Ground wire came lose

[breeves2245]

New Passport SL 229RK. Installing my new trojan 6 volt batteries. While hooking up the negative the other end of the wire came out from the camper side. Can't see where is came from.

Looks like a ground (black) wire is coming out of the giggy box and fastened to the frame. But I can't figure where the lose end of the ground wire from the battery goes. It has about a 1/2" of stripped wire, like it slipped out of connector.

Any ideas where I need to put it back in?

[Lee]

Hi,

With RV unplugged from shore power... can you open the giggy box to see if the cable goes there?

Theoretically, the ground wire can go to any frame mounted location.

[breeves2245]

I found a diagram of the giggy box. Looks like it goes there. Probably slipped out of the connector. I'm headed back to storage now to see if I can take off the giggy box and open it up to reconnect the wire. If that gets to be a hassle, are you saying I'm good to go just grounding it to the frame?

Don't care about the giggy box functionality for now.

[skids]

WHAT is a giggy box?

[ChuckS]

Originally Posted by skids

WHAT is a giggy box?

Another one of Keystones marvelous creations...

https://www.keystonerv.com/innovations/giggy-box

[jasin1]

Sounds like they let a 4 year old name it giggy box

[flybouy]

If I remember corectly Giggy was the last name of the person that developed it.

[JRTJH]

Yep, This is from a Keystone press release:

The Keystone Innovation Lab would like to introduce you to one of our Keystone Exclusives: The Giggy Box. This 12-volt power distribution box was created by & named after Keystone engineer Brad Giggy. Watch the video & head to our website to learn more about this innovation exclusive to Keystone RV!

You can thank Brad Giggy for that "broken ground connection that you can't find".....

[wiredgeorge]

Brad Giggy's wife was named Twiggy.

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

Brad Giggy's wife was named Twiggy.

I thought it was part of a hyphenated last name. First name Get, last name Giggy-Withit.

[Paul2]

I have a 2022 passport 221bh. It had a small ground wire from the battery to the frame connection (same place as the black wire from the Giggy box). I have the 400i solar so there is the large ground wire running to the shunt and then to the frame ground. Note that in order for the shunt to read properly, I had to remove the small ground wire which was bypassing the shunt which is a no-no. If you don't have the pre-installed solar it should have probably been from battery ground to the frame post next to the Giggy box or directly to the common ground in the Giggy box. Those should be the same within a few inches.

[breeves2245]

I took off the front plate of the Giggy box. The ground wire slipped out of the crimp connection. I re-crimped it and good to go.

Just a deal when you look for where it came loose, it's not obvious until you take off the front plate.

[Kzneft]

Yes, sometimes those Jr High guys putting together your RV don't crimp things as they should. Doesn't surprise me. In my Carbon I had to go through the whole distribution box and tighten all the grounding wires, and many of the rest of the wires.

[wiredgeorge]

Crimp connectors are an abomination. If you can solder, a drop where the wire goes through the connector helps. It also helps to crimp with the proper tool. I have done a lot of motorcycle wiring and generally would not use crimp connectors unless they were the eye type that had to be screwed down and then I daubed them with solder.

[Dennis Booker]

Actually crimp connections are very safe and secure when done properly aircraft have used them for the last 40 years plus as they save a lot of weight over soldered connections. I was an RCAF mechanic for 39 Years in Canada, but as stated previously they have to be properly crimped with the right equipment.

[hornet28]

If you do any replacement of the umbilical cord consider this time of junction box. I've used it 2 or 3 trailers in the past and it works great

[Dennis Booker]

Originally Posted by hornet28

If you do any replacement of the umbilical cord consider this time of junction box. I've used it 2 or 3 trailers in the past and it works great

that is a very nice and efficient solution and gets the connections out of the weather.

[hornet28]

Originally Posted by Dennis Booker

that is a very nice and efficient solution and gets the connections out of the weather.

It's much better than the funky metal residential outlet box manufacturers tend to use to cover the twisted together wires

[Balvar24]

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

Crimp connectors are an abomination. If you can solder, a drop where the wire goes through the connector helps. It also helps to crimp with the proper tool. I have done a lot of motorcycle wiring and generally would not use crimp connectors unless they were the eye type that had to be screwed down and then I daubed them with solder.

My RV guys used a set of needle nose to crimp mine. That was an abomination.

[flybouy]

The key to successful crimp connections is the proper size terminal for the wire and using a quality tool to crimp with. You should never solder a wire terminal that is not made to be soldered. A "cold solder" joint can be created when insufficiant heat is applied to the 2 metals for them to join. With an insulated terminal you will melt the plastic insulator to apply sufficiant heat.