LED Exterior Marker Lights - Trouble shooting

[Bill D]

Camper: 2013 Hawk, 1 battery + solar


I can't seem to get power to my exterior LED marker lights.

I'm quite certain that there is no issue with the wiring at the truck. I've checked the truck wiring. I have power going to both pins in the 3 pin connector (when the truck lights are on) and a good ground.
It appears to be an issue within the camper itself.

What are the obvious things to check for. I'm not certain which fuse is for the exterior LEDs but all the fuses appear to be in good shape.

My guess is that the camper is not completing the ground circuit. The reason I think this is the case is I put my multimeter on the ground female barrel (on the camper side of the plug) and tested for continuity between the main power circuit and the marker light circuit. Neither indicate a complete circuit. I assume the main power circuit should do so when the plunger is pulled out and the fuses are good. The marker light circuit should always be complete, regardless of the plunger position.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Bill, if I understand your testing, I'm not certain you will see the circuit by testing for continuity. I suspect the LEDs look like a very high resistance to an ohm meter. I don't remember if there's an electrical diagram with the owner's manual, but I would check that, then start looking for 12vdc at appropriate points, starting with the back side if the Attwod 3 pin connector, working back towards the lights.

Circuit breaker? I'm away from the camper, so can't check to see if there is one.

 

[Old Crow]

You may have already found these, Bill, but I'll go ahead and attach them to this thread....

1. There's a 'Truck to Camper Wiring' diagram in post 4 of http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/topic/6988-new-fwc-power-plug-got-pictures/ (Not sure it applies to your specific setup but may be food for thought)

2. Stan refers to the green wire to the marker lights in post 2 of http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/topic/6607-installing-a-shell/

-OC

 

[wuck]

Bill, I don't have markers, and my Hawk is a bit older, but I can make a couple of guesses here.

WS is correct, a typical ohmmeter may not supply enough current/voltage to show continuity on an LED circuit. The Diode test position might work, however you have to pay attention to test lead polarity, and the LED's might require a 3-5 volts to turn on as compared to a regular diode at less than a volt.

The marker lights are probably independent of your on board battery/solar/fuse panel etc. You should just have 12V from the truck connection (when lights are on) and a good common ground between the two. Start by checking both at the truck connector (camper disconnected). Use a test light rather than a voltmeter - a voltmeter may show 12 volts even with a crummy connection because it doesn't load the circuit as a test light will.

If those check good, then move on to the camper marker wiring. Again, with the camper disconnected, connect a jumper to the marker circuit and then carefully to the camper battery +. The ground should be common, and not affected by fuses, master power switch or truck connection, so your markers should light. If not, then start by checking ground connections. There should be a common ground bus, a block a couple inches long probably near your battery isolator relay. The truck ground, house battery (-), at least one load (camper) ground, and probably a camper chassis ground bonding wire should be connected here along with your shore power ground wire. My chassis bond wire runs to the frame behind the furnace, it's pretty tough to follow. I suspect the markers are grounded through the chassis via a mounting screw.

 

[Bill D]

Thanks for the responses.
I appreciate the wiring diagram. It will help identify the ground and power cables inside the camper.
I also appreciate knowing there are no fuses in the marker light circuit.

I'll get it figured. I just didn't want to chase my tail.

Do FWC provide wiring diagrams of the entire camper? Are they available on a per request basis or can the be found online?

 

[photohc]

Thanks for the responses.
I appreciate the wiring diagram. It will help identify the ground and power cables inside the camper.
I also appreciate knowing there are no fuses in the marker light circuit.

I'll get it figured. I just didn't want to chase my tail.

Do FWC provide wiring diagrams of the entire camper? Are they available on a per request basis or can the be found online?

They don't. I tried to get a copy of my 2013 Hawk and was told they are not available.

 

[Bill D]

They don't. I tried to get a copy of my 2013 Hawk and was told they are not available.

Thanks.

Eventually I'll get all the wiring figured out. I have a fully loaded camper so it's going to take a couple years. Hopefully I don't have too many issues. I'm certainly glad to have this forum for help.

The only FWC dealer in Canada is 1500 miles round trip from me. When I purchased my 2013 Hawk used, they refused to do the install, even though I had an appointment to purchase a new unit from them that day. I have no intention of ever having anything to do with the Canadian dealer.

 

[Tule Creeper]

I have had similar issues with my 2014 Hawk. There is a fuse under the cabinetry near the refrigerator, directly under the furnace on my side dinette Hawk. There is a coil of green wire with an in line 5 amp fuse. I replaced the fuse with a 10 amp and my lights worked for a while. My camper kept popping this fuse and after a couple of trips to the FWC factory, it was determined that a screw for the rear flood lights hit the marker light wiring and was causing a short. Hopefully your lighting issue is only a fuse.

 

[Bill D]

I solved the issue with the marker lights.

It appears that the Atwood plug wiring was never properly crimped to the camper wiring. I would dare to say that electrical tape was the only thing keeping the circuit alive for a year.

The reason I say this is take a look at the blue and the green wires. The green wire is straight as one would expect upon being removed from a quick connector. Usually the wires will be flattened, but they will come out relatively straight.

The blue wire on the other hand is a matted ball of wire. There were no signs of broken wire strands within the quick connector. This is not a point of constant movement that would have balled up the wire after the fact. The wire likely never made it's way into the quick connect prior to the quick connect getting crimped.

Anyhow problem solved. I soldered the connection and reinforced the other connections with 3M vulcanizing rubber tape. This will also help prevent water infiltration.


Tule, thanks for the info on the fuse. I didn't have to troubleshoot that deep in the camper thankfully, but I would have carried on under the impression that there was no fuse in this circuit. I'll be sure to look for that green wire and the 5 Amp fuse. Much appreciated.

BTW I'm not trying to put down anyones work or the use of quick connects. It is what it is. I always solder my connections, but it's not something I expect. Like I said I left the other two quick connects alone while I had all my soldering gear out (because they seemed to be done well).

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Bill, I'm glad that wasn't one of those jobs where you tear the entire rig apart. Thanks for posting the fix!