Help With 1967 Globetrotter Mystery Switch

[toddster]

After selling my '64 Safari to Rich in Boulder Creek (hopefully we'll see him posting to the forums soon), I am now putting my full attention to my '67 Globetrotter. I am having a very difficult time determining the function of the light switch above the door & curbside window (see pic). My '64 had two switches in this location which operated the hookup and porch lights. This trailer doesn't have any external hookup or porch lights so I am baffled as to its function. I am going to order an original (reproduction) owner's manual from Airstream, but that will take weeks. Does anyone out there know what the function of this switch would be? Or better yet, does anyone out there have either PDFs of the 1967 owners manual or even just the wiring diagram?

Thanks in advance

-Todd

[overlander63]

Overhead light inside?
Scare light outside?
Have you tried it to see if anything happens?
If you take the cover off, are there 12 volt wires or 120 volt wires inside? Is it even connected?

[eubank]

I know what it is! We've got the same switch in our 67.

There's an extra wire leading from the light above the kitchen area to that switch. You leave the switch right on kitchen light on, and then you can switch the whole business on/off via the remote switch at the door. Makes it so that you can enter the rig at night without a flashlight.

It only took us eight years to figure that one out -- and to figure out that the PO had disconnected it at the light.


Lynn

[toddster]

I've tried switching it on and off but nothing happens. I checked and the switch doesn't have any DC power to it. That said, right now my main ceiling light (original square 4 bulb unit) does not work either, but that light has a rotary knob to turn it on and off. It is interesting to note that the wiring for this mystery switch is solid aluminum core. I am NOT a fan of aluminum wiring as it was blamed for many mobile home fires in the early 70s.

[Silverhobby]

The 1966-68 trailers almost all have aluminum core wiring. You might be even more surprised now.

[Diesel1]

The aluninum wiring means you have found a 12v circuit. The 110v circuits are copper. The switch over the door is for your main overhead light. If you pull the light you will probley find two wires in a sheath,1 black,1 white. Hook these to the light circuit and now your switch bye the door will operate the overhead light. At least that is how my 67 Tradewind works. John

[tphillips]

That switch operates the overhead light in my '67 globetrotter, although my trailer also has a switch more to the front of the trailer that operates the porch light. I have my owner's manual. If you'd like a copy, send me your address by PM and I will copy it and send it to you.

[eubank]

Actually, I was relieved to find that our 67 has only copper wiring for both 110v and 12v systems.

Lynn

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by Diesel1

The aluninum wiring means you have found a 12v circuit. The 110v circuits are copper. The switch over the door is for your main overhead light. If you pull the light you will probley find two wires in a sheath,1 black,1 white. Hook these to the light circuit and now your switch bye the door will operate the overhead light. At least that is how my 67 Tradewind works. John

Not all 120 volt circuits are copper. There is a '68 Overlander sitting out back with aluminum 120 volt wiring in it. I have never seen 12 volt aluminum wiring.

[tphillips]

My '67 has aluminum 12v and copper 110 wiring. The 12v wiring is something called alumiflex (or something like that).

[Diesel1]

Originally Posted by overlander63

Not all 120 volt circuits are copper. There is a '68 Overlander sitting out back with aluminum 120 volt wiring in it. I have never seen 12 volt aluminum wiring.

Oops, I thought I knew what I was talking about. I thought I had read one of the guru's on the forums that said the mid 60s had wiring like I discribed. My 67 for sure has 12v aluminum & 110v copper, so maybe I dreamed the rest up. I looked at my old manual that came with the trailer but it does not say. Also I don't even know if that is the right manual,it says on the cover it is for 1968 ,and inside printed in 1967. It discribes my trailer somewhat but a LOT of details are off. John

[Sixty3TW4US]

On my 63 TW that switch operates the the overhead light when hooked up 120v

[eubank]

Originally Posted by Diesel1

Oops, I thought I knew what I was talking about. I thought I had read one of the guru's on the forums that said the mid 60s had wiring like I discribed. My 67 for sure has 12v aluminum & 110v copper, so maybe I dreamed the rest up. I looked at my old manual that came with the trailer but it does not say. Also I don't even know if that is the right manual,it says on the cover it is for 1968 ,and inside printed in 1967. It discribes my trailer somewhat but a LOT of details are off. John

Probably not much different from what happens in other factories: You use what you have on-hand. If there's a big pile of aluminum wire sitting there, use it; if it's mostly or all copper at the moment, then use the copper.


Lynn

[toddster]

So my '67 Globetrotter appears to have all aluminum wiring - Oh Joy...

I have managed to get all of my 120VAC wiring fully functional, but am still having a heck of a time with the 12VDC lighting. Does anyone out there have the DC wiring schematic for the '67 Globetrotter that they can share? Specifically, I need to understand the circuits that power the kitchen light, main overhead light and two front reading lamps. None of these work in my trailer

Any and all help/insight is GREATLY appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[Diesel1]

I had about the same problem with mine. My 67 has 3 12v circuit breakers that power up the various 12v circuits. The circuit breaker that powered the front lights turned out to be bad. It is a 20 amp breaker available at auto parts stores. Adios, John

[toddster]

tphillips was gracious enough to email a PDF of the wiring diagram. I am having a heck of a time debugging my 12V woes on the main overhead light. I've checked all 12V connections down by the battery and they are solid.

So today I decided to apply 12V (battery charger set to 2 amps) to the wiring at the kitchen light (first light in the circuit). Miraculously the kitchen, main overhead and two front reading lights all worked. I was able to verify that the "mystery switch" adjacent to the entry door was a master power switch for the main overhead light. At one point while my additional 12V was connected I heard a clicking sound. I disconnected the battery charger (12V source) from the kitchen light and all lights continued working.

Is there a relay in the Univolt that might do this? But if that were the case it would have killed all 12V power.... My next thought is that perhaps these little black items down by the battery are the circuit breakers that Diesel1 spoke of (see pic). But when I check them with a multimeter they all appear to be functional (even when the lights don't work). Does anybody have any insight they can offer. Regrettably, when I went out to my trailer later in the day, the lights worked briefly and then quit. ARRRRGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!! Now I know why I am a mechanical (and not electrical) engineer. Any insight greatly appreciated.

[VIKING]

Hi Todd,
I'm no electrical engineer either, but I'm pretty sure that the device in your picture is a set of auto-reset switches for the 12v system. I found something similar in the 12v lines in the Safari. I believe they act like a breaker when they are working correctly. I bet one of them powers all of your non-working lights, and when you powered the circuit with your battery charger it tripped it back on.
I would guess that there is a short to ground in one of the switches or connections on that circuit.
The aluminum wiring is only a problem at the connections. The wire itself is fine. My understanding is that the aluminum expands and contracts more than copper does, so connections tend to loosen up over time more than they would with copper wiring. You can get special pigtails to convert to copper at the connecting points, but with as few to deal with as you have it may be best to just open up the switches and light fixtures and re-tighten all of the connections. With the 110v appliances it may be a good idea to use the pigtails for increased safety.
I'll talk to you soon, Rich
P.S. always use caution when taking electrical advice from a cabinetmaker

[goransons]

Interestingly enough when we were getting ready to have our home's electrical service redone, they run those main feeds here in aluminum wire. They use special fittings with a special compound applied. That compound is available at home depot and lowes.

Those are a circuit breaker of sorts. Should likely be connected to one 40 amp glass fuse on the main breaker. Easy to test with a volt meter on either terminal to see if 12v is going across.

[Diesel1]

Originally Posted by toddster

tphillips was gracious enough to email a PDF of the wiring diagram. I am having a heck of a time debugging my 12V woes on the main overhead light. I've checked all 12V connections down by the battery and they are solid.

So today I decided to apply 12V (battery charger set to 2 amps) to the wiring at the kitchen light (first light in the circuit). Miraculously the kitchen, main overhead and two front reading lights all worked. I was able to verify that the "mystery switch" adjacent to the entry door was a master power switch for the main overhead light. At one point while my additional 12V was connected I heard a clicking sound. I disconnected the battery charger (12V source) from the kitchen light and all lights continued working.

Is there a relay in the Univolt that might do this? But if that were the case it would have killed all 12V power.... My next thought is that perhaps these little black items down by the battery are the circuit breakers that Diesel1 spoke of (see pic). But when I check them with a multimeter they all appear to be functional (even when the lights don't work). Does anybody have any insight they can offer. Regrettably, when I went out to my trailer later in the day, the lights worked briefly and then quit. ARRRRGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!! Now I know why I am a mechanical (and not electrical) engineer. Any insight greatly appreciated.

Those are the ciruit breakers, one of them is tripping. If you disconnect them 1 at a time you will see which ones work and which one doesnt. Adios, John

[toddster]

EUREKA....

For those wondering; after purchasing three new circuit breakers, I discovered that the source of my 12V electrical woes was a faulty connection at the breaker. This explains why my multi-meter indicated that the circuit breaker was functioning. Next time I will replace all terminals before I race out and purchase three non-refundable auto reset circuit breakers (oh well, now I have spares).

Thanks one and all for your inputs!!!