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Car Forum / Driving, Maintenance, Tuning / RVs / October 2005no lights
Well... Had the camper (Coleman Rio 1998) open the past week and just noticed that the overhead lights are not working. Not sure of the last time I saw them working now that I think about it. All the outlets have power and in fact I have an electric heater running now to dry out the moisture inside. I had it plugged into the 15 amp circuit and now the 20 amp circuit so I know I have power to the outlets. I know there is a switch under the sink that cuts power to the lights when it is moved to the floor position. Maybe this went bad? I have a volt meter someplace. I'll have to start testing and tracing to see what has happened. Any ideas? Bob Albany, NY Wife, kids, dog, mouse (well, dead mouse now) ---------------------------------------- I am using the free version of SPAMfighter for private users. It has removed 30 spam emails to date. Paying users do not have this message in their emails. Try www.SPAMfighter.com for free now! First check the light bulbs! Yes it is remotely possible that the switch under the sink has gone bad, but not likely. Everything you checked that is working runs off of 120 volts AC (VAC). The lights are 12 VDC. There is a 'converter' somewhere in your camper which converts 120VAC to (about) 12 VDC (actually more like 13.8 volts if you are measuring it with a meter). Things which run on 12VDC include the lights, a water pump, the heater, and the propane detector. I would look at the propane detector. Is its indicator light on? If not, your converter isn't working, or has blown one or more fuses. Usually you can easily open the front panel of the converter. There are usually several car type blade fuses for the DC circuits. You can take these out and see if they are still OK. Further, you can check with your meter between one of the fuse holder openings and a solid ground to get 12 volts. If not, you have to go further into your converter. If so, UNPLUG your camper from 120VAC. Then figure out how to unscrew more things from the converter. Some newer models have a faceplate which comes off and reveals the interior workings, and a fuse - usually the older car type: a tube with metal at each end and glass in the middle. If this is blown, you can try to replace it...but your converter is probably fried. Some older converters are built so that you have to essentially remove and dismantle the entire box to get at this fuse!! If you get this far, and things are still not fixed, let us know. I recently had to replace my converter and have learned LOTS about them. If you write back, let us know the make and model of the converter, and the size of the opening it fits into in the camper. "Bob L." <bob_lally@prophezine.com> wrote > Had the camper (Coleman Rio 1998) open the past week and just noticed that > the overhead lights are not working. Not sure of the last time I saw them > working now that I think about it. [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > I have a volt meter someplace. I'll have to start testing and tracing to > see what has happened. Any ideas? Hi: Thanks for the info...forgot that the lights run on 12v. Duh. Propane detector light is on - good news. So, the converter is working. I wonder if separate circuits coming out of the converter have fuses? Will check later today. Thanks. Bob L. > First check the light bulbs! > [quoted text clipped - 47 lines] > > I have a volt meter someplace. I'll have to start testing and tracing to > > see what has happened. Any ideas? ---------------------------------------- I am using the free version of SPAMfighter for private users. It has removed 30 spam emails to date. Paying users do not have this message in their emails. Try www.SPAMfighter.com for free now! Yes. Your converter will probably have 3 or 4 separate fuses for DC circuits. "Bob L." <bob_lally@prophezine.com> wrote in message > Propane detector light is on - good news. So, the converter is working. I > wonder if separate circuits coming out of the converter have fuses? Will > check later today. Everything tobe says is solid info. I have one more suggestion. Find the wires that snake down through the canvas from the ceiling to the camper box. They may be enclosed in a plastic conduit. Follow it down to just above the box rail that the roof mates with when closed. Feel around in that area and see if there aren't 2 wire nuts (pushed up into the canvas channel) that tie the ceiling wiring to the camper box. It is possible that one of the connections is bad. If they look the least bit "funky" redo the 2 connections and see if the lights come on. This happened to me on a brand new camper within the first 2 days. The boys at the factory go a little too fast sometimes. Mike in Metro Atlanta > First check the light bulbs! > [quoted text clipped - 49 lines] >> I have a volt meter someplace. I'll have to start testing and tracing to >> see what has happened. Any ideas? The security switch is one good probability of the lights not working. you can manually depress the switch a few times to see if something will happen. Also, usually, the wires that go through the ceiling are located near one of the roof pole and usually has a connector somewhere that the dealer uses if they need to remove the top. maybe the connector needs to be re-connected. mel Bob L. a écrit: > Well... > [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > Paying users do not have this message in their emails. > Try www.SPAMfighter.com for free now! e suggestions. I think I'll start with the power source and check the fuses. Then follow the wire trail, so to speak. Bob > The security switch is one good probability of the lights not working. > you can manually depress the switch a few times to see if something will [quoted text clipped - 32 lines] > > Paying users do not have this message in their emails. > > Try www.SPAMfighter.com for free now! |
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