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Old 10-23-2010, 09:34 PM   #1
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Question What is this gizmo on my battery?

I'm preparing to completely rewire my '80 Scamp, install new marker and taillights. I'm making a diagram of the complete system (similiar to the Scamp diagram, except it includes battery, my particular appliances, breakaway switch, and the original Scamp color wiring.). The RV dealer in California, where I purchased the trailer, installed the battery and got the lights working so I could tow it back to Oregon. He installed a two-post device between the battery terminals that they are connected to. What is this device, and what is its purpose?
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Old 10-23-2010, 09:39 PM   #2
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Originally Posted by Lawrence W View Post
I'm preparing to completely rewire my '80 Scamp, install new marker and taillights. I'm making a diagram of the complete system (similiar to the Scamp diagram, except it includes battery, my particular appliances, breakaway switch, and the original Scamp color wiring.). The RV dealer in California, where I purchased the trailer, installed the battery and got the lights working so I could tow it back to Oregon. He installed a two-post device between the battery terminals that they are connected to. What is this device, and what is its purpose?
Got a picture?
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Old 10-23-2010, 09:42 PM   #3
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What is this gizmo on my battery?

I'm completely rewiring. '80 Scamp this winter. I'm making a wiring diagram similar to the Scamp one, except it includes my the battery, trailer side plug, breakaway switch, my own particular appliances, etc..)
The RV dealership that installed my battery and got the lights working so I could tow it back to Oregon installed a cigarettepack size device that has two terminals, and is connected to the battery terminals. Can anyone tell me what this is, and its purpose? Thanks.
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Old 10-23-2010, 09:45 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by Lawrence W View Post
I'm completely rewiring. '80 Scamp this winter. I'm making a wiring diagram similar to the Scamp one, except it includes my the battery, trailer side plug, breakaway switch, my own particular appliances, etc..)
The RV dealership that installed my battery and got the lights working so I could tow it back to Oregon installed a cigarettepack size device that has two terminals, and is connected to the battery terminals. Can anyone tell me what this is, and its purpose? Thanks.
got any pictures?
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Old 10-23-2010, 10:11 PM   #5
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Got a picture?
Here's a real rough sketch. The positive side goes to the fused side of the battery, the negative side goes to the white ground wire.
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Old 10-24-2010, 02:55 AM   #6
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It looks to me like you attempted to draw a wing nut for each battery post. It is typical in RVs to use wing nuts rather than battery post clamps. The smaller (10 to 30 )amps that an RV draws doesn't require the larger contact area a starter would when it draws a couple hundred amps.

There are several different configurations for the clamps that go on the battery posts to convert them to wing nut connections.

Is this possibly what you are questioning?
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Old 10-24-2010, 03:21 AM   #7
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Originally Posted by Curtis F. View Post
It looks to me like you attempted to draw a wing nut for each battery post. It is typical in RVs to use wing nuts rather than battery post clamps. The smaller (10 to 30 )amps that an RV draws doesn't require the larger contact area a starter would when it draws a couple hundred amps.

There are several different configurations for the clamps that go on the battery posts to convert them to wing nut connections.

Is this possibly what you are questioning?
No...I'm asking what the little box is that is connected between the posts.
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Old 10-24-2010, 06:59 AM   #8
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Originally Posted by Lawrence W View Post
No...I'm asking what the little box is that is connected between the posts.
Lawrence,

I'm interpreting your diagram that the '-' and '+' are your battery posts (the drawing of the actual battery is left to the imagination) and the little box is the thing-a-ma-bob in question. A fuse of some type?

Unfortunately you may find it difficult to get a solid answer without a photograph as floyd is patiently suggesting.
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Old 10-24-2010, 08:15 AM   #9
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Lawrence, I'm thinking the little box is a circuit breaker to protect your battery in case there's a short somewhere. It will break the circuit when it gets hot but then connect again when it cools down. You might find an amp rating on it. It's sounds like the guy who installed your battery did you a favor.

Here's a link to some automotive circuit breakers:

http://www.wiringproducts.com/contents/en-us/d60.html
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Old 10-24-2010, 08:32 AM   #10
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Originally Posted by Lawrence W View Post
Here's a real rough sketch. The positive side goes to the fused side of the battery, the negative side goes to the white ground wire.
That is a strange wiring diagram..... I have something like that just outside my battery box but it is a "Automatic Resettable Fuse" except that it's wired inline on the black positive cable just before the battery box. That fuse protects the whole system from the battery.
Joe
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Old 10-24-2010, 10:53 AM   #11
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I would guess that the party who installed the battery did not know there was an inline fuse as its often hidden under the rat fur inside the trailer in the front bunk area so he decided to give you something better. You probable will find you also have an inline fuse as Joe has.
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Old 10-24-2010, 12:20 PM   #12
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Originally Posted by Lawrence W View Post
No...I'm asking what the little box is that is connected between the posts.
Here is the photo you've all been waiting for!
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Gizmo1.JPG   Gizmo2.JPG  

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Old 10-24-2010, 12:33 PM   #13
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Originally Posted by Lawrence W View Post
Here is the photo you've all been waiting for!
It's a Circuit Breaker that looks to be installed incorrectly.
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Old 10-24-2010, 01:26 PM   #14
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Thanks for identifying that item...could you be more specific about the incorrect installation? The connections are (positive): to battery positive, and from the circuit breaker to the trailer fuse (I also have power to the breakaway switch wired to this post); (negative) to frame ground and to trailer ground wire. I think Carol and you were right about the installer weren't aware of the trailer fuse.
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Old 10-24-2010, 01:50 PM   #15
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Originally Posted by Lawrence W View Post
Thanks for identifying that item...could you be more specific about the incorrect installation? The connections are (positive): to battery positive, and from the circuit breaker to the trailer fuse (I also have power to the breakaway switch wired to this post); (negative) to frame ground and to trailer ground wire. I think Carol and you were right about the installer weren't aware of the trailer fuse.
this circuit breaker is an automatic setting breaker, about $4.00 bucks at any auto parts supplier. if it heats up it becomes disconnected and when it cools off it comes back to life. If they really take a surge they will completely blow and need to be replaced
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Old 10-24-2010, 02:37 PM   #16
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Ah, yes. The circuit breaker should only be connected in series on the positive line from the battery. No negative side connections. A series connection is when a single line is cut and one end of the cut wire is attached to each terminal. There should only be one connector on each terminal of the circuit breaker. This forces all current being drawn from the battery to go through the circuit breaker. When more amps than it's limit are reached it disconnects internally and stops current from flowing. When it cools, it resets.
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Old 10-24-2010, 04:27 PM   #17
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Clarifying a bit, here are three line drawings that show how trailer 12v wiring and fuses/breakers should be wired. The first is a simplified version that shows how a trailer might be wired if it has no converter or charge lines coming from the tow vehicle. The second shows how the factory wiring for my Scamp (and who knows how many other trailers) was done, the third shows how my Scamp ought to have been wired, with the fuse on the tow vehicle wiring appearing on the wire branch that heads up to the tow vehicle, instead of placing a second breaker on the main charge line.

I do not like using thermal breakers like the one in your picture by the way. They are not a safe way to do things.

Main fuses are meant to protect your trailer from a short that could start a fire or cause some other dangerous mishap. (And, yes, there's plenty enough juice in a fully charged trailer battery to start a fire.) So, should your trailer develop a dangerous short, the line would short and spark, overheat the breaker so it breaks the circuit, then cools off, reconnects the circuit, allows it to short and spark again, overheat the breaker so it breaks the circuit again, cools off and reconnects . . . and so on until you either get a fire, or your battery goes dead. The only good solutions for a main fuse are a resettable breaker that you have to manually reset or a regular 25A or 30A fuse.


Code:
Simplified Concept:

Ground                            12v Distribution   Individual
Wires             Main                Panel          Line Fuses
───┐   Battery    Fuse                  ┌────────────────∩────── < Trailer
───┼─────╫╫╫────────∩───────────────────┼────────────────∩────── < Lights &
───┘    -   +   or Breaker              └────────────────∩────── < Appliances
How my Scamp is wired:
Code:

Ground                            12v Distribution   Individual
Wires                                 Panel          Line Fuses   Converter
───┐                                    ┌────────────────∩──────< Charge
   │                Main      Secondary │                         Line
   │    Battery     Fuse         Main   │
───┼─┬────╫╫╫────────∩────────┬───∩─────┼────────────────∩──────< Trailer
───┤ │   -   +   or Breaker   │  Fuse   ├────────────────∩──────< Lights &
───┘ │                        │         └────────────────∩──────< Appliances
     │-                      +│
 Tow Vehicle              Tow Vehicle
 Charge Line              Charge Line
How I wish my Scamp was wired:
Code:
Ground                             12v Distribution  Individual
Wires                                  Panel         Line Fuses   Converter
───┐                                    ┌────────────────∩──────< Charge
   │                Main                │                         Line
   │                Fuse                │
───┼─┬────╫╫╫────────∩────────┬─────────┼────────────────∩──────< Trailer
───┤ │   -   +   or Breaker   │         ├────────────────∩──────< Lights &
───┘ │                        │         └────────────────∩──────< Appliances
     │                        │  
     │                        Ç < Tow Vehicle Charge Line Fuse 
     │                        │
     │-                      +│
 Tow Vehicle              Tow Vehicle      
 Charge Line              Charge Line
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Old 10-25-2010, 03:57 PM   #18
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Here is another question for all of you. I have an older converter in my '92 13ft scamp that is labeled "not intended for charging the battery". So based on that I want to make sure it does not try to charge my battery since it probably will not be good for the battery in the long run. My question is, is there anything I can do short of unplugging the battery while using the converter that will protect me? Thanks for any help.
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Old 10-25-2010, 04:18 PM   #19
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Is there any brand information on your converter? If so, look it up and see if they reccommend a replacement that can charge the battery.
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Old 10-25-2010, 05:07 PM   #20
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gizzmo on your battery

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lawrence W View Post
I'm preparing to completely rewire my '80 Scamp, install new marker and taillights. I'm making a diagram of the complete system (similiar to the Scamp diagram, except it includes battery, my particular appliances, breakaway switch, and the original Scamp color wiring.). The RV dealer in California, where I purchased the trailer, installed the battery and got the lights working so I could tow it back to Oregon. He installed a two-post device between the battery terminals that they are connected to. What is this device, and what is its purpose?
It is probably a type of fuse to protect the circuit in case of a short. you can leave it on or wire your fuse box normal some wires from the battery to the fuse box are a type of fuseable link but it looks like a normal wire. Hope it helps. Bud
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