Interior lights don't work

[Beth82]

So we just bought a 2005 jayco jay flight last night, got it home, plugged the shoreline in, battery is connected, but the interior lights don't work. We are new at this, and the previous owner said he always ran the lights off the battery but the battery isn't charged, it was showing 12.1 on the meter for voltage.

[curver900]

get a new battery

[skids]

Does any other 12 volt device work? You might want to check the fuse at the battery.

[TCNashville]

Just a thought but do you have the interior main light switch in the on position? None of your overhead lights will work unless this one switch is on. It would be located where your outside yellow/scare light switches are.

[RogerR]

Start at the battery. If the battery posts show 12.1 do the attached wires also show 12.1? There can be corrosion at the post so the outgoing power and recharge current are not getting past the posts.

Check at the main fuse on both sides- again look for corrosion.

Check the ground wire where it gets to the frame.

Check inside in the fuse box for bad fuses, bad breakers and corrosion on any connections.

Get under the trailer and look for broken wires or worn through wires that are grounding the current before the main panel.

Before you buy a battery either try to charge it with a regular battery charger with the trailer wires off the posts. See if it will take a charge, Or take it to any battery place that will test it for you.

[TCNashville]

OP stated that they were hooked up to shore power and unless the previous owner has done some kind of electrical modification, all 12V systems will operate whether there is a battery present or not, besides the emergency brake away switch that is. This is a function of the converter.

[TheDangerDay]

Originally Posted by TCNashville

Just a thought but do you have the interior main light switch in the on position? None of your overhead lights will work unless this one switch is on. It would be located where your outside yellow/scare light switches are.

I get power to that switch, but power doesn't go to my interior main lights, nor my portchlight. Idk what the problem could be. All fuses and breakers are fine, battery fine, plugged up in the campsite power as well.

[RogerR]

Check the connections at the back of the switch. If no power on both sides than bad switch or bad connection. Jayco's use of crimp connectors has a terrible failure rate.

I prefer the low temp self shrink tube connectors that actually use heat gun temp solder to make a truly positive connection. Box of 100 mixed sizes for about $6 search shrink tube solder connectors. Great for exposed places like under RV, lights, etc.