Towed blowing 30a fuse

[mking]

1997 Saturn behind 2001 Winnebago Journey am second owner. 4 Pin connectors - L, R, Brakes, Grn. Works fine until I need my headlights on rig, as soon as light switch pulled my running lights around coach go out. Works fine if towed unplugged. The wiring has an adapter box in lines before the RV plug. Don't know what this devise does?? This acts like a direct short to ground?

Any help appreciated.

[Skip426]

The box would be a, combiner , I know that isn't correct name but I can't come up with it right now.
What it is for , is to bring brake and turn signal power from different wiring/bulbs on the coach to single wire in the plug in. Does it have 5 wires in and 4 out.?
Did the toad and the coach come together?
Check to make sure that the park light power is feeding the correct wire on the plug in and that , the matching wire on the toad isn't shorted to ground , in the toad.

[Gorlininc]

Hi

Above is correct about your converter box. It combines your brake lights and blinker to the bright filament of your rear bulbs.
If they work then ok.
Your problem is when you turn on your headlights you are popping a fuse. It's your tail light connection. The tail lights flow through the connector box also. These boxes do go bad from time to time.
Did your set up you have now ever work in the past or is it a new installation?
If it worked in the past, do your tail lights on the toad and rig, work when the toad is disconnected from your rig? If yes. I would disconnect the tail light input from your converter box and connect the toad and turn on the lights. If the fuse doesn't blow and all other lights work on the toad, it's either the converter box is bad or you have a ground problem. Let us know the results of what is working.

If its a new installation. Let us know.

[mking]

Rig and car did not come as pair. I purchased 97 saturn and it had 4 wire plug that matched rig. It has four diodes in rear where wires are cut for yellow left turn and green right and brown brake and tail. Of note is that the yellow and green DO NOT go to the single filament turn bulbs, but to the tail light. So that bulb is used for brake ,tail and turn. Looks like someone followed a color code chart to install, but the blue outside wire does not go to the Yellow wired turn bulb inside the assembly! The gold colored box on the rig is hard wired in and out with four wires, no plugs. So you input about what it is the first info I have found. Yes both vehicles work fine independently.

[Gorlininc]

Most motorhomes do not follow the usual color code wiring. To blow a 30 amp fuse when you turn on the headlights has to be a short to ground on the connections or converter box.
The four wires coming out of the converter box are the left blinker/brake light, right blinker/brake light, tail light and ground.
It's almost impossible to trace the wires with a meter since a bulb is a direct short.
If you have a test light, use it on the rear of your rig. You should get all 3 outputs (tail
Light, left and right blinker/ tail lights. Once you confirm they work then the problem is in your toad.
Let us know the results of that.

[Gorlininc]

The wiring from the converter should be

Green. Right blinker/brake light
Yellow. Left blinker/brake light
Brown. Tail lights
White. Ground.


Your road should be wired the same way

[Gorlininc]

You also have to make sure none of the diodes are reversed.
You also mention the brown wire is brake and tail light. That's not correct. The blinker/brake light are one and the tail light is alone.

What type of tail lights does your toad have?? Is the blinker a different bulb than the brake light bulb?
The system is a pretty simple system.

[mking]

Just looked at the box(converter) on the rig. It has 6(six) wires coming in and 4(four) going to my 4 pin plug. Input black, red,yel,green, brown,white- out is brown, yel, grn, white.
This 97 sl1 saturn has three bulbs, -- turn sig, brake/tail(double element), reverse. I agree the rtrn sig and tail light both being used at same time is odd. I am going outside to change the wiring in the trunk to go to the turn bulbs. This looks like someone wired as if it were a trailer??

Thanks

[Gorlininc]

The tail light wire are on the same bulb as brake/turn signal. Just a different filament. The bulb has 2 filaments. The brighter one is blinker/brake light. The dimmer one is your tail light.
Let me know how it works out.

[mking]

Thanks all. Went to local trailer shop; he found crosswire at rig connector from that "box". That gave ground in the one position of running lights on. I know electronics but this took experience as all the wiring diagrams I could find showed my plug was correct???
Thanks again your info was good.

[Gorlininc]

Hi
I'm happy your all set now. My plug on the Rv from the converter box was also wired wrong when I got it.
Happy Travels.
Rick.