2015 Escape 19 battery system fail...and fix

Fraxescape · 01-27-2021, 11:36 PM

Last fall when we were camping off the grid with our Escape, everything turned off. No lights, no pump, no nothing. I had the batteries tested (two 6 volt deep cycles), and I was told one was bad, and since they were 5 years old, I replaced them. Things were ok for a little while, and then it happened again. First I'm running the pump and everything turns off. I run around in a tizzy, and suddenly it all turns on. Then on another trip, in the middle of a cold autumn night with the heater running, everything shuts down.
I took the trailer to a local shop, and they couldn't replicate the problem. I wrote Escape, and Dustin suggested it was a bad circuit-breaker. Well, I looked and looked and there wasn't a 50-amp circuit breaker like he told me. I looked some more, and realized that there was a 50-amp fuse attached to the batteries. The fuse connector was corroded. There was good voltage at the battery, but just a peep in the trailer. Mystery solved! The poor connection was dropping the voltage, and when there was a load the voltage dropped more and the system cut out. If you leave it alone for a while with no load it cuts back on. Now they were so corroded they didn't work at all.
Solution - cut out the fuse and splice the wire, and replace it with a 50-amp thermal circuit breaker recommended by Dustin, and standard on newer models. Last weekend, for the first time in months, we had a great weekend camping off the grid and everything worked great!
I tell this story in case it ever happens to you. Get rid of that fuse!

Tonny LR · 01-28-2021, 10:06 AM

Thank you for sharing the 50-amp thermal circuit breaker replacement info. Would you please share the source of obtaining it and part number. I soon will be replacing my batteries which are 7 year years old.

Tonny LR

NuthatchBC · 01-28-2021, 11:05 AM

Where is this 50amp fuse located?

Doug

Eggscape · 01-28-2021, 11:12 AM

It has also been noted to tighten all electrical screws and nuts in the electrical system at least once after you get your trailer.
Taking the proper precautions to remove all sources of harmful power first, ensure that all the screws inside the power panels are tight as well as the ground nut on the back of the box.

Fraxescape · 01-28-2021, 01:07 PM

To quote Dustin:
"Most automotive shops with have this 50 amp resettable circuit breaker. You may also find something similar online here:
.
I got the part at a NAPA store.

The fuse on my trailer was in a little plastic case hanging off the batteries outside.

rubicon327 · 01-28-2021, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NuthatchBC

Where is this 50amp fuse located?

Doug

Doug: Hopefully I don't confuse the issue. Our 2010 19 (not much older than yours) did not have a fuse by the battery. Escape started adding these later. Ours did have a 30A auto reset circuit breaker under the drivers side dinette bench. Like this: https://www.autozone.com/starting-ch...hb-r/32372_0_0

I just upgraded the wiring recently on the main 12V circuit to 6AWG and went the opposite direction of the OP. I added a 60A Maxi fuse near the battery positive because this is the best location to protect wiring if there is a battery short. The 30A circuit breaker was removed. Although I did add a 40A circuit breaker onto the incoming 7-pin charge line. It's all covered here:
https://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f...ded-19733.html

davidmurphy02 · 01-28-2021, 03:25 PM

This is what our 2019 5.0 has at the battery.

rubicon327 · 01-28-2021, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidmurphy02

This is what our 2019 5.0 has at the battery.

David: I'm pretty sure that 200A fuse is used on a larger (2AWG?) positive line going to an inverter. Not the main 12V circuit to the power center. Do you have a fuse on the other positive wire shown?

davidmurphy02 · 01-28-2021, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rubicon327

David: I'm pretty sure that 200A fuse is used on a larger (2AWG?) positive line going to an inverter. Not the main 12V circuit to the power center. Do you have a fuse on the other positive wire shown?

I'll have to check that next time I'm over at the trailer. That would make sense and explain why such a high capacity fuse. Pretty sure there is a 30 amp or so breaker under the back bench, most likely on that other positive line feeding the power center.

rubicon327 · 01-28-2021, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rubicon327

I just upgraded the wiring recently on the main 12V circuit to 6AWG and went the opposite direction of the OP. I added a 60A Maxi fuse near the battery positive because this is the best location to protect wiring if there is a battery short.

How I wrote this might not sound right. We didn’t go in opposite directions - just a different approach with same results. I added a fuse because we didn’t have protection near the battery. Didn’t mean to imply that the OP didn’t maintain proper protection with a 50A auto reset circuit breaker very near the battery. Both should be acceptable. My point is if you have an early trailer without protection near the battery you should consider it.

Brian B-P · 01-28-2021, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidmurphy02

This is what our 2019 5.0 has at the battery.

That's the improper fuse installation that Escape has done for a while. The location is fine, but these fuses are not intended to support the load of an attached cable; they are to be used in a proper holder. You might want to fix that before it fails; Tom's recent thread Installed 2/0 battery cables shows the improperly installed fuse and the installation fixed with a holder.

davidmurphy02 · 01-28-2021, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

That's the improper fuse installation that Escape has done for a while. The location is fine, but these fuses are not intended to support the load of an attached cable; they are to be used in a proper holder. You might want to fix that before it fails; Tom's recent thread Installed 2/0 battery cables shows the improperly installed fuse and the installation fixed with a holder.

Thanks for the heads up on that!

NEWYORKHILLBILLY · 01-28-2021, 06:25 PM

My 2020 escape has no fuse at battery But there is a 50 amp auto reset inside the trailer .

I going to be adding a inverter and 200 amp fuse at the battery .samlex makes a fuse that is designed to mounted on the battery post and exposed to the weather. This may be a good replacement for th one escape uses

https://www.samlexamerica.com/produc....aspx?cid=SS15

tdf-texas · 01-28-2021, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NEWYORKHILLBILLY

My 2020 escape has no fuse at battery But there is a 50 amp auto reset inside the trailer .

I going to be adding a inverter and 200 amp fuse at the battery .samlex makes a fuse that is designed to mounted on the battery post and exposed to the weather. This may be a good replacement for th one escape uses

https://www.samlexamerica.com/produc....aspx?cid=SS15

I looked at the MRBF fuse holders but they are 1 3/4" high and wouldn't fit inside my battery box.

https://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f...tml#post357259

NEWYORKHILLBILLY · 01-28-2021, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tdf-texas

I looked at the MRBF fuse holders but they are 1 3/4" high and wouldn't fit inside my battery box.

https://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f...tml#post357259

That's a good point. might not work on the 21' . in fact

I may have to do some plywood work on the 19'

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