Troubleshooting Lights on 2014 Shasta Flyte Travel Trailer  

Question:

Expert Reply:

The type of lighting problem you describe, where one light function seems to interfere with others, is most often a result of a simple grounding problem. A weak or marginal ground connection at the trailer frame can cause all sorts of weird behavior from the trailer lights. Since you have tested the trailer with multiple vehicles and the problem continues, this tells us that it is likely that the issue is indeed on the trailer side.

The grounding problem could be as simple as the main trailer connector ground being loose on the frame, or that the ground is not making bare-metal-to-bare-metal contact. Sometimes a touch of sandpaper to remove primer/paint from the grounding point can fix the issue. You can also check the individual lights' grounds to ensure that each one is making good metal-to-metal contact. Some trailer lights use a wire for ground while others use the light mounting hardware to make the ground connection. In either case you also can check that each individual light is properly grounded to the frame.

This issue is certainly something that may be really easy to find and correct on your own, without having to take the trailer to the dealership, but since you have that under-warranty option if your own efforts do not correct the problem the dealer should have no trouble fixing it for you.

You can also inspect both the vehicle and trailer connectors for any signs of trapped dirt, corrosion or even a bent contact pin that also could be related to the problem. Its also easy to disconnect the trailer from the tow vehicle and test the lighting circuits directly by applying 12V power from the vehicle battery (or a spare one) to the contacts on the trailer plug, one at a time, to see if the lighting functions operate correctly. If you do not get correct operation from just one light then this tells you to first check the wiring connections for that individual light.

Once the issue is corrected I suggest you apply protective dielectric grease like # 11755 to keep moisture and dirt out of the connections.

expert reply by: Adam R

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