Electrical problem with electric tongue jack

Fishnmagician · 04-04-2014, 08:26 PM

Purchased just a month ago and have a question on the electric tongue jack before I take it back next week (140 miles from where I bought it). It's a new 22Fb with the 3500# electric jack. It was only going up and down when attached with the power cord all trailer lights when hauling, etc. I look to see where the wires are attached jack, and brake emergency gizmo and they are not attached to the battery, but just wrapped around the angle iron support for the two gas tanks?? The black wire from the jack has been cut and an inline fuse (10ga green wire attached to them in a three wire connector (okay, I assume so). There is then an orange/black wire from the emergency break gizmo. So I have this green wire, and the orange wire spliced together in a terminal that should go on to the positive side of the battery. Sounds good to me and looked at the papers that came with both devices. Sooooo, when I hook them up to the battery, (by the way a 30 ATC fuse in holder), touch the switch to raise the jack (unattached from the vehicle), using the TT battery, Psssst, the fuse blows. I can't figure it out, the service mgr 140 miles away can't either and tells me to bring in the TT (280 + miles round trip). Yes it's under warranty of course, just wondering if any electrical magicians on here that could tell me what could be the trouble--Service Mgr thinks it might have been wired wrong in the factory (China????). By the way, seems funny to me that it was wrapped around the angle instead of attached to the battery, h'mmmm, did the person that wired the brake gizmo know of the problem?? Any help would be appreciated, thanks in advance!

Seann45 · 04-05-2014, 07:07 AM

First thing is to make sure it has a slow blow fuse.. if it has a regular fuse you will blow it every time..

Fishnmagician · 04-05-2014, 08:21 PM

I may show my ignorance but here goes; I am only familiar with slow blow fuses being in the glass type, the fuse holder for this is the spade type. Is there a spade type slow blow fuse?

**Crabman** · 04-06-2014, 06:36 AM

On my jack which is a Barker, there is only one wire coming from the jack. It has the inline fuse and is hooked up to the positive terminal on the battery. The bolts holding the jack to the frame are the ground. Really no way to get it backwards.
I would try just hooking up the jack wire to the battery and see if the fuse blows. I will have to look to see how my emergency brake is wired.

sailor · 04-06-2014, 08:17 AM

I had a Barker on a previous trailer that suddenly quit. The problem was the the ground connection. There should be a washer between one of the bolts and the trailer frame. Any rust or paint must be removed where the washer contacts the trailer frame and the jack to ensure a good connection.

Fishnmagician · 04-06-2014, 09:06 AM

Crabman, Yes there is only one 10 ga black wire coming from the jack and the brochure does say that it is grounded thru the bolts to the frame.
Sailor, I will check the washer/rust to see if there is a good ground connection.
Thanks for your suggestions!

Derek700 · 04-06-2014, 01:04 PM

I had the same problem with my jack sanded and area on the frame and the same area on the jack mount. Put it back together and all worked fine.

**Crabman** · 04-06-2014, 01:18 PM

But I`m thinking a bad ground would only cause the jack to not operate, not blow the fuse.....

jackndev · 04-07-2014, 04:08 PM

I recently had the same problem with my new 28BHBE. I kept blowing fuses every time i went to operate my tongue jack. Once I took it back to the dealership, they said it was wired wrong from the factory. Jayco covered it under warranty.

Fishnmagician · 04-08-2014, 08:21 PM

Taking it back to the dealer tomorrow and will report the results.

Fishnmagician · 04-11-2014, 05:28 AM

Egg on my face ?? Well, the problem was in the fuse rating: As mentioned in my original post there was a 30 amp fuse in the holder, reading the one page brochure it said 20 amp circuit breaker so, I put in a 20 amp fuse and it blew. The dealer could not explain why it was not connected to the battery but put a 30 amp fuse in the holder and all's well. the question was asked about the brochure and no reason was given other than a trip over to another TT unit and it had a 30 amp fuse in the holder?? The trip was not a waste as one of the inside wall seams was bulging about a foot down the side by the bed. They pulled the strip of tape off, stapled the bulge back to the 2x2 and re-taped it, all's well. Next trip planned to Douthat State park in Va in a week and a half

You may also like: