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03-25-2021, 06:50 PM
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#1
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2 Rivet Member
2015 20' Flying Cloud
Cincinnati
, Ohio
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 26
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Fried USB Charging Ports
We have a 2015 FC20. The bedroom has two dual USB charging ports. While charging two phones (not connected to shore power), we detected a burnt electrical smell. We've charged the same pair of phones here for a couple of years. The ports were very warm to the touch. Unplugged and removed the ports. The Airstream wiring coming to the ports looks to be relatively heavy gauge (unmeasured). The wires are spade connected to six inches of thinner 20 AWG wire that are part of the ports.
I want to replace these with higher quality product. Any suggestions for a brand to look for? Marinco looks interesting, but I'm looking for some community expertise.
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03-25-2021, 06:58 PM
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#2
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Rivet Master
2007 22' International CCD
Corona
, California
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 9,180
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Look at Blue Sea Systems products. Heavy duty intended for use on boats.
__________________
Rich, KE4GNK/AE, Overkill Engineering Dept.
'The Silver HamShack' ('07 International 22FB CCD 75th Anniversary)
Multiple Yaesu Ham Radios inside and many antennae sprouting from roof, ProPride hitch, Prodigy P2 controller.
2012 shortbed CrewMax 4x4 Toyota Tacoma TV with more antennae on it.
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03-25-2021, 08:27 PM
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#3
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Overkill Specialist
Commercial Member
2020 30’ Globetrotter
2014 23' International
Dadeville
, Alabama
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 4,516
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BlueSea is the way to go. It’s all I will use.
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03-25-2021, 09:01 PM
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#4
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3 Rivet Member
2014 27' Flying Cloud
Rancho Cordova
, California
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 185
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Not that it will be easy find in the spec sheet but if it states: "USB Battery Charging 1.2" it should be able to charge at 5 Amps. Most USB devices will state they will charge at 2.1 or 2.3 amps which is fine, but if it doesn't state the charge amps it will probably charge at the original standard of 1.5 amps, stay away from those.
I agree with the previous posters Blue Sea is good, I order it through PKYS.
The price usually is determined by the charging amperage for the most part, you will be paying a premium for the higher standard.
The Blue Sea 1045 Fast Charge 4.8 Amp Dual USB Charger (2.4 amp per plug) is around $37.
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03-25-2021, 09:32 PM
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#5
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2 Rivet Member
2015 20' Flying Cloud
Cincinnati
, Ohio
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 26
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3 replies and 3 votes for BlueSea. That's what I'm going to order. Thanks for the advice.
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03-26-2021, 09:21 AM
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#6
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Half a Rivet Short
2017 30' Classic
2022 Interstate 24X
Carlisle
, Pennsylvania
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 15,684
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Hi
Be aware that some modern usb charge gizmos deliver a *lot* of power. If you get into USB-C, power levels up around 100W ( so the equivalent of 20A at 5V) get mentioned. Finding something like that as a drop in ... probably not so much.
That said, yup, go with Blue Sea
Bob
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03-28-2021, 04:34 PM
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#7
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2 Rivet Member
2015 20' Flying Cloud
Cincinnati
, Ohio
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 26
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Quote:
Originally Posted by uncle_bob
Hi
Be aware that some modern usb charge gizmos deliver a *lot* of power. If you get into USB-C, power levels up around 100W ( so the equivalent of 20A at 5V) get mentioned. Finding something like that as a drop in ... probably not so much.
That said, yup, go with Blue Sea
Bob
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Luckily, our two phones will draw 4.2 amp between them. The Blue Sea 1045 is capable of 4.8 amp. The stock AS receptacle is only good for 2.1. Makes sense that we fried it. Only surprise is that it didn't happen sooner.
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03-28-2021, 08:56 PM
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#8
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4 Rivet Member
2022 27' Globetrotter
Asheville
, North Carolina
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 396
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Had the same problem with my 2016 FC25FB. The cheap factory unit had no thermal protection and was very hot to the touch. Replaced it yesterday with a USB 3.0 charger I found on Amazon from Cariamn. What I liked about this unit was the overcharge and thermal protection but was sold on its use of an on/off switch. If the unit is lit blue it is on. If it’s dark, it’s off.
As we boondock a much as possible, extending the usable battery amp hours by cutting vampire draws is a constant effort. Even if your USB ports are working fine, just being able to turn them off when not in use is worth the effort. We needed to enlarge the hole slightly for the replacement unit but otherwise was an easy project.
On our trailer, the grey #14 wire was the positive lead and the white was the negative.
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03-29-2021, 06:36 AM
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#9
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Half a Rivet Short
2017 30' Classic
2022 Interstate 24X
Carlisle
, Pennsylvania
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 15,684
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Hi
I've gone through an alarming number of aftermarket 12V to "high power" USB chargers. None of them seem to be made well enough to run a Mac laptop for months and months.
Bob
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09-27-2021, 06:29 PM
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#10
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1 Rivet Member
2017 28' Flying Cloud
Upstate NY
, New York
Join Date: Aug 2021
Posts: 17
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I tried replacing one of my USB’s that stopped working with two different new ones. I even tried the Blue Sea 1045. I wired it all up, but noting worked. I test the wires in the closet to the USB and they’re reading about 3.8 amps so there is power to the outlet. I called Airstream service and they told me some of the USB outlets are sometimes powered differently. Anyone else had a problem getting a new one to work when it’s still showing power to the outlet? The USB on the other side of the bed still works but he one by the DVD stopped. Our camper is a 2017 FC 28 RBQ. They all worked a few weeks ago when we bought this camper.
I should also mention that on one side there is a black wire and a white wire. The other side (by the bed) has a black and a pink wire.
Wouldn’t they typically use the same colored wires on each side?
Thanks for any help!
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09-28-2021, 08:21 AM
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#11
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Half a Rivet Short
2017 30' Classic
2022 Interstate 24X
Carlisle
, Pennsylvania
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 15,684
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Deano112
I tried replacing one of my USB’s that stopped working with two different new ones. I even tried the Blue Sea 1045. I wired it all up, but noting worked. I test the wires in the closet to the USB and they’re reading about 3.8 amps so there is power to the outlet. I called Airstream service and they told me some of the USB outlets are sometimes powered differently. Anyone else had a problem getting a new one to work when it’s still showing power to the outlet? The USB on the other side of the bed still works but he one by the DVD stopped. Our camper is a 2017 FC 28 RBQ. They all worked a few weeks ago when we bought this camper.
I should also mention that on one side there is a black wire and a white wire. The other side (by the bed) has a black and a pink wire.
Wouldn’t they typically use the same colored wires on each side?
Thanks for any help!
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Hi
The normal way to check a wire (to see if it is live) is to measure its voltage rather than its current.
If the wire has 3.8V on it, that's a problem. There likely is an "upstream" DC/DC converter that has fried. The converter should put out 5V. You would wire it to a straight USB plug rather than an adapter.
The USB by the DVD likely is a straight plug ( = just wires) that goes to the back of the DVD to get power. If you are on shore power and the DVD is on ... you get power to that USB. It is also possible that your "pink wire" USB is the same sort of thing, there's a "wall wart" buried somewhere that feeds it off of shore power / the inverter.
Back in the day, USB was a low power sort of thing. The load talked back and forth to the supply and they figured out how much current to run. There was a practical max limit of an amp or two. That was long ago.
Now some USB gizmos seem to be quite happy pulling 2X or 3X the old maximum limit. Plug in two devices and you are *way* over. Pretty much guaranteed destruction of your USB outlet.
Bob
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09-29-2021, 06:47 AM
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#12
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1 Rivet Member
2017 28' Flying Cloud
Upstate NY
, New York
Join Date: Aug 2021
Posts: 17
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I discovered I had a blown fuse (#7). It looks like that fuse is for the woofer according to the information in the panel box. Once I replaced the fuse, the USB near the DVD started working again and I was able to get the new one working as well. Once I put in the new fuse, the voltage to the USB was reading 13.7 which was the same voltage as the battery in the camper according to the panel in the camper. Interesting that they are somehow connected!
Thanks,
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09-29-2021, 08:32 AM
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#13
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Rivet Master
2017 26' Flying Cloud
Tampa
, Florida
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 7,638
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Although the USB ports output 5 v, the voltage going IN is 12 v dc.
There are no 5 v. circuits. The conversion is done in the outlet itself.
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