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JimOsburnID · 11-26-2022, 08:20 AM

I have a 2003 National Sea Breeze 30 foot Class A RV. The other night I came into the RV and turned on the "ceiling" switch on the switch panel inside the door and the light didn't come on. I tried manually at the light without success. I then found the light next to that one toward the back was also out. I checked bulbs and swapped lights to find that the lights themselves were good but I didn't have power. I also found out that the ceiling fan also didn't have power. I jumped power directly from the battery and the lights and fan work. I have checked potential fuses but can't figure out what caused this. Can another offer some help or ideas?

Flyer15015 · 11-26-2022, 08:44 AM

Pull the ceiling switch. If no power, it's a fuse, somewhere.
On mine, there is a big black box up front under the hood on the driver's side.

Mike in Colorado

JimOsburnID · 11-26-2022, 08:52 AM

I pulled the panel and checked the 'ceiling' switch. I have power and if I turn switch on I have power across the switch.

bigb56 · 11-26-2022, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimOsburnID

I pulled the panel and checked the 'ceiling' switch. I have power and if I turn switch on I have power across the switch.

To measure power did you meter from hot to ground? How did you determine there is power "across" the switch, this is not measurable unless you mean you have continuity across the switch. If you measure across the switch with a probe on both terminals you should not see anything, only from terminal to ground (negative). If you have power from terminal to ground at the switch, next check at a light. If you still have power from terminal to ground at a light this means the ground is open to the light. To test this, run a wire from a known good ground point to the ground(negative) on a light and the lights should work (with the switch on). (It's not clear on your first post when you said you jumped power from the battery if you jumped only the positive or if you used two wires and jumped both, if you jumped only the positive side you have already verified the ground and dis-regard what I said.)

bigb56 · 11-26-2022, 09:17 AM

It's also not clear how many switches are involved, you mentioned another light and a fan, are those switched separately or is everything that doesn't work on the same switch?

Archer2 · 11-26-2022, 10:07 AM

I suspect y'all are overthinking this. Sounds to me like the house batteries are dead, no 12VDC. Why the batteries are dead may be a different question.

bigb56 · 11-26-2022, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Archer2

I suspect y'all are overthinking this. Sounds to me like the house batteries are dead, no 12VDC. Why the batteries are dead may be a different question.

He said he ran a jumper from the battery and the lights worked, so this tells us that the batteries are not dead, unless he jumped from a different battery. There are so many facts needed in troubleshooting electrical from a distance that we usually only have enough information to throw out guesses. Successful electrical troubleshooting requires step by step deductions, which are not rocket science but impossible to do without having all the necessary facts or being there in person.

donr103 · 11-26-2022, 09:52 PM

I found my disconnect relays were bad after 22yrs.. go figure.. I found on mine.. you can take them apart and clean the contacts .. take many pictures 1st and use all safety precautions.. no power.. mine were 2 large black ones not round type.. also I found the connections get very corroded and need very good cleaning.. then reseal with battery post sealer..
Good luck and keep us posted

Mudfrog · 11-26-2022, 11:10 PM

My guess would be a connection, possibly at the first ceiling fixture the 12 volt wiring goes into. I'd start at one of the end fixtures to check wiring and for voltage. If none there, pull the next fixture, and so on.

Archer2 · 11-27-2022, 12:06 AM

Maybe I misunderstood the OP. I thought he was saying that he “jumped” the battery and everything started working. As you say BigB56, trying to troubleshoot electric systems from a distance is always hit or miss. I remember a fellow who said his Inverter had all of a sudden started to trip on an overload fault. It took a dozen posts before he remembered to mention that he had recently installed a freezer in the basement and had plugged it into an inverter outlet.

m.elliott63 · 12-06-2022, 02:49 PM

Have you by chance accidently hit the battery disconnect switch. Most logical thing that comes to mind since he has no 12v power to anything but has battery voltage and can jumper to make things work.