Blown Fuse...

[BEPPEQ]

Hi Everyone,

Have a problem with my new trailer.

My 10amp fuse keeps on blowing. When I plug in my trailer after a new fuse, it works for a while and them without doing anything the fuse seems to blow. I've checked all the wires and the only thing I can find odd was a burnt out light bulb.

Could this cause the blown fuse or is it a short? And if it was a short, would it not blow as soon as I turned on my truck and send power through the wires?

Thanks everyone, any advice would be great!

BeppeQ

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Blown Fuse...

how many bulbs do you have on the trailer that burn at the same time. count them and add up the load.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Blown Fuse...

Fuses blow for two reasons: 1) a short circuit or 2) too much current. Too much current is caused by too many bulbs. Look at it this way -- If you had a 3 amp fuse in a circuit that had four bulbs each of which drew 1 amp of current, that 3 amp fuse blow every time. It its the tail light fuse that blows, your new trailer likely has 9 lights on that circuit if the trailer is over 80 inches wide and six if its under 80 inches. at 1/2 - 3/4 amp each you can easily exceed the 10A fuse rating.

 

[BEPPEQ]

Re: Blown Fuse...

Thanks for the reply guys.

My trailer has 6 side lights, 2 tail lights and 3 small lights under the back of the trailer. (hope that makes sense)

I understand the idea re:fuse and the amps but my truck has one of those modulite adapters so I am assuming the 10A fuse is for that.

Either way......

I spent a couple hours taking a look at the wiring but couldn't see anything "visible" but when I put the wires back into the trailer frame it now works fine.

Can't explain it but my best guess would be that something was touching the frame and when i pulled on the wires it's not touching anymore. I know, I know, a temp fix but at least it's working now.

Thanks again!

BeppeQ

 

[fdmsiv]

Re: Blown Fuse...

I had a surface mounted side light with a positive wire and plate/stud made contact with the trailer for a ground. The side light was the culprit, I think it was a wiess wedge shape light. Anyway, the metal ground plate was pinching the pos. wire and was blowing the fuse. Took me a long and frustrating afternoon trying to figure out what was going on. In the end I had to tape the wire down and put a spacer in the light before remounting. Total PITA