Running lights and taillights out

[Splitrock]

You do have all the bulbs removed . . . right? You have access to the green (running light) wire at every clearance light location. It'd help me figure out what you are doing of you'd post pictures of the trailer interior. I'm confused about what you have open and what's not open.

[Bermshot]

Thanks, pics tell a lot. I sure I have the proverbial and literal rats nest up in there.
Splitrock: I did have all the bulbs out at one time when testing and when I took all 12 of the marker lights off. I also am sure that they have been tampered with by human hands at some point. I just needed to know how they are routed and pigtailed from the source wire.
I think I will drop the cap now and redo the cover with sheet aluminum since I am determined to make the back as a bedroom with cabinets in the corners.
Can I get that cap out the door, I haven't measured it yet? Are any of my old interior parts worth anything out here, beside the standard -No but i'll take em off your hands.
Thaks again for the input to all.

[Bermshot]

Did another quick ck. on the way home tonight and made some progress. I stuck my hand up the cap at the old toilet vent area and besides some more acorns I felt a loose wire and brought it down - Green!. Hooked power and all my amber marker came on, dim so I ck the lead at the plug and I do have voltage but at a 5.5 V drop. I thought for sure it would have been the missing reds;(.
I then power up the front green and the same lights come on but much better intensity. I checked resitance again and it is still less than 1 OHM! would the bulbs really have that low of resistance?
So it does look as if I will have to pull the cap back to get to the junction for the rear markers and remember to wear a long sleeve next time I stick my arm into some glass insulation.

[Splitrock]

Bermshot, It's sounding like you're understanding your trailer. I removed all the bulbs before I retested my running light circuit and it was open. I never tested it again. I went ahead and replaced all the clearance lights with LED lights, soldered all the connections, removed and replaced all the grounds, installed new bulbs in the tail lights, and installed new lenses in all the tail lights. When I powered it up everything worked bright and strong.

I had previously cleaned every socket at the tail light locations. One socket was rusted and I suspected it may have been the cause of my short. One hot wire attached to one clearance light was installed in a way that it was pinched. I marked that down as another possibility of a short in the green wire circuit. I also had a bulb in the back up light with a laid down filament. I belive that bulb was the reason the back up lights were not working.

It sounds like you are close to resolution. Thanks for sharing this experience. It's a good thread!

Gary

[Bermshot]

I ended up cutting access to the rear marker lights through the storage cabinets. I found the GREEN running light wire chewed through and grounded to the body behind the rear bath mirror. Still had a slight ground somewhere farther up the pigtail so I jumped over to the pigtail from the side marker.
I also have one of the finest private collections of acorns I retrieved from the rear of the end cap, maybe 3-4 lbs. Besides maybe gaining some MPG due to the loss of weight, my wallet may be lighter if I have to declare them as a Capital Gain so I have graciously put them up for a Charitable Contribution.

[Splitrock]

Great job! I'm impressed!

[nairnchyz]

We traded up our TV from a 2006 GMC to a 2009 Chev Silverado. Don't seem to have left or right turn signals when we connect our 1974 International to the 2009 Silverado.
Did General Motors happen to change the plug in wiring pattern on the truck receptacle?
Would appreciate advice / help to get this problem resolved.

[A W Warn]

Those two vehicles should have the same wiring pattern in the 7 blade plug, if they are factory installed. I know 2000 through 2012 models were the same. If you look closely at the flap on the connector plug you will see there is a wiring diagram molded into it.
The 09 truck originally did not come from the factory with some of the fuses for the trailer connections. If the PO of the vehicle never towed it is possible that is your problem.

[overlander63]

I use this to test the plugs and connections:
Trailer Socket Circuit Light Plug Tester 7 Flat Pin RV | eBay

[Barry Myers]

I have been toiling with my clearance lights. I think my prob is the wiring, not he LEDS that I have. But, can't get at the wiring. I have verified that the wiring from the TV to the connection behind the couch is okay. From the disconnected green wire that goes into the wall toward the back, dead short to ground. Do you know if wiring is accessible anywhere. I have looked in the ceiling lights to see if the green wire is accessible there. Thanks.

[Barry Myers]

I gave up! I called Jackson Center and they want $110 per hour to work on the problem. Called Colonial in New Jersey and they want $124 per hour. JC wanted me to get it there on Wednesday so they would be sure to have sufficient time to find the problem. I ran a new wire to the back and put one two tail lights from Walmart for $25.

[Lothlorian]

I had running light and tail light problems I could not solve with both of my trailers and I took mine to a family owned tow and trailer business. A place where they sold and fixed landscape trailers and enclosed trailers for contractors. I think I paid $40.00 the first time. The second time I bought a knew plug for he pigtail and they rewired all my running and tail lights. I did not pay over $160.00 for the plug and labor. They also checked my brakes, leaf springs (1960 Overlander) and bearings. Mom and Pop businesses are great for that type of stuff.

[Barry Myers]

Did your Mom and Pop rewire the trailer under the interior covering. I find it unbelievable that Airstream makes the trailer with inaccessible wiring. I found out that there is a panel inside the trailer that has the wiring connections. But, you must remove the inside rear quarter panel to get at it! We'll see if my wire works okay. Thanks for the advice.

[mimiandrews]

A couple of years ago, we had the same problem with our '66 Safari. The front clearance lights failed because the original wire gauge (18, I think) was too small to carry the six incandescent running lights they connected to it. The only fuse was the one in the truck, which was way too big for that little wire, so it's a wonder we didn't have a fire in the Airstream.

The wires were inside the walls. I was able to fish out the old wire and install new 14 gauge wire through the holes in the skin behind the running lights.

I did have to enlarge the holes with a Dremel tool, but none ended up larger than a nickel. I was careful to keep the holes within the footprint of each running light and to seal them carefully when I was finished.

The technique involves:
1. Pulling in new wire with what's left of the old where possible.
2. Patient and sometimes creative use of an electrician's fish tape.

A time or two I left a hook made out of welding rod hanging through the hole at the running light location and then threaded the fish tape in through the hole where I'd removed the bulb from the scare light. When the fish tape got close, I'd pull on the welding rod to guide it to the small hole.

I was fortunate that the really bad wire was all at the front of the trailer. The wire that ran the length of the trailer for the rear lights was good. Also, the wires for the tail light and brake light circuits were good.

I also fished the wires for both running light circuits up through the floor under the dinette seat and put inline fuses there. Then, I installed new LED running lights, so the current draw is a mere fraction of what it originally was.

I can't find the pictures I took of the original wires, but I know I posted them back when I did this. Those were really, really fried wires.

No problems whatsoever with running lights since this work was done.

Best of luck with yours.