Running light short

[StanandLynn]

Remodeling a 1993 Excella 30’ from the subfloor up. Got it all back together and now it’s got a dead short on the running lights (green) wire. Anybody got any idea on a schematic or have any experiences to share on finding it without having to take it all back out?

[Barry Myers]

Stan, you didn't get much help yet! I have the same problem on my 2003 Safari. I could not find my problem after removing and disconnecting all of the running lights other than the two on the back that also house the turn signals and brake lights. On the Safari, there is no way to remove the tail light assemblies from the outside. You must remove them by removing the inner skin. I was not going to do that, so I went to Walmart and bought a $20 set of running lights and ran a wire from where the green one was and disconnected the green one. Last year I replaced the umbilical and mistakenly reconnected the green wire. I noticed on the electric bill to the shop where the trailer is plugged in that the bill was very high. I am thinking I am burning KWs through the short in the running lights and am attempting to find or eliminate that short. I will find my schematic and send a picture of it, but you could call Jackson Center and they will send you one for your camper. Good luck

[Barry Myers]

If you can't get the schematics, send me a private message and we can share email/contact info I will send them that way.

[Dan@LED4RV]

Originally Posted by StanandLynn

Remodeling a 1993 Excella 30’ from the subfloor up. Got it all back together and now it’s got a dead short on the running lights (green) wire. Anybody got any idea on a schematic or have any experiences to share on finding it without having to take it all back out?

S&L I'm not sure if you have figured out the short by now but just in case. All the Marker and Directional lights "run to" or are junction-ed behind the left tail light. Disconnecting some of those wires from each other may clue you into the direction of the short. Also, the running lights on the front half of the unit are on a separate circuit from the back half. Also, there is a bus of wires for all those lights run through the unit in the center top of the unit on the Road Side beside any vents or ACs.

[wdc1369]

I have a question about replacing the running lights on my ‘93 Sovereign 21’ trailer. I removed one of the lights and there are two black wires. One appears to be hot and I think the other may be a ground? Though there is resistance in that wire? I am replacing the light with LED’s. The LED’s have a single wire (hot) and the screw grounds the fixture to the camper. I can either the possible ground wire and not use it or put a 3” pigtail with a loop under the bonding screw. Has anyone else run into this? If so what did you do. Thanks David
https://share.icloud.com/photos/0f74...1bbMomKKqXCVgQ

[wdc1369]

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0f74...1bbMomKKqXCVgQ

Trying to attach photos. David

[SuperTrouper]

I had some work done on my airstream and one of the new teardrop marker lights was wired backwards causing a short in the system. Fortunately, we only replaced one so it was easy to find the culprit.

[Dan@LED4RV]

Originally Posted by wdc1369

I have a question about replacing the running lights on my ‘93 Sovereign 21’ trailer. I removed one of the lights and there are two black wires. One appears to be hot and I think the other may be a ground? Though there is resistance in that wire? I am replacing the light with LED’s. The LED’s have a single wire (hot) and the screw grounds the fixture to the camper. I can either the possible ground wire and not use it or put a 3” pigtail with a loop under the bonding screw. Has anyone else run into this? If so what did you do. Thanks David
https://share.icloud.com/photos/0f74...1bbMomKKqXCVgQ

I have run into that. Most of the time there is only one wire and when you attach the light it grounds it and thus completes the circuit. In the case where Airstream put two wires it could be one of two things. 1) where they felt it might not get a good ground like on a casting or (2) the next light in the series is hooked to that circuit. My guess is, it is going to the next light in the series because it is the same color. Power and ground wires coming into a light fixture were always two colors.


Also a very smart thing to do it install one light then test. Then install the next light then test. Doing this will save you allot of trouble if something happens to be wrong.



And another note, if you get the LED light installed wrong it won't hurt the light. It just won't work. So don't be afraid to try things that will tell you clues to make it work.

[Barry Myers]

One more try...

I hope there are enough pixels in it to see it.

Barry

[wdc1369]

Dan, here is what I plan to do. The first two photos show the side lights on the back of my ‘93 Sovereign 21’trailer. As you can see both wires are black. I checked one one were is hot and the other seems to have some resistance. So what i plan to do is connect the hot black wire and the other wire I will add this connector and screw it over the - connector (see last photo). Does this sound like a good plan. Thank you for your help. David

[Dan@LED4RV]

Originally Posted by wdc1369

Dan, here is what I plan to do. The first two photos show the side lights on the back of my ‘93 Sovereign 21’trailer. As you can see both wires are black. I checked one one were is hot and the other seems to have some resistance. So what i plan to do is connect the hot black wire and the other wire I will add this connector and screw it over the - connector (see last photo). Does this sound like a good plan. Thank you for your help. David

It does sound like a good plan if you test every light after you install it.

[Daytonacoupe]

Originally Posted by Dan@LED4RV

S&L I'm not sure if you have figured out the short by now but just in case. All the Marker and Directional lights "run to" or are junction-ed behind the left tail light. Disconnecting some of those wires from each other may clue you into the direction of the short. Also, the running lights on the front half of the unit are on a separate circuit from the back half. Also, there is a bus of wires for all those lights run through the unit in the center top of the unit on the Road Side beside any vents or ACs.

Do you have a photo of the "...bus of wires..." configuration, if it's more than a gaggle of wires twisted together. I am getting ready to tidy up the wiring during a shell off on our 1986 34' Limited. I've stripped out the 15ish tank wires that I'll replace with a modern tank sensor system (2 wires total), the phone and tv cables. That reduces a lot. On mine there is one green wire that starts at the front fuse panel and travels to the right rear tail light assembly. It receives spliced in wires from the running lights front and back, side marker lights X 4, the left rear light assembly. What a nasty setup. Spliced on my trailer = cut insulation, twist the intersecting wires around, wrap in hockey tape. Or, use of speed nuts that you find in houses. The whole harness runs tight under the front Fantastic Fan sharp screw ends and antenna, so some wires were compromised by sharp metal screw ends, then shorted by water leaks. The green wire is in this mess, as is the common white ground wire for the lights similarly configured. I'd prefer a cleaner setup where the spliced in wires intersect with the main green and white common ground. If somebody has this I'd sure be grateful for a photo.

[Boxite]

Originally Posted by Barry Myers

Stan, you didn't get much help yet! I have the same problem on my 2003 Safari. I could not find my problem after removing and disconnecting all of the running lights other than the two on the back that also house the turn signals and brake lights. On the Safari, there is no way to remove the tail light assemblies from the outside. You must remove them by removing the inner skin. I was not going to do that, so I went to Walmart and bought a $20 set of running lights and ran a wire from where the green one was and disconnected the green one. Last year I replaced the umbilical and mistakenly reconnected the green wire. I noticed on the electric bill to the shop where the trailer is plugged in that the bill was very high. I am thinking I am burning KWs through the short in the running lights and am attempting to find or eliminate that short. I will find my schematic and send a picture of it, but you could call Jackson Center and they will send you one for your camper. Good luck

I seriously doubt that powering the running lights on your AS for an entire month would make a noticeable difference in your electric bill….and if it WERE due to a short in a ground wire (drawing sufficiently high amount of current to noticeably affect your elect bill)…it would burn up the wire or blow the fuse.

[Dan@LED4RV]

Originally Posted by Daytonacoupe

Do you have a photo of the "...bus of wires..." configuration, .

Sorry, I do not have a picture. I just remember this from the many years I worked on them.

[Daytonacoupe]

Originally Posted by Dan@LED4RV

Sorry, I do not have a picture. I just remember this from the many years I worked on them.

Thanks for the reply. I’ll upload two pics of the area that I referenced to illustrate what may lurk under the typical inner skin. This would be original wiring.