How a 15 minute job can ruin a whole weekend

[DougZ]

The background: I have a 1972 Overlander. The light over the outside of the door didn't work.

The project: To simply remove the old bulb and and replace it with a fresh new one. To make it a great job, I'll even waterproof the casing.

What happened: After removing the casing I found that the whole fixture was rusted out. There wasn't even a bulb. I checked the black & white wire and there was 13.2 volts. I went to the autoparts store and got a new bulb fixture. I installed the fixture, soldered the wires and covered them with shrink tubing. I tried the light switch and nothing! I disconnected the wires and checked the voltage on the black & white wires. Zero. I checked the 4 fuses in the hum box and one was blown. Back to the autoparts store for new fuses. Just for good measure I replaced all 4 of them. I got into the trailer to see if anything else was amiss. I now had no 12 volt electricity to the reading lights the outside spot light or the front vent light. I again pulled all 4 fuses and checked them. They were OK. I still have no voltage to the front of my trailer. I DON'T want to pull the inner panels to look for a disconnected wire. Does anyone know of another fuse or coupling that is in or under the trailer? I need help.

[Minno]

Look for corroded connectors around the fuses, both on the fuse connectors and the wires. Also, check the input side of each fuse location to make sure you have 12 volts supplying the fuse. Kinda sounds like a problem in the fuse block itself.

Chris

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by DougZ

The background: I have a 1972 Overlander. The light over the outside of the door didn't work.

The project: To simply remove the old bulb and and replace it with a fresh new one. To make it a great job, I'll even waterproof the casing.

What happened: After removing the casing I found that the whole fixture was rusted out. There wasn't even a bulb. I checked the black & white wire and there was 13.2 volts. I went to the autoparts store and got a new bulb fixture. I installed the fixture, soldered the wires and covered them with shrink tubing. I tried the light switch and nothing! I disconnected the wires and checked the voltage on the black & white wires. Zero. I checked the 4 fuses in the hum box and one was blown. Back to the autoparts store for new fuses. Just for good measure I replaced all 4 of them. I got into the trailer to see if anything else was amiss. I now had no 12 volt electricity to the reading lights the outside spot light or the front vent light. I again pulled all 4 fuses and checked them. They were OK. I still have no voltage to the front of my trailer. I DON'T want to pull the inner panels to look for a disconnected wire. Does anyone know of another fuse or coupling that is in or under the trailer? I need help.

Airstream used 2 different types of sockets for the entrance door light.

The 2 terminal type, used a "floating ground".

If you reverse the wires on a single terminal type socket, you probably tied the "hot" wire on to the wrong terminal.

Disconnect the wires from the socket you installed, and the 12 volts should return using a good fuse.

Andy

[TG Twinkie]

Look in the bottom of the new socket you bought. If it has 2 buttons and one black and one white wire coming out the bottom. If this is the case you have a socket for a dual element bulb like an 1157. Without a good ground neither filament will light. There is a dual button bulb that will work in this socket, but I don't know the number.
If it is a single button socket make sure you have good connections on the black and white wire. This socket will use a bulb like an 1141.

[DougZ]

TG. it was a single prong type. For now I will just cap off the wires. I have too many other things that need fixin' so we can go camping.

Andy. Your advice gave me the answer. I pulled all the fuses again and tightened the wires on the right hand block. After I cleaned and put contact compound on the fuses, everything worked. I don't like the corrosion on the visible part part of the wire so I think I'll wait till my grandson comes over and we will cut off the ends of the wires and reconnect them with some contact goop. The blocks look really good so I don't think there will be a problem with them. Thanks a lot.

[DougZ]

Originally Posted by Minno

Look for corroded connectors around the fuses, both on the fuse connectors and the wires. Also, check the input side of each fuse location to make sure you have 12 volts supplying the fuse. Kinda sounds like a problem in the fuse block itself.

Chris

Chris, thanks for your help. As I posted, that was the problem. I don't think I am out of the woods yet, but we are working now.