Those darn ground connections

[Dmiles]

I recently installed the last of all the replacement parts that I picked up at the recent Affinity Rally in Louisville. When we purchased our new to us 2007 Forest River Lexington 283, there were a few minor issues that I had been putting off repairing. The Rally was the perfect place to pick up some of the odds and ends, some "needs" and some "wants."

I'm not sure exactly what the previous owner had to do to get the 30 amp power plug looking the way it did, but it looked to be in pretty rough shape. The hot side connection was corroded, and all the prongs on the plug looked and felt loose. This always bothered me, because of course if something like this fails for good, Murphy has laws on when an where.

I picked up a Camco replacement 30 amp plug at the rally, but actually replacing it kept getting put on the back burner. Finally when I got around to it, I did it up right. I tinned the ends of the wires where they go around the screw lugs. After forming them around the lugs, I applied more heat to actually solder the wires to the copper plates that held the screws. I then tightened the screws, and applied more solder. I've been soldering more than 30 years, so I know a good solder connection when I see one. I then put it all back together.

Here's my point (I know, took a while) we are having things that seem unrelated work better than ever, and it was my wife who made the connection. (Seriously,no pun intended). The display on our microwave has always come and gone. We never cared much, but it makes using the convection oven more difficult when the display doesn't work. This weekend my wife was so happy. She said the display works all the time now. Also, the last few times we had been at this particular campground, she would trip a breaker on the pedestal if she used the microwave and the AC at the same time. This weekend she forgot to switch off the AC every time, but never tripped the breaker.

She's the one who said it first....so many things are working so much better since I replaced that plug. Looks like we got more than we bargained for with this fix. After I thought about it, it made perfect sense. It might be something to think about for those of you who have the occasional electrical gremlin, and who's power plugs are starting to look a little rough!

[JimM68]

Always something to be said for good connections!
This past weekend I had to chase gremlins in the camaro, started out she wouldn't crank, then later the fuel pump wouldn't energize!
All related to a 3 relay panel that I built, three years ago!
Starting problem was bad ground, and the fuel pump was a cold solder joint... made by me, that hasn't caused a problem for 3 years, until I started moving the harness around Sunday...