Electrical issue '04 T1N over-seat lighting

[85MH325]

I picked up an '04 T1N Interstate last week and it has a few coach system issues. I'm getting them sorted out as I have time. The two reading lamps and the flourescent fixture don't light. The fuse is good. I presume this to be a ground issue. Before I go try to figure out how to tear into the chase in the cabinets to trace the wiring, has anyone already been-there-done-that who might have some tips about a) where to find the ground contact, and b) how easiest to get to it? Or any other sage advice that'll save me from doing something easy the hard way?

Thanks!

Roger

[InterBlog]

The answer depends on how much of a DIYer you would like to become. In your case, even if the answer is "not much DIY desired", think the whole issue through: if you are going to open up that wiring anyway, trust me - you are going to want at least one USB outlet also installed in whatever areas you touch. And as you start chasing the wiring, you might find your ground issue simply during the course of it.

I grew to despise the fluorescents. Grab from this blog post, in which I lament their morgue freezer aesthetic:



So I ripped them out entirely, and put suspended shelves under the cabinets - really indispensable storage for smaller items:



Similarly in the galley, the lighting was horrible. We removed those fixtures and installed the same kind of swivel-y push-button spotlights as are in the latest model Interstates:

[Lily&Me]

Maybe post some pics of your new baby, Roger?

Maggie

[85MH325]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

The answer depends on how much of a DIYer you would like to become. In your case, even if the answer is "not much DIY desired", think the whole issue through: if you are going to open up that wiring anyway, trust me - you are going to want at least one USB outlet also installed in whatever areas you touch. And as you start chasing the wiring, you might find your ground issue simply during the course of it.

Having restored and flipped Airstream and fiberglass trailers for years, the DIY skills aren't the issue; it's how much time I'm willing to spend to do it that's the issue now. Those look great, and I like the shelving idea. Very creative! I think that the "county morgue" lights are an upgrade from the K-Mart store ceiling light aesthetic that mine have. Were I to replace them, I'd probably replace them with some kind of LED fixture. Right now though, I'd just like for there to be something there that produces light.

[85MH325]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

Maybe post some pics of your new baby, Roger?

Maggie

I'll see what I can do, Maggie. I'm getting the interior cleaned up... facia glued back on where it's loose, staining the plywood where it's missing, testing appliances, and that sort of thing. As soon as I get all that done, I'll get some photos. It's the mid-lounge, rear kitchen version and is completely stock, so there's nothing particularly unique about it to show... but it's roomier and warmer than my '95 Coachmen!

[85MH325]

Ok... so I went out with fresh eyes this morning to see if the furnace runs... it was dead. So THEN I went back to the fuse box and looked at the 12v circuits again to find that the overhead lights on the passenger side couch AND the FURNACE under the driver's side couch are all on the PINK circuit... second fuse from the end. Of course, the RED circuit is ALSO the second fuse from the OTHER end... and in my exhaustion the other night... I checked the RED circuit's fuse which IS, in fact good. The PINK circuit fuse, OTOH, WAS blown. So, a new 20 amp fuse later, and BOTH the furnace AND the passenger-side lights are working!

DUH...

[Lotus54]

Good to hear it is working.

My 2006 had a ‘converter/charger’ that would overcharge the house battery if left on. I replaced it with a new one that would ‘float’.
Along with that improvement, it also had little LEDs to show if a fuse was blown- one for each fuse. Really handy- since it is sort of hard to see crawling around on the ground. Took a couple of hours to swap- although if I did it again I’d remove the floor of the closet to make it easier (for the mid-bath model, yours is certainly different layout).

Mark

I think this was the one I used:
http://www.bestconverter.com/55-Amp-...l#.XK9QrYplCfA

[85MH325]

Originally Posted by Lotus54

Good to hear it is working.

My 2006 had a ‘converter/charger’ that would overcharge the house battery if left on. I replaced it with a new one that would ‘float’.
Along with that improvement, it also had little LEDs to show if a fuse was blown- one for each fuse. Really handy- since it is sort of hard to see crawling around on the ground. Took a couple of hours to swap- although if I did it again I’d remove the floor of the closet to make it easier (for the mid-bath model, yours is certainly different layout).

Mark

I think this was the one I used:
http://www.bestconverter.com/55-Amp-...l#.XK9QrYplCfA

Thanks Mark. I got a new Group 27 DC wet cell battery installed along with a box for it yesterday. The old battery was just sitting on the floor under the driver's side couch, apparently from the factory. I'm not sure of course.

I have a Progressive Dynamics converter in my Super-C. I've had a couple of Magnatek single-stage converters die on me over the years, and I have paperwork in the van indicating that whatever converter AS used in the van in '04 had been replaced with a multi-stage Parallax. I need to peruse that paperwork more and figure out exactly what was installed. If it was a cheap single-stage, I may go for the one you've linked to. I appreciate it.

As a bonus, the evening-before-last, while I'm still moving out of my Coachmen and into the Airstream, I had no 12v in the Coachmen! I plugged it in (I'm sure it's still a single-stage converter) and still had zilch yesterday morning. I checked the voltage and it is putting out a whopping 3.5 volts! It was a four year old NAPA DC that I put in during a blizzard in western Nebraska. I guess it's served me well.