Help! Side markers aren't working - Fiberglass RV
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Old 10-03-2011, 02:22 AM   #1
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Help! Side markers aren't working

I recently purchased a 1995 Scamp. One of the issues (among many I am discovering) is the side markers of the camper are not working. I used an voltometer and discovered there is no power to the side markers. I have looked at the wiring and it is all intact. (this is when I discovered there is a hole in the floor where the previous owner had a leak and did a very shotty repair.....different story). When we first hooked the Scamp to the truck, the flashers were opposite of the truck. We looked at the schematics and rewired the connector. Now the signal, brake lights and four ways flash but the side markers never worked. I am considering resplicing the wires and using a wire nut vs the crimps the manufacturer have on the wires. Is it possible that I have a bad ground somewhere? Also, the Scamp's battery is dead and I have not replaced it. Would that have something to do with the ground? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Right now I have torn a 16 inch hole in my floor and am about to rip the whole thing out and replace it. I might as well tackle them both while I have it torn apart.
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Old 10-03-2011, 08:08 AM   #2
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Bad grounds are a major problem on all trailers and even more so on fiberglass. The aluminum campers use the skin as a ground current path. Fiberglass requires a wire to go to the panel, battery or the frame.

Do a multimeter test from the lite to the frame and if that does not work, do it from the lite to the battery just in case the frame is not attached to ground.

Do a multimeter test across the bulb contacts to make sure the bulb is ok.
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Old 10-03-2011, 08:23 AM   #3
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Originally Posted by Lowpaidnurse View Post
I recently purchased a 1995 Scamp. One of the issues (among many I am discovering) is the side markers of the camper are not working. I used an voltometer and discovered there is no power to the side markers. I have looked at the wiring and it is all intact. (this is when I discovered there is a hole in the floor where the previous owner had a leak and did a very shotty repair.....different story). When we first hooked the Scamp to the truck, the flashers were opposite of the truck. We looked at the schematics and rewired the connector. Now the signal, brake lights and four ways flash but the side markers never worked. I am considering resplicing the wires and using a wire nut vs the crimps the manufacturer have on the wires. Is it possible that I have a bad ground somewhere? Also, the Scamp's battery is dead and I have not replaced it. Would that have something to do with the ground? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Right now I have torn a 16 inch hole in my floor and am about to rip the whole thing out and replace it. I might as well tackle them both while I have it torn apart.
Dod the taillights work? tailights and side marker lights are the same circuit fed by the same wire.
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Old 10-03-2011, 08:27 AM   #4
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Dod the taillights work? tailights and side marker lights are the same circuit fed by the same wire.
The taillights, brake lights and park lights all work. The side markers are the only ones out.
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Old 10-03-2011, 10:18 AM   #5
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The taillights, brake lights and park lights all work. The side markers are the only ones out.
corrosion on that type of fixture is common, which could cause the problem, remove each bulb and clean the lamp base and the holder, then reistall the bulbs.
The loss of all four marker lights would mean the loss of at least two wiring connections to ground and at least two wiring connections to power. If it were only one of either it woud likely have lost the taillights as well since they are fed by the same wire.
The wiring diagram is the last item on the following PDF....

http://www.scamptrailers.com/Portals...nersManual.pdf
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Old 10-03-2011, 06:00 PM   #6
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Here's a direct link to the wiring diagram for the Scamp, in the Document Center (PDF): Fiberglass RV - Document Center - WiringDiagram_Scamp
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Old 10-03-2011, 06:41 PM   #7
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Thanks again everyone. I have discovered that it is much deeper than I suspected. I installed a marine battery. When I attempt to connect the terminals, I get sparks and blown fuses on the converter box and the fuse on the terminal. I think the converter is bad. The previous owner may have rigged the wiring. I opened the converter and there were only 4 fuses. I don't have the time to take the camper apart to redo the wiring. I have to leave for a week. I am at my wits end. I patched the hole in the floor. I removed all the rotted plywood. I cut the floor until I got solid plywood. Ended up being about 22 inches long and 8 inches deep. I cut a patch with 1/2 plywood and fiberglassed the bottom. The top will be fiberglassed and sanded in the morning. It's a temporary fix until I can remove the rear floor. I have got my work cut out for me repairing and modifying Mandy!!
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Old 10-03-2011, 06:51 PM   #8
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First off-don't use twist-on wing nuts. With the vibrations in the trailer, you will rapidly lose connections. Use crimp-ons. Also, if the side marker lights are original, connections or metal is probably shot. Spend the few bucks and replace them with led marker lights. Replacement is fairly easy and will resolve lots of problems. My Scamp is just a few years newer than yours and I found that the factory wiring to the TV is not standard. I ended up putting a junction box under the front bench. Good luck.
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Old 10-03-2011, 07:27 PM   #9
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Bought LED markers today as well as wiring. Hope that resolves the battery issue as well.
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Old 10-03-2011, 10:59 PM   #10
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. When I attempt to connect the terminals, I get sparks and blown fuses on the converter box and the fuse on the terminal. I think the converter is bad. The previous owner may have rigged the wiring. I opened the converter and there were only 4 fuses. I
I havent gone out to check but I seem to think my converter box only has 4 fuses in it as well - so that may not be the issue.

In case you are unaware there is also an inline fuse that is hard to find. On mine its located inside the trailer were the wire harness enters the trailer and its buried behind the rat fur on the front of the trailer on the passanger side under the front bench. It would be one of the first things I would check. Dont ask me how I know that!!

I recently replaced my tail lights and the vintage trailer folks talked me into using Solder and Heat Shrink Splicers to connect the wires. They hold strong and mosture will not get at them for many years.
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Old 10-05-2011, 12:27 PM   #11
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I've checked both inline fuses. The fuse on wiring harness is good. The one on the terminal blows as well as the one of the 20 AMP ones in the converter box. I have totally disconnected the converter box and am starting over. Hopefully, if something was connected in the wrong place, I can fix it. I have put the LED sidemarkers on and needless to say, they don't work either. I'm going to check the wiring in my vehicle to make sure everything is wired the way it is supposed to. To say I am at a loss for words is an understatement.
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Old 10-05-2011, 01:30 PM   #12
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Converter box and the on board battery are not in the camper marker wiring.
Stop, turn, brake and running are totally separate and only connect to the tow vehicle.
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Old 10-05-2011, 01:53 PM   #13
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Sorry to hear that - I know it can be frustrating. Here's my limited knowledge on the topic. The green wire should be the one that is supplying power to your rear running lights and the side markers - they are spliced into each other near the rear of the trailer. If you have not already done so down load the owners manual for the Scamp site or from the Documents center here - it has a wiring diagram. Note though that the green wire splice may not actually be where it is drawn on the diagram - on mine it was at the rear tail lights.

If you have power to the rear running lights then its probable safe to say your connections to the tow are probable correct. I had a situation where one of my marker lights would not come on sometimes and if I hit the side of the trailer it came on and would stay on for a number of weeks - suggesting a loose connection - like you I checked the wire connected to the side marker and it was fine. When I changed my tail lights out to LED and redid all the connections to them the problem with the side marker going off from time to time has gone away. Which suggests that there was a loose connection where the green wire to the tail light and the side marker were spliced together. Its *possible* you have the same issue. Hate to tell you but getting at the tail light wiring is a BIG pain!!! - need to go in through the rear bench hatches and rat fur to see them - cramped space results in lots of brusing to the body trying to fit into it and removing the bench may be an easier approach to doing it. If your going to go to the trouble of doing it, in hopes of fixing the side marker issue you may as well change out your tail lights as well to upgrade them to a brighter set if they are still the old style round cake ones. The old ones on mine where not very bright and on many occasions I had people tell me that they could not see my brake lights or turn signal when the sun was bright and shining on them.

Hope you find the problem.
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Old 10-05-2011, 05:54 PM   #14
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The connections from the bulb to the receptacle have a tendency to corrode. Banging on the egg next to the lite could result in it working again.

A solution to this, is to put dielectric grease on the receptacle and bulb connections. Get a small tube of this stuff at your auto parts store. It covers the connection and does not allow air, moisture and crap in to the connections.
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Old 10-06-2011, 10:37 AM   #15
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On my fathers Scamp the side marker ights were a seperate circuit. We moved the wire over in the connector to the tail light post to power up the side markers.
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Old 10-06-2011, 12:05 PM   #16
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I grounded the negative on the battery to the frame. Low and behold....no more blown fuses. I discovered that the black wire had been cut. The previous owner "rewired" the refrigerator and cut the black wire in order to make it work using 12V power. Grounding the negative to the frame corrected the surge problem. I have not tested the markers since grounding the battery. I ordered LED lights for the rear so all is good right now.
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Old 10-06-2011, 12:51 PM   #17
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Hope you have the same luck with the side markers!
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Old 10-08-2011, 06:37 PM   #18
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The wiring is a mess!! I have discovered that the green wire does not work at all. Somehow, the yellow is the power wire. I spliced the markers to the black wires only to discover that the black wire was spliced from the yellow wire. I'm going to have to rewire the entire trailer. That will have to wait until spring. I am still enjoying Mandy for the most part. Thanx to everyone for the advice.
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Old 10-08-2011, 07:49 PM   #19
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When you are ready to rewire the exterior lighting, look for a roll of color coded 4 wire trailer wire. Most auto parts stores carry it. I was able to buy a 25' roll pretty cheap. You can run it around the inside of the trailer and splice into it for all the marker, turn signal/brake, and tail lights. Connect it to the main under the front bench(if you have that model). That way, you have new, correctly color-coded, wire which will end those problems.
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Old 10-08-2011, 11:11 PM   #20
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I don't know if it was original or not, but the wiring on my '84 Scamp did not follow standard colors. Wires changed colors part way through. I rewired everything. Where it was possible (read: easy) I soldered the wires. I'm pretty sure the lights are brighter now.

Good luck with your lights!
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