location of low-voltage panel '67 TW

[retrocar66]

I cannot find the "low-voltage panel" in my '67 TW. Any clues on where this might be? I have read the various threads on this, and have searched all over, but so far can see no sign of any low-voltage circuit breakers or fuses except for the two 40-amp fuses that are mounted in the battery compartment. (I also have the 4 manual-reset breakers in the AC power panel.)

There's nothing near the (newer) converter under bathroom sink; nothing in any cabinets; nothing in the battery compartment or other storage compartments. There is one compartment outside under the fridge that I have not been able to open (the lock is jammed.) Is that a possible location? Seems like that would just be fridge stuff.

According to the original wiring diagram there should be two auto-resetting breakers, one 20A and one 25A for the 12V circuits.

I think that the electrical problems I'm having are related to these. Last night I could get no shore power through the 12V circuits with battery disconnected. This problem persisted for over an hour. Eventually I shut off all the lights and appliances and let the trailer sit overnight plugged in to shore power. This morning I have shore power through the 12V circuits, with no change in the shore power itself or my converter. So something has changed by itself overnight, and I don't know what it is, but it seems like an auto-resetting breaker could explain it. (Does anyone know how long the auto-resetting breakers take to reset themselves?)

[dbj216]

Hello retrocar66. You have a 67 Trade Wind and I have a 66. My owners manual speaks to the "one stop utility location" in the rear compartment of the trailer. The Airstream "univolt" happened in what, 1964 or there abouts. So we have early trailers that ran on all 12v devices: lights, fans, pumps, furnace, fridge, etc.

I have those 12v circuit breakers also. You can see 4 of them in the fuse panel. I understand they are bimetal strips that deflect away from contact when they get "hot". They reset when they cool. But my trailer still has 12v fuses also. Belts and suspenders.

Someone with a 67 Airstream will post soon and help you out. My son's 69 has 12v fuses in the converter itself under a tin cover screwed to the front of the converter. Maybe your trailer was the first year of fuses relocated to the converter. You might look there.

David

[modarch]

I am actually helping a friend work on a '67 TW right now. It took me a little while to find the home run for the 12v wires as well. If your wiring and battery area is still unmodified and still has the factory layout- all of your 12v wires terminate under the battery tray (street side service compartment). If you pull out the battery tray you will see the ground wires connected to a single busbar (riveted to the bottom of the battery tray), and the positive 12v wires are connected to a few auto reset fuses. We threw out all the old fuses and busbar and reconnected them to a modern fuse panel.

What threw me off on the 12v in this '67 TW was the wire sheathing. I own a '67 Caravel and my 110 wire was aluminum with white sheathing. My 12v was aluminum wire with black cloth-like sheathing. But my friend's TW has all the same wire for both 110 and 12v circuits- all white sheathed aluminum wire.

From the factory '67 TW's only have (3) 12v circuits.

Edit: To be clear- there is no "panel" for the low voltage. It is just a negative busbar and a few fuses where the positive 12v wires connect under the battery tray.

Hope this helps!

[retrocar66]

Thanks both for the replies.

Are the auto-reset fuses the ones that look like a little gray box, with two wires attached on one face? If so, I have found one of those in the trailer belly, in an access hole that has been cut up front under the fresh water tank. The trailer wiring connects to the TV pigtail here. I think the breaker in this location must be the one for the TV charging circuit.

However I've still not found the other. It definitely does not seem to be in the battery compartment. Will continue looking. I didn't think to look inside the 120V panel box. My 12V looks like original wiring, although the 120V has been modified significantly by POs, and the univolt has been replaced with a "Boondocker" converter/charger.

[dbj216]

Myn 66 has a 12v circuit breaker in the 12v "exterior lights" wiring from the tow vehicle to the trailer. It has the access hatch you mention. A picture below after I removed the belly pan and its hatch.

But I don't think this circuit breaker would cause you to loose 12v power inside your trailer. "Interior lights" are all wired downstream of the converter and battery.

One possible cause of your irratic loss of 12v power inside the trailer is a poor ground connection, 12v to frame. Mine was loose and rusted. On my trailer, the 12v ground was bolted to the curb side frame rail at the rear of the trailer. The bolt is "conveniently" located between the skins and goes through the C channel and then the frame. You may be able to feel the nut on the bolt by opening the bumper storage compartment and feel for it along the frame channel. I also included a picture of the area where the 12v ground is located. It is at the intersection of the floor, c-channel, and frame rail. But you can't see it in my photo.

David