Wiring 12v 30A resettable circuit breaker

[Jshoe]

So after 30 amp landing gear (lippert) fuse continued to blow, i decided to add a 30amp resettable breaker, like has been recommended by several. After installing said breaker my fuse still blows. If i could figure out how to add a photo i would? I will attempt to give written description.

"Hot" wire leads from power source and ties in to wire terminal on what looks like an enclosed fuse/circuit board. This is also where the 30 amp fuse is located. Next to this wire terminal is the ground wire terminal. On the other side of this fuse/circuit board is a vertical row of wire terminals. Two of these wire terminals send the power to the landing gear motor,(1 white wire, 1 white/black wire).

I installed the circuit breaker on the "Hot" wire that leads from the batteries to the fuse/circuit board. I dont understand how the original fuse is still blowing after installing the circuit breaker. Should i have installed the breaker on the hot wire leading from the other side of the fuse/circuit board,(the one that goes to the motor)?

Lastly: I think I have eliminated about every possible cause for the landing gear fuse to blow. Are these motor prone to cause this issue? Thanks

Jerry

[chuckster57]

Welcome to the forum!!

If your having issues with fuses for the landing gear, the first thing I would do is see how many amps they are drawing. If they "over amping" then the closest "protection" will kick in, this case the fuse.

Have you measured amps when extending the landing gear?

[Jshoe]

i have only checked the voltage, not the amps. I cant find any drops in voltage. I see in your signature block that you retired from law enforcement. I have four more years to go.

[chuckster57]

Be safe and watch your back!!

You need to measure both. Measurements need to be done with fully charged batteries, unplugged from shore power. Have you load tested the batteries? Troubleshooting electrical issues can be time consuming, but you need to eliminate things one by one until you find the problem. Then you can fix it once and be done.

[Jshoe]

Batteries are fully charged and not plugged in to shore power. I was able to attach a picture to my original post. I'm starting to think it is the motor, but hate to purchase a motor until i am more certain.

[sourdough]

Read the draw on the motor; it should tell you.

[Jshoe]

pardon my ignorance. How do I "read the draw on the motor"? Admittedly, electrical issues are my weakness.

[chuckster57]

Originally Posted by sourdough

Read the draw on the motor; it should tell you.

There may be a label on the motor that will give you rated voltage and amps. Measuring the amp draw requires a clamp on meter that can read DC amps. Most large home improvement stores will have one.

[hankpage]

Fuses usually blow faster than circuit breakers. Is there a reason for not just replacing the fuse with a reset-able one? Personally, I don't see any reason for having double protection on that circuit. Does the fuse blow while on shore power or connected to running TV??

[Pull Toy]

If I read your post correctly, you added an inline breaker to the circuit, but left the original fuse in place, between the board and the motor. This fuse should be replaced by the breaker, not supplemented. As already mentioned, the fuse is still the weak link, and usually blows first, due to tolerance differences.

As also already mentioned, you will need to be sure that the draw of the motor is not exceeding the spec's. If 30 amps is constantly blowing, there is possibly a problem.

Good Luck,

[BuxCamper]

Self resetting breakers work on heat. They get warm from too much current flowing through them and a bimetallic strip bends and opens the circuit. When it cools the strip bends back and the circuit closes. Yes that process is slower than a fuse.

Sent from my LG-H810 using Tapatalk

[Jshoe]

So I did as recommended. I removed additional circuit breaker. Removed fuse and replaced with a resettable breaker/fuse. Still have not checked amp draw on motor,(not certain how exactly to do that). When retracting or extending gear, motor starts out strong. After a few seconds it begins to strain and then blow fuse,( now breaker). I did notice this afternoon that the black and red wire coming from motor begins to get warm just before it blows fuse.

[chuckster57]

Beginning to sound like the motor is shot. You need one of these to measure amp draw:

https://m.lowes.com/pd/Southwire-Dig...Meter/50125833