Wire, crimps and connections

Most 12V gremlins live at a connection, not in the middle of a wire. A good repair is the right size, crimped tight and sealed.

The short version

• Match the terminal to the wire. Red, blue and yellow insulated terminals fit different wire sizes.
• Use a ratcheting crimper with the right die, not pliers. Tug every crimp hard. If it pulls out, redo it.
• Under the coach and outside, use heat-shrink terminals or seal the joint. Bare crimps corrode.
• Replace wire with the same gauge or bigger and keep the original fuse size. Never splice in a smaller wire.
• Twist-and-tape repairs and loose wire nuts are common failure points. Redo them with a proper crimp or connector.

Numbers

• Red terminal: 22–18 AWG
• Blue terminal: 16–14 AWG
• Yellow terminal: 12–10 AWG

Shop tip

Do a voltage-drop test across your own repair with the load on. Under about 0.2V means you did it right.