Learning the hard way
A while back I put in two extra 12 volt plugs in the cabin to run our Electro-Warmth Bunk Warmer which is fantastic, oh so warm & comfortable . I used the uninsulated solderless terminal connectors for the side terminal connection since I had them on hand & it was inside the tear.
I put electrical tape on them just for good measure as usual (I use the insulated ones on the exterior where needed). Everything worked just fine until the day I took the tear to the car wash. Unbeknownst to me, apparently the vibration made one of those female connectors come loose. Several days passed with us using the bunk warmer plugged into another outlet until I had time to see what had gone wrong. Last night I noticed the batteries were discharging to the point of being totally drained, so I shut the system down . This morning I soldered that connector and re-taped it and added more strain relief connectors to keep everything in place. Since the batteries were completely drained I recharged them on my trusty ole’ Schumacher 10/30/50 amp battery charger. My onboard 12 volt 1.25 Battery Tender won't charge if the batteries are below 3 amps. After charging I found out I had fried the Battery Tender and the warranty is voided since I cut the AC cord to shorten it. Today I ordered the waterproof 5 amp Battery Tender that I’ve wanted for sometime now since it will do a better job for 2 batteries . Live & learn the hard way sometimes . Whatever you do don’t cut the cord!!
At our brand new Walmart they now stock insulated & uninsulated solderless terminal connectors in the same quantity and at the same price, I’ll be buying & using the insulated ones from now on for everything. Danny