1972 LaGrande Exterior Lights

[anthonyschr]

I was recently replacing all clearance lights with new LED fixtures from VTS, and when all but 2 were installed, I realized I had a short in the circuit. Unfortunately I failed to test as I went, so I have no idea what caused it.

Could this be a faulty light? Of course it could be a wire poking through and touching the shell. I am applying power to a green wire near the front of the camper. Each light is connected to a black pigtail poking out of the camper shell. I am not sure what kind of wiring layout lies between these points.

Any experience with this issue, or ways to track down a short circuit?

Thanks,
Anthony S.

[KYAvion]

I’d be surprised if it’s a faulty light. I’m not sure of the wiring sequence, but I’d start with the lights at the front and work toward the back one at a time.

Did any of the lights you installed work? Keep in mind the shell sounds like it’s the ground for the lights, so make sure that’s good too.

[silverloaf]

I replaced all the clearance flights on our '88 30-P. The holes in the shell for wiring access were sharp with no protective grommet. The pocket behind the shell was quite small. Some wiring was short in length and difficult to stuff back in place. It was not one of Avion's best design efforts.

You may have unwittingly crushed or nicked a wire against a sharp surface during re-assembly. It's easy to do. I suggest detaching each clearance light module from the shell. Look for evidence of chafing or nick of the wire to the module. Fix and reinstall. Turn on the light switch and verify it does not blow a fuse. Then move along to the next one. At some point you will stumble across the offending wiring behind a module.

I used this process with every light I installed. By the way, I "spiked" the hot wire to the clearance lights while re-installing the front credenza. One of the screws had nicked the wire and made the connection to ground. I had to remove the credenda and the interior wall material to get to the nicked wire. It was almost imperceptible to the naked eye.