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Old 03-18-2009, 10:57 AM   #1
CmdrDewey
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Strange new electrical issue

First let me say I know not of what I speak. I am simply reporting what I have been told and that is second hand. A friend of my that hauls a relatively new 3295 called last night to tell me he burned out most of the wires in his front compartment. He got home from Texas, backed under his shed, rolled up the umbilical power cord and put it in the pinbox. Then he plugged it in to a 50 amp plug and Whamo! He took it to a repair shop today and they ultimately told him that his umbilical power plug is hot at the center when it is plugged in. Apparently the center on his sticks out a bit and the shop said it came in contact with a bolt in the pinbox and shorted out.

As I said, I know none of this first hand and my knowledge of electrical issues consists on turning on the switch. Perhaps some of you experts can comment on the plausibility of this story.

UPDATE I have now heard from the owner of the rig so the info is a bit more dependable. It was not the center pin but on the outside somewhere. They traced the wiring all the way from the converter to the end. They agree that everybody, including them, puts the cord in the pin box but they won't be doing that anymore. If I learn anything else I will post it. Oh, the damage turns out to have been not too bad and confined to the cord.
 
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Old 03-18-2009, 11:18 AM   #2
illapah
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I just went out and checked my 3295. Center pin has negligable (100 millivolts) voltage on it. Only one pin has any voltage I detected is one connector with 13 volts dc as I would expect.
BTW, I am using a 30 amp cable to the stick house, Not the 50 amp. Don't know if that makes any difference at all but I would doubt it.
When I get someplace with 50 amp service I will check the center pin again.
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Old 03-18-2009, 12:10 PM   #3
SlickWillie
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The center connector shows to be an auxiliary. Not sure if mine is in use or not. I get a chance, I'll take a look and see.
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Old 03-18-2009, 01:31 PM   #4
richfaa
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That sounds familiar... There was a post just a couple of days ago about a very similar fire and we had a similar problem (melt down) about two years ago and there have been a couple of other similar sounding incidents..that being a fire in the front compartmet... Is something going on here...?????
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Old 03-18-2009, 02:12 PM   #5
illapah
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From what I can tell from looking at wiring diagrams for the 7-way plug, the center terminal is 'AUXILARY' connection as Wil stated above, what ever that means.
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Old 03-18-2009, 02:54 PM   #6
OntMont
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The centre pin is sometimes described as Auxiliary/back-up lights. Regardless, the situation David describes should not happen. Pin 4 is supposed to carry 12v. I would take a look inside the junction box that is mounted on the pinbox. There are a lot of wire connections in there, if something came undone, it might cause the problem.
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Old 03-18-2009, 04:44 PM   #7
Waynem
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I always stuck my cord in the pin box, but I put it in backwards so that the connector was laying there looking at me. (Maybe I as lucky) And when I got ready to pull it out it just came out more easier than putting it in connector first.

I had to replace my connector box on the pin head (remember my friend putting the tailgate up when I was puling away???) and there was one wire that arced and sparked when it touched the chassis. I was very careful after that to insulate everything until I was ready to put it back together again. Pin 4 is the hot pin and should be color coded black. That's what threw me off as I figured red to be hot. Res is the LH stop and turn signals.

Pin 1 - White - Ground
Pin 2 - Blue - Brakes
Pin 3 - Green - Running lights; Tail Lights; License plate
Pin 4 - Black - Hot; Dome lights; Battery charge
Pin 5 - Red - L.H. Stop and Turn signal
Pin 6 - Brown - R.H. Stop and Turn signal
Pin 7 - Yellow - Auxillary

Just for info purposes.
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Old 03-19-2009, 04:24 AM   #8
ols1932
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This one's a puzzler for me. The umbilical cord "receives" voltage from the truck to run the brakes, clearance lights, tail lights and brake lights. I'm missing something here. When the umbilical cord is disconnected, where is any voltage coming from that appears on any of the receptacle pins?

Orv
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Old 03-19-2009, 05:31 AM   #9
richfaa
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I suspect a deeper issue here in these smoke and fire in the front compartment issues. There have been to many of these among a very small segment of Montana owners(MOC'ers). This needs to be brought to the attention of Keystone so they can further investigate the probable cause.
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Old 03-19-2009, 07:15 AM   #10
DL N K
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Unless badly mistaken, the pin for the 'charge wire' from the truck is also 'hot' from the RV battery when the umbilical is unhooked. I can remember at RV shows, the dealer would take a automotive turn signal flasher and hook it between the 'hot' pin and the clearance/tail light pin in the umbilical to have the clearance/tail lights flashing during the show to draw attention. Per Waynem above, the flasher would be between pin 3 and 4. Look at Zaxis Flash Cube, (http://www.westhaverassociates.com/FlashCube/) it appears that the flash cube makes the connection between the hot pin and the others through switches and flashers.
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Old 03-19-2009, 08:03 AM   #11
Waynem
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Tvruvst me! Pin 4 wire on the trailer is hot. Without the TV hooked up it accidentally touched against the chassis frame and scared the heck out of me.

Easy check. probe the umbilical cord with volt meter between pin 1 and 4 and you will see 12+ volts.

Go ahead, ask me again how I know.
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Old 03-19-2009, 08:47 AM   #12
bsmeaton
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yeppers - its direct from the coach battery - been there, done that, and have the flash burns on the umbilical cord as proof.
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Old 03-19-2009, 12:11 PM   #13
SlickWillie
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I'm think I have an old female 7 way back at the stick house. Think I'll pick it up next trip home, and just plug it to the cord when unhooked. I've got my plug stuck up in the hitch right now.
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Old 03-19-2009, 01:20 PM   #14
ols1932
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by SlickWillie

I'm think I have an old female 7 way back at the stick house. Think I'll pick it up next trip home, and just plug it to the cord when unhooked. I've got my plug stuck up in the hitch right now.
Doesn't your cord have a female receptacle on it already? Mine does.

Orv
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Old 03-19-2009, 01:24 PM   #15
FLSTS03
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Sounds like someone needs to sell a weather proof rubber cap to protect the RV side of the connector. After all the 7 pin on our TV has a cover. I sell one that might work, I'll need to check it out this weekend. Steve
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Old 03-19-2009, 01:36 PM   #16
SlickWillie
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by ols1932

Quote:
quote:Originally posted by SlickWillie

I'm think I have an old female 7 way back at the stick house. Think I'll pick it up next trip home, and just plug it to the cord when unhooked. I've got my plug stuck up in the hitch right now.
Doesn't your cord have a female receptacle on it already? Mine does.

Orv
HA! Orv, you got me on that one! Yep, you're exactly right.
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Old 03-19-2009, 02:58 PM   #17
illapah
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I have heard that the small plastic specimen cups with the screw on lids from the hospital or clinic will fit nicely.
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Old 03-19-2009, 03:09 PM   #18
H. John Kohl
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I was planning on installing a fuse on the Hot battery lead from the Tow Vehicle. I was going to put it in the box under the pin on Monty.
I had mine spark one time so now I always plug it into the "flasher" box like Ozz made. It prevents pin 4 from grounding out and is ready if needed to show off.
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Old 03-19-2009, 03:21 PM   #19
kdeiss
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by DL N K

Unless badly mistaken, the pin for the 'charge wire' from the truck is also 'hot' from the RV battery when the umbilical is unhooked. I can remember at RV shows, the dealer would take a automotive turn signal flasher and hook it between the 'hot' pin and the clearance/tail light pin in the umbilical to have the clearance/tail lights flashing during the show to draw attention. Per Waynem above, the flasher would be between pin 3 and 4. Look at Zaxis Flash Cube, (http://www.westhaverassociates.com/FlashCube/) it appears that the flash cube makes the connection between the hot pin and the others through switches and flashers.
That is correct I mounted a toggle Sw. on the pin box and jumped the charging circuit to the running lights.
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Old 03-20-2009, 04:33 PM   #20
MuddyPaws
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This sounds a lot like what happened to us.

In our case it was 'thought' to be a high current 12v wire that was passed through a bare metal hole in the frame. Ours caught fire, was dropped off the tow truck, and spent over a month in the shop. Final bill > 20K!

Check your wires.
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