three lights but all the other 12v things work I would be looking at the switch or the connections on that circuit. A loose connection on the ground bar or fuse panel for that circuit would do that.


Thanks everyone for all the input. I am going to go down to the camper today and take a look under the trailer for loose connections or something obvious. We have an appt this weekend to get the thing looked at by the Service Department if I can't seem to make ends of it. Kinda of a drag that I work 14 hours a day - up until our next camping adventure. I will report back with something conclusive as soon as I know something.
[/quote]
I agree with john if it is only those 3 lights that are having issues dont waste ur time with the 50 amp auto reset breaker. It is gonna be a loose connection somewhere. It would'nt hurt to tighten all the connections in the convertor while ur at it.


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

Bob Landry said:


> The issue will be the auto reset thermal breaker located on the tongue of the trailer next to the battery. Most likely a loose connection but could have also been over tightened and damaged the breaker internally. These will be a 50 amp breaker and you should be able to get them at any auto parts store for half the price of the local RV dealer.


I have to respectfully disagree. When the trailer is plugged into shore power the battery is only being charged by the converter. The converter supplies all of the 12V needed so it wouldn't matter if there was no battery. When on battery power only, the 12VDC from the battery stills goes through the converter to the circuit distribution. The only thing common to both conditions is the converter.
[/quote]

Disagree if you wish but there is no circuit in the converter that is functioning when not on shore power (battery only) so the converter is only partially applicable and only when on shore power. If the converter is failed then it does not even come into play when on shore power and the only item in the circuit that is common is the auto reset thermal breaker. It heats up and opens the lights go off, it cools off and closes and the lights go on.


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

jozway said:


> If it is only those three lights but all the other 12v things work I would be looking at the switch or the connections on that circuit. A loose connection on the ground bar or fuse panel for that circuit would do that.


Thanks everyone for all the input. I am going to go down to the camper today and take a look under the trailer for loose connections or something obvious. We have an appt this weekend to get the thing looked at by the Service Department if I can't seem to make ends of it. Kinda of a drag that I work 14 hours a day - up until our next camping adventure. I will report back with something conclusive as soon as I know something.
[/quote]
I agree with john if it is only those 3 lights that are having issues dont waste ur time with the 50 amp auto reset breaker. It is gonna be a loose connection somewhere. It would'nt hurt to tighten all the connections in the convertor while ur at it.








[/quote]

Gilligan has been known not to tighten the wires on the ground buss but it is not really a waste of time checking the auto reset breaker, it is easier to get to and check then pulling open the panel to check the ground buss. That said if the auto reset breaker is good then by all means the next best guess is the ground buss.


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## 2xx2xy (Feb 2, 2009)

It's a loose wire at the 12vdc distribution panel. Take off the converter door (two screws, at least on mine) to uncover the 12vdc lines (they are the ones running to the fuses). Hand tighten each screw where the wire connects. Same problem on ours. Be sure to unplug the unit from shore power before doing this. On mine I had to strip a little insulation off the wire because they power block uses self tapping screws and it wasn't making a good connection. Good luck.


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## jozway (Jan 28, 2008)

CamperAndy said:


> If it is only those three lights but all the other 12v things work I would be looking at the switch or the connections on that circuit. A loose connection on the ground bar or fuse panel for that circuit would do that.


Thanks everyone for all the input. I am going to go down to the camper today and take a look under the trailer for loose connections or something obvious. We have an appt this weekend to get the thing looked at by the Service Department if I can't seem to make ends of it. Kinda of a drag that I work 14 hours a day - up until our next camping adventure. I will report back with something conclusive as soon as I know something.
[/quote]
I agree with john if it is only those 3 lights that are having issues dont waste ur time with the 50 amp auto reset breaker. It is gonna be a loose connection somewhere. It would'nt hurt to tighten all the connections in the convertor while ur at it.








[/quote]

Gilligan has been known not to tighten the wires on the ground buss but it is not really a waste of time checking the auto reset breaker, it is easier to get to and check then pulling open the panel to check the ground buss. That said if the auto reset breaker is good then by all means the next best guess is the ground buss.
[/quote]
Andy if it is only the three lights affected then it is not the auto reset breaker, So Yes checking that would be a complete waste of time.


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

jozway said:


> If it is only those three lights but all the other 12v things work I would be looking at the switch or the connections on that circuit. A loose connection on the ground bar or fuse panel for that circuit would do that.


Thanks everyone for all the input. I am going to go down to the camper today and take a look under the trailer for loose connections or something obvious. We have an appt this weekend to get the thing looked at by the Service Department if I can't seem to make ends of it. Kinda of a drag that I work 14 hours a day - up until our next camping adventure. I will report back with something conclusive as soon as I know something.
[/quote]
I agree with john if it is only those 3 lights that are having issues dont waste ur time with the 50 amp auto reset breaker. It is gonna be a loose connection somewhere. It would'nt hurt to tighten all the connections in the convertor while ur at it.








[/quote]

Gilligan has been known not to tighten the wires on the ground buss but it is not really a waste of time checking the auto reset breaker, it is easier to get to and check then pulling open the panel to check the ground buss. That said if the auto reset breaker is good then by all means the next best guess is the ground buss.
[/quote]
Andy if it is only the three lights affected then it is not the auto reset breaker, So Yes checking that would be a complete waste of time.








[/quote]

I guess we all can make assumptions that those are the only ones there is a problem on. I am making the assumption that those were the only ones he saw doing it. It was not really stated one way or the other in the OP, notice how everyone says "if those are the only ones". Anyway one day he will get it fixed and we will all find out then what went wrong. I tend to feel that any reasonable troubleshooting exercise is never a waste of time. No matter which way it goes, in the end, it is going to be an easy fix and the only real waste of time is what the dealer will most likely do to get it fixed.


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## jozway (Jan 28, 2008)

CamperAndy said:


> If it is only those three lights but all the other 12v things work I would be looking at the switch or the connections on that circuit. A loose connection on the ground bar or fuse panel for that circuit would do that.


Thanks everyone for all the input. I am going to go down to the camper today and take a look under the trailer for loose connections or something obvious. We have an appt this weekend to get the thing looked at by the Service Department if I can't seem to make ends of it. Kinda of a drag that I work 14 hours a day - up until our next camping adventure. I will report back with something conclusive as soon as I know something.
[/quote]
I agree with john if it is only those 3 lights that are having issues dont waste ur time with the 50 amp auto reset breaker. It is gonna be a loose connection somewhere. It would'nt hurt to tighten all the connections in the convertor while ur at it.








[/quote]

Gilligan has been known not to tighten the wires on the ground buss but it is not really a waste of time checking the auto reset breaker, it is easier to get to and check then pulling open the panel to check the ground buss. That said if the auto reset breaker is good then by all means the next best guess is the ground buss.
[/quote]
Andy if it is only the three lights affected then it is not the auto reset breaker, So Yes checking that would be a complete waste of time.








[/quote]

I guess we all can make assumptions that those are the only ones there is a problem on. I am making the assumption that those were the only ones he saw doing it. It was not really stated one way or the other in the OP, notice how everyone says "if those are the only ones". Anyway one day he will get it fixed and we will all find out then what went wrong. I tend to feel that any reasonable troubleshooting exercise is never a waste of time. No matter which way it goes, in the end, it is going to be an easy fix and the only real waste of time is what the dealer will most likely do to get it fixed.
[/quote]
Very true Andy!!


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## thefulminator (Aug 8, 2007)

X2 on checking the ground bus connections. It happened to me. Since it is connected to a particular 12v line, pull the 12v fuses from the converter and take a look at them for scorch marks. If one is loose it could be in a loop of getting warm, breaking the circuit, cooling off and reconnecting. Be sure they are all pushed in all the way.


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## Insomniak (Jul 7, 2006)

Guess I'll weigh in with my thoughts. I would first identify everything that's on the circuit with the three lights that are malfunctioning and verify whether the entire run is flickering or if it's just a portion. If it's the entire circuit, I would suspect the wiring connections at the panel, or at the wall switch for that bank of lights. The switch itself could also be bad. If it's just a portion of the circuit, I would start looking for loose connections at individual fixtures as they are all daisy-chained together. Gilligan has also been known to drive staples or nails through wiring that at first causes a small ground fault that isn't big enough to blow a fuse. The result will be flickering or dimming of lights downstream from the short. Over time, as movement causes the insulation to wear away, the fuse will blow and the entire circuit will shut off.


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