No rear running lights Eagle HT 28.5RSTS

[SeventyGTX]

I had my rig out of its cover for a couple days de-winterizing it. I went to put it back in and noticed the backup camera didn't come on with the lights on. After further investigating, I noticed the rear tail and marker lights were not on obviously the problem with my camera not working. The front lights are working.

After checking all over the rig, I could not find any fuses for the running lights. I crawled under it, looked everywhere and could and saw no wiring for the lights. My only concern is possibly mice. We replaced our rear sofa a couple weeks ago and I did see two little pieces of "evidence", but that was all. No other signs inside the rig.

Either way, I am sure there has to be fuses somewhere for the lights, which would be the first thing to check. I called Jayco, but missed them by 10 minute and now they are closed. Can anyone help me out?

[Nature Ist]

Your running lights operate from the tow vehicle light circuits, the fuse protection is in the tow vehicle wiring, so there are no fuses in the trailer.
You should find a "junction" box or wiring terminal for your hitch harness somewhere in the front of the unit, most likely in the area near the battery compartment. You should be able to test those wires to be sure you have power going back to the rear lights, it is possible there is loose connection there.
You mentioned replacing the rear sofa....did that process require any new fasteners or drilling? The wiring for the rear exterior clearance, stop/turn, and backup lights sometimes is run through the cabinets in the corner on either side of the couch.
Do your brake, turn, and back-up lights work? Do your side clearance lights work either mid-ship or rear side?

[SeventyGTX]

Yes, I have brakes and turn signals. All the red rear running lights are out the ambers up front work. This also has a trailer hitch and plug. I checked the plug and it is getting power when the lights are on. A green wire is what powers the running lights and I saw no green wire up by the battery in the wires I could see.
I will pull some panels tomorrow or maybe later today and see if I can find a junction box and where that green wire begins.

No new fasteners in the sofa. In all my searching around, I saw no other signs off mice. We bought this fiver from a dealer used last January so don't know it's history beyond that time. But the puzzler is the lights/backup camera were working the last time I pulled it out a couple months ago.

[Grumpy]

Pull the left side tail light and check for a loose wire. Usually they daisy chain the clearance and running lights from that side

[Nature Ist]

If you have power at the hitch connector, then you don't need to look any further up front.
Grumpy's suggestion would be worth following. On my 2020 HT 30.5 there are wire harnesses in the lower cabinet next to the couch on the road (driver) side. The hard part is getting to them to see if there is anything wrong there. I would also look at the underside left side near the bumper to see if you can find the wiring harness, which is usually on the road side just inside the main frame. You can possibly remove the access panel for your slide motor to look for the wiring, and also to look for evidence of mice activity.

[SeventyGTX]

Originally Posted by Grumpy

Pull the left side tail light and check for a loose wire. Usually they daisy chain the clearance and running lights from that side

Did that and it was just straightforward 3 wire connections. However the right side had more of a daisy chain with no power to the green wire on either side.

As a side, boy are these cheesy tail lights. The left side was full of dirt and you know water is getting in there. No seal whatsoever between the lens and housing.

[SeventyGTX]

Originally Posted by Nature Ist

If you have power at the hitch connector, then you don't need to look any further up front.
Grumpy's suggestion would be worth following. On my 2020 HT 30.5 there are wire harnesses in the lower cabinet next to the couch on the road (driver) side. The hard part is getting to them to see if there is anything wrong there. I would also look at the underside left side near the bumper to see if you can find the wiring harness, which is usually on the road side just inside the main frame. You can possibly remove the access panel for your slide motor to look for the wiring, and also to look for evidence of mice activity.

I pulled down a lot of the insulating panel underneath in the rear including the panel for the slide motor. No evidence of mice at all. I couldn't see any wiring going up top, just wiring for the stabilzers and the rear hitch plug. That is where I found the hot green running lights wire. But it went nowhere up. I also looked in all the cabinets, but saw nothing.

I think I mentioned earlier, there is a harness coming up the floor behind the couch. I will check that out tomorrow. I didn't see it from underneath when I looked earlier. I will get more serious with it tomorrow. It caught me off guard this afternoon when I was backing in my cover and had no backup camera, only to find out I had no rear lights. Arrgh.

[Jagiven]

So you have front marker lights, but no rear. So you have power up to the initial junction box. The marker lights use the same grounding wires as the brake and turn signals and you say they work

I suspect the issue is the wire nut connecting the 7 pin wire harness and the wires inside the 5ver.. I think that junction box is up under the the pin box, but someone else should be able to confirm.

[SeventyGTX]

Originally Posted by Jagiven

So you have front marker lights, but no rear. So you have power up to the initial junction box. The marker lights use the same grounding wires as the brake and turn signals and you say they work

I suspect the issue is the wire nut connecting the 7 pin wire harness and the wires inside the 5ver.. I think that junction box is up under the the pin box, but someone else should be able to confirm.

Are you saying possibly removing the pin box?

edit: I went out and looked at the back of the pin box, and there is a harness going into overhang on the passenger side with two green wires. That is a good place to start looking for power. Having two green wires the same gauge gives me hope one is for the front lights, the other the rear.

[Jagiven]

Originally Posted by SeventyGTX

Are you saying possibly removing the pin box?

edit: I went out and looked at the back of the pin box, and there is a harness going into overhang on the passenger side with two green wires. That is a good place to start looking for power. Having two green wires the same gauge gives me hope one is for the front lights, the other the rear.

Dont need to remove the pin box, just follow the 7 pin wire harness. I bet there is a junction box in the area.

[SeventyGTX]

Ok, I'm at the end of my rope. I checked both green wires in the pin box going into the overhang and they are both hot. After removing a panel in the nightstand and end table on the passenger side I found nothing.

But now the forward ambers are not working, yet the middle ones are and still nothing in the rear. The only possible thing I can think of is I recently drilled and ran longer screws into the lower overhang trim because of the typical short screws into the wood giving out. So ran them into the metal framing. If that is the case and I hit some wires, I'm screwed.

[SeventyGTX]

It definitely has a short as it now pops the special 20 amp fuse in my truck. The only thing I did was jiggle the harness at the pin box to see if I could hear where exactly it went. That seemed to aggravate the problem and now since my truck fuse blew. I guess I will have to tackle pulling that overhang trim off and maybe even the paneling under the overhang which most like means pulling the pin box.

Lots of guys did this same mod to keep the trim from sagging and water getting in. It has been a fiasco on my end from the beginning.