Need Help With Electrical Wiring

[Jamesh1246]

Hi Folks,
We bought our 22' HiLo Funchaser in 2002 and have loved it! After almost 20 years age (81) & health challenges have caught up with us.

We are willing to share our fun trips as well as repairs we have made, like running new cables with sailboat rigging 7/19 SS cable, rebuilding hydraulic cylinder, new roof, new air conditioner +++

Drop me a line is we can help.

Tom & Barbara Vandiver, Pensacola, FL

I put a vortex II fan in bathroom and know the two lights in there don't work. they must have been wired in with old fan but how I don't know. If you can help I thank you

 

[JackandJanet]

Jamesh, Welcome to the forum. I know you were responding to Happy Tom's offer of help in the thread where you posted, but your problem belongs in its own thread. If you want to talk specifically to Happy Tom, send him a PM. Otherwise, this thread here should get you some suggestions from other members regarding the electrical system.

Troubleshooting is fairly basic but you should have a multimeter and the knowledge of how to use it to do it right. Have you checked the fuses to those lights?

- Jack

 

[Jamesh1246]

Yes I have. I am sure the lights were wired with the old vent fan. I believe I have to wire a jumper for the lights to have power.

 

[RichR]

Yes I have. I am sure the lights were wired with the old vent fan. I believe I have to wire a jumper for the lights to have power.

What lights are you speaking of, the ceiling lights or lights in the fan?

 

[Jamesh1246]

There are two lights in bathroom and thhey work with old vent but are not working now.

 

[Jamesh1246]

Went out when i cut the old vent wires,,the lights were not in vent.

 

[RichR]

I believe the fan was wired into the light circuit in Hi-Lo. You should be able to join the positive and negative wires together from all. Or am I missing something here?

 

[Jamesh1246]

I believe the fan was wired into the light circuit in Hi-Lo. You should be able to join the positive and negative wires together from all. Or am I missing something here?

Thanks for your help. I think your right but due to heath conditions right now I will have to wait to work on it again.
I just love this camper and I am putting new jacks on it also plus new flooring. I mean I am hiring it done, thanks again and I will let you know if that works.

 

[Jamesh1246]

I tried wiring it every way I think possible with no luck. I may have to bite the bullet and hire a pro to fined out how it should be done.

 

[DeLana]

Lights in bath area

My lights run off DC, maybe the fan also. Could be you blew a fuse when you cut the wires especially if you cut the + and - at the same time.
Beach

 

[JackandJanet]

The fan and the lights WILL be 12V DC. If the fuses are all good, and you don't get power at the wire ends where they would connect to lights or the fan (tested with a multimeter), then you have a break in one or more of those wires.

You should be able to find those wire colors coming out of the fuse panel and you could test for voltage there. If you have voltage, then you should test for continuity between that point and the exposed wires where you want the lights or fan. Use the continuity function of the multimeter with DC power OFF when you do this. If you find a broken wire, you can run a new one like I did when a rat chewed through it.

It's also possible you have a faulty ground in that circuit. You can check for that using the multimeter too.

My ground wires are all white in color. The power delivery wires are other colors - green, yellow, red, etc.

- Jack

 

[retiredcamper47]

Some earlier HiLo’s had two switches controlling the bathroom lights. One switch had to stay on for the other switch to turn the light off/on. Is your unit like this?

Bob

 

[Jamesh1246]

No I had only one switch and it was on old vent. The lights turn on separate lunch.
I tried again tonight changing wires around but no luck. I will keep trying till I fined the trouble.

 

[JackandJanet]

Jamesh - forgive me, but it sounds like you are just randomly connecting wires in different combinations trying to find something that works. This is NOT the way to troubleshoot electrical circuits. If that is your approach, then your best bet is to take the trailer to someone who knows how to do it right.

- Jack

 

[Jamesh1246]

Yes you are right. I had a couple electricians tell me how to do it but I had no luck. My son said he will. Come up and take a look at it for me. If he can’t get it right I will call a man the works on RV to come to house and fix it. Thank for your suggestion.

 

[Treeclimber]

Jamesh1246, just my two cents, if you were just touching wires together, you probably shorted a circuit and blew a fuse.
Tree

 

[Jamesh1246]

Yes I know. I replaced 1 that was bad and you are well come to comment. I am willing to lissen to anyone with Ideas. thank.

 

[DeLana]

On your last entry on day 02-20-20 you said the lights went out when you cut the old vent wires. That indicates you may have shorted the wires together and blew a fuse. You also said on today's entry that you found one fuse blown and replaced it. I would recheck all the fuses and replace any that are blown AFTER disconnecting the wires at the vent. Also check the circuit breakers in the battery compartment. Best wishes!
Beach

 

[anchorwood]

RetiredCamper47 above mentioned two switches possibly being involved. My 22' Hi-Lo is of similar vintage, being a 1999, and has the two switch setup. One is on the fixture in the shower, the other is a small rocker switch approximately on the centerline of the back wall above the rear window. I thought my shower light was inoperative until I read someone else's comment about it, and voila', when both switches were in the correct position I had light!

It may be a low probability that your problem is related, but since it seems nothing else has solved the problem yet, I thought I would give more detail.

I actually replaced the original bathroom vent fan with a Fantastic Fan when I bought our Hi-Lo several years ago, and never had any light problems. Can't recall the details of the wiring, though.

Best of luck,

 

[Jamesh1246]

I will take a look to see if I have a second switch. I stopped working on it and am putting a new laminate floor in. I only get to work on it for a few minutes a day because of health problems. Hopefully in April I want to take a trip out to N.M
I thank you for in formation. I hope that is what’s wrong.