Blown 15amp fuse. Went to replace. Sparked and now no power at all

[Mookiex4]

Hello all. I am having trouble finding a wiring diagram or anything showing where to find the battery isolator. I have a 2001 Jayco Eagle 5th Wheel 293. 2 slides.

Here is what happened. I was sanitizing the water tank and fixtures for our first trip of the year. I found that the rear pump at the kitchen was not turning in but the lights showing battery and tank levels was working. The front pump worked fine for bathroom and shower area. I found a 15amp fuse that had burnt. I went to replace it and it sparked when I went to put the new one in.

Now I have power to nothing while in battery. Have not tried shore power yet. All breakers are on. Getting power from batteries to the solar charging regulator and power inverter. I checked all other fuses and the larger ones that are metal 15 and 30 amp with a continuity tester. Both fuses on the converter are fine as well.

I assume there is a battery isolator to isolate the batteries, but cannot find it. It is not in the battery compartment where I would expect to find it. No power to lights, slides, front pump. I have nothing and without a wiring diagram I am lost at this point.

Anybody else have this problem? Could the main breaker itself have gone bad and the short did it in? I just need some guidance because now I am lost. I didn't have issues before this happened.

Thanks all
Mark

[Grumpy]

There is no isolater in a towable except what you installed with the solar. Batteries connect directly to the converter and there should be a battery fuse there. You may have an inline fuse or auto reset breaker near the battery, but that would be it.

[Mookiex4]

Originally Posted by Grumpy

There is no isolater in a towable except what you installed with the solar. Batteries connect directly to the converter and there should be a battery fuse there. You may have an inline fuse or auto reset breaker near the battery, but that would be it.

Thanks Grumpy. I will check it out. I checked the two 30 amp fuses on the converter and they are fine. I will pull the batteries and see if there is something hidden. Unless there is a reset button or switch I am missing. Not sure why I lost all the power I did have before. Something tripped that I cannot locate.

[curver900]

i would suspect you have a dead short in that circuit..you need to find that if you can with a voltmeter...

[Mookiex4]

Okay. I will check it out. I plugged in to shore power and have what I need for lights, pumps and the slides. I do have some lights out, but figure that is the blown 15amp fuse. I have a voltmeter and will have to investigate. Just off to me that I went from power to no power after the 15amp blade fuse Sparks when replacing. Ugh. I hate electrical problems.

[Mookiex4]

Ok. I finally had a chance to get under the trailer this morning and start going through things inside as well. I cannot find anything suspect under the trailer electrically like bare, broken it grounded wires. I followed all wires and the ones that run across the trailer from the fuse panel to the kitchen slide out where the lights do not turn on under shore or battery power. The slide is the only part of the trailer that will not work under either power source and the 15amp blade fuse keeps popping.

I got all lights on except the slide and still have not been able to put the 15amp fuse in without it popping so I am tracing. In the slide I have continuity through the one plug at the dining table. Continuity through both of the overhead lights in the slide and that goes away when I turn off the switch and comes back when switch is on. There is one light fixture that didn't have bulbs in it when I bought it second hand from the previous owner. It is a 2 light candlestick type wall mount with a shade. I pulled it off the wall to check the wiring in it and saw something inside one of the light sockets. What dropped out was a metal washer that looked like it belonged as part of the mount. The type with the teeth on the inside of the hole. This looked as though it was making the connection between the two poles inside the light socket. I am going to buy a box of fuses and check it out. Could it have been that simple? Could this over time cause a short or grounding and drain the batteries? Especially since I recently bought led replacment bulbs and installed a bulb in that socket and not ware that this washer was in there? I hope someone can help me here. Electrical is a nightmare for me. Give me anything else but I just have an issue figuring out what is shorting and what is correct. Thank you all.

[norty1]

Yes it could be that simple. The simple ones are more common and cause us to pull our hair out! Disconnect the fixture and get that washer out.

You may have stumbled on the problem.

[Mookiex4]

Originally Posted by norty1

Yes it could be that simple. The simple ones are more common and cause us to pull our hair out! Disconnect the fixture and get that washer out.

You may have stumbled on the problem.

Washer out took apart the fixture and made sure no bad connections. Got continuity back through the fixture and the 15 amp fuse does not blow anymore. However the fixture still will not light a bulb but have power to the rest of the lights in the slide.

Now I have another problem. Everything is working on Shore power, but when I unplugged to check 12 battery power the low battery alarm sounded until it died and I have no power in the trailer on battery.

My last trailer I found a corroded ground from the batteries to the frame and that fixed that problem. I suppose I could have that happen to me two times in a row with 2 different trailers?

Batteries are good and at 100%. Being connect to shore power keeps them topped up and the solar panels with the voltage regulator do the same thing.

Not sure where to go from here.

[norty1]

The fixture problem has to be in the fixture or bulb.
Verifying chassis grounds to the converter would be a good place to start with the other.

[Mookiex4]

Originally Posted by norty1

The fixture problem has to be in the fixture or bulb.
Verifying chassis grounds to the converter would be a good place to start with the other.

Thanks Norty. I figure I will get a replacement fixture as it may have been damaged from that Rogue washer.

I will follow the ground wires and see if I can't source that one. At least I know I have power if I use generator or full hook ups. The now 12v has to be a ground someplace now that I am not shorting out.

[Mookiex4]

Originally Posted by norty1

The fixture problem has to be in the fixture or bulb.
Verifying chassis grounds to the converter would be a good place to start with the other.

Ha!!! Found it. I started at the batteries and followed negative wires. I found an online 30amp blade fuse coming off the battery terminal. It was blown. I am certain with all the shorting out and trying to get things fixed it popped. Just didn't know it was there.

Hope this tread helps someone down the road or in the road. Thanks for everyones input. Help me rule things out.