Wiring question

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Hi all,

I'm new to the forums and relatively new RVer, having done so for about 6 years now.  I have a 2000 Salem (Forest River) 27' travel trailer.  Last summer I had a mishap with the wiring at the tanks in the back.  While the trailer was stored at a buddies house, his English setter Cody apparently found a couple mice trying to gain entry into the trailer.  The mice must have been running up and down the conduit that contained the wiring for the rear of the trailer.  Cody went in after them and grabbed on to the conduit and started pulling, breaking the tank wiring and pulling 12 feet of the conduit out from under the trailer.  He did manage to get 2 of the mice though.  By matching the wire colors I was able to fix it and it seems to be working correctly.  Last fall I took the rig up north to do some bowhunting with a buddy and found that the running lights were not working.  I?m not totally sure that it is related to the Cody incident as I never checked the running lights after finding and fixing the tank wiring.  I checked to see if the parking light circuit is fused in the trailer and could not tell as whoever wrote the descriptions on the fuse panel wrote like a doctor and I can't read half of them.  Should it be fused on the trailer?s fuse panel?? There didn't appear to be any blown fuses.  The brake lights and turn signals are working.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.  Does anyone have a wiring diagram that may help me troubleshoot this issue??  Thanks in advance for any responses.

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[Ron]

You might be able to get some information by visiting the forest River web site at: http://www.forestriverinc.com/nd/default22.asp?nav=rec.  Or maybe one of the framily might have the information.

 

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Thanks for the link Ron.  I checked it out and did not find any techincal info there.  I was hoping someone might have some info for me.  If not, I'll have to get under there and do it the old fashioned way with a test light and see if I can track down the problem.  Anyone else??

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[Gary RV_Wizard]

By "running lights" I assume you mean the tail lights and side marker lights. 

A trailer's running lights are powered from the tow vehicle and are not fused at the trailer.  Check for power at the connecting plug on the tow vehicle to be sure that at least 12.6V is available there with the tow vehicle lights on.  There is some helpful information on the light wiring at this web site:  http://www.marksrv.com/wiring.htm

If the tow vehicle supplies power to the tailight pin on the connector, disconnect the plug and check for continuity on the trailer circuit with an ohmeter or continuity tester.  With the aid of  a long piece of wire you can check from the plug to one of the running lights. Chances are there is a break in that wire somewhere, maybe right at the trailer plug.

 

[passthrough]

Thanks Gary!!

Yes, thate is what I meant usig the term running lights.  That is a the type of info I was looking for.  I was wondering about the connection from the truck to the trailer.  The truck was new last July, its a Ford F350 SRW diesel.  I don't recall ever having towed after dark with this truck except the time I noticed the running lights weren't working.  I'll check that out.  Thanks.

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[Carl L]

Thanks Gary!!

Yes, thate is what I meant usig the term running lights.? That is a the type of info I was looking for.? I was wondering about the connection from the truck to the trailer.? The truck was new last July, its a Ford F350 SRW diesel.? I don't recall ever having towed after dark with this truck except the time I noticed the running lights weren't working.? I'll check that out.? Thanks.

Passthrough

Check the female Bargeman connector.  Sometimes the contact blades get bent and loose contact with the male side.  Bending the blade back cures the problem.  A bit of corrosion or crud can also lose contact.  A contact cleaner a little scraping can cure that.

 

[John From Detroit]

Hi all,  .....

Much snippe....d

  Should it be fused on the trailer?s fuse panel?? There didn't appear to be any blown fuses.  The brake lights and turn signals are working.

No, the running lights should not be fused on the trailer's fuse panel, they use not trailer power, they MAY be fused on a second fuse panel however I can't recall ever seeing one that way,  IT is possible that the wire (Normally brown if memory serves, I do stress IF MEMORY SERVES, and I should add, if they did not change the color) runs in that countuit,  It may well also run differently, likely does in fact since the running lights are not a "house" function but a "Vehicle" function.

Oh, don't worry about the lack of a running light fuse in the trailer... it's in the tractor (Whatever you tow with) that is where the fuse is, it's marked "Tail Lights" and may be a fuse or a breaker depending on the tow vehicle (Breakers auto-reset)