Where to install the in-line circuit breaker for Husky Super Brute Jack

[Brettwieland]

The instructions for the jack are to attach the in-line circuit breaker directly to the positive lead of the battery and store in the battery enclosure, but of course that's not how the electrical system is laid out on an Airstream.

Was wondering where others have installed the breaker. Can I install it in the interior near the 12v distribution box or is it okay to install outside, and in that case, any suggestions on how to protect it from the weather?

My Airstream is a 2000 Excella 28'

Thanks,
Brett

[jeffmc306]

Brett, you can install the breaker in the battery box just like the factory does for their power jack’s inline fuse. See the photo below for the red plastic fuse holder connected directly to the battery.

[CruizinDux]

Ours is exterior, i presume all weather, as part of the wire feed that wraps around the jack post heading for the head. I'll look for a pic. Never had a problem other than snagging it on something once and the watertight capsule opened. BTW our mfr is Barker. I'm thinking anywhere between jack head and + battery post, subject to appropriately rated holder.

[Brettwieland]

The batteries on our Excella don't have any additional connectors on them (see photo), and we have an internal harness with some self-resetting fuses etc.

The issue I'm having is because the jack is connected to the 12v fuse distribution panel, is a circuit breaker redundant? (I'm an electrical novice) From the photos attached, I can identify most of the elements, but unfortunately the jack cable is not one of those things.

Things I can't track:
1. Where in the order of things is the 12v Fuse Distribution Box? (Can't trace the wires as they are in the wall, but the jack wire is identified in the bistro box.)
2. Several of the wires that come in from the exterior.
3. Even if I am able to identify the jack wire, I'm still unclear where in the series (and again, if) I need to add the circuit breaker.

My next step is to open the black harness box, which will allow me to identify which duplicate colored wires are from the 7 way plug. I'll get there.

[richw46]

Originally Posted by Brettwieland

The instructions for the jack are to attach the in-line circuit breaker directly to the positive lead of the battery and store in the battery enclosure, but of course that's not how the electrical system is laid out on an Airstream.

Was wondering where others have installed the breaker. Can I install it in the interior near the 12v distribution box or is it okay to install outside, and in that case, any suggestions on how to protect it from the weather?

My Airstream is a 2000 Excella 28'

Thanks,
Brett

Are you replacing an electric jack or adding one for the first time?
If you are replacing an electric jack, where is the wire from the old one?
If you are adding one you will need to run a wire to the positive battery post and add a battery post ring connector. Fuse/breaker goes in that line.

[lsbrodsky]

To add to Rich, although I do not know any specifics for your model year, the concept is the jack is connected directly to the battery through a fuse or circuit breaker. The reason for this is so that you can use the jack if the STORE switch is us in STORE disconnecting the battery from the distribution panel. Most Airstreams I have seen have the fuse right up on the post under the jack motor.
After I observed the difficulty in obtaining the right fuse, by another owner, I decided to remove the fuse from the circuit and installed a marine resettable breaker in the battery box. That has worked fine for years.

Larry

[CruizinDux]

Took me awhile to find a good image but this shows the in-line fuse holder on our Barker jack post. It snaps together for a good watertight seal.


p.s. good comment from Larry. This one takes a 30 amp slow blow fuse. Napa carries them generally but they were out of stock and had to order them. A few other parts stores said...slow blow what??? I bought a couple of 5X boxes.

[richw46]

Originally Posted by CruizinDux

Took me awhile to find a good image but this shows the in-line fuse holder on our Barker jack post. It snaps together for a good watertight seal.

p.s. good comment from Larry. This one takes a 30 amp slow blow fuse. Napa carries them generally but they were out of stock and had to order them. A few other parts stores said...slow blow what??? I bought a couple of 5X boxes.

Amazon carries this fuse, I got some from them as spares.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GZOIR1O/

[drbrick]

What no in-line fuse? I am surprized even our Lippert 3500 came with an in-line fuse. Simply go to your favorite auto supply store buy a outdoor fuse holder, insert a 10amp? (whatever the instructions say that is required) fuse attach to positive terminal of battery.

[SSquared]

Originally Posted by drbrick

What no in-line fuse? I am surprized even our Lippert 3500 came with an in-line fuse. Simply go to your favorite auto supply store buy a outdoor fuse holder, insert a 10amp? (whatever the instructions say that is required) fuse attach to positive terminal of battery.

Note that besides getting the right rating fuse, you want a fuse holder with the right rating. We had our original fuse holder fail/melt. We found that many readily-available fuseholders are rated for 20 amps. My wife obtained a 30 amp version from an online electronics component supplier.

[Brettwieland]

I am replacing the old electric jack. The wire on the exterior is obvious, but once it goes into the belly pan with the 7 way plug/brake/etc wires I am not sure which wire on the interior is the jack.

However, if the purpose is as stated, to be inline prior to the distro box for store mode, I'm pretty confident that that jack wire is the one I pointed to in white in my image above.

[richw46]

Originally Posted by Brettwieland

I am replacing the old electric jack. The wire on the exterior is obvious, but once it goes into the belly pan with the 7 way plug/brake/etc wires I am not sure which wire on the interior is the jack.

However, if the purpose is as stated, to be inline prior to the distro box for store mode, I'm pretty confident that that jack wire is the one I pointed to in white in my image above.

A couple of thoughts on what to do. You can cut the wire going to the belly pan and instead terminate it in the battery box. My 2006 goes from the jack to the battery box, doesn't enter the AS body.

At Lowes many years ago I bought a device, tracer thing, where you put part of the device on one end of a wire/plug and then use the other part, a sensor, to see where that wire goes, what the other end is connected to. That might help you locate the inside wire.

Look on Amazon for wire tracer/tracker. This one is $40
https://www.amazon.com/Sperry-Instru.../dp/B00279JLBQ