Lost Ground

[fisher99]

Several months ago I installed some USB charging ports in the bedroom of my WR 280RLS. I ran power from the cargo lights inside the cargo bay but for the ground, I simply ran a short wire to the metal framework inside the cargo bay, next to the charging ports (secured with a metal screw). Worked fine until about half way through our last long trip and then the charging ports quit working. I haven't had time to look at it until now, but it appears that the metal framework in the cargo bay no longer works as a ground. If I run my 12v tester from the hot wire on the USB charging port to the metal framework, nothing happens. But if I run the ground wire of the tester to the frame beneath the trailer, it lights up. I should note that all of the other 12v lights and accessories inside and outside of the trailer work just fine.

So, it would appear that the metal framework inside the cargo bay is no longer grounded to the frame. I can solve my problem by running a ground wire from the USB charging ports back to the ground on the cargo lights (where I tapped into power). But I am wondering if anybody might know if there is a ground strap somewhere that might have broken (a quick perusal didn't turn up anything)? Or maybe I was just lucky that the frame worked as a ground at all? Now that I think about it, I think the ports quit working around the time I had a tire disintegrate on me, so maybe something happened when the rubber was flapping around beneath the trailer... But I visually inspected that area, and also had my local ORV dealer inspect it as well and there was no obvious damage...

[BFlinn181]

I doubt if the metal strip was intended to be a ground source, the fact that it was might have just been a lucky coincidence. I don't see any reason why you need to add a grounding strap to the metal strip to make it a ground, just extend the wire to a true ground.

[fisher99]

Originally Posted by BFlinn181

I doubt if the metal strip was intended to be a ground source, the fact that it was might have just been a lucky coincidence. I don't see any reason why you need to add a grounding strap to the metal strip to make it a ground, just extend the wire to a true ground.

That's pretty much what I am currently thinking. ORV didn't leave much wire when they wired in the cargo lights and it was a real pain tapping in for the hot wire so I'm not really looking forward to going back in and tapping in for a ground. Times 2, since I tapped into cargo lights on both sides of the cargo bay for 2 separate USB charging ports on both sides of the bedroom. Or... I suppose I could just tap into one of the cargo lights and run that to a screw on the metal framework, which should make it a valid ground again so I don't have to mess with the other side. Or maybe that's just being too lazy.