Fuse keeps blowing

[Jamesiam]

History:

A few weeks ago I installed 2 Suspa springs, 60LB each inside of camper just like everyone else that completed this install. One small mistake was wanting to line up the roof bracket that holds spring in place, right in the middle of the 1 inch aluminum bars that run form front to back in ceiling. Center screw in bar the other two on either side. Well that made it not possible to slide upper bed out if I needed it. The size of the spring causes the bottom bracket to be too low, blocking the slide out. At the time I was like screw it, the roof lifts up so nicely I was just happy for the install. It was a great mod, barely any pressure was needed to raise roof. Fast forward to today.

I finally went back out to move the upper suspa roof bracket over a half an inch towards center of camper, which would in turn raise my lower drivers side bracket up a half an inch, clearing the slide out bed. I then released my over the sink light wasn't working, I reached over and turned on a fan and nothing. I knew that I had the fan and light on earlier. I placed another 10 fuse in slot which immediately blew when I pulled my campers red button switch on. I then put in a 25 the 30 and it blew as well. I put the two higher fuses in for that was all I had left.

At this point it could be two things, I drilled into a wire either in the roof or on the side wall, where I have seen everyone else place there Suspa springs. The reason I'm not sold on this is because no one has ever stated to "Watch out for wires." Could everyone else have gotten lucky besides me? The roof screws barely make it past the wood piece that is mounted on ceiling so I doubt a screw in roof would have been affected. It would have to be in the area above sink, on side wall. Is that where the wires run?

The second possibility was that I had a half inch sheet of ice on roof. I raised back of camper while leaving the front in a down position. I then climbed inside an proceeded to bang on aluminum roof rods to sort of crack ice on roof and permit it to slide of camper. Something could have jarred loose?

How would I trouble shoot these wires when they are buried in the roof? As I'm writing this I am picturing my voltmeter touching the screws that were placed for Suspa mod and seeing if I have a bit of power running to it.

Testing each fan and light at wire source and seeing if there's a discrepancy between any of them, would that work if something is shorting out?

2005 Hawk extended cab

 

[LuckyDan]

I'd guess your the unlucky one. Other than the unscrewing the newly screwed stuff hassle probably the fastest test is to back out the screws starting with where you think your wiring runs. If you got lucky sorta and just pierced a single side of the wire lead then removing the screw should remove the ground and you should be back in business sorta.

Mine's an older Grandby and all my wiring runs down the drivers side and crosses the the lines across the camper to the passenger side lights in the roof from the same side. If yours is older it may be the same.

I wish you well with your endeavor.

 

[dsrtrat]

James,

You Most likely hit a wire. Check the wire that is blowing the fuse( with the fuse out) at the fuse block and check it for a short to ground. You will need to disconnect it from anything that it feeds like the fan and light as the bulbs and motor windings can give you a reading to ground. Isolate the wire on both ends and if you find it grounded try removing screws until it clears. If it doesn't clear you will need to start tearing stuff apart until you find where it's damaged. They do use those tap type connectors in some places and it's just posssible that you might have popped one open and exposed the metal tap piece to a metal frame member when you banged on the top but it's a long shot that that is the problem.

Dsrtrats

History:

A few weeks ago I installed 2 Suspa springs, 60LB each inside of camper just like everyone else that completed this install. One small mistake was wanting to line up the roof bracket that holds spring in place, right in the middle of the 1 inch aluminum bars that run form front to back in ceiling. Center screw in bar the other two on either side. Well that made it not possible to slide upper bed out if I needed it. The size of the spring causes the bottom bracket to be too low, blocking the slide out. At the time I was like screw it, the roof lifts up so nicely I was just happy for the install. It was a great mod, barely any pressure was needed to raise roof. Fast forward to today.

I finally went back out to move the upper suspa roof bracket over a half an inch towards center of camper, which would in turn raise my lower drivers side bracket up a half an inch, clearing the slide out bed. I then released my over the sink light wasn't working, I reached over and turned on a fan and nothing. I knew that I had the fan and light on earlier. I placed another 10 fuse in slot which immediately blew when I pulled my campers red button switch on. I then put in a 25 the 30 and it blew as well. I put the two higher fuses in for that was all I had left.

At this point it could be two things, I drilled into a wire either in the roof or on the side wall, where I have seen everyone else place there Suspa springs. The reason I'm not sold on this is because no one has ever stated to "Watch out for wires." Could everyone else have gotten lucky besides me? The roof screws barely make it past the wood piece that is mounted on ceiling so I doubt a screw in roof would have been affected. It would have to be in the area above sink, on side wall. Is that where the wires run?

The second possibility was that I had a half inch sheet of ice on roof. I raised back of camper while leaving the front in a down position. I then climbed inside an proceeded to bang on aluminum roof rods to sort of crack ice on roof and permit it to slide of camper. Something could have jarred loose?

How would I trouble shoot these wires when they are buried in the roof? As I'm writing this I am picturing my voltmeter touching the screws that were placed for Suspa mod and seeing if I have a bit of power running to it.

Testing each fan and light at wire source and seeing if there's a discrepancy between any of them, would that work if something is shorting out?

2005 Hawk extended cab

 

[Kokopelli]

Check the wires behind the front lift board - the wires to the roof go through there. My light and fan stopped working and that was it. They get bent from raising and lowering the roof and can fray. You can reach behind and see - they are duct taped tot the panel. I spliced them back together and all was good. It may just be a coincidence that it occurred at the same time as your mod.

Good luck!

 

[Jamesiam]

FIXED! Thanks for the replies on this issue. So I drug myself out of my cozy warm house, fired up camper heater, re-entered house, then popped up camper ten minutes later. I unscrewed one screw from side mount, burned a fuse, removed another screw, burned another fuse. With little patience I unscrewed the remaining three screws and placed fuse, all is good. Turned on both lights, both fans and I everything is copacetic. I then slowly replaced each screw one by one while banging around area just to see if a screw was close to a wire, all was good. I left one screw out for that was the only one left and all lights were on. I probably should screw in that last screw and actually hope for a fuse blow so I'll know for sure but I'm too happy that I don't have to tear into ceiling chasing wiring. I did however think if I had to I'd rip it all out, replace insulation with one inch board like someone else on here did, place solar plug and get new roof material while I chased and wired differently. I'm kind of glad I didn't have to though.

 

[Bdold]

Check the wires behind the front lift board - the wires to the roof go through there. My light and fan stopped working and that was it. They get bent from raising and lowering the roof and can fray. You can reach behind and see - they are duct taped tot the panel. I spliced them back together and all was good. It may just be a coincidence that it occurred at the same time as your mod.

Good luck!


Koko- I am having this issue now. 2010 grandby. I lifted the top the other night, turned on the lights and a minute later it blew. Blew 2 more fuses trying to figure it out. When I got home I replaced the fuse and it was working just fine however the top is down. I guess I will start digging around behind the panel. Exactly, what am I looking for? a tear in the insulation? BD

 

[Radicalfil]

Koko- I am having this issue now. 2010 grandby. I lifted the top the other night, turned on the lights and a minute later it blew. Blew 2 more fuses trying to figure it out. AWhen I got home I replaced the fuse and it was working just fine however the top is down. I guess I will start digging around behind the panel. Exactly, what am I looking for? a tear in the insulation? BD


Y'all might want to peruse the "Wire shorts at the front lift panel"thread.

I was able to resolve the light and fan blowing fuses issue with this.

In addition, when I attached my lifting shock thingys, I nicked a wire for the LED marker lights which kept blowing fuses and I eventual was able to sort that out too.



Phil

 

[Bdold]

Oddly enough, I searched the topic, posted and then found your suggested thread on the front page. I did get it fixed for the time being.

 

[Radicalfil]

Tight squeeze in there. I found that if I lower the top about 1/4-1/2 the way down i got better access for the wiring. i have the liftters attached so I had to hang a strap to the exterior rack in order for the top to stay at that level. Then I crawled up in the front and worked on the wiring.
Godspeed
Phil