[A/S] Serious discovery!

["Philip Piper" <pmpiper@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

It is not my intent to scare anyone, but this could be really bad.

I have found that my 1966 Overlander has aluminum wiring. Not for the DC but 
for shore power. Aluminum wire was used for some years during the 1960s 
because of a copper shortage. Back then you could get $1.20 for 100 pennies 
at a junk yard.

First off this is ironic because my trailer has copper plumbing.

The problem is that aluminum wire gets loose under the heads of the terminal 
screws, usually only on the "ground" wire, which is the white one if it is 
wired to code. This may not sound like much but as time goes by it corrodes 
because it is loose which causes it to generate heat which makes it corrode 
more. Eventually it can cause a fire. I have seen this myself in a house I 
owned back in the early 70s, I rewired the house with copper after a wall 
plug blew fire out on my wife's hand when she plugged a vacuum cleaner in. I 
also saw this in industrial wiring back then when a lighting control panel 
in out production area exploded and caught fire.

YOU NEED TO LOOK. Unplug the trailer and remove an outlet cover in the 
living or kitchen area. look at the wire, is it silver or copper? If it is 
silver look at the white insulation and determine if it has been hot. Is it 
shades of brown or black? If yes, YOU NEED TO DO SOMETHING.

Both of my front outlets are burned already, probably because people used 
electric heaters or fry pans etc.

There used to be a product on the market to correct this. I will find out 
what there is now and post what ever I find. There may be someone out there 
who knows already, if so please post that info.


Phil Piper
30 years of machinery engineering
1966 Overlander International