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Topic ClosedNeed Help with Switch for Electric Tongue Jack
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Ben Herman View Drop Down
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Posts: 355 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Need Help with Switch for Electric Tongue Jack
    Posted: 12 Sep 2020 at 12:40pm
I recently installed an electric tongue jack on my 179. Works great, only concern that I have is that we park our trailer in our alley that sees a fair amount of foot traffic. I'm thinking that I want to install an inline switch that will turn off power to the jack when not in use, so that no one can mess with it. The power supply wire is 12 gauge, and it has a 30 amp inline fuse. Any ideas on where I can find a suitable switch for this? I'm not knowledgeable enough in 12v systems to know whether I need to match the amperage rating for a switch; assuming yeas, but not sure. Most of the switches that I see online are lighter-weight, for LED lights and such. 

Any advice would be appreciated.
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mjlrpod View Drop Down
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Posts: 1214 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Sep 2020 at 1:06pm
I share your concern, and have always kinda wanted to put a kill switch on mine. I'll be watching for suggestions too. I wouldn't mind a locking FWT cap either. 
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Sep 2020 at 1:45pm
Yes, if you install a switch, it needs to have the same or higher current rating as the fuse protercting it does. The fuse is there to protect from fires if you have a short somewhere in the circuit so everything downstream of the fuse should be rated at 30A or more.

12 gauge wire is generally only good for 20A though so the manufacturer already created a hazard. Sadly that is not uncommon. What might be best is to replace that 30A fuse with a 20A circuit breaker which could provide proper overcurrent protection as well as act as a switch. 

Say something like this:
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Ben Herman View Drop Down
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Posts: 355 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Sep 2020 at 3:46pm
Thanks for the suggestion, looks like a reasonable solution. Unfortunately the inline fuse is right up close to the controls so if I just swap this out, it'll be right where anyone can see it. I'm thinking that I can splice out the inline fuse and move the breaker somewhere further down the wire, where it can be hidden.
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Sep 2020 at 3:58pm
In that case you can just leave the 30A fuse where it is. Once you have a 20A breaker upstream of it it will never blow, because the breaker would trip first if you had a short. 
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CharlieM View Drop Down
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Posts: 1797 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Sep 2020 at 4:23pm
Another solution would be to install a lockable main battery disconnect switch if you don't already have one. Then rewire the jack power to the downstream (load) side of the switch. This would have the advantage of eliminating the constant load on the battery from the CO/Propane detector. In either case the 20A CB would be a good idea. 
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Ben Herman View Drop Down
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Posts: 355 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Sep 2020 at 5:01pm
Originally posted by CharlieM

Another solution would be to install a lockable main battery disconnect switch if you don't already have one. Then rewire the jack power to the downstream (load) side of the switch. This would have the advantage of eliminating the constant load on the battery from the CO/Propane detector. In either case the 20A CB would be a good idea. 

I'll look into that as well. It looks like the jack and the solar panel connection are wired directly to the positive side of the battery, so I'll have to figure out how to wire the switch so that they are "downstream". 
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mcarter View Drop Down
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Posts: 3419 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Sep 2020 at 5:12pm
I think better option is to disable battery, not jack. Not sure what concern is with raising or lowering a jack. It doesn't effect much without some other actions. I think I'd find a bigger fish.
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Pod_Geek View Drop Down
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Posts: 260 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Sep 2020 at 3:33pm
Remove the inline fuse?  Who runs around with 30A fuses in their pocket?
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Ben Herman View Drop Down
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Posts: 355 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Sep 2020 at 3:54pm
Originally posted by Pod_Geek

Remove the inline fuse?  Who runs around with 30A fuses in their pocket?

yeah, probably the easiest. Although I'd be the guy to go somewhere and lose the fuse. Only reason that I care about this is that if someone were to mess with it and raise/lower the jack, that it could potentially damage the scissor jacks and/or frame. Not likely, but want to take away that possibility.
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