Possible Alert: 30 amp fuse used in a 20 amp slot

Snoblett

Hi all,
I have been slowly getting to know all the nitty gritty details of my lovely  2021 Tab400 BDE.

one thing I’ve learned along the way is that NuCamp does not always maintain factory specifications of the component parts it uses from other manufacturers.  

I just put in a message to NuCamp Tech support and I will update when I get a response

i discovered that DC circuit slots 1-9 of my WFCO fuse box are specifically rated for no more than 20 amp fuses.  BUT, NuCamp installed my Norcold 4104 3-way fridge in slot #9 and placed a 30 amp fuse.

My question to NuCamp is whether the fridge really needs a 30 amp fuse.  

If it does require 30amp fuse, then the solution is to move the output wire to slot 10 or 11.   If it can be just fine with a 20 amp fuse, then the fuse just needs to be replaced.  Both are easy fixes.

I honestly don’t know whether this is a fire hazard.  I’m just going off the info that the manufacturer put on the sticker on the inside of the door panel.

Attached is a marked up photo showing my fridge dc circuit and the factory sticker describing the appropriate amperage fir slots 1-9.

TABNewbies

Hi @Snoblett. Same convertor details, labels and fuses as our 2021 TAB400 BD with 3 way fridge. The AC breaker for the 3 way fridge is 20A to note. The owners manual acknowledges the 20A DC rating with a comment that sometimes a 30A fuse is specified by nuCamp. The fridge install manual says max 30A fuse for up to 20 ft of wiring and aiming to minimize voltage drop.  Interested in the tech support response. Thanks.

Snoblett

Thanks @TABNewbies for digging into the refrigerator manuals and adding good info to the thread!  

I’ll post when I hear back from tech.  I expect probably Monday or Tuesday since I emailed on a Friday night.

ChrisFix

What is interesting to me is that fuses 10 and 11 are both empty and rated for 30A...so why didn't they just use those?

Snoblett

@ChrisFix
i was thinking the same thing.

I don’t know if this is a relatively recent change on the manufacturer of the fuse box, or if it’s a complete oversight on behalf of NuCamp.

Funky things can happen on the factory line, I suppose.

Snoblett

Here is the response from NuCamp.  Folks, check your DC circuits in your fuse box to be sure that your fridge is on a slot that is lower than is rated for the fridge!  You can DIY or take it to a dealer and it will be fixed under warranty.

” I talked to QC and they recommended moving the fridge wire from circuit 9 to 10. As well as the fuse and you should be good to go from there.

I will make a note of it for the line to make sure they are setting it up correctly. 

You can also have this done at the dealership and request warranty coverage.”

TABNewbies

Hi @Snoblett, many thanks, will make the change. Should be a quick DIY fix and nice item spotted. 

qhumberd

From my perspective this speaks well to NuCamp responding and providing a solution. Our trailers have a lot of production steps and I could see where this one mis connection could happen. Now this begs the question of what sort of quality checks are done on the line to prevent such issues. But I am glad that NuCamp saw this as a problem and did the responsible thing to support the customers.

jimcenname

In Oct 2021 nuCamp issued a service bulletin to move the fuse and wire to slot 10. The affected dates of manufacture are Jan 1-Nov 1, 2021. I have a 2019 model that was manufactured in 2018 with the same WFCO unit with the same warning label and wired incorrectly to slot 9. I think @Snoblett found the issue that caused the service bulletin. The Norcold fridge is wired to that slot in my T@B. The manufacturer's label on the fridge says it draws 16.4 amps in DC mode. I replaced the 30 amp fuse with a 20 amp fuse, though I don't run the fridge on DC.