Small Electrical Fire

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by redbarron55

And it is not a bad idea. Good aircraft quality crimp connectors run over a dollar each and require a $175 crimper.

Somehow that's too much to pay to prevent another fire?

[Donna D.]

Great solution, junction box. I actually bookmarked this a number of years ago. Thinking if I ever wanted to add wiring to my Scamp, I would need a solution other than just tapping into some wire.

So very glad you got home safely. There is no small fire when it comes to an all-molded towable. They are all serious

[Dennis mn]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

Great solution, junction box. I actually bookmarked this a number of years ago. Thinking if I ever wanted to add wiring to my Scamp, I would need a solution other than just tapping into some wire.

So very glad you got home safely. There is no small fire when it comes to an all-molded towable. They are all serious

Yea, Donna, I felt very fortunate. A friends Stick Built burned to the frame due to an electrical fire.

[redbarron55]

The buck a connection is not too much for a good connection. It is a little more than most a u to parts house connectors is all. If you don't use them where the wire is crimped and the instalation is also crimped then soldering the barrel and heat shrink over is a good idea.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Fiberglass RV mobile app

[Bob Miller]

At Granger's, the common, and more than adequate, 3M 14/16 GA Butt splices are $27.25/100 or abt $.27 each, a lot less than $1 each and I am fairly sure that the same item is available on Amazon at even a better price.


Remember, we aren't building space craft here guys.

[Bob Miller]

Originally Posted by Dennis mn

Yea, Donna, I felt very fortunate. A friends Stick Built burned to the frame due to an electrical fire.

And I watched as a $100,000 motorhome burned to the ground due to a kitchen fire, does that mean we should stop cooking? LOL

[David Tilston]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

Great solution, junction box. I actually bookmarked this a number of years ago. Thinking if I ever wanted to add wiring to my Scamp, I would need a solution other than just tapping into some wire.

So very glad you got home safely. There is no small fire when it comes to an all-molded towable. They are all serious

In Canada:
7:6 Trailer Blade/Round Wiring Junction Box | Princess Auto

[Captleemo]

Thomas & Betts (T& and 3M make very high quality lugs of all shapes and sizes. I would get the nylon jacketed lugs so when you use your Thomas & Betts Stakon crimping tool (Sta-Kon Crimping Tool) it wont pinch through the nylon insulation. You can then seal it up with heat shrink or wrap it with a few wraps of 3M "88" electrical tape. If you go the junction box route which makes it handy to access your connections at a later date you can mount a terminal strip (Panel Mount Terminal Blocks) and use fork lugs. Any time you make splices they should be accessable and there is nothing more accessable than a junction box.

[Dennis mn]

Originally Posted by Captleemo

Thomas & Betts (T& and 3M make very high quality lugs of all shapes and sizes. I would get the nylon jacketed lugs so when you use your Thomas & Betts Stakon crimping tool (Sta-Kon Crimping Tool) it wont pinch through the nylon insulation. You can then seal it up with heat shrink or wrap it with a few wraps of 3M "88" electrical tape. If you go the junction box route which makes it handy to access your connections at a later date you can mount a terminal strip (Panel Mount Terminal Blocks) and use fork lugs. Any time you make splices they should be accessable and there is nothing more accessable than a junction box.

Thanks for the info. I have thought it through, and before I make another trip, I am going to cut out the "temporary" repairs that I made, but a new cord to go to the tug, and rewire with a junction box in each of the under couch cupboards. I really have never liked the "Scotch-lock" splice fittings that Scamp uses, and plan on eliminating as many of those as I can.

[redbarron55]

My experience with electrical tape in aircraft is the heat causes it to just get gummy and make a mess and slide around.
Best to use the heat shrink or at least Scotch #88.
I think that the best solution would be to install a junction box and terminal strips. A chinch barrier terminal strip would probably be good.


with terminals like this


The wire can come loose and fall off.

with these the wire will be retained by the hooks on the end.



These have to be bought for the stud size used and the bumps on the end will hold on to the screw.

Better yet is to use ring terminals, but you have to completely remoce the screw to install and some are retained in the strip.



Here is a 3M heat shrink terminal

[Bob Miller]

Why not just use closed loop terminals, that's all I ever use?
But then again I almost never shrink wrap, tape up or solder connections.... LOLOLOL

[Roger C H]

Always liked the sound of that phrase.

We had sparks flying out of our electric furnace once.

Turns out the vibration from the 60 cycle electricity loosened the screws connecting the wires to the furnace. The loose connections caused the electricity to arc and thus heat up. Scary. All connections should be checked periodically.
PS: One reason aluminum wiring never took off. the difference in coefficient of expansion between copper and aluminum causes problems. Plus copper oxide is a conductor, aluminum oxide is not.
PPS: Aircraft use gold plated terminals because gold does not oxidize.

[Captleemo]

Ring lugs, or closed loop lugs as you call them are ok but if you go that route make sure you have a holding screwdriver to get the screws started. (http://www.amazon.com/Klein-K34-Slot...ng+Screwdriver) Once you get it started you snug it up with a regular screwdriver. On redbarren55's post I would use the terminal strip he has pictured and the blue fork lugs he has pictured as it wouldn't fall off even if it came loose but unlike an airplane which could have electrical connections or mechanical connections of any kind vibrate loose from the vibrations of the engine vibration should be a non issue in your RV for your purpose unless its near some kind of electrical motor that would cause vibrations. The way it sounds thats not the case with you. Just get the connections on the terminal strip good and snug and that should be the end of it. You can check the connections at a later date if you want to make sure they are still good and snug.

[Bob Miller]

It's really not necessary to give instructions as to how to start and tighten a screw.

[Captleemo]

Just trying to be helpful as I have wired up many a junction box over the years and am not sure if Dennis is familiar with those terminal strips or not but if he uses the ring lugs like you suggest it would require removing each screw that he was going to put a ring lug on and they are only about a half an inch long. It can be very agrivating to get the screw started in the threads without a holding screwdriver and I am speaking from experiance. After all I thought that is what these forums were all about, helping each other out.

[redbarron55]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

It's really not necessary to give instructions as to how to start and tighten a screw.

Perhaps not for you, but someone else might never have even heard of a screw starter.
If you use the forked terminals with the little bumps then you don't have to take the screw out of the terminal strip and they still wont fall off and flail around, but they may arc and heat the connection up.
The terminal strips would make a nice addition and improve reliability.
Personally after I am through rebuilding my scamp I don't want to have to troubleshoot and repair it on the road.

[Dennis mn]

Originally Posted by redbarron55

Perhaps not for you, but someone else might never have even heard of a screw starter.
If you use the forked terminals with the little bumps then you don't have to take the screw out of the terminal strip and they still wont fall off and flail around, but they may arc and heat the connection up.
The terminal strips would make a nice addition and improve reliability.
Personally after I am through rebuilding my scamp I don't want to have to troubleshoot and repair it on the road.

I'm with you on that one, I have owned this trailer for 11 years, built new interior doors and added different flooring last year. After having this issue with the electrical system, I want to improve the system so that I never have this problem again. (My wife is making noises about trading the Scamp for a new Airstream).

[Bob Miller]

My ex's son had the same desire to buy "one of those silver looking ones" until he saw the prices. Made him very happy with what they had.

[redbarron55]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

My ex's son had the same desire to buy "one of those silver looking ones" until he saw the prices. Made him very happy with what they had.

I wanted one as well, but it is a little too heavy for my VW TDI wagon. The Scamp is just right.
Big enough, but not too big.
One reason for my setup is that with high fuel prices I want high efficiency so I can go more after I retire.
Now is the time for me to get the Scamp fixed the way I want it.
One case in point is I have replaced the floors and completely fiberglasses them top and bottom with epoxy resin and 6.5 oz fabric. Then I have bonded that with epoxy to the shell and added steel bracing for better support.
I have not yet resealed the windows and with the excessive rain we have had there is a small lake in the back where the floor previously rotted out.
The fiberglass is keeping the wood completely isolated! It is a mess, but no deterioration. Perhap I need to add some drain scuppers?
Either that or take the time now to seal the windows!

[Dennis mn]

This morning, I ordered two junction boxed to rewire my scamp. I'm going to put one at each side under the front couch. The project will have to wait until I get the hitch installed in the new truck.