CTH reset - High Country Cargo Toy Hauler Conversion

[Itsdoable]

That's what the - and + lights are for on my probe tester! I never read directions

All 3 fixtures tested OK +


More info to confuse everyone.

With battery-to-ground hooked up and the fixtures touching the trailer (all lights on), the meter shows no amp draw.

With battery-to-ground hooked up and the fixtures NOT touching the trailer (all lights working correctly), the meter DOES shows a amp draw (~1.5amp per light), and is the same if the battery-to-ground is unhooked.

[Jo]

That's what the - and + lights are for on my probe tester!

All 3 fixtures tested +

Your probe tester is a test light? or a voltmeter with Red and Black leads?

When you're saying that the fixtures are "+" you checked it between the "+" wire of the fixtures and the ground?

Or between the back of the fixtures and the ground?

[Itsdoable]

My probe tester has + / - lights. I tested it on the 12V battery. If I touch the + probe and - probe correctly to the battery terminals, it lights +. If I touch the + to - and - to +, it shows -.

That said, I tested the fixture by touching the + probe to the black wire (inside of bulb socket), and the - probe to the rivet (that white wire is attached to). All 3 tested +, which is OK.

As a double check, I switched probes (- to bulb socket, + to rivet) and it lighted the -.

So current is flowing in correct direction regardless if battery is grounded or not.

See edited comment in above post about amp draw thru meter.

[Jo]

Keep it simple




I know that you installed a Turnigy wattmeter between the battery and the Fuse box. You have to be sure that it's not twisted there too.

TURNIGY
The Red wire of the Load side (right) go to the bottom of the fuse box. (Red)
The Black wire of the Load side (right) go to the top of the fuse box. (White)

The red and black wires of the Source side goes to the + and - of the battery.

Easy checkpoint, remove the fusebox cover and check between the Red and the white wire. Which one is positive?

[Jo]

My probe tester has + / - lights. I tested it on the 12V battery. If I touch the + probe and - probe correctly to the battery terminals, it lights +. If I touch the + to - and - to +, it shows -.

That said, I tested the fixture by touching the + probe to the black wire (inside of bulb socket), and the - probe to the rivet (that white wire is attached to). All 3 tested +, which is OK.

As a double check, I switched probes (- to bulb socket, + to rivet) and it lighted the -.

So current is flowing in correct direction regardless if battery is grounded or not.

See edited comment in above post about amp draw thru meter.

Sorry, I read that after my last post...

Look like your fixtures are wired correctly.

That's really strange can you do the same test with battery and fixtures grounded to chassis and switches OFF?

We have to find out were the power is coming from when the switches are OFF

[Itsdoable]

I think I got it ...

NEW INFO, just checked ... for some reason I wired the ground (-) wires thru the light switches on this circuit only.

So, if there is NO battery-to-chassis ground. Turn switch on, light comes on. Flow thru ground wire.

When battery on/off switch is on, there is always a live hot wire to all 3 fixtures regardless of light switch position (which are on ground wire). Just needs a closed ground to battery for lights to turn on. When there is a battery-to-chassis ground, the lights turn on because ground side of the circuit is closed via fixture-to-chassis / chassis-to-battery connection.

Testing bears this out...

With battery-to-chassis ground connected,

1) touch the + probe to the fixtures hot wire(black) and - probe to chassis (with the fixture not touching the trailer), you get a + light. Connection made via chassis.

2) touch the + probe to the fixtures hot wire (black) and - probe to the rivet (white) ground wire (with the fixture not touching the trailer) and no test light. No closed connection.

3) touch the + probe to the fixtures hot wire (black) and - probe to the rivet (white) ground wire (with the fixture touching the trailer), you get a + light. Connection made via chassis.

With NO battery-to-chassis ground, probes work as expected .. flowing through ground wire, not the chassis, switches work.

Am I right this time ???

Moderator is going to kill me for all these posts and pictures ..

[Jo]

for some reason I wired the ground (-) wires thru the light switches on this circuit only.

That is the problem.

Is it easy to wired the (+) wires thru the switches and not the (-)?

If you isolate the fixtures from the chassis it will work, but that's not the CLEAN way to do it. If your isolation fail you will drain your battery.

Hint:
1- You can use the (-) wires (The one thru the switches) and plug it to the (+) of the fuse box and to the black wire of the fixtures (+).
2- Scrap the actual (+) wire and ground properly your fixtures to the chassis.

[Itsdoable]

I can remove a few panels to get at the wires I need to. If it was behind the fuse box/meter I'd have to rip out the whole front cabinetry.

Oui .. for a while there I though I was going to have to name it the 'Tesla Coil'. But side business at rock concerts would have been awesome!

Double checked Meter to Fuse Box, they are wired correctly.

Since I'm leaving in a few days, I've pulled the fuse and will deal with it when I get back.

Bed pics .. they are a-coming.

[Jo]

Problem solve!

Have a good one!

[Itsdoable]

Bed stuff ..

Here's the full size (54x75) bed folded against the wall. Note the rachet strap across the frame. My dirtbike does just fit in front of the folded down bed. Nice for when you get into camp late on a Friday evening after work and don't want to unpack and lockup everything to a tree.


Close up of one of the corners. Small hook to keep strap in place, reinforced corner brackets, and folded up legs. The bungy across the mattress is so I can lift and hold it seprately from the frame.


Bed lowered. The 1x8 pine board against the wall was just the right width for the $175 mattress I got at a local store. Main bed frame is a 1/2" premium plywood with 1x3 framing. Construction adhesive and a few drywall screws did the trick. As an afterthought, doing it again I would have used interior house door hinges instead of the ones I did. That way, I could just remove the hinge pins to take the frame out for when I load the snowmobile in winter.


Heated 12V mattress pad for my old bones. Used this in my tent last year and never had it above #2 setting. Wrap it around a dutch oven on #10 setting and who needs a gas oven!


Under bed contruction. 1in x 6ft aluminum angle is not cheap!
3 of the 5 legs are situated above floor frame members for strength. Can anyone say "storage project"?


Here's a pic of the Wave heater I put in, the window covering, and clothes hanger under the cabinet. For now, I'm just going to fish a flexible gas hose from a tank in thru the window. Next year a RV heater is gpoing in that corner (wire already hidden behind the wall).

[Itsdoable]

Thanks for all the electrical help today.

When friends come over to check on the build progress, they inevitably ask "where'd you get 'that' idea and learn how to do it". Most of it comes from you folks!

[pete42]

Question remains with everything in it's proper place and battery ground unhooked to chassis do all the lights still come on when you turn on any switch?

I wonder if when you plug in your matteress heater the lights will come on?


nice build you will surely enjoy camping

[bdosborn]

One thing I learned with the clothes hanger in our trailer is that the hooks bounce off as you go down the road. Wrap a rubber band around the hook and it keeps them on.

Bruce

[Jo]

Nicely done bed, thanks for pics and details!

[Itsdoable]

First trip to Moab and the trailer worked out perfectly. Need a table and the vanity and I'll be all set.