OASIS shorting out on AC II

[stang37]

I have been using the Oasis AC 1/2 for heating in the coach while in storage here at my house. After reading this thread I had to go check. Open and inspected and found NO issues. All wire nuts tight and no chafing of the wires could be seen. I do plan of getting a 4 x 4 box and adding to the top of the unit as Buly. I do have concerns with the sheetmetal screws being use to hold the cover on. Just not right to put a sharp pointed screw into an electrical connection box, especially one that congested. The sheetmetal screws could be what is chafing the wires. Currently all is good back on no tripped breakers.

[NealC]

I think I'm going to circle back for a do-over after this trip and get the wires in a more safe config like Buly. Very good point @stang37 regarding the sheet metal screws Newmar incorporated which is not how ITR intended for that cover to be secured. Now I'm less scared of that access panel and the romex wires, it's time to make it safe and secure so I don't have to worry about this again. Very odd that is was fine for 18+ months and just did this. Imagine diesel or propane fumes in the basement and this giant spark as I was "fortunate" to observe? Not good!

[Knoxious]

After seeing this post I checked my 2019.
Looks like they have abandoned the wire nuts and are now using terminating blocks.
Hopefully the blocks are more secure and less likely to get loose and short out.

[Buly]

In October I was at Napanee for some repairs on the AC, and they used the same connectors. That was first time I have seen them.
Looks like they are improving something?

[redbaron73]

These connections are not better than a wingnut, provided a proper installation.

It is much harder to inspect a wingnut than this connector, and very hard to improperly install this connector.
I think this is a good move by newmar. I will have to open mine and check for proper installation and for dangerous sharp edges.

[Dutch Star Don]

This was a great post on the Oasis unit. I was just about to add checking the unit to a project list I made while on a 2 week trip that ended today. Now I can work on other projects.

[MikeyG]

We spent the night at the Lindstrom RV Resort and Spa the night after we took delivery on the 17 of this month. Got up to take a shower and ran the bypass for a long long time. Ran up to the front of the coach and had no green light on AC2. Turned on the burner and the system worked fine. Mike called back to ITR and eventually found that the new terminal block had released the hot wire. Changed out to a standard wire nut and all is now good. Keep on eye on the terminal blocks.

[hrt]

Originally Posted by NealC

It’s very easy to access by the two sheet metal screws Newmar used on the cover plate. Pulling out the non flexible romex wired will be hard, suggest needle nose pliers. Secure all wire nuts and add electrical tape. Up to you to add a junction box on top to secure the wires or carefully stuff them back in the small square hole careful not to scrape on the metal edges.

It’s really not hard to inspect and EVERYONE should inspect and secure theirs ASAP. This is a fire hazard.

The cause I believe was scraped wires when Newmar stuffed into the hole. Don’t just check for tight wire nuts. Use a flashlight and inspect the wires for missing insulation.

What I'm getting from this is that there are multiple potential fire hazards in those things. We also had a fire melting wires in our oasis, but the cause was likely not wires that were stripped, but poor spade lug connections.

[NealC]

Tom, no need to keep posting this. You posted it once in this thread already. Your system will do nothing to put out an electrical fire.The best measure is preventative and inspections. Have you inspected your oasis electrical connections? If not I suggest doing so ASAP instead of hoping a reactive system saves you. Let us know how your inspection goes.

[redbaron73]

Electrical fires must have the power cut to extinguish. This is not possible with a suppression type system. It doesn't matter what system, whether it is a tank based system with a lot of material, or an EXTREMELY LIMITED MATERIAL system like protang , eventually it will run out of material.

Once the material is exhausted, the source and problem causing the fire still remains and will cause the same results.

The danger of these systems is the FALSE sense of security they give the owner, often enhanced with a large COST.

You must have an alert system FIRST. This is the only SAFETY device worth installing.

As Neal has pointed out, it is IMPERATIVE that everyone check their wires. This would be the source of fire that can destroy your coach.

We have one coach with a new method installed, but we do not have the production date, and therefore do not have the information to determine when the line changed its practice.

We also still do not know if the line stopped installing sheet metal screws and controlled damage to the romex cable. Both of those are real concerns.

We need to document production dates and findings to find when Newmar implemented the change. Obviously this is not information newmar will publish without being forced to, and at that time it will be via a TSB.

Until then, please check your coach and post findings. I intend to do so soon.

[NealC]

It sounds like we already have a failure of the new connector. While they look nice and may be better they seem harder to fit into the small compartment. I’m not an electrician but it seems to me all should consider adding electrical tape to the connections to help further secure and protect. An external storage box may be a viable solution but I’d like to hear a recommendation from both ITR and Newmar. This is ultimately an ITR issue as it is their design and it seems their junction port is too small for two romex connections.

[Tigerfan1]

Originally Posted by NealC

Tom, no need to keep posting this. You posted it once in this thread already. Your system will do nothing to put out an electrical fire. The best measure is preventative and inspections. Have you inspected your oasis electrical connections? If not I suggest doing so ASAP instead of hoping a reactive system saves you. Let us know how your inspection goes.

Well said.

[joes2901]

Originally Posted by NealC

It’s very easy to access by the two sheet metal screws Newmar used on the cover plate. Pulling out the non flexible romex wired will be hard, suggest needle nose pliers. Secure all wire nuts and add electrical tape. Up to you to add a junction box on top to secure the wires or carefully stuff them back in the small square hole careful not to scrape on the metal edges.

It’s really not hard to inspect and EVERYONE should inspect and secure theirs ASAP. This is a fire hazard.

The cause I believe was scraped wires when Newmar stuffed into the hole. Don’t just check for tight wire nuts. Use a flashlight and inspect the wires for missing insulation.

This connector enables a crimp in the wires so they are not pulled and cause shorts. The inside is smooth so it does not cut the insulation when wires are pulled through it. However, it may cost 25 cents and take an extra minute or two to install on a RV the installer knows they will not own.

[tom chelbana]

Neal I will post when ever I feel what I have to post is appropriate for the forum. Have you gone to the Protengusa web site to check how the system works? If you haven't please do. The Essex owner who had a electrical fire with his inverter put out that electrical fire with his fire extinguisher. Yes Proteng does put out electrical fires. There have been a couple retired fire fighters who have the system on their Newmar's.
Have you checked your automatic electrical transfer box connections? Have you checked your inverter and if you have your power cord electrical reel? When you do you might post your findings.
I have shared a lot of Newmar information on this forum over the years and have learned a lot here too. As stated in my first sentence I will continue to post when ever I feel I have something that would benefit our Newmar forum readers and you can too.
Newmar Man