Rv's not for the mechanically challenged!

[Harm]

I finally got bit by the A&E Oasis electric door awning bug. While getting ready to leave the campsite, I noticed the door awning about an inch out from closed. I ran in half way out and then back in. When it hit home it suddenly sprung back out to full extension. After consulting this forum, thanks guys, I and the DW were able to roll the fabric back up and push the cover closed and wire tie it shut. We are now camped at Duncun RV in Elkhart awaiting repair. While enroute the sky turned black and we were in a downpour so I put on the headlights. I noticed no instrument lights were on the dash. When we got stopped I checked and we also had no clearance lights or tail lights or side markers. I found a 30 amp fuse blown that said "marker lights". I put in a new one and it immediately blew. Long trouble shooting story later I discovered it was the Blue Ox blue coiled electric cord connecting my tow vehicle. Upon taking the six wire connectors apart I discovered two wires had fallen out from the tiny set screws and were shorting out. All the set screws on both ends were loose! After reinserting the correct wires and tightening everything up and replacing the fuse I am back in business. Something else you might want to put on your annual maintenance check list.

[wa8yxm]

RE the awining:

In your owner's manual bag SHOULD be a long red/black wire with a FLAT-2 connector on it.. Baring bad brakes (Very possible) this is a manual override for the awning.

IF you were able to roll up the awning without using any tools other than your hands

Bad brakes is not just a posibility. IT IS THE PROBLEM

In this case the manual override cable won't help.

[Perry White]

They didn't fall out. They were not tightened from Blue Ox. Mine did the same thing Blew the fuses. Found the wires all loose. Have talked to others with the same problem. I suggest anyone with the Blue Ox Blue coiled wire to pull the ends and check for tightnest

[Norm4015]

I had the same problem a couple of years ago blowing the marker light fuse. My short was in the toad wiring at the plug and every time I tried to troubleshoot it the toad was not hooked up. After I hooked up the toad it was easy to find. A few months later a friend with a 2004 Dutch Star called me from Camping World. This was his second trip to a Camping World for blowing the marker light fuse and Camping World could not find the problem. I told him to connect the toad and BINGO, they found a short in the cable.

[Romeo]

I had the same problem with a Roadmaster cable, however, I had put the connector on myself and I do good work! I think there is something wrong with that type of connector. I even silicone'd the inside of the connector to keep moisture out. That should have kept the screw from coming loose, but it didnt.

[PoetryJoe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Perry White They didn't fall out. They were not tightened from Blue Ox. Mine did the same thing Blew the fuses. Found the wires all loose. Have talked to others with the same problem. I suggest anyone with the Blue Ox Blue coiled wire to pull the ends and check for tightnest

I just corrected this problem myself.

Joe
2007 DSDP 4307

["007"]

Vibration can loosen most anything on a RV maybe some Loctite will help keep screws in.

[padre44]

Thanks for the tip on the Blue Ox wires. I just checked mine - one loose and the others not tight enough to suit me. You're right - you do have to have some mechanical aptitude to have an RV or you'd live at the dealer. Yesterday my engine wouldn't start and the steps wouldn't go down. Battery boost didn't help - engine battery seemed totally dead after only a week of sitting. I ran the generator for awhile, which didn't seem to help. One more try, and it started right up. Steps still wouldn't work. This morning I went out to see what might be wrong, and they worked. Mystery!

["007"]

padre44, you may want to check battery connections on chassis battery or ground cable from battery to frame of coach.
My new coach had loose ground cable on battery, why who knows, stuff happens.
If your shore line is plugged in all batteries should keep full charged through BIRD system.
Never had a dead battery on three Newmars ever.

[777 Driver]

Years ago, as I was contemplating buying a motorhome, I shared my thoughts with a co-worker. He told me his parents had owned several motorhomes and loved them. Then he asked me, "Do you like to fiddle with stuff?"

It seems that there's ALWAYS stuff that needs fiddling with. If you don't enjoy fiddling with stuff, it'll cost you a lot of money.

Take care,
Stu

[padre44]

I'll check ground cable, thanks. It went from fine just a few days ago, to completely dead to working fine. I don't have shore power plugged in right now, but it has only been over a week since we got home from our last trip. Was hot yesterday, but I don't see how that would have anything to do with it. Also don't know what could have completely drained the chassis battery that fast - nothing on as far as I could tell. Usually in a car, you get some lights on dimly or something when battery is low.

[dsbike]

Padre44, Sounds like a classic loose battery terminal. Don't just check to see if the clamp bolt on the terminal is loose, also grab a hold of the clamp & see if you can move it. If the terminals look even a little bit dirty or dark gray. I would remove them, clean the terminals & the posts with a wire brush & reinstall the terminals. Then double check thier security. I have seen this sinario several times on auto batteries. The owner thinks he needs a new battery & I clean & tighten the terminals & no more problems. With todays electronics they need to see 12volts/24 volts or better for proper function.