Electrical Shorts in My Trailer

[apackof2]

You guy are so great! Wonderful information and pictures, what I love about this group. So helpful to other members THANK YOU!

The mystery with my truck tail lights has been solved.

What I love about small towns is usually salt of the earth folks who will help you out in a situation

Went over to North Star Auto Repair without an appointment and Kyle took time to test check and found that it was a bad circuit boards which was a typical problem for these trucks.

He ordered parts (put a rush on them) and did a temp fix so I could drive the truck until Monday when I com back to get the circuit boards replaced

Apparently he tested the pig tail connector on my truck and that was ok

So one problem solved!

 

[mainah-SUN]

Good, I'm going to bet $5 it will also cure your camper light issues also.

 

[JohnGB]

GREAT!!!! Yes, you can't beat good small town service. Or good service anywhere!

 

[JohnGB]

Here is a very simple gadget I made incidentally it was from a GM the other end was corroded beyond repair This allows me to check the entire trailer wiring as long as the camper battery is good from brakes to all the exterior lighting just a matter of stuffing the red wire in the appropriate slot.

That is a neat setup. Thanks for sharing. I'll need to keep that in mind. I think I have a my Ford truck receptacle left over from a replacement I did a while ago. Now, where did I put it....

 

[apackof2]

Oh I hope it takes care of the camper light problem
I will report back

Still in NE Washington... Amazing hiking here!

 

[JohnGB]

WOW... Nice pics Joan. Boy that blue sky is amazing... Thanks for sharing

 

[apackof2]

Your welcome. This area is gorgeous, Cascade Mountain Range

WOW... Nice pics Joan. Boy that blue sky is amazing... Thanks for sharing

 

[apackof2]

***UPDATE***

Replacing the rear tail light circuit boards on my truck did NOT fix the problem with my driver side camper tail light.

Never did met the electrician in camp so no testing was done

Right now nothing works, turn signal, brakes or hazard on the driver's side

However, when I turn my truck headlights on the light comes on but that is all

All my running lights work when my truck headlights are on


Thoughts?

 

[apackof2]

BTW this might NOT be connected at all but since its electrical it might be worth noting

My little bathroom fan is not working. It could very well be it just time to be replaced since its the original fan and nothing to do with my camper tail light problem

 

[JohnGB]

Right now nothing works, turn signal, brakes or hazard on the driver's side

However, when I turn my truck headlights on the light comes on but that is all

All my running lights work when my truck headlights are on

Thoughts?

Hi Joan,

We need some clarification. In the first sentence, "nothing works"

Then in the next sentence, "the light" works. Which exact light are you referring to?

And in the 3rd sentence it seems to say, All running lights work when the truck head lights are on. Please help us with what is the difference between nothing working and all running lights working?

All the camper running lights (means the tail light portion also) only comes from 1 wire in the 7 wire cable. If they work with the head lights on the truck being on, then the camper is working at least at a point in time for just the running lights portion. If they go out when you go to only parking lights being on and no head lights, and then it goes go on when the head lights come on, this is not in the trailer, the truck may have an issue.

As to the brake light and the turn signal not working on the camper, this has to first be ruled out that the truck is sending the signal to the 7 wire plug on the back of the truck. If it is, then the camper 7 wire cord or the wiring in the turn signal path in the camper may have a problem. Need to rule out the truck completely and then test the camper too like we showed with the jumper wire on the 7 wire cable. Need to figure out if this is the truck, the camper or both at the same time.

Hope this helps

John

 

[apackof2]

Sorry when I turn my truck headlight on, the bulb lights up in the drivers side camper tail light but when my truck headlights are off nothings works on the driver's side light of the camper, no turn signal, no brake, no hazard light

I just added that the all the running lights when the truck headlights are on work because that might be a clue

Hi Joan,

We need some clarification. In the first sentence, "nothing works"

Then in the next sentence, "the light" works. Which exact light are you referring to?

And in the 3rd sentence it seems to say, All running lights work when the truck head lights are on. Please help us with what is the difference between nothing working and all running lights working?

All the camper running lights (means the tail light portion also) only comes from 1 wire in the 7 wire cable. If they work with the head lights on the truck being on, then the camper is working at least at a point in time for just the running lights portion. If they go out when you go to only parking lights being on and no head lights, and then it goes go on when the head lights come on, this is not in the trailer, the truck may have an issue.

As to the brake light and the turn signal not working on the camper, this has to first be ruled out that the truck is sending the signal to the 7 wire plug on the back of the truck. If it is, then the camper 7 wire cord or the wiring in the turn signal path in the camper may have a problem. Need to rule out the truck completely and then test the camper too like we showed with the jumper wire on the 7 wire cable. Need to figure out if this is the truck, the camper or both at the same time.

Hope this helps

John

 

[mainah-SUN]

Take it back to the guy that put the module in. Here is another thing that plagued Chevy/GMC's the fuse panel under the hood (big black box) was a perfect home for mice and for some reason mice like to chew on wires. Pretty much all of the wiring inside the truck that goes outside the cab is inside of that box. It comes apart fairly easy if there is a mouse nest inside under the fuse panel chances are pretty high they have damaged some wiring. Been there before with an electronic 4WD issue on a 250. At this point you need to do some tests on the camper wiring I don't believe your camper is the issue but the added resistance to the truck wiring could cause a problem with marginal wiring connections on the truck. Befriend a fellow camper and let them back up to your camper and plug into their truck, the wiring is standard to all I have backed under huge 5th wheels with my Tacoma just for that purpose (looks really funny) but it works.

 

[Sunline Fan]

If finding someone to back their vehicle up is difficult, it might be worth asking around if someone has a fuse/flasher module, to plug into the 7 way when the trailer is parked. Connecting the two posts at the top of the plug, by the alignment bar, will connect the charging circuit and the running light circuit. Walk around and see if everything works. With a jumper wire, I suppose the same test could be run for the left and right turn circuits too.

 

[apackof2]

But both excellent suggestions, thanks.

Funny but when I went to have the oil changed there was a dead and dehydrated mouse on the frame by engine compartment. Looks like he tried to get in and had the hood shut on him. UGH!

But I didn't find any evidence of mice inside the engine compartment but I will look again. I wonder if its something lose as I have traveled more this summer than previous and have hit some really bumpy roads too.

I am going to an Escapees Co-Op Park today for 6-7 days so I can get the chance to figure this out and hopefully get some help there

I really need to get this taken care of as its a safety issue and also I don't want to get a ticket or have to take it a repair shop $$$$$$$$

 

[JohnGB]

Hi Joan,

At this point for the easiest low tech solution for trouble shooting, try and see if you can get a friend to help by using their truck to plug your camper into like mainah stated below and then test the camper lights. This will sort out the camper half of the equation. If the camper works with a different truck, then you can at least know the camper is all good or not.

Befriend a fellow camper and let them back up to your camper and plug into their truck, the wiring is standard

Thanks for the clarification here you stated.

Sorry when I turn my truck headlight on, the bulb lights up in the drivers side camper tail light but when my truck headlights are off nothings works on the driver's side light of the camper, no turn signal, no brake, no hazard light

Trying to help explain this better, there are 2 parts to the bulb in the tail light. It is like there are 2 light bulbs inside the 1 bulb housing you replaced. If you look close, you can see 2 little fine spring looking things inside the bulb. Those springs are what is called "filaments" and each of them are different wattage's so the brake light is brighter then the running light.

The running light wire portion of the tail light powers up one of the filaments. This allows the normal running light to work that is on with all the other running lights on the camper. This is a single function part of the bulb.

The second part of the same bulb is used for the brake light, the turn signal and the hazard flasher light. All 3 of those features/functions powers up the same exact higher wattage part of the bulb. On the camper, you either have all 3 of them or you have none. And this is separate from the running light portion.

Basically, for a brake light, they keep the power on this filament constant when your foot is on the brake for both the left and right tail lights. This creates a brake stopping light.

For a left turn signal, they flash this same filament only on left side of the camper.

For the hazard flashers, they flash this same filament on the left and right side bulb at the same time to create a hazard lighting.

Hopefully the truck fix will cure this for you.

Hope this helps

John

 

[apackof2]

***UPDATE***

A guy in the campground came over and hooked his SUV up and the ALL lights worked EXCEPT the drivers side light where I am having the problem.

He used a volt meter to check pigtail and truck connector. After going back over posts you said not to use a volt meter. However, he used it to check the truck connector and everything was fine there

Using the volt meter, the pigtail voltage from to the battery did not register

BTW I did check the fuse box again for any mice problems, found none

However plugging my truck back in I have now lost the running lights??

AND my truck almost did not start today,battery? I think they are three years old and I believe I read somewhere diesel batteries need to be replaced every 3 years? I did get them at Walmart and there is a Walmart Super Center here I can have them checked.

I just wonder if these problems are someone affecting my truck battery?


However, apparently two problems and he thinks it may be connected to the front junction box.

At this point I am completely frustrated and reluctantly I have to call RV repair.

There are several that come into the park regularly that the office gave me so I will give them a call to check prices. I assume that if they come regularly they at least do good work or word would get around camp

Thanks for all your help....Will update

 

[mainah-SUN]

What does not work on the drivers side?

 

[JohnGB]

Using the volt meter, the pigtail voltage from to the battery did not register

Hi Joan,

Using a volt meter on the end of the 7 wire cable can be done pending what you are testing. If he was checking to see if the battery charging wire was live with power, that is an OK use of a volt meter on the 7 wire cable.

Not knowing what pin he probed on the end of the 7 wire cable, I'll make an assumption he knew which pin was the battery charge line and which was the DC common to do a volt check. And it sounds like this turned up no voltage if we understand your note correct.

1. A few questions, was the camper plugged into shore power when he was doing this test?

2. Was the battery disconnect with turned on or off when he did this check?

We need to know the answers to those 2 questions before we make any conclusions.

Inside the junction box on the front frame of the camper is a "battery charge" 30 amp fuse. It is to protect the camper and the truck from a dead short or over current on the charge line. When this fuse blows, it is hard to even know it is blown until you do some testing to find out why something is not working, like the camper battery is not being charged when you are towing down the road.

To test if the battery charge line is working, you can only test for power at the 7 wire plug when the battery disconnect is on. If it is off, then there will be no power to test from the battery. BUT, if the camper is plugged into shore power, that same wire is powered then by the converter in the camper. So the better way to test this is, make sure shore power is unplugged, the battery disconnect is on and then test.

You also do not need a volt meter to test this, you can use any camper light. If the truck charge line wire is working and the truck 7 wire plug at the back has power at it, (some trucks need the truck running to test this) then just plug the camper 7 wire cable into the truck. Have the battery disconnect switch "off" in this case, and then turn on a light inside the camper. It can be any light you know worked. Even the hitch light outside. If the fuse is good, the power will flow through the battery charge fuse to the light switched on in the camper from power supplied by the truck. If the light does not work, then the charge fuse is blown or has real bad corrosion on it.

This battery charge fuse is totally separate from your tail light issues. It is a problem and the fuse should get replaced so the camper battery is charged by the truck when you are towing. But it will not fix your tail light issues.

Someone will need to get into that plastic junction box on the outside frame of the camper behind the battery. Getting that cover off is real pain in the neck. Odds are high dirt has filled the screw holes and there are tiny Philips screws buried deep inside.

See this post for what it looks like inside and the charge fuse holder. While this post deals with fixing the 30 amp auto resetting circuit breaker, a the bottom of my reply it talks about how to get that cover off and not break it in the process. If you get the cover off, I suggest you also convert to the screws I have listed in this post so next time it will come off a lot easier. If you have the repair man go in that box, make sure you show him the pics in this linked post and how to get those screws out. That box is fragile and it will not take much to break it and then you have to deal with that.
http://www.sunlineclub.com/forums/f...iled-battery-connection-17687.html#post137518

Also while he is in there, this is the place the 7 wire cable splices into the camper wiring and where the running lights and the stop/turn/hazard lights wires start. He can check those connections for corrosion.

Since it now sounds like "all" running lights do not work, is that correct, "all" running lights? If so then there is a possible issue with the prongs on the end of the 7 wire cable. This can be tested for if they are actually working or bent and not making contact. This comes back to needing to do a good test on the end of the 7 wire cable to confirm what does and does not work.

Hope this helps. These electrical gremlins can be search and destroy mission to find some times. A lot of digging for loose or bad connection somewhere.

John

 

[mainah-SUN]

A dead truck battery has nothing to do with the camper unless it was plugged into the camper and the isolator on the truck is toes up. You have got to explain your lighting system with detail. Being plugged into a known good truck socket rules out camper issues as far as lighting except for whatever is wrong with you right side light, is it the brake light or parking light or no lights at all on the right side? You said the clearance lights work so there for the parking light on the right should work. If there is a issue with a single lamp it more than likely is that lamp, poor ground, dead bulb or broken/corroded wire. We can't see you camper from where we sit so we need to rely on you to give us the most accurate description you can. Having no power on the pigtail for the battery should have no effect on your trailer lights most small trailers have no battery and their lighting works fine. Yes it is something that needs to be corrected eventually but it is not necessity like your trailer exterior lighting it can wait being plugged into the world will take care of the battery.

 

[apackof2]

***UPDATE***

So I did have two issues, one with the truck and one with the camper

The truck needed new batteries...Done

One of the men who does maintenance and RV repair in the park did some troubleshooting and he said it was the light socket and just replaced the whole light fixture. Plugged my truck in and now I have turn, brake and hazards lights on the driver's side.

He also repacked my wheel bearings and checked the trailer brakes

He said all the brakes looked good but one of the seals was leaking. I had seen some black grease on my levelers a while back and wondered if it was from my wheel. It had been 3 years since I had the bearing repacked and knew it was time. He said all the bearings looked good and he replaced all the seals with new seals.

Tomorrow his son is coming over to wash my camper and inspect the roof and use Dicor anywhere necessary

All services including parts just slightly over $200. I think that's a deal, especially since I did not have to take it in to any shop

So I should be good to go for awhile with these issues! Thanks for all your help, you guys are the best!!


Some pics from the Oregon Coast...