The great Airstream fuse hunt!

It was a dark and stormy night ...

... but it didn't have to be. Something had gone wrong in the Airstream, and the inhabitants didn't have a spare fuse. Or, perhaps they couldn't figure out where it was supposed to go! 

You see, not all of the fuses in an Airstream are found in the fuse panel. There are others "hidden" in various places. If you're wondering why something electrical isn't working even though all the fuses in the main panel look good, this might answer the question.

The main fuse panel is the first place to look, especially if several electrical things go off at the same time, like multiple lights. This panel is typically located under the refrigerator (like the image above, in this article) or gaucho (in the dinette). But if all of those fuses are good and there's only one thing not working, you might need to find a "hidden" fuse.

You can find these fuses in two different ways:

First, check your Owner's Manual, in the "Maintenance" section.

If you can't find your Owner's Manual, this blog includes a link to Airstream Owner's Manuals for every model and year dating back decades.

In the Maintenance section of the manual you'll find electrical diagrams. The key one is the "12-Volt Main Schematic". There you will find many fuses and breakers, like the ones pictured above and below. For example, the "10A" inside the double box means it's a 10-amp fuse.

There are lots of specialized fuses indicated in the diagram. Don't get too hung up on knowing where every single fuse is, because it's likely you'll never need to replace one of these.

Second, go poking around!  The "gotcha" with the diagrams in the Owner's Manual is that they don't show fuses installed in specific appliances, such as refrigerator, fan, solar controller, etc. Generally you have to look up the Owner's Manual for each appliance and see what the manufacturer says on the subject.

Since that's a tedious project, we'll get you started with a few places you might find fuses specific to individual appliances—along with a video that walks you through some of them.

Power hitch jack

The hitch jack up front is wired directly to the battery, so it has its own fuse in a plastic fuse holder. You'll find it along one of the wires that goes to the battery.

These are sometimes "slow-blow fuses" – a type of fuse that can handle a temporary surge current that exceeds the current rating of the fuse. The safety benefit of a slow-blow fuse is that it won't just blow when there is a temporary surge current that exceeds the fuse's current rating. It's got to receive a consistent and elevated current above its normal rating before it will. 

Another type of safety device sometimes used for hitch jacks is a "shortstop breaker", which can be reset and used again, unlike a traditional fuse. Some types of shortstop breakers are auto-resetting, others need to be manually reset.

Solar charge port

Airstream trailers made after 2015 have solar charge ports mounted to the right front A-frame (just behind the propane tanks). This port is used for portable solar panels, and it usually has a 10 or 20 amp fuse in a plastic holder like the one for the hitch jack. This is the what the solar charge port fuse and holder look like:

If you have an Airstream with a 10 amp fuse for the solar port, keep in mind that a 200-watt portable solar panel can produce enough power to blow it. We generally replace these fuses with 20 amp versions, as the wiring is able to handle it. The latest versions of the AIR GEAR Portable Solar Kit come with a spare 20 amp fuse and instructions on how to replace it.

Refrigerator control board

Many refrigerators have on-board fuses, which you can usually access from the outside refrigerator door. There have been so many models of Dometic and Norcold refrigerators installed in Airstreams that we can't say for sure which type or quantity of fuses your refrigerator may require. Check the Owner's Manual for the refrigerator (not the general Airstream Owner's Manual) to find out.

Or, look it up online, using the model number of your refrigerator. The model number is usually on a sticker inside the refrigerator compartment. Then you can download the manual as a PDF for safekeeping on your computer.

Solar charge controller, SmartShunt, and solar panels

If you have factory solar on a late model Airstream, there's a fuse somewhere attached to the solar charge controller. Typically the solar charge controller is hidden below a bed or couch, toward the front of travel trailers.

If your battery monitoring isn't working, check the wires coming from the Victron SmartShunt (if you have one installed), as there may be 1-amp in-line fuses there.

Believe it or not, there might even be a fuse on your roof! The factory-installed solar port on the roof could have a 35-amp shortstop fuse in it. This is to prevent further damage if the panels themselves develop internal shorts.

Macerating toilet

Macerating toilets were only installed on a few years and models of Airstreams, so this isn't terribly common. But if the macerator stops working, the fuse is the first thing to check. It will be mounted on or very near the toilet.

Usually this fuse blows because someone has put something they shouldn't in the toilet, like a "flushable" wipe. If you aren't sure what you should and should not put down an Airstream toilet, this No-Nonsense Guide to RV Toilet and Sewer Maintenance may be helpful.

Fantastic Vents and Maxxair Maxxfans

All Fantastic Vents have old-school glass fuses in them, located up in the body of the fan in a black twist-off holder. Generally they're 5 amp fuses. It's always a good idea to have one of these on hand as a spare, and they're simple to replace.

Maxxair Maxxfans have a self-resetting fuse on the circuit board. To reset it, just turn off the power (flip the Airstream's "battery disconnect" to "STORE" or "OFF" and unplug from shore power). When you re-connect, the fuse should be reset. 

Range hood

Many range hoods used by Airstream have their own, unusual, fuses. To find out if yours does, check the Owner's Manual in the Maintenance section, under "Suggested Maintenance and Replacement Parts." If a fuse is installed, it may be listed as a replacement part.

Many others!  These appliances also have fuses: water heater, propane gas detector, and inverter. Basically, if one particular thing stops working and all the main panel fuses look good, you should consider the possibility of an appliance-specific fuse, and go get the manufacturer's manual.

Check out this video we made a few years ago, which shows where to find many of the hidden fuses in this article.

A few final Tips

Most fuses used in Airstreams (including all of the ones in the main fuse panel) are mini blade fuses, like those used in cars. They're really easy to get at hardware and auto parts stores. Take the old fuses with you to the store if you're not sure which type you need. Keep in mind they come in different amperage ratings (the number printed on the fuse) and you need to replace with the exact same rating and type of fuse.

If you have our Maintenance Essentials Kit, you already have all the fuses needed for the main panel, and perhaps several other places. Unusual fuses, like slow-blow types and weird sizes that might be needed for the refrigerator, can be found online.