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Old 05-19-2016, 08:24 PM   #1
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Running lights

Just hooked my 25ft Dutchman up to check lights. My problem is my rear brake and red rear lights work but my front and side amber lights are not. Are the running lights on the same circuit or wire or are they on a separate wire and has anyone else had this problem? Thanks
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Old 05-20-2016, 02:29 AM   #2
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Check the ground, usually the same wire carries the current from front to back, if the rear is lighted then it is probably a ground connection gone bad..
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Old 05-20-2016, 03:19 AM   #3
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CT, welcome to the forum.

Dutchmen isn't noted for the quality of their electrical connections. They use wire nuts and crimp slices to excess and many of them fail.

I would start with a multi-meter and verify each light has continuity, on both the power and ground side of the light. You'll need a couple of aligator clips and a piece of wire long enough to to make a jumper from the 7 way plug to the light.

If I was betting, I would bet that a butt connector or an inline tap has failed, if all of the marker lamps are out.

I had nothing but problems on the 12 volt system until I bit the bullett and reworked every Dutchmen splice.
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Old 05-20-2016, 03:35 PM   #4
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On my trailer, the tail lights and side lights are not on the same wire, I had the right turn and brake light go out, found a fuse in the truck burned out, look at the E-Trailer web page and it will tell you which wire on the 7-plug is for which lights....may be just a fuse
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Old 05-20-2016, 04:24 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RVNevada View Post
On my trailer, the tail lights and side lights are not on the same wire, I had the right turn and brake light go out, found a fuse in the truck burned out, look at the E-Trailer web page and it will tell you which wire on the 7-plug is for which lights....may be just a fuse
Rich,

That is a possibility if all of the lights on one circuit are out, certainly a good place to start diagnosing is the trucks 7-pin connector.

There running lights are all on one pin of the connector. If you have taillights (not brake/turn), but no running lights that would indicate a problem in the camper wiring.

I gave up being frustrated trying to trace electrical problems, in my hot rodding days, so I got myself a multi-meter and learned how to use it. Sure makes diagnosing problems easier and faster.
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Old 05-23-2016, 05:27 AM   #6
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My brake,signal and rear running lights work fine its the 2 top and the 2 front side running lights that I cant get to work. I saw on another post that it maybe a fuse in the camper its self blown or a wire loose in the junction box on the tongue gonna check that tomorrow
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Old 05-23-2016, 02:02 PM   #7
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Originally Posted by Ctjeffers3 View Post
My brake,signal and rear running lights work fine its the 2 top and the 2 front side running lights that I cant get to work. I saw on another post that it maybe a fuse in the camper its self blown or a wire loose in the junction box on the tongue gonna check that tomorrow
That's where all of my 12V problems were, some genius thought a non-sealed junction box was acceptable to hang on the side of the a-frame where it gets saturated every time you tow in the rain. That along will crappy wire nut connections, equated to corroded wires and failed connections.

I replaced the junction box with one of these and the problems went away.
https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories...tro/38656.html
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