- Joined
- Jul 27, 2019
- Messages
- 13,645
- Location
- Midlothian, VA
- RV Year
- 2017
- RV Make
- Newmar
- RV Model
- Ventana 4037
- RV Length
- 40' 10"
- Chassis
- Freightliner XCR
- Engine
- Cummins 400 HP
- TOW/TOAD
- 2017 Chevy Colorado
- Fulltimer
- No
As some may recall, I replaced the crappy smoke detectors Newmar installs with NEST Protect Smoke and CO detectors. I replaced the two in the house and installed three in the basement (battery bay with LiFePO4 and Victron components, Inverter bay, and shore power bay). What's nice about these smoke detectors, which I'm not sure are still available for purchase per a quick search is they give voice audibles, such as "Smoke in the basement" and they are very sensitive, they work! They are also Internet connected so you get notifications while away, or while home, on your phone.
I had hoped to not have "Story time by Neal" on this trip, it's been a quiet enjoyable trip to date barring the battle with the water pump which has been going on longer than I care to think about quickly solved by @NWIP to simply loosen it, I installed it too tight. I'm at a quiet campground nestled in the woods in southwestern VA just relaxing and enjoying some coach time. As I prepare to go to bed, of course that's when these things happen, the NEST lights up RED and audibles "Smoke in the basement, alarm is about to sound and will be loud." I fly out the door with my flashlight and start opening basement doors. Dammit, locked, unlock basement doors and try to figure out what and where. I smelled something fishy "electrical burning" a few days ago but couldn't find anything so I let it go. I check the battery bay thinking it had to be something there shorted, nope. Inverter must have fried..nope. Now the alarm is silencing giving an all clear as the doors open cleared the smoke which I really couldn't see. I figured it must be the OASIS as I've had this happen 2-3 times before due to poor installation by Newmar scraping insulation off of wires, a corroded wire, and now this. I checked if OASIS was working, it seemed to be, then bam NEST goes off again. I kill the two breakers, of course I can't read the labels and grabbed a light to find the breakers, turned off the AC I/II switch up front and ran to the basements again with the NEST blaring. What is unfortunate is none of the CG neighbors even budged. They're outside sitting at their fire or table, it's around 9'ish and no one cared to ask or help with smoke alarms clearly blaring.
With breakers off things remained clear and decided to resume football and leave this for the next day, nothing I can do now. My first guess was the 120V lines coming in as they are crammed in the tiny compartment. They were all intact but some were concerning so I cut, stripped, and wire nut those again.
I removed the hour meter and inspected under that and also from the front panel off inspected from there. All seemed okay but now I have a new problem, my access to the top of the OASIS is constrained as SES installed some of my electrical breakers and override in between the pass through bay and OASIS bay wall but I was able to make it work. I fired up OASIS again looking for evidence and saw faint smoke coming from under the hour meter panel area. I had a problem here once in the past with corrosion and a failed wire, and yep, I found the problem. I have no idea how this wire seemed to have a melt through and looks in terrible condition. I'm in the middle of nowhere, not sure where I'm going to find wire to splice in. Good thing though there was enough slack to cut this down past the burn through and put a crimp on the end. As I fear these wires may be melting from the heating elements I put two layers of heat shrink tubing over these. Connected and tested and all checks good now.
So the lesson learned from this story and my prior situations is you should consider a smoke detector in the basement. Would this cause a fire? I doubt it in that it's internal to the OASIS metal box. But you wouldn't know about it until your OASIS quit, which is fine too, but this is now my 3rd electrical incident along this line with OASIS.
Fun fun...hot shower followed and relaxation resumed, although with a torqued back now even though I did retract the FWS for this work, but A.G.E. syndrome continues to set in.
I had hoped to not have "Story time by Neal" on this trip, it's been a quiet enjoyable trip to date barring the battle with the water pump which has been going on longer than I care to think about quickly solved by @NWIP to simply loosen it, I installed it too tight. I'm at a quiet campground nestled in the woods in southwestern VA just relaxing and enjoying some coach time. As I prepare to go to bed, of course that's when these things happen, the NEST lights up RED and audibles "Smoke in the basement, alarm is about to sound and will be loud." I fly out the door with my flashlight and start opening basement doors. Dammit, locked, unlock basement doors and try to figure out what and where. I smelled something fishy "electrical burning" a few days ago but couldn't find anything so I let it go. I check the battery bay thinking it had to be something there shorted, nope. Inverter must have fried..nope. Now the alarm is silencing giving an all clear as the doors open cleared the smoke which I really couldn't see. I figured it must be the OASIS as I've had this happen 2-3 times before due to poor installation by Newmar scraping insulation off of wires, a corroded wire, and now this. I checked if OASIS was working, it seemed to be, then bam NEST goes off again. I kill the two breakers, of course I can't read the labels and grabbed a light to find the breakers, turned off the AC I/II switch up front and ran to the basements again with the NEST blaring. What is unfortunate is none of the CG neighbors even budged. They're outside sitting at their fire or table, it's around 9'ish and no one cared to ask or help with smoke alarms clearly blaring.
With breakers off things remained clear and decided to resume football and leave this for the next day, nothing I can do now. My first guess was the 120V lines coming in as they are crammed in the tiny compartment. They were all intact but some were concerning so I cut, stripped, and wire nut those again.
I removed the hour meter and inspected under that and also from the front panel off inspected from there. All seemed okay but now I have a new problem, my access to the top of the OASIS is constrained as SES installed some of my electrical breakers and override in between the pass through bay and OASIS bay wall but I was able to make it work. I fired up OASIS again looking for evidence and saw faint smoke coming from under the hour meter panel area. I had a problem here once in the past with corrosion and a failed wire, and yep, I found the problem. I have no idea how this wire seemed to have a melt through and looks in terrible condition. I'm in the middle of nowhere, not sure where I'm going to find wire to splice in. Good thing though there was enough slack to cut this down past the burn through and put a crimp on the end. As I fear these wires may be melting from the heating elements I put two layers of heat shrink tubing over these. Connected and tested and all checks good now.
So the lesson learned from this story and my prior situations is you should consider a smoke detector in the basement. Would this cause a fire? I doubt it in that it's internal to the OASIS metal box. But you wouldn't know about it until your OASIS quit, which is fine too, but this is now my 3rd electrical incident along this line with OASIS.
Fun fun...hot shower followed and relaxation resumed, although with a torqued back now even though I did retract the FWS for this work, but A.G.E. syndrome continues to set in.
