Univolt / Breaker Panel - where is it in a '73??

[geekgrrrl]

Can someone with a Rear Bath take a picture of where theirs is and post it? We just bought this '73, and I have a breaker panel with 2 circuits behind the water heater in the bathroom, the wiring harness for where the trailer plug is up front, a cluster of wires in the medicine cabinet and radio areas that I have yet to investigate.

I can't figure out where this is? Did it have one?? The owner's manual says yes. It has no battery yet, so i have yet to test any of that electrical out.

TIA

[dljosephson]

If it's the same as in my 71 Tradewind, it's on the curb side behind the access door where you would get to the battery (under the bed in our case). Look for a blue metal box. The fuses are inside the front cover of the Univolt.

[68 Overlander]

You can find it by following the battery cables. If its there, its pretty big, and weighs about the same as an M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank and will hum if its working! The curb side is a good place to start or maybe under the sofa/gaucho.

[J. Morgan]

It is in the curbside closet kind of under the tub.

You can reach it by removing the floor panel from the closet.

There will be about five fuses on the panel, and one or two inline fuses on a couple of wires.

There should also be a big fuse on the battery cable.

Access kind of sucks,,, but it is doable.

1/2 Ton 4WD Truck, 72 Sovereign Hensley Arrow

[Aage]

We have a '74 31' Sov with rear bath. I think it is the same as your TT.

If you kneel on the floor between your beds and the bathroom (in the little hallway), look towards the rear window and stick your left hand out, you will reach into the closet where the Univolt is. We have no floor to remove to find ours.

Still on your knees, at the bottom of the closet on the wall to your right, it is right there. Having a flashlight in your hand makes this easier, of course. The Univolt is a square blue steel box that has a flip-down door that covers the fuses.

In other words, the fusebox for the entire 12V system is what you see of the Univolt, once you open the pull-down door.

Sorry I have no pictures of that area, and our TT is buried under snow an hour and a half from us.

Let us know if that's where yours is? Our 120VAC breaker/fusebox is in the roof locker over the head of the bed on the other side of the trailer, unlike what I understood of yours.

[BusDriver]

If you still have a problem call Andy at Inland RV Center, Corona, CA. He has been around Airstream for at least 50 years and really knows them. I have not heard from him for awhile on the Forums, hope he is still around.

[Dixie722]

My 75 international has the univolt in the closet under the tub enclosure. i am waiting on changing it to a new power dynamics. I too want to know if Andy is still on the forum. He is a great guy and a wonderful source of knowledge. If it's airstream,. he knows about it..

[idroba]

In the '70's Airstream used several locations. The one which is most difficult to find had the Univolt under the front couch and the fuse panel in the wall behind a plastic panel under the opening front window. I know my '77 had that system but I can no longer recall the ones in my '71 and '73. If the batteries are in boxes in the front with drop down lids on either side of the tongue, you may have that layout.

Some in that era had the battery in a special battery box which dropped down into the banana wrap in the curbside rear, behind the wheel well. In those the Univolt and fuses should be close to the battery box, but inside.

Some rear bath units had a rear storage compartment accessible from the outside, and the battery, univolt and fuses were in that area, all the way back in the trailer rear.

Look for the battery area, and wires and report back.

[geekgrrrl]

Thank you all! I found it! It was in the closet, behind the bathtub. Hidden by a bunch I'd duct tape on the panel I thought was part of the re-routing of the puppies the PO added for the kitchen sink (grey water no longer drains on the ground and all the added puppies route through this closet as well).


Question: all of the fuses look good on it, but there are not fuses in every circuit. Should there be?

[Aage]

Congrats! May we see a photo to be sure which panel you are using?

[geekgrrrl]

Here is why I wasn't sure at first where it was at. This is all that was showing:

So after all of your responses here (thank you much!) I opened the tape up and found it:

The wiring looks good, but some of the fuses are missing, I know some cars are the same way - not ever slot has a fuse in it. Is that the case here/. Or should I put fuses in all of these circuits?

[TG Twinkie]

Looks like the two center fuses on the right were replaced by the inline fuse holders. Center of the pic. The fuse clips probably went bad and the PO re-engineered it.
A new multi stage converter is in order.
Much smaller, much lighter, much better, much quieter than the UNIVOLT.


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[geekgrrrl]

So I had posted these pics in my Facebook photo album to link here, not thinking about it really, and a few of my friends made comments. I am not an electrician, and much as you stated above, TG, it seemed to me the PO used inline fuses to circumvent whatever issues were at hand.

Until I can swap it for a new multi stage converter (any suggestions on that? ours is a 31' with an 8750 generator, and still deciding on battery(s) for it as well), are any of these questions/statements my friends made pressing concerns:

1- Yikes! Circumventing fuses is no Bueno! Get that fixed before you have a possible fire issue.

2- no splices in fuse box cuz, this looks like 3 stooges wiring, get it checked . upgrade to circuit beakers NO GLASS fuses

3- Yeah. Looks like they bumped up fuses for pink and yellow because they tapped in some additional loads...the red and black wires. Fuses should be fine, breakers would be a new panel...if one exists for that unit, space.

4- you can order (electronic) panels to upgrade through most Marine supply websites, 120 v ac or 12 v dc. (is that a workable option? it would be excellently weather proofed as well)

5- It just looks like probably the main box was not conducting power. Looks like the wires were just removed and fuses where placed before the wiring. It's common with that type of board if they are exposed to water.


TIA!

[TG Twinkie]

A Progressive Dynamics 9245 will be more than adequate for your coach.
As I stated above. The original fuse holders must be bad. Thus the reason for the inline fuse holders. They still provide protection for the circuit. As long as the fuse is sized properly.
The new style fuse block with the blade type fuses will work well for your application.


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[adonh]

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