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Old 11-04-2010, 12:29 PM   #1
jaybird
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Found it - Don't put wiring in Pinbox EVER!

Slickwillie is the man. I finally turned my head away from the blackwire on the landing gear CB and low and behold SlickWillie nailed it. When I landed I threw the cord that attaches to my truck poer and it must have hit a screw that triggerd a melltown. The good news I hope I shut everything down beofre major damage. I retaped some exposed wiring, hooked eveything up but one last problem came up. Without hooking up to the truck, the left year tail light came on. Is it probable by looking at the photo that I need to replace the entire cord that hooks to the trucks electrical outlet. Please tell me this crazy delimia is almost over. Still don't no what the small black wire is on the landing gear CB but it ain't hot no more. Every single 5er in my storage unit has the cord stuffed in the pinbox---Thanks agian Montana Nation!!



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Original image re-sized to conform to MOC guidelines and a link for the larger original was added - CRAFT-Guy
 
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Old 11-04-2010, 12:59 PM   #2
SlickWillie
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Glad you got it fixed. I would do whatever necessary to check the wiring all the way to the circuit breaker. That black wire is probably burnt out. You may have to drop the lower cover under the RV nose (around pinbox back to front compartment). The cord could be bad now, but it could be that the wires are bundled going back to the RV and they have melted together. I sure wouldn't leave the power on til I found out.

I think I will add an inline fuse to that black wire. Probably an ATC40. Either that, or a manually resettable breaker.

Please don't give me all the credit. Everyone on that thread was doing their best to diagnose the problem. I have learned so much from MOC, I'll never be able to repay my debt.
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Old 11-04-2010, 01:26 PM   #3
jaybird
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Does this plug look toast to you?
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Old 11-04-2010, 01:49 PM   #4
racerjoe
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yes, don't even fool with it. just replace it
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Old 11-04-2010, 02:01 PM   #5
HamRad
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Jaybird,
I would have to see the plug in person to know for sure whether or not you need a new plug. If the shorted area can be cleaned well and you can adjust the metal parts it might work. If you can slide the rubber part of the plug back to expose the wires and metal connectors then the job would be relatively easy.

Having said that I think I'd just get a new one!

Good luck.
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Old 11-04-2010, 02:02 PM   #6
7.3Ford
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Jay,

With out tracing the black wire you are talking about it is hard to tell you what it is. My guess would be the Brake Breakaway switch power.
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Old 11-04-2010, 02:51 PM   #7
clutch
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Wow, I never even dreamed that something like that could happen.
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Old 11-04-2010, 03:19 PM   #8
SlickWillie
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by 7.3Ford

Jay,

With out tracing the black wire you are talking about it is hard to tell you what it is. My guess would be the Brake Breakaway switch power.
I believe that wire is the charge wire from the tow vehicle to the RV battery. It also feeds the breakaway switch. There have been a couple posts about this in the past. That is why I stopped storing the cord in the pinbox. IMO, this is a serious issue that needs addressed by Keystone. At least put a sticker on the pinbox warning of the danger. Jay is fortunate that unit didn't go up in flames.

Jay, as far as that plug, I wouldn't use it. The brass has been "annealed"; made very soft, will have no spring to it, and will not make a good connection.
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Old 11-04-2010, 03:21 PM   #9
jaybird
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Trust me-Me neither. I am not a handy guy but I was driven to figure out what happened to melt my wires without spending the dough and hassles of takin her in to an RV Shop. I would have never guessed something so simple could have caused this but I owe all my thanks to the Montana Club. She's not done getting fixed but thru this entire two week project I asked quite a few stupid questions and nobody thru down the hammer. I still have a couple questions I'm looking for answers to but I'm so relieved that at least I know what happened. I thought I caused all my heartache by changing a CB---Crazy-ness!!
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Old 11-04-2010, 04:03 PM   #10
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I've already found out, if it can happen, it probably will happen and when it does happen, somebody on this board has had it happen, or knows someone who has and don't mind helping out. Best board ever without a doubt.
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Old 11-04-2010, 04:22 PM   #11
Waynem
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Many moons ago I pulled away with the tailgate up (remember those pictures?) and the tailgate caught the electrical box and ripped it off. I had to undo the wires to put a new electrical box on the 5er. Not a difficult task. You may want to go ahead and just replace the whole umbilical cord with a new head already attached.

Just a thought. Good luck.
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Old 11-04-2010, 04:37 PM   #12
bncinwv
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I am confused here, am I to understand that the problem was caused by the umbilical being stored in the pin box??? I have stored ours that way for years without a problem (not saying it is correct, just the way I have always done it). Could someone please explain more clearly what the problem is with the umbilical in the pinbox???
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Old 11-04-2010, 04:38 PM   #13
CORattler
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I always put my umbilical cord in the pinbox. Now I'm going to have to figure out what to do with it when unhooked and in storage ... what do all of you do? Ideas please!
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Old 11-04-2010, 04:52 PM   #14
SlickWillie
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Guys, the charge circuit from the TV to the battery on the fiver is hot all the time. I believe it is that infamous black wire that hooks to the breaker to the electrical distribution panel (DC). When the plug is unhooked from the TV, you still have the connection to the RV battery on the plug, thus that part of the RV plug is "hot". You stuff it into the pinbox, it contacts ground, and you have the RV battery shorted to ground. Bad things tend to happen when you short the battery to ground.

I made a simple "S" hook that I hooked into one of the extra holes for adjusting pinbox height. I just coil the cord, and hang it on that hook.
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Old 11-04-2010, 04:54 PM   #15
jaybird
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bncinwv-
I still have an active forum that walks you thru the pain I've gone thru for just this silly error on my part
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Old 11-04-2010, 05:20 PM   #16
mhs4771
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Too bad someone doesn't make some sort of protective cover to put on the plug when not in use. The receptacle on the TV has a spring cover, my engine block heater plug had a cover, why not one for the 5ver plug. I do believe that on some plugs the contacts are more recessed and therefore less likely to come in contact with anything until mated.
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Old 11-04-2010, 08:21 PM   #17
jjackflash
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How about if you buy the female part of that plug and connect it to the male part before you coil it and store it in the pinbox,this would protect the contacts. Just a thought.
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Old 11-04-2010, 09:06 PM   #18
Art-n-Marge
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They do sell protective covers or holders. My brother-in-law had a holder in his first rig and it went with the rig when he sold it.

I have also seen covers that have a lanyard that fits behind the connector then you cover the end of the connector when not in use. I don't like the way it dangles when the connector is in the truck receptacle. I just think something dangling around like that just might get smacked off.

The holder is clever but after my BIL sold his rig, and then I saw it in a store once I've never seen it again. So making a hook should be easiest.
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Old 11-04-2010, 09:50 PM   #19
8.1al
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I stuff mine in the box cord first, the last thing in is the connector and it is facing out so shouldn't be able to touch anything
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Old 11-05-2010, 02:20 AM   #20
Mrs. CountryGuy
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Was reading this post to Al (CountryGuy), he said, ya, sadly this can happen. Thought I would pass on his solution, he has a large cup hook like thing which he has on the pin area, and he uses it to hang our cord and the emergency cord.

If you need a photo, I can get one later, it is still odark30 out there and I am still drinking my java!
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