Half of the Lights on a 1973 Ideal Travel Trailer Are Not Working

Question:

Replacing half of the lights on my 1973 ideal travel trailer and half are working and half are not. Please help.

asked by: Joleen G

Expert Reply:

So is it half of the new lights that are not working? Regardless of if it is the new or old lights (assuming the old light were working before) there could be several issues causing half of the lights to not work.

It could be a ground problem. Ground problems normally show up when there is more draw on a system such as when you have the running lights on and then use another function like a turn signal or brake light.

Make sure that the vehicle side and trailer side connectors are clean and free of corrosion inside and out. The main connector grounds should be attached to clean and corrosion free bare metal surfaces.

The light grounds should also be attached to clean and corrosion free bare metal surfaces. If there is anything between a light ground and the metal trailer frame or if the trailer has an aluminum frame, tilt bed, or folding tongue, any of these things can interrupt the ground. Running jumper wires from the light grounds to the main trailer connector ground can help.

Another possibility is that if there are enough lights they could possibly be overdrawing the electrical system on the tow vehicle. You would need to know how much amperage each light draws and how much the tow vehicle is rated for to see if they are overdrawing the vehicle system. Going to all LED lights would solve that issue.

expert reply by: Michael H