Copper coated aluminum wire is cheap, flexible and works okay for automotive purposes but not where salt, water and electricity may mix like grounding wires to the frame. Aluminum in such cases will quickly oxidize to white dust, causing resistance, heat, and failure. I learned the hard way, having to tear out that wire.
I bet you there was some pretty good fishing down there.
Taken on Thursday June 30, 2011 at Watsons East Triangle Wild Forest.Making progress.
1) Power restored to truck cap, replaced shitty aluminum covered copper ground wire with pure copper wire, carefully crimped and sealed with heat shrink. My hope is that this will stop or retard corrosion where the connector is located.
2) Switch to provide solar power to the starting battery and main vehicle system is installed and working. Now if I’m parked somewhere sunny I can open and shut doors, roll down and up windows, use the radio, or even just top off the starting battery without ever turning the engine on. Due to the inductive spike problem I’m not going to bother with led indicators for now, I might revisit eventually.
3) Repaired a loose but not yet broken wire on one of the lights in the truck cap.
4) Pried off clip from the broken truck window support, I am going to replace that tomorrow.