New License Plate Light Bracket Only has one wire?

[nick6930]

OK, First of all I am horrible when it comes to electric. All I know is when I touch the two wires to my tongue it hurts (just joking.) I bought a new License Plate Light Bracket but the new one only has one red wire and the old one has a black and red. I know they are two different bulbs but what does that mean?

-Do I need to replace the complete light bulb socket on the new bracket to match the original light?
-Or is there a way to make this light work?
-Can I buy the socket at a auto parts store?

I have a pictures of the old and new. I dont know what the old bulb type is but the new one is #67 bulb .

Thanks for your help.

[bullydogsmom]

Take a test light and see if both wires have power. You only need a single filiment light. Wire the red to red and put a wirenut and tape on the black one,and just use the red wire. I really dont see the need for 2 filiments, It's only a license plate light right? On our 72 the blub has only a single filiment.

Annette

P.S. we just installed the exact same light on our Tradewind.

[easyride]

WIRE THE 2 REDS TOGETHER,the black is ground,to make sure your door is grounding,crimp a circular end on the black and use one of your screws to hold it. Dave

[nick6930]

I am sorry that I forgot to add that I hooked up to my TV and tried connecting just the red and the light did not work. So I got a tester and touch both red and black and the tester worked so the wires do have juice going to them. Do I just tie the black and red together and do it that way? I just dont want burn up anything.

[nick6930]

Easy ride

I was typing as you posted. I will try that. Thanks

[bullydogsmom]

Easyride, If he has juice to BOTH wires doesn't that mean that one is not a ground? He is showing a 2 filiment blub that he took out. Just trying to learn something here.
Plus you can't test the light to see if it works unless the body of the light is touching the trailer.i.e. you can't have it hanging off by just the wires.
Annette

[easyride]

Originally Posted by bullydogsmom

Easyride, If he has juice to BOTH wires doesn't that mean that one is not a ground? He is showing a 2 filiment blub that he took out. Just trying to learn something here.
Plus you can't test the light to see if it works unless the body of the light is touching the trailer.i.e. you can't have it hanging off by just the wires.
Annette

Just noticed the old unit had the double element,have no idea what is going on,my light only has 1.If both are hot on running lights ,pick 1,wire nut the other.Dave

[nick6930]

I believe one is hot the other is neutral. I am thinking that I may need to get a double element outlet, but I am not sure

[bullydogsmom]

Originally Posted by nick6930

I believe one is hot the other is neutral. I am thinking that I may need to get a double element outlet, but I am not sure

Nick, If they both are producing juice one can't be a neutral. The body of the fixture has to touch the skin of the trailer to get a ground.

Try this, Keep the trailer plugged into the tv, turn the light switch OFF, test the 2 wires do either /or of them have power? You shouldn't. Then turn the switch on, test the 2 wires again. If they both have power then just pick one, wire nut the other off and attach the light to the shell the screws that you attach the light with will ground the fixture. Don't forget to vulkem the light. We had to enlarge the hole in the trailer because the new socket was deeper than the old one.

Annette

P.S. if electicity is not your strong point,It's not my husband either, Just wait until you decide to swap out the univolt for and new quiet inverter

[richinny]

look inside the old socket and tell us how many contacts do you see?

[nick6930]

There are two contacts in the old socket and the light bulb as well. The new one only has one. I dont know how much it matters but I am working on a 79 Argosy.

Annette I will give it one more try and then I think I will stuff the wires inside for another day. Already did the Intelli power converter that was easy. Radios I can handle as long as there are two old wires two new wires.

[richinny]

that's odd. connect the red to red and touch the black wire to the new frame. it should light up.

[nick6930]

ANNETTE YOU WIN THE PRIZE!!! I was attaching the black wire to the skin and the white metal. I could figure out how that would work being the metal was painted white. But I guess it needs to be attached to the galvenize metal so that it is completing the circuit. Thanks for your help. it has been a long day of working on numerous projects on the Argosy.

I turned the light off and then had the idea for the photo. Now I have to fiish installing it make it pretty.

Thank God I go back to work tomorrow to rest.

[RBolton]

Originally Posted by easyride

WIRE THE 2 REDS TOGETHER,the black is ground,to make sure your door is grounding,crimp a circular end on the black and use one of your screws to hold it. Dave

I think Dave won the prize.

[richinny]

so, where did the extra wire go?

[Gene]

Methinks someone incorrectly put in a two filament socket and bulb because he thought two wires mean two hot wires, when one was a ground (though an unnecessary ground). Maybe he wired it with two wires thinking you had to have a ground wire rather than use the trailer body as a ground. Then only one filament ever lit and the other never did.

When I read these threads about rewiring some part of an older trailer, sometimes it seems a previous owner did strange things and now the present owner has to make sense of it. Sense cannot be made of it, but it might be explainable if you can think like someone who knows nothing about wiring. I am semi-qualified in that regard.

Gene