Mishap worth sharing

[tdk2765]

Just when I was feeling like a seasoned veteran...

I decided to take my batt out for winter storage, even though I haven't for previous two seasons. Then, weather being mild enough, we decided to dewinterize in order to take TT to see in laws after Christmas. (No, that wasn't the mishap!) Here's the mishap: I hooked batt up backwards! Only briefly, mind you. When I discovered lights weren't coming on, I diagnosed my error, but damage was done. The second part of mishap was not reading my book right then. I tested batt with my meter, seemed fine. Renowned it correctly, still nothing. Still didn't look at book. I then took batt to NAPA to be tested. Looked fine for them, too, but was a little odd, so they kept it on charger for couple hours, and it popped up, "replace." They were out of RV batts, so I went to Auto zone and spent $100 on new one. Got home, installed it, correctly this time. Still nothing. Now, I get book out. It tells me all about the reverse hook up fuse! Seems they've tried to dummy proof RVs from likes of me. I pull that fuse, and...

Here's the part worth sharing: that fuse (a 40 amp) was not blown! I took another trip to auto parts store (O'Reilly this time because I don't want to look like a fool) to be sure. Guy said to check all the fuses. I did, and found the blown one was the one above it, marked "charge line" (a 30 amp). One more trip to auto parts store to triumphantly wave my blown fuse around which I have so cleverly found, all on my own. (Right!)

For those scoring along at home, that's $100 for batt plus $5 for box of fuses, 3 trips to our town's collection of parts stores, and 2 hours of my time side tracked from trip prep, with assorted stress thrown in. All because (a) I hooked batt up wrong, and (b) I didn't consult my manual first. I likely would have needed new batt soon, since 2 years is about their limit, I'm told. And I've now been inside my fuse box for first time.

Main reason for this tale is about that fuse, though. Don't do as I did. But if you do, check other fuses, not just Reverse Proof one. The Ende.

[suzhou]

Thanks for sharing. I've shared a couple of self inflicted but lesson learned obvious mistakes as well. Good to see I'm not the only one that sometimes looks at something I've done and said well, that was dumb, hope no one was looking. Took my battery out for the first time this winter and my cables are not long enough for me to even try and hook it up backwards. Likely a good thing for me.

[RAurand]

Too bad they seem to wire trailers (12V... RED and BLACK) like house wiring (120v.... BLACK, WHITE and GREEN (GROUND))
Last spring when I went to re-install my battery, I saw white and black battery connector wiring. Thinking this is not right, I was expecting RED and BLACK. Ok, so thinking WHITE must be the POS and BLACK is NEG. Uhh, now I am not sure. Called the dealer and asked. He had to look it up and said BLACK is hot and WHITE is GROUND.
This is backwards. from what common sense tells me.


You probably blew a main fuse somewhere. Check in your panel fuse box.

[mike837go]

I feel your pain...


I haven't hooked up an RV battery backwards, yet.


Not understanding proper wheel bearing maintenance caused me to replace the axle and tires under my first TT. THAT was fun!

[Desert RVers]

Thanks for sharing with us. I'll probably be replacing our battery in the spring. Your dilemma reminded me that I should mark the wires with tape before disconnecting. Otherwise, with my luck, I'd end up with the same problem.

[Grawe]

Originally Posted by mike837go

I feel your pain...


I haven't hooked up an RV battery backwards, yet.


Not understanding proper wheel bearing maintenance caused me to replace the axle and tires under my first TT. THAT was fun!

I still don't fully understand the wheel bearing maintenance. You just gave me a good winter project. Time to dig into the forums and YouTube.

The best we can do is learn from each other's blunders. I know I have had several too, thanks!

Full timers but still active duty AF, anxiously awaiting retirement travels where I have been told everyday is a Saturday

[RoyBraddy]

There should also be a couple of fuses close to the converter/charger marked REVERSE POLARITY that always blows as well... Mine are located in the 12VDC Fuse panel... The two large value fuses off to themself on the left...


Google Image

It certainly doesn't take long when this happens. A small spark is all it takes haha...

You gotta love the wiring colors.. Like said above BLACK is hot and WHITE is FRAME GROUND for RV units. Chances are the wires coming out of your JENSEN automotive car radio is going to be RED for HOT and BLACK for frame ground. If so this means somewhere in your wiring you are going to find a RED WIRE on top of a BLACK WIRE. Makes our old ancestors turn over in their graves haha...

Roy Ken

[mike837go]

Originally Posted by Grawe

I still don't fully understand the wheel bearing maintenance. You just gave me a good winter project. Time to dig into the forums and YouTube.
The best we can do is learn from each other's blunders. I know I have had several too, thanks!
Full timers but still active duty AF, anxiously awaiting retirement travels where I have been told everyday is a Saturday

The idea behind wheel bearing maintenance is easy: Tear it all apart, clean, replace anything worn, repack and reassemble.

Step 3 is what threw me. I didn't realize that tiny little bit of slop after tightening the nut completely meant the bearings were totally worn out.

That cost me 4 hours on the side of I81 just south of Scranton PA on a Sunday afternoon to find and swap out a set of bearings. Running home at low speed because the brakes and drum on that side were badly damaged.

Then I ordered a brand new (modern) standard axle. 50% bigger brakes that could be swapped as a module and new tires. While under there I found and fixed a 33 year-old wiring error in the brake wiring that drove the original owner nuts (I found evidence the magnets had been replaced at least 4 times).

So, saving $35 putting worn out bearings into service cost me $500 and a weekend of work to upgrade/update the axle.

The new TT gets a proper bearing service every Summer. With just fresh grease and quick inspection (EZ-Lube) during the spring de-winterizing.

[nevermind]

In the absence of a red wire in a two wire power pair, I seem to remember the colored wire is always hot. White is always neutral/ground. Is my memory playing tricks on me again?

[jasum]

Originally Posted by Desert RVers

Thanks for sharing with us. I'll probably be replacing our battery in the spring. Your dilemma reminded me that I should mark the wires with tape before disconnecting. Otherwise, with my luck, I'd end up with the same problem.

Or take a picture and keep it in your phone.........

[tdk2765]

The real epiphany was that it was NOT the Reverse Polarity which blew when I did this, but a different one. Just wanted others to know that.

[norty1]

I invested in some indicator fuses for the reverse battery fuses on my rig. I have never needed them since. Usually most rv'ers learn that lesson the hard way and take steps not to repeat it!

When I am looking for a blown fuse and have a proper volt meter, it is a quick exercise to verify all the fuses if there is any question.

[NVGun40]

Although it did not happen in this case. Another issue which sometimes happens when batteries are hooked up wrong: Many converters have fuses in them (ok, on the side). Just to clarify for some - the fuse/circuit panel is NOT the converter. The converter is almost always behind the fuse/circuit breaker panel.
So if you hook your battery up reversed polarity and find you have no lights; and check your fuse/circuit breaker panel and find you have no blown fuses, it is a good chance there is a blown fuse in the converter.
Don't ask me how I know this....
However, from my background and how I was educated in this phenomena, I have since saved more than one friend from hooking up their RV and towing it to an RV repair center. Where they charge a nice labor fee to remove a couple of screws from the fuse/circuit breaker panel, pull it out of the way enough to reach in behind it and pull and replace fuse(s) in the side of the converter and then put the panel back in place and re-install screws less than twenty minutes later. Then tow the RV back home....

[Desert RVers]

Originally Posted by jasum

Or take a picture and keep it in your phone.........

Good idea jasum!

[BuddyRay]

At least Jayco's have reverse fuses. My ski boat has a whole collection of wires in the battery compartment. Some white, some red, some black. The first year I owned it, I didn't pay enough attention when I took the battery out for the winter. My son-in-law was helping me the next spring and we both thought we had everything hooked up logically. We thought that right up until we noticed smoke coming from the dash.
That one cost me a melted ignition switch, a couple of gages, a few fuses, two rolls of replacement wire and about 8 hours of work.
NOW those wires are bundled into + and - and labeled.


Buddy Ray - Atlanta
---------------
Jayco Eagle HT 26.5RLS
Ford F150 Lariat, 3.5L V6 Ecoboost
Max Tow Pkg, 36gal tank
Reese Sidewinder and Reese Titan 16k hitch

[North of 49°]

Originally Posted by Desert RVers

Good idea jasum!

That's what I did for our furnace filter. When it's time to replace it, you think I could remember which size it is when I'm looking at hundreds of them in the home store? Of course not!

I hooked up the battery backwards once. Fortunately, the only casualty was the 40 amp fuses, which were very difficult to find, for some reason. So I bought a bunch of them and keep them in the tool box in the trailer, in case it ever happens again.

[Kenelz]

I don't take the battery out of the trailer for the winter, but, I take them out of the tractors, and backhoe.

The way I idiot proof it is before taking it out the first time, check the battery for the positive side, and give a shot of red spray paint on the whole terminal/wire area.

When I put the battery back in, the red painted wire terminal, and red side of the battery keep even me from screwing it up.

[rockaw]

Thanks, nice info.