# Urgent- Trailer Tail Lights Are Not Working



## Swanie (Oct 25, 2004)

We're late getting out this summer ... hooking up to leave tomorrow morning and our Outback's tail lights don't work. We hooked up the pin connection but back lights are not coming on. We were just using a hauling trailer today so we know our TV works because that had lights. Is there a fuse in the Outback (21rs) to look for and where? We are exhausted from 12 hours of moving our household and must be nuts to think we are going camping tomorrow for a family reunion.

My DH is pretty burned out .... we desperately need to be pointed in the right direction to solve the problem. HELP!


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## Thor (Apr 7, 2004)

Check the fuse in your TV - Most truck have a separate fuse that powers the lights of trailers. Double check with another trailer or put a meter to see if you have power. I had this happen to me.

Also check the ground.

Good Luck

Thor


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## Swanie (Oct 25, 2004)

Nope, it's the trailer. We plugged it in to land power and all the lights are dimmed and the smoke/co detector is screeching. My DH charged the battery periodically during the winter but it has been sitting at his parents farm for a few weeks. What do we do now? It doesn't make sense that if you plug it in, you have no lights. HELP!


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## Lady Di (Oct 28, 2005)

If you have a volt/ohm meter, set it to DC, and check for voltage at the plug. If there is voltage there, than check for continuity between the ground wire, and the trailer frame. Thor has some good ideas, so that is a good starting place. Maybe someone else will have some additional ideas.


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## camping479 (Aug 27, 2003)

Behind the lp cover on the frame there should be an electrical box. If you take the plate off there are bunch of connections for the 12 volt system. Check that all of the wires under the wire nuts are tight and making contact. Our front clearance lights stopped working and one of the wires in that junction box had come loose.

Good luck,

Mike


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## N7OQ (Jun 10, 2006)

If your TV is ok and you are missing all your lights than I would look at the ground wire, it is the only wire common to all the lights. go to this link to see a pin out of your connector: http://www.etrailer.com/faq/wiring.asp

Good luck


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## Swanie (Oct 25, 2004)

We disconnected the battery and plugged in the shore power and EVERYTHING WORKS. But if you connect the battery, the shore power can't get thru -- the camper is yellow lights and co detector screeching. Has anyone had this happen and what could it be?


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## HootBob (Apr 26, 2004)

I would do like Mike suggested and make sure it's water tight also

Don


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## N7OQ (Jun 10, 2006)

Swanie said:


> We disconnected the battery and plugged in the shore power and EVERYTHING WORKS. But if you connect the battery, the shore power can't get thru -- the camper is yellow lights and co detector screeching. Has anyone had this happen and what could it be?


 Sounds like a bad battery to me, I though you were having outside lights like, stop turn running ect. light problem. When your battery is discharged or has bad cells than the TV cant provide enough current to over come it. The TV is only able to provide a few amps of charge power. You might be able just charge the battery and everything will be ok, a really dead RV battery can take almost 24 hours at 10 amps to get back to full charge.


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## huntr70 (Jul 8, 2005)

Swanie said:


> We disconnected the battery and plugged in the shore power and EVERYTHING WORKS. But if you connect the battery, the shore power can't get thru -- the camper is yellow lights and co detector screeching. Has anyone had this happen and what could it be?


The battery is drained......that is why everything works on shore power.

It is being powered by the inverter.

That should have no affect on your brake lights though. There may be a loose ground that is not letting the battery charge from the TV battery, and that affects the lights also.

Steve


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## Ghosty (Jan 17, 2005)

I am thinking its the battery .. thgat the cells are collasped or cracked from sitting...

get another battery from a nearby vehcile and swap it out and see if that works --

if it does -- then its the batteries..

if it doesn't .. then its the ground....


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## Thor (Apr 7, 2004)

Ok, I am a little confused now.

Are we talking tai llamps on the trailer and/or interrior lights in the trailer?

Taillamps due not work from the battery - they get power from the TV. You should be able to tow without a battery and your tail, signal, brake lamps should work. The TV will also supply power to the trailer and charge your battery. With no battery in the trailer and the trailer plugged into your trailer, you should have all lights working.

If you attach the battery and something changes, than you have a bad battery or you have neg & pos crossed or a loose connection.

If there is no battery and your lights do not work; check to ensure you have power from your truck and check the cord connection to your trailer.

Good luck

Thor


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## outbackgeorgia (Jan 28, 2004)

Had the same problem, bad ground wire at the tailights was what caused it for me, I just ran a temp ground wire under the plastic lens to the frame until I could fix it right
Outbackgeorgia


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## aplvlykat (Jan 25, 2004)

Do any of the TT lights work on the exterior running, brake, or turn signals? If not try connecting a ground wire from the truck to the TT and recheck the exterior lights, this should eliminate a bad ground problem. The other problem sounds like a bad battery or under charged battery. If all the 12 volt circuits are off the converter will supply 55 amp charge to the batteries. You could try pulling all the 12 volt fuses, making a note first as to where they go, and let the batteries charge for a couple of hours to see what happens. You need to have a working charged battery when towing otherwise your emergency brake switch will not work. Kirk


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## skippershe (May 22, 2006)

Swanie? Did you figure it out?? Hope you solved the problem and that you're camping!


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## Thor (Apr 7, 2004)

skippershe said:


> Swanie? Did you figure it out?? Hope you solved the problem and that you're camping!


You nailed it. We all hope you are camping. Let us know when you have figured it out.

Thanks
Thor


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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

Since we have not heard from Swanie in a few days, we can hope it is all fixed, and they are out there Outbacking!









Happy Trails,
Doug


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Guess we'lll find out in a few days...

hope it worked out for the best.


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## baxtersdad (Jun 29, 2006)

Had a similar problem. Right 5th wheel (28frls) lights decided to not work. Much troubleshooting, TV to shop for rewire. Guess what? As last resort, checked female plug from 5th wheeler and found metal connector was bent and not making contact with plug from TV.


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## Swanie (Oct 25, 2004)

Okay, here's what happened. The lights were not working on one side of the trailer and it was a fuse out on the Durango (TV) -- nothing to do with the trailer. On top of that, the battery for the camper was dead. We had charged every few weeks over the winter (in the basement of the house) but the battery was fried. So, besides fixing the fuse in the TV, also had to buy a new battery.

And, no, we couldn't fix the problem fast enough to go camping. It was a family reunion with a strict deadline so we hightailed it the next morning via car and had to bunk in hotel room with my parents (no other rooms in the whole town . . . but it WAS North Dakota!!) So, NO OUTBACKING.

Then, when we got back, my mom got very sick and I ended up calling 9-1-1 and she spent a week in the hospital . . . and two days later, we moved our family into a new house. It was HELL for two weeks and when you move, being online gets interrupted!

Now, we fixed the Outback's battery and the Durango's fuse, and will go out for the FIRST time this summer (isn't that sad??) next weekend.

Thank goodness for all of you -- thank you for your suggestions and your quickness to help in my time of NEED.


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