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Old 03-11-2013, 08:57 PM   #1
Vince & Virginia
 
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1969 21' Globetrotter
Riverside , California
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Electrical connections in the Tongue

I am paint stripping and repainting my a-frame and in the process, pulled out the tangle of wires that connect the electric tongue jack and emergency break-away switch.

Off popped a wire nut with a dried-out piece of electrical tape. Obviously, I need to clean up these connections, but what is the proper way to do it? It all gets tucked in behind the jack tube, vibrates like crazy and gets wet. Wire nuts and electrical tape seem like a very bad idea.

How do you properly secure these connections against the elements?

Thanks!
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Old 03-12-2013, 12:10 AM   #2
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1964 22' Safari
modesto , California
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I would use weather resistant crimp connectors and shrink fit tubing.
The connectors look similar to the regular crimp connectors (different color) but they are filled with water proof goo inside.
Undo your mess, slide on a piece of shrink fit tubing over the wires, make your crimp connections and slide the shrink fit back over your splice and heat to seal. Then a covering with electrical tape to finish...
Secure it all with wire ties.
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Old 03-12-2013, 01:10 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by batman View Post
I would use weather resistant crimp connectors and shrink fit tubing.
The connectors look similar to the regular crimp connectors (different color) but they are filled with water proof goo inside.
Undo your mess, slide on a piece of shrink fit tubing over the wires, make your crimp connections and slide the shrink fit back over your splice and heat to seal. Then a covering with electrical tape to finish...
Secure it all with wire ties.
All good advice.
I would add a couple of points. Make sure the wire ends are clean and show no signs of corrosion before crimping into the connector.
Use a proper crimp tool! Get a ratcheting crimp tool before you begin, there is a thread here somewhere in the forums on this very subject with good recommendations, the tool is imperative.
I like Ancor brand connectors. Expensive but very good quality designed for the marine environment. You do not need hundreds so the cost is easily rationalized.
Finally, I have slowly learned to substitute self vulcanizing tape for electrical tape for connections exposed to the elements, even over heat shrink, as you can not be too careful.
Bruce
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Old 03-12-2013, 07:18 AM   #4
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If you have a proper ratcheting crimp tool then the crimp connectors are good enough, and I've come to use them extensively.

Solder and heat shrink is old school and doesn't require the ratchet tool, and is maybe a little more reliable if you do it right. It's more time consuming that the crimp connectors.
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Old 03-12-2013, 09:16 AM   #5
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Solder done properly is a good way to repair wires.
Most solder repairs are not done properly. I argued that solder was my preferred connection of choice at a demonstration of AMP connectors and was given a very public demonstration of why I was wrong.

I tend to crimp these days....
Bruce
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