Why you should check everthing on a used Airstream.

thenewkid64 · 09-08-2002, 11:58 AM

When I bought my motorhome the prior owner told me he had recently replace the power cord. While using it the end has seemed to pull loose from the cable and the plug end has been getting quite warm when using the AC. So the other day after I had turned on the AC to dry out the humid air in the MH I was not suprised to find a couple of hours later that the power was off.

I assumed it was the end of the cord had finally failed. Off to Home depot to get a new end, I installed it and no joy, no power. So I said Maybe the 30 AMP extension cord failed, so I bypassed it, still no power.

I decided to pull the cover off the junction box that joins the cord to the 120 Volt feed into the trailer. Below is a picture of what I found. At this point I feel lucky that the motorhome is still there and not a burnt out hunk of steel and alumimum. I should have checked the cord and box as soon as I felt the hot cord the first time. The corrosion I think is coming from the hole above the box. The was no sealant there to stop water from getting into the compartment.

So learn from my mistake, if you think someting is not right check it out, the rig/life you save may be your own!

**john hd** · 09-08-2002, 12:10 PM

you got lucky!

good thing it was inside a junction box, otherwise you would have had a fire.

moral of this story is to always ground metallic boxes and make sure there are no holes or unplugged openings, for when the sparks fly!

is this junction in a location that can get damp?

if it is, may i suggest replacing it with a "bell" type box. thas is a completly sealed unit with a gasket on the cover. instead of holes, these boxes have pipe threads. you can get watertight fittings for them.

the extra couple of bucks could be well worth it.

john

Jim Clark · 09-08-2002, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by thenewkid64
When .

So learn from my mistake, if you think someting is not right check it out, the rig/life you save may be your own!

This is how a prior owner repaired a propane leak on my stove. I told him about it he thought it was ok and safe.

thenewkid64 · 09-08-2002, 01:14 PM

John,

In the photo there is a hole that was allowing moisture to get in. This is also the compartment that the water inlet is in so there is additional moisture from that as well. I think the culprit was the hole as this compartment is behind the rear wheels of the motorhome and I am sure plenty of water came in based on the stains above the junction box. I have used the bell boxes for outdoor power connections, I am planning on redoing the power connections and adding a 30 AMP transfer relay. When I do that I may pull it all out and do it from scratch.