Community Forums

wagonmaster2 · 12-29-2011, 01:55 PM

Having trouble with my toad left turn signal when hooked to the coach. I've checked all connections and discovered the left turn/stop light pin at the back of the coach has no power into the back of it, even checked the actually wire with my test light. All other wires have power (right turn/stop, tail) coming from the coach.

This is on a 2004 Freightliner XC chassis, the coach has separate turn signal lights and stop lights whereas the toad uses the same tail light for turn and stop signals. Is it even possible for a fuse to affect only one turn signal or can it be the 3-2 convertor, and if either one where might I find them on my coach?

Is this a question only a call to Freightliner can help me with? Appreciate any help or suggestions as to where to look. Most of any other lighting problems I've had have just been a corroded connector between the coach and toad, never anything like this.

Wagonmaster2
2004 Meridian 36G Freightliner XC chassis

texnet · 12-29-2011, 06:19 PM

So none of the suggestions that were presented to you in the previous thread that you started worked?.... http://www.irv2.com/forums/f101/7-pi...in-110764.html

Gary RVRoamer · 12-29-2011, 07:44 PM

It's a difficult question because its one of the areas that is part from the chassis manufacturer and part from the coach body builder. Freightliner provides the basic chassis wiring, but the body builder finishes it off, including the actual stop/turn/tail lights (and the decision of combined vs separate stop & turn) plus the wiring to the plug.

I think you would be better off calling Winnie Customer Service than Freightliner. They wired in the plug.

I would suspect a break in that wire somewhere upstream form the trailer plug. It won't be a fuse because both side's stop/turn are normally powered from the same source. Probably not a relay either, since both stop and turn are affected.

texnet · 12-29-2011, 09:07 PM

Your Freightliner contains an auxilary fuse/relay box for the trailer connector. I also believe the trailer connector is supplied by Freightliner but may be wrong on that one. This fuse/relay box is independent of the tail/stop/turn lights of the coach and supplies the voltage and signaling for the trailer plug. Normally the box is located in a compartment near the drive wheels of the chassis.

While not the same coach as you, the chassis in the thread http://www.irv2.com/forums/f107/brak...ion-94597.html is a Freightliner chassis and thus you should have close to the same setup. Look at post #3 a photo of the fuse/relay box.

The BEST thing is to call Freightliner. They can tell you within a few minutes where to look for your trailer lighting fuse/relay box. The wiring to the trailer connector will go directly to this box and thus you can trace from there if it is not actually a relay or a fuse!

wagonmaster2 · 12-29-2011, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by texnet

So none of the suggestions that were presented to you in the previous thread that you started worked?.... http://www.irv2.com/forums/f101/7-pi...in-110764.html

I repeated my problem here on the Freightliner section per a suggestion from one of the posters in another Forum. I'm desperately trying to use all the help I'm getting and hopefully I'll finally be successful.

Several suggestions have been to locate the convertor and fuse box for the trailer plug, which is what is causing my problems. Following suggestions I've traced the lack of power into the back of the plug on the coach so it's a problem toward the front of the coach. One suggestion was to look in the passenger side compartment behind the rear wheels but on my Meridian that's where the basement air conditioner is located. Another suggestion was to look in the utility compartment on the driver's side rear where the power cord comes in, which will be my next attempt when it gets light tomorrow.
If that fails I guess I start making phone calls, whether to Freightliner or Winnebago.

Wagonmaster2

texnet · 12-29-2011, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wagonmaster2

If that fails I guess I start making phone calls, whether to Freightliner or Winnebago.

I think I would make the call to Freightliner before you spend anymore time on the problem. I called them on a 2006 Coachmen on an XC chassis and less than 2 minutes the tech told me where to look for the box and it was exactly where he told me it would be. Looked in the box and all but one fuse was blown!!

Dave78Chief · 12-29-2011, 10:59 PM

Thanks for posting that link Texnet. I was searching turn signals rather than brake light. Part of the problem here, is others have told him there is a convertor (an aftermarket device used for u-haul like trailer hookups) in his system. While there is some sort of function like that buried in his system (Winnebago has split stop & turn lights), for the trailer connector hookup it is combined stop/turn and is routed to though the trailer box in your link (http://www.irv2.com/forums/f107/brak...tml#post889236).

Dave

Pigman1 · 12-30-2011, 08:16 PM

Freightliner put in ALL the trailer plug wiring, but your chassis builder located the box in one of their compartments. I had an 05 diesel Bounder on an XC chassis and the fuses for the 7 pin connector (turn signals, brake, and running lights) were in the first compartment aft of the passenger side rear tire. It was in a location next to the MMDC computer. On the Tiffins the fuses are in the compartment behind the driver side rear tire.

Gary RVRoamer · 12-31-2011, 05:58 PM

To be accurate, Freightliner supplied the basic wiring but it came coiled up and only partially installed, with no lights present. Winnebago finished the job when they put the body on, installed stop/turn/tail lights, mounted the fuse/relay box and installed the trailer connector. So it's sort of a committee project.

wagonmaster2 · 12-31-2011, 07:45 PM

By removing a large metal plate on the back side of the driver's side rear compartment (behind the rear duals) I found two small square plastic boxes and after removing the covers found fuses and what looks like relays in both of them. One had all the fuses for the stop/turn signal lights and the LH turn signal 20 amp fuse was blown. Replaced it and now have LH turn signal power to the back of the trailer connector. Will connect the toad up tomorrow and make sure all lights work on it also. But first am going to try finding out if I have a short in the wires connecting the two vehicles someplace causing the fuse to blow. Not exactly sure how to go about this but surely it can't be too hard.

Think I'm going to leave that plate off so the next time a fuse blows it'll be easier to get to, especially out traveling someplace.

Appreciate all the help and suggestions everyone gave me. These Forums and its members are priceless.

Wagonmaster2

texnet · 01-01-2012, 01:21 PM

Glad to hear you found the trailer light fuse/relay box!!

The best way to check the wiring harness that you connect between the MH and the toad is with a multimeter and use the ohms function. You can purchase a multimeter from Walmart, Radio Shack, an auto parts store or most any place that you can purchase fuses for a auto. Put the multimeter on the OHMS function, put one lead in one pin on one end of the cable then use the other lead to test the same pin on the other end of the cable. You should have zero ohms between the two, i.e. a short. Check each of the other pins to make sure you do NOT have a short to the other pins.

wagonmaster2 · 01-01-2012, 01:52 PM

Following your suggestion with my Radio Shack digital multi meter I just got through doing that very thing, however I'm not sure whether I'm checking ohms or resistance between the two ends of the connecting cable. Not much of an electriction but I check the reading when the meter is turned on and also when touching the two ends of the meter probs. All I know is I get a reading on each light end to end and no reading from one end of the ground wire to each of the light ends.

My next check probably should be to see if any of the tabs on the end of the wires at the front of the toad test for a ground. That would be lots of fun trying to find one there from front back to the toad tail lights. Hopefully I won't find one.

Appreciate the help.

Wagonmaster2

texnet · 01-01-2012, 05:00 PM

Resistance is measured in ohms...

If you have zero ohms then you have an short or which would be the same as touching the leads to each other or touching the leads to each end of a wire. This would mean the wire is good.

If you touch the leads to each end of a open wire then the meter have the same reading as when you turn the multimeter on and do not have the leads touching anything.

So, if you measured zero ohms with one lead one end of the plug on pin one and the other lead on the other end of the on pin one then the wire is good. However, if you leave the lead on pin one on one end and you place the lead on pins 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 and you get a reading then you have a wire shorted. You would need to measure each pin to pin and then to the other pins to make sure the cable is fully operational. To go one step futher plug the cable into the MH and check all the lights. If the cable is bad it will blow the same fuse that you found blown.

Best way to test the toad is just plug the cable in. Worst you should do is blow the same fuse... and if it does then you need to start looking for a short in the toad. If you have diodes it could be one of them or it could be a wire has slipped off the tab on the diode.