Ice Castle Blowing Fuses

[Wisslin]

Hi there, I'm out camping I'm my ice castle this weekend with my family and everything was going great until we came in last night and went to turn on the lights and it blew the fuse. Its a 2016 rv edition. Its plugged in to 30amp hookup at the site so that is running everything fine.......except for the lights. We have went through 2 packs of fuses trying to figure out what it happening. Was working great until last night. Any ideas from others that may have had this problem or just have an idea of what might be causing this would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks

[rustysetter]

Wisslin, what size fuse was in there and what have you replaced them with, are they LED, and is the fuse blowing without them turned on?

[Wisslin]

They had 20 amp so that's what we used to try and replace them. The lights that keep blowing the fuses run on both 12v and the 110 and aren't LED. It only seems to blow them when we hit the light switch. If we don't try and use the lights the fuse is fine.

[RebelSS]

Have you checked the switch for a short? 

[rustysetter]

Fuse size seems ok, and if it blows only when you try the switch it could be as Reb said the switch, or a bad fixture and possibly a broken or shorted bulb. Are there any lights on that circuit that aren't operated by the switch? 

[Wisslin]

There are 2 hole lights on the same circuit. I need to go but another couple packs of fuses today so I can do some more troubleshooting. As far as checking the switch for a short.....how would I go about that? Do I pop the switch off and just look at it? 

[rustysetter]

You would have to disconnect the wires from it and either check it with an ohm meter or try new switch. 

[Moon Lake Refuge]

Pain in the butt... not being an electrician, the easiest way I have found was to just disconnect all my fixtures on that line and take a good one from another line.  Start wiring it in at each place until it blows the fuse.  If it doesn't blow any, your original fixture is likely bad, if the working fixture blows the fuse on the first to spots you try you likely have a bad switch or a short somewhere. In that case you could throw a new switch in or just temporarily bypass the switch.

Edited May 31, 2016 by Moon Lake Refuge

[mikemac]

If it is a 2016  model would it still be under warranty? Just wondering.

It is possible that a screw damaged some wiring for the lights and you have a direct short to ground that is blowing the fuse when you turn the lights on.

[rustysetter]

8 hours ago, mikemac said:

If it is a 2016  model would it still be under warranty? Just wondering.

It is possible that a screw damaged some wiring for the lights and you have a direct short to ground that is blowing the fuse when you turn the lights on.

Good point on the warranty I missed the 2016 part,  it  be covered. I took my 2016 back in March and it was covered.

[Wanderer]

Definitely take in if its still covered!  But I'd bet money you have a wire with a screw or staple through it.

My brother had a short in his new ice castle the year before last.  It shorted out on his way home from the dealer and caused the brakes to lock up.

I figured out it was a stapled wire behind the paneling at the wheel well by disconnecting the end light on the circuit and then the next, one at a time until the fuse held.  The hole lights fed off the light over the window so I just disconnected the leaving wire from that light so he could still take it fishing.  He had everything, including his brakes back, except the the two hole lights on that side.  I figured the dealer could wreck the paneling to get at it later and replace it with new.

Good luck!

[Wisslin]

Hey all. I just wanted to say thanks for all your suggestions. The light switch was a double switch and ran the outside light and the 3 ceiling lights. The outside light always worked so I swapped the switch and the outside light still worked and the ceiling lights blew the fuse. So I took off every light and tested them on a 12v battery and they all worked. I was a bit bummed at that point but when I got the last light hooked back up, my wife through in another fuse and they all work now! So it was due to the hack job they did wiring this house. Just hope there are no other surprises with the electrical system! Thanks again!

[RebelSS]

Good deal! Glad ya got them fixed. I was thinking a short caused by a nail or screw somewhere along the wall too, seen a lot of that in "quickie" wiring jobs. 

[Moon Lake Refuge]

Seems to be the norm now.. I've seen a lot of garbage wiring in my new rv this spring too.  Glad your up and running!

[Marcel Behler]

 Did you check the switch for a short? 

[leech~~]

10 hours ago, Marcel Behler said:

 Did you check the switch for a short? 

 

Did you check the date of this thread?  The OP have not posted for a year!