Need help with 1973 Dodge Sportsman coach electrical issues

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73sportsman

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May 19, 2014
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Hi all, I'm helping to restore a 1973 Dodge Sportsman (B300) RV and have run into some issues with the coach electrical system--hopefully someone out there can help.

I recently replaced the battery meant to power the lights, outlets, appliances, etc., but even after hooking it up nothing seemed to work. I checked the battery and cables with a multimeter and measured 14 volts. I next checked the power converter above the refrigerator and each of the leads there read 14 volts, and the fuses were intact (Picture 1)

The only item that actually works once the battery is hooked up is the light above the door, directly behind the power converter. (Picture 2)

I checked the wiring leading to that light it also showed ~12 to 14 volts. (Picture 3)

Checking the internal lights fixtures, however, gave me a reading of only ~0.05 volts. (Picture 4)

Trying to get a reading from the wiring leading to the outlets was also negligible.

So it seems to me that there is an interruption or large attenuation of the current coming from the coach battery somewhere after the power converter, but I'm not sure what to check, or why that one light is the only thing working. Any ideas of what to look at to figure out the problem would be welcome, and I'm happy to answer any questions that might clarify the situation.

Thanks for your help.
 

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