Lights keep blowing fuses.....

[DGBPokes]

We don't drive much at night, but on a rare occasion, but the lights should be in working order. Really need some help. '07 Newmar KStar DP. Model 3912.
My toad when hooked to the motorhome was blowing the fuse for clearance lights. I have a Even Brake so the toad pickup, has a separate set of bulbs rather than being wired into the OEM circuit. Thought I had fixed that a few weeks ago. I found the right turn signal wire and the clearance wire were crossed, so I reversed them.

Tonight, I didn't have the toad connected and went to drive the coach from the sticks and bricks to the storage facility. All lights were on and working, headlights, clearance lights, etc. As I drove, I hit the high beams, bang blew a fuse. Head lights went out completely. When I turned the headlight switch off, the driving lights came on so I limbed the mile to the storage shed.

I've only done three things to the 12 v electrical system in the 2 1/2 years we've had this rv. 1). I have replaced two front clearance lights .( and tried to be very careful with the polarity. 2. ) Last fall I added two 12 volt fans to the exhaust stack for the fridge. I tapped into the 12 v lug on the back of the Dometic. Replaced a dead 12v female socket for the basement fridge. ( it wasn't even plugged in tonight when it blew )

Any thoughts, experiences, or suggestions would be appreciated.

[marjoa]

Originally Posted by DGBPokes

We don't drive much at night, but on a rare occasion, but the lights should be in working order. Really need some help. '07 Newmar KStar DP. Model 3912.
My toad when hooked to the motorhome was blowing the fuse for clearance lights. I have a Even Brake so the toad pickup, has a separate set of bulbs rather than being wired into the OEM circuit. Thought I had fixed that a few weeks ago. I found the right turn signal wire and the clearance wire were crossed, so I reversed them.

Tonight, I didn't have the toad connected and went to drive the coach from the sticks and bricks to the storage facility. All lights were on and working, headlights, clearance lights, etc. As I drove, I hit the high beams, bang blew a fuse. Head lights went out completely. When I turned the headlight switch off, the driving lights came on so I limbed the mile to the storage shed.

I've only done three things to the 12 v electrical system in the 2 1/2 years we've had this rv. 1). I have replaced two front clearance lights .( and tried to be very careful with the polarity. 2. ) Last fall I added two 12 volt fans to the exhaust stack for the fridge. I tapped into the 12 v lug on the back of the Dometic. Replaced a dead 12v female socket for the basement fridge. ( it wasn't even plugged in tonight when it blew )

Any thoughts, experiences, or suggestions would be appreciated.

Here are my thoughts:
1) Well from what you're posted, I can't see any of the fridge upgrades/fixes having any effect.
2) If you think the Even Brake wiring could be the problem, disconnect everything from the toad to the MH, replace the fuse and try the high beams again
3) My toad when hooked to the motorhome was blowing the fuse for clearance lights. So you have experienced blowing fuses here before, it's possible this is connected to the problem
4) Coach lights worked fine until you hit the high beams, so the high beams/head lights are connected to the problem
5) With all the rattling and moving our MH's take I would first crawl under the coach and inspect the wiring right behind the headlights and follow that wiring first. There's a short somewhere and that's the first place I'd check. High beam switch in the steering column is highly improbable to me.

Can you remember if there ever was a time you used the high beams and this didn't happen?

My 2 cents.

[l1v3fr33ord1]

Likely places for a short, in this order:

1) behind the headlights
2) at the coach hitch connector
3) at the steering column (wiring to/from high-low beam switch)
4) at the toad hitch connector
5) in the toad

Only 1), 2) and 3) apply to your case, as you have the problem without the toad attached.

[4Fingers]

Usually vehicles don't have fuses for the headlights but use circuit breakers. This is so they can reset if left to cool for a little bit. It is possible that one if them is bad. They are usually a small metal box with terminals on them. 1/4" thick x 1 1/2 ' long. They may fit into a fuse holder or they can be the small box with 2 screw terminal posts on them.
Happy Hunting
Don