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07-08-2015, 10:28 AM
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#1
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2 Rivet Member
1977 24' Argosy 24
Swan Lake
, Montana
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 43
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Heavy Blue 12 volt wire - where does it go?
Hi Everyone! I was cleaning my trailer last night and lost my 12 volt power when my 1977 24' Argosy is plugged into shore power. It has the original Univolt converter and 12 volt distribution panel (which was badly corroded - so I decided it was time to upgrade the converter and distribution panel. In the process of removing the Univolt Converter I decided to eliminate wiring that the previous owner had run to 4 gauges - think they liked to monitor the amperage of the toaster!!! Anyway, I marked each wire as I removed it from the 12 volt distribution panel and Univolt converter. Some of the gauge wires were tapped into other wires resulting in a mass of wires. When the cutting and removing was done I have a large #10 or #12 blue wire that comes up through the floor with the smaller purple, pink and yellow wires. QUESTION - Can anyone help me determine what this wire is for and where it needs to go in the 12 volt distribution panel? Checked in the manual and think it's either the "main 12 volt charge line" or the "Ground return for 1-5 circuits". ANY SUGGESTIONS? Thanks for your help! Carol
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07-08-2015, 10:58 AM
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#2
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Rivet Master
2005 39' Land Yacht 390 XL 396
Common Sense
, Texas
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 5,319
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Don't know for sure, but isn't blue the color of the wire usually used for the electric brakes?
__________________
Regards,
Steve
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07-08-2015, 11:15 AM
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#3
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3 Rivet Member
Commercial Member
1967 28' Ambassador
1964 19' Globetrotter
1960 24' Tradewind
Edgewood
, Kentucky
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 209
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SteveH
Don't know for sure, but isn't blue the color of the wire usually used for the electric brakes?
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I thought the same...
This is the common 7 way trailer hookup
White = Ground
Blue = Electric Breaks
Red = Aux Charge (12V +)
Green = Right turn signal / Break light
Yellow = Left turn signal / Break light
Brown = Running Light
Purple = Backup Lights
But being that the PO had done some custom electrical work its hard to tell... Time to get the ohm meter and start tracing. If you have everything unistalled (univolt / converter) and you use a FUSED 12v source and attach the 12V + to the Blue wire and the 12V - to the chassis and you hear a click from your hubs you have determined it is for the break system. If you blow a fuse its time to guess again... Good luck.
__________________
Artisan Airstreams
Custom restorations and renovations
www.artisanairstreams.com
Keeping the Art on the road, one project at a time
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07-08-2015, 11:53 AM
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#4
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2 Rivet Member
1977 24' Argosy 24
Swan Lake
, Montana
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 43
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Thanks Steve and Artisan Air - Great suggestions - I now have a place to start from. I will try the fused 12v source trick and see what I come up with - will let you know what it turns out to be!
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07-08-2015, 02:31 PM
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#5
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Rivet Master
1974 31' Sovereign
1979 23' Safari
Wayland
, New York
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,632
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If it's coming up through the floor it is likely from the trailer connection umbilical. AS will have run all the other wires in the walls. I'm guessing it came up through on the street side, another indication of umbilical.
One way to check involving a little work, remove the front screen so you can pull it inside the trailer, then use a multimeter from umbilicals ports to wire ends, if it goes to zero resistance, that's a direct connection end to end. Could be done through shell as well, extra hands would help on that one.
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07-08-2015, 02:33 PM
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#6
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Rivet Master
1974 31' Sovereign
1979 23' Safari
Wayland
, New York
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,632
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Trailer wire color scheme in 77 was not the same as today. You'll have to match wire by function not color alone. Blue was brake line color back then though.
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07-08-2015, 02:44 PM
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#7
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Rivet Master
1974 31' Sovereign
1979 23' Safari
Wayland
, New York
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,632
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Blue brake wire back then was from the umbilical to the brakes though. Blue line coming from the umbilical was the 12v charge line that came from the tow vehicle to the fuse panel.
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07-08-2015, 02:46 PM
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#8
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Rivet Master
1974 31' Sovereign
1979 23' Safari
Wayland
, New York
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,632
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Did it connect to a 12v circuit breaker on the far right of the fuse panel? If so it was the 12v charging line from the TV.
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07-08-2015, 03:51 PM
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#9
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2 Rivet Member
1977 24' Argosy 24
Swan Lake
, Montana
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 43
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HiJoeSilver - Have been trying others suggestions and I think you have it correct that it is the charging line from the TV. Because of all the PO wiring it didn't go directly to the 12v fuse panel, but after going through a amp gauge I think it wound up there. Just went to town and purchased a new fuse panel and converter - think I will hook up everything except the blue wire - and then see what I have. I was so careful labeling the wires as I removed them from the old fuse panel and converter - trying to avoid this, but it will turn into a "learning opportunity"!!!
Thanks everyone for all your help - you are a great group of folks! Carol
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07-08-2015, 04:01 PM
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#10
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Rivet Master
1974 Argosy 20
2014 20' Flying Cloud
Kooskia
, Idaho
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 4,591
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On those years of Argosy, the blue wire, probably a #10 was the charge line from the tow vehicle to the trailer battery. It also was the power line for the break away switch and the power jack. Yellow was used for brakes.
That was the original. It is very hard to tell what PO's have done over the past 40 years.
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07-08-2015, 05:48 PM
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#11
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Rivet Master
1974 31' Sovereign
1979 23' Safari
Wayland
, New York
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,632
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07-08-2015, 05:57 PM
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#12
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Rivet Master
1974 31' Sovereign
1979 23' Safari
Wayland
, New York
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,632
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Went through this last and this year as part of a full monte. Things were a mess. Did a lot of 12v rewiring as well as replacing umbilacal and brake wire. As long as you're not trying to change to much it should fairly straight forward once you figure what each line is.
Keep in mind that there are 2 separate 12v systems in there, one going for all the house loads(interior lights, fridge, furnace, etc), and a second for trailer loads(brakes, tail/exterior lights). Trailer loads have pass through fuses and aren't fused to the main fuse block.
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07-08-2015, 07:00 PM
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#13
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2 Rivet Member
1975 Argosy 28
1975 Argosy 22
1978 Argosy Minuet 6.0 Metre
Camrose
, Alberta
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 74
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it is power feed to your break away switch for your brakes (also to power jack)
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07-09-2015, 09:07 AM
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#14
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2 Rivet Member
1977 24' Argosy 24
Swan Lake
, Montana
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 43
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THANKS EVERYONE!!! I replaced the Univolt with an Intelli-Power converter and added a new fuel panel - everything works perfect - the heavy blue wire was the charge line from the TV to the battery. I know it's hard to analyze problems, especially wiring, from a written description and no pictures, but everyone sure helped me get this great little trailer back up and running - to that I owe all of you a great big THANK YOU! Carol
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07-10-2015, 09:47 PM
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#15
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2 Rivet Member
1975 31' Sovereign
North Fort Myers
, Florida
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 59
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Yep, I was reading down and going to tell you that the lighter blue heavy wire is for the TV 12v
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11-14-2016, 10:39 AM
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#16
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1 Rivet Member
1974 27' Overlander
Beaver
, Pennsylvania
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 5
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TV Thick Blue Wire?
Quote:
Originally Posted by idroba
On those years of Argosy, the blue wire, probably a #10 was the charge line from the tow vehicle to the trailer battery. It also was the power line for the break away switch and the power jack. Yellow was used for brakes.
That was the original. It is very hard to tell what PO's have done over the past 40 years.
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We installed a new Boondocker converter and new fuse box. There is no place for the tow vehicle battery (thick blue wire) to hook into, what should we do with it? If we don't have it connected to anything, what functionality will we loose?
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