Dear Dave,
I have a 2015 Livin’ Lite CampLite 21RBS trailer. It is an all-aluminum frame and trailer. I went to pick up my trailer at the storage lot. I don’t leave my battery in the trailer while stored but in the garage on a trickle charger.
Installed the battery and NOTHING. No power anywhere including the tongue jack so that I wasn’t able to use the jack to couple up to the tow vehicle.
Went back later with a VOM [volt-ohm meter] and didn’t find voltage at the auto reset circuit breaker coming off the battery. ([I]measured against ground on the frame.) Guessed that it was the auto reset 12V breaker. Hotwired across the auto reset breaker by putting all lugs on a single common terminal. Power in the trailer; everything worked.
Brought the trailer home.
Determine where wires were supposed to be
First thing was to determine what wires were supposed to be where and what they supplied on the auto reset breaker (ARB). There were originally 3 lugs on the BATT side of the auto reset breaker… one went to the battery. Another went to tongue jack, which is apparently separately fused, and that worked fine. Then I had a red wire off the load side that I hooked/unhooked and verified that went to the main trailer power (through the converter). Up to now everything was going splendidly.
Last remaining wire is an orange-colored wire that originally came off the BATT side of the ARB. It goes aft through a large wiring loom. Don’t have any indication what it is supposed to supply.
Old ARB had continuity but went ahead and purchased a new ARB and installed. Nothing worked (again). Performed continuity check on + battery cable to hot side of ARB SAT. Load side of ARB also has 12.6 v SAT (when checked against the negative lead of the battery; but no voltage when compared to the frame).
Intermittent problem
So looking for some help. I thought most trailers were wired with 12v neg to frame but being an aluminum frame I am not positive that the same applies here. Also the negative battery lead does not go immediately to the frame but enters a large wiring loom going aft.
This appears to be an intermittent problem. Do you have some advice on where to go from here? I opened up the converter panel and can’t see any obvious orange wire connection.
Haven’t tried to power up with shore power yet. Kind of hesitant to until I know what is going on.
I also posted for help on IRV2, but your wealth of experience and knowledge is considerable. —Dave, 2015 Livin’ Lite CampLite 21RBS
Dear Dave,
According to the company history, CampLite started in 2003 building snowmobile and off-road trailers, then added travel trailers in 2009. Thor purchased the company in 2013 and introduced three 5th wheel floorplans. It does state that the construction is all aluminum chassis and aluminum framework in the walls.
Thor purchased CampLite in 2013 and it operated under the Livin’ Lite brand for a couple of years until 2016, when it was in the KZ division. The construction is 100% aluminum chassis, outriggers, and wall framework and does not have any wood in the foundation.
12-volt chassis ground an issue in RVs
12-volt chassis ground has always been an issue in RVs, especially travel trailers. Even models that have full steel frame and outriggers can have a continuity issue due to all the welds which can have gaps or even slight stress cracks that expand during temperature changes. This creates what I call a “gremlin,” as it works some times and then all of a sudden it doesn’t.
Aluminum framework can also be an issue not only with the welds and gremlins, but also electrolysis and pitting. Most trailer manufacturers do not use the chassis or outriggers for a ground source anymore due to the continuity issue and troubleshooting. This might be an issue with your rig, as well.
Install grounding connector
I would recommend installing a grounding connector, which is a block that has terminals to connect ground wires to various appliances. I know this may be a lot of work, but it ensures a solid connection.
As for the orange wire, I have found some manufacturers will use an orange wire from the 7-pin “pigtail” that plugs into the tow vehicle. It supplies auxiliary 12-volt power back to the battery to charge it while driving with power from the tow vehicle alternator. Some also have a wire coming off the battery going to a breakaway switch if the trailer does not have an additional battery on the tongue. You can plug the pigtail into your tow vehicle, start it, and measure voltage at that wire and you can then verify if it connects to the tow vehicle.
We have had several readers post that their unit was dead and found the fuse on the tongue of the trailer. Some were auto reset like yours, some were actual blown fuses.
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Dave Solberg is a leading expert in the RV industry and the author of the “RV Handbook.”
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Thank you, Dave! 🙂 This sounds like an extremely frustrating problem. 🤔 😯🙁 Thankfully, you have run across it in your past. Thanks again, have a great day and weekend, safe travels, and safe stays! 🙂
You hit my 1st thought Dave- electrolysis. In the 1960’s home builders sometimes used aluminum wire as an alternative to more expensive copper. The problem is you shouldn’t directly connect aluminum wire to copper terminals. Fires were started due to electrolysis. Steel can be used to transition between the metals (although if done improperly, the steel can turn into a heating element, also causing fires). I would expect grounding copper wire to an aluminum chassis would carry the same risk.
While electric utilities might still use aluminum for transmission lines (weighs less), pretty sure code in most places ban its use for home wiring.
Exactly right Jim! We lost our home to aluminum wire – industry standard, however, the house was wired internally with copper. The fault was the aluminum from the electric meter into the electrical panel! It shorted one day when no one was home – and we lost it all. Fire inspector inquired if we had burned out more than usual light bulbs? We had replaced a few – normal? Also, an electrician friend advised the main lugs should be tightened every couple of years! True or false? (No one, other than an electrician should enter that main breaker panel!!). The link in the new home and panel is copper!
I have found the additional orange wire to be connected to the solar prep connector on some trailers to charge the battery. Usually connected on the battery side of the disconnect. Hope this helps your troubleshooting