How Do I Locate Which Fuse Is Bad In Our Motorhome?

by Brenda N Smith
(Yuma AZ)

We were installing a Digital Converter Box to the Video Switch Box in my Windsport Motorhome and after getting it all set up a fuse blew and now the Video Switch Box doesn't work. We checked the fuse panel in the bedroom and under the dash, and they both seemed okay ... how do I find which fuse is blown ... is there a general method to the madness of which fuses are for which areas?

I'm guessing that the fuses under the hood of the motorhome are for head and tail lights and things of this nature, but have no clue as to what the fuses under the dash operate or for that matter what most of them under the bed operate. How would I go about getting a diagrahm or schematic showing what each fuse function is and can you possibly tell me where the fuse that operates the Video Switch Box might be? Thank you for you time ...

Brenda

ANSWER Greetings Brenda thanks for submitting your question on our Ask An RV Question Page.

It sounds like you have blown a circuit breaker or tripped a GFCI outlets. Fuses are for the 12 volt system of your RV, the 120 volt system in your RV uses circuit breakers (just like the ones in your house) and some RVs also have GFCI outlet. Normally a video switch box plugs into a 120 volt outlet just like the Digital TV Converter Box.

The first thing I would check is to see if you have tripped one of your GFCI outlets. A GFCI outlet looks just like a normal electrical outlet except that it has two buttons on it and acts like a circuit breaker when there is a ground fault in the electrical system in the RV. When this GFCI outlet trips it also shuts down other electrical outlets in the RV. Normally these GFCI outlets are located in the bathroom, or kitchen area of the RV, but they can also be located in another part of the RV.

Look around the RV and see if any of these outlets are blown. The GFCI outlet has two buttons one is a test button and the other is the reset button. Make

sure you press the reset button. If it blows again soon after you reset it I would suggest that you get a qualified RV Technician to take a look at the RVs 120 volt electrical system to find the problem.

If you have checked all of your GFCI outlets and none of them have been tripped then it is time to check the circuit breakers in the RV. The circuit breakers are located in the electrical compartment in your RV. The location of the electrical compartment varies by RV manufacturer and floor plans. In the electrical compartment you will find the electric converter and the circuit breakers for your RV's 120 volt electrical system as well as the fuses for the 12 volt system for the house part of your RV. The 120 volt system circuit breakers work just like the ones in your house.

Reset any tripped circuit breakers you find, again if they immediately trip again, you need to have your RV checked for electrical problems.

Since you stated that you were installing a Digital TV Converter Box in your RV, I am hoping that you did not install the Digital TV Converter Box on the cable going from your RV's Antenna to the Video Switch Box. Depending on the type of antenna your RV has, there could be 12 volts running through that cable and it will fry the Digital TV Converter Box the minute you turn it on and it could also trip a circuit breaker or GFCI outlet. If you have questions on how to install a Digital TV Converter box on your RV see the answer I gave to this question submitted by one of visitors; How Do I Install A Digital TV Converter Box In My RV?

I hope that I have answered your question and if any of our visitors have any suggestions for you they can leave them by clicking on the add comments link located near the bottom of this page.

Happy RVing

RVing Al

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